It took about three seconds for Giancarlo Stanton’s line-drive home run to reach the left-field seats in the top of the sixth inning of the Marlins’ 9-1 win over the Phillies on Thursday afternoon.
That was more than enough time for Phillies fans to contemplate what could have been if Ruben Amaro, Jr. had successfully been able to pull off a trade for the rightfielder. The Phillies' GM previously admitted in 2013 that he had tried to acquire Stanton “at least 10 times.”
Stanton’s strengths are a perfect fit for Citizens Bank Park’s dimensions, which caters to righty power hitters. Of his 158 career home runs, 97 have been to either left or left-center field, including Thursday’s blast — his second of the series.
Not even a strong wind was a match for Stanton’s pure strength — he said that he could remember hitting only one other ball in his career as hard as he hit Justin De Fratus’ 3-2 offering.
“He smoked that ball,” Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. “Especially with that wind really blowing out to right, he might have been the only guy able to hit a home run out of this park today.”
“Get it between the lines, that’s what I was trying to do today,” Stanton added.
Over his last 15 games at Citizens Bank Park, Stanton is hitting .317 with seven home runs and 11 RBIs.
The factors that have contributed to his success here aren’t much of a secret, either.
“[It’s] dimensions and a good backdrop,” Stanton said.
In contrast, the Phillies as a team have combined to hit seven home runs in their last 15 home games dating back to the end of 2014.
Phillies fans shouldn’t harbor any realistic hope of seeing Stanton in red pinstripes, not after the 13-year, $325 million contract he signed with the Marlins last offseason.
The best-case scenario for Phillies fans desperate for righty power is if Carlos Ruiz recaptures the magic of 2012 and hits 15 home runs (not likely) — or that Darin Ruf takes advantage of his two-double day and breaks out of an April slump (plausible).
What’s most likely is that the success or failure of the Phillies' lineup will hinge on its lefties, be it Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Cody Asche or Domonic Brown once he gets off the DL.
So far, that plan isn’t working. The Phillies are dead last in the majors in hitting (.213 team batting average).
It’s too early to say what that number will look like when the Marlins return to Philadelphia in mid-July, but it might not be pretty.
And another batch of Stanton home runs out to Planet Hoagie and beyond will be a painful reminder of how much the Phillies could have exploited their own ballpark to their advantage, and how much they’re failing to do so this season.
“I mean, I hit home runs out of here,” Redmond said. “And I only hit 13 in my career.”