A huge night from Phillies' hot offense to begin Twins series

In simpler times, back at Veterans Stadium, scoreboards weren’t the full-color, big-enough-to-be-seen-from-space technical marvels they’ve become. But when things were really going well for the home team in those days, the control room would cue up a rudimentary graphic to recognize what was happening on the plastic grass below.

THE JOINT IS JUMPIN’ would flash on the screen, simple white letters against a black background. There may have also been a caricature of some kind of an insect. Maybe a bee. Who knows? That was a really long time ago.

It’s also been a really long time since the Phillies offense had the joint jumpin’ the way it has been during the current homestand, which continued with a 13-2 win over the first-place Twins Friday night at Citizens Bank Park.

On paper, the lineup was a juggernaut, stacked with expensive veteran superstars and talented youngsters on the rise. On dirt and grass it more resembled an old-timey burlesque dancer offering tantalizing glimpses – a little shoulder here, a little cleavage there – while hinting that there was still plenty more to see.

Recently, the bats have gone full monty.

Since returning from a sojourn to Pittsburgh and Miami, the Phillies blasted a total of 21 home runs in eight games at The Bank. They’ve scored a total of 60 runs, an average of 7.5 per game.

“I thought we had great at bats all night long,” said manager Rob Thomson. “It had to turn at some point. I’ve been saying all along the offense is going to get going. And it is, finally. I just like where we’re at right now.”

The Phillies were without first baseman Bryce Harper Friday night, who’s day-to-day after leaving Sunday’s game with stiffness in his lower back. They remain without outfielder Brandon Marsh (.281 with an .827 OPS), who has been on the IL since August 5 with a bruised left knee.

And they still scored six times in the second inning against 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel and then kept adding on to roll to an easy win.

The only sour note of the night came in the seventh when leadoff hitter Kyle Schwarber, who was on base four times with two singles and two walks, had to leave the game after fouling a pitch off his left foot. He’ll be reevaluated Saturday but x-rays were negative and the early indication is that he escaped serious injury.

The final score could have been even more lopsided except for Minnesota centerfielder Michael A. Taylor, who made two spectacular catches in the fourth inning to limit the damage while the Phils were in the process of scoring three times.

With nobody out, two runs already in and runners on first and third, Bryson Stott ripped a drive into left-center, only to be robbed when Taylor raced over to make the diving catch. Stott had to settle for a sacrifice fly.

Taylor was also responsible for the final out, rushing in to snag a sinking line drive off the bat of Edmundo Sosa inches above the grass, saving at least one more run.

Shortstop Trea Turner continued his remarkable turnaround which began on the first day of the homestand when he received multiple standing ovations even though, at the time, he was hitting .235 since signing an 11-year, $300 million free agent contract.

Since then he’s batting .406 (13-for-32) with 6 doubles, 2 homers, 10 RBI and a 1.205 OPS after going 3-for-5 against the Twins.

Stott and catcher J.T. Realmuto hit back-to-back homers in the sixth and Johan Rojas hit his first big league homer in the ninth. Stott also had a double, scored twice and had three RBI. Nick Castellanos was 3-for-45 with a double.

“It’s been awesome,” Stott said. “We’re just kind of feeding off the energy around us.”

When he envisioned coming into the season what this offense might look like when it was clicking, it looked a lot like what he’s seen the last eight games. “For sure,” he said. “With the names we have, you don’t expect it, but you want to see it. And this homestand it’s come out and it’s been awesome.”

After the extended homestand ends with a final game against the Twins on Sunday, the Phillies will have two scheduled off days bracketing two games in Toronto and three open dates in the next 11 days.

That means one pitcher is likely to come out of the rotation – they’d been using six starters since acquiring Michael Lorenzen at the August 1 trading deadline – and one possibility to be the odd man out is certainly Friday night starter Cristopher Sanchez.

That might not seem fair since Sanchez has a 3.39 ERA in 11 starts since being called up. But he’s also far less experienced than Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Taijuan Walker, Michael Lorenzen and even Ranger Suarez. He also has options remaining.

Sanchez gave up consecutive homers to Jorge Polanco and Max Kepler in the second. But the Phillies answered with six in the bottom of the inning and Sanchez ended up going six innings without allowing another run.

Thomson said Sanchez is expected to get at least one more start, but wouldn’t commit beyond that.

Said Sanchez, through interpreter Diego Ettedgui: “I’m not focusing on that all. I’m just going out every time to do my best and try to help the team win.”