Offense clicks as Phillies pummel Dallas Keuchel and the Minnesota Twins, 13-2

Rob Thomson has always maintained that his team will hit the way they’re supposed to this season. Over this homestand, they’ve proven him right, hitting 21 home runs over their last eight games. But on Friday, they showed some versatility, too.

Despite back-to-back solo shots from Bryson Stott and J.T. Realmuto in the sixth and an eighth-inning Johan Rojas homer off a pitch thrown by a position player, the Phillies’ 13-2 win on Friday night was not a home run bombardment. They worked their at-bats, chipping away at the Twins pitching staff. None of their first nine runs came from the long ball. Instead, they scored via two doubles, four singles, a pair of sac flies, and an RBI groundout — all before the sixth inning.

After the Phillies (65-52) managed just one walk against Twins starter Dallas Keuchel in the first inning, starter Cristopher Sánchez allowed back-to-back home runs in the top of the second to fall into a 2-0 hole. The Twins’ lead didn’t last long, however, as the Phillies scored six runs in the bottom of the frame.

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Keuchel — the 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner who recently signed with the Twins (60-58) after the Rangers designated him for assignment last year — was unable to finish the inning. The Phillies racked up six hits (including two doubles) and also scored on a sac fly and groundout during the outburst. They piled on in the fourth inning, leading off with two walks before a Trea Turner double, a Nick Castellanos single, and a Stott sacrifice fly.

Keuchel allowed six runs on six hits over 1⅔ innings, walked two, and hit a batter. Sánchez picked up the win for the Phillies, allowing two runs on six hits with five strikeouts and three walks over six innings.

“It’s great,” Sánchez said of the Phillies’ offensive showing on Friday. “They batted around, and it helped me. It made me feel protected.”

Said Thomson: “I liked what Sánchez did. He gives up back-to-back home runs in the second inning, and then he just kept his poise and battled through it. Kept throwing strikes, uses his stuff, uses his changeup.”

By the end of the game, the Phillies had gone 6-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Eight of their starting nine recorded at least one hit. All of their starting nine reached base. The Phillies racked up 15 hits and six walks.

It was another multi-hit game for Castellanos and Turner, who have used this homestand as an opportunity to find their power strokes. Turner went 3-for-5, extending his hitting streak to eight games, and Castellanos went 3-for-4, extending his streak to 12. Turner is hitting .406/.424/.781 with 1.205 OPS over his last eight games.

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Realmuto appears to be heating up, too. He’s now homered in back-to-back games after his shot Friday night and is hitting .320/.393/.680 over his last seven games.

Twins outfielder Jordan Luplow came in for the eighth inning, and decided to crouch down and give his best Craig Kimbrel impression. It didn’t make his eephus pitches look any faster.

With two outs, and a man on base, Rojas took advantage of his first time facing a position player in the big leagues. He launched Luplow’s 47.5 mph pitch 392 feet into the left-field stands for his first big league home run. He apologized to Luplow as he crossed home plate.

“I’m sorry,” he told him with a laugh. “I didn’t mean to do that.”

After the game, a few hitters approached Rojas in the Phillies’ clubhouse.

“They all count,” Schwarber said.

“Tell them you hit your first home run off of Craig Kimbrel,” said Brandon Marsh.

Friday’s win was the Phillies’ first double-digit victory since July 1. At 65-52, they are a season-high 13 games over .500.

“I’ve been saying all along that the offense is going to get going,” Thomson said. “And it is, finally. We’re having really good at-bats. Using the field. J.T. hits another opposite-field home run. I just like where we’re at right now.”

In the seventh inning, Kyle Schwarber fouled a pitch off of his foot. He came out of the game and was replaced by Rodolfo Castro.

Thomson said after the game that Schwarber is sore and has a foot contusion. He will be re-evaluated before Saturday’s game.