Bryce Harper homers, then Phillies finally win a close one against Orioles

A few days ago, in Cleveland, Phillies manager Rob Thomson singled out the top of the Phillies’ lineup.

“They’ve got to come out of it,” he said on Saturday. “They’ve got to hit. Those five guys have got to hit. That’s where we’re at.”

Initially, it seemed like Tuesday’s game would just reinforce those words. But in the ninth inning, with two outs, three of their top six — Bryce Harper, Bryson Stott, and J.T. Realmuto — recorded pivotal hits with two outs that led to a 4-3 win over the Orioles.

Down 3-2 to the Orioles at the top of the ninth, Trea Turner grounded out, Harper singled, Nick Castellanos struck out, and Stott roped a two-out double to the right field corner to score Harper and tie the game.

Harper was sprinting around the bases and when he crossed home plate, he let out a yell and pumped his fist in the air.

“I was more pumped for Bryson,” Harper said. “The kid is such a baller out there. It’s so much fun to watch. I know he’s one of my best friends, but I can’t say enough about how he goes about it. The way he does it. At-bat by at-bat, situation by situation, it’s just fun to watch. He’s going to be a star, man. I think my friend-ness came out in that situation because I was just so fired up for him. Great teammate, great person, and just really happy for him.”

J.T. Realmuto hit a single and hustled to first base to put runners on first and third. The Orioles challenged the call but the umpires didn’t overturn it. Alec Bohm won the game in the next at-bat on a single to left field. The Phillies had lost five of their previous six games. It was a win they badly needed.

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And through the first eight innings, it didn’t seem like they were going to pull it off. In the sixth inning, with two outs, Harper hit his first home run since July 15 to tie the game at 2-2. The entire crowd came to its feet. It felt like a cathartic release. But it didn’t spark an immediate rally.

After Harper’s home run in the sixth, the Phillies recorded eight straight outs. The next Phillies hit was Harper’s single in the ninth. Over that span, Ryan O’Hearn hit a solo home run off of Matt Strahm in the eighth inning that gave the Orioles a 3-2 lead. Strahm walked his next batter, and avoided another run scoring when Castellanos made a terrific running catch in the next at-bat to rob Adam Frazier of a hit.

“The Castellanos play was incredible,” said Thomson. “I mean, I thought he had no shot at it. But he got a good jump, and he ran a great route, direct to it, and extended at the right time.”

Yunior Marte retired the next two batters to end the eighth, but the Phillies struck out, flied out and struck out in the bottom half of the inning. Marte came back out for the ninth and allowed just one walk, earning the win on Tuesday night.

Aside from Harper’s home run, most of the Phillies’ production through their first eight innings came from the bottom of their lineup. Those innings were uninspiring, especially given how Orioles starting pitcher (and former Phillie) Gibson has pitched recently. Gibson entered Tuesday’s game with a 5.18 ERA for the month of July. He had a 6.84 ERA in the month of June. But he allowed just two earned runs through six innings pitched against the Phillies: Harper’s home run, and an RBI single from Johan Rojas in the third.

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The third inning summed up the Phillies’ recent offensive woes perfectly. Their seven, eight and nine-hole hitters strung together the first three hits of the night off of Gibson, only to see the top of the order record three straight outs. Bohm led off with a double, Brandon Marsh hit a single, and Rojas hit a single to score Bohm and put the Phillies on the board.

Despite having runners on first and second with no outs, no runs were added from there. Schwarber flied out, Turner grounded into a force out, and Harper grounded out to end the inning.

“I realize they are struggling at the top, but you’ve got to give credit to the guys at the bottom, because they’ve really had good at-bats,” said Thomson. “Even Rojas, I thought his at-bats today were really, really good. Those guys at the bottom just keep getting better. Stott, Bohm, Marsh and Rojas. So you’ve got to give them credit, because they were pretty much the offense today.”

Perhaps Tuesday’s late inning theatrics will provide the spark the entire offense needs.

“It’s a big win,” Thomson said. “And I think having that rally in the ninth inning, hopefully that sparks the offense a little bit. Gets some guys going a little bit. But that’s a huge win for us tonight. Against a really good ballclub.”

Taijuan Walker allowed just one hit in the first inning, but quickly ran into trouble in the second, allowing three straight hits, the last one an RBI double to Austin Hays. Walker allowed a walk in his next at-bat to load the bases with no outs.

But to the right-handed pitcher’s credit, he got himself out of the jam. He struck out Jordan Westburg, then induced flyouts from both Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman to end the inning. He allowed only one more run from there, ending his night at five 2/3 innings pitched, with six hits, two earned runs, three walks and four strikeouts.

“He competes, he really does,” Thomson said. “I thought he got better as the game went on. The plate was moving around on him a little bit early in the game, and his pitch count really got up. After three innings he was over 60 pitches, I believe. So, to give us what he gave us is really remarkable. He really settled in. He did a really good job for us.”