This item – underlined and in bold type to highlight the significance – was included in the daily press notes distributed before Wednesday’s series finale against the Giants:
Philadelphia’s 17 comeback wins since the break are the most in MLB
Which is wonderful. Says a lot about the player’s grit and the fighting, never-give-up spirit that suffuses the clubhouse and all that good, wholesome stuff.
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The flip side is that it’s a really tough way to make a living. Because, of course, the primary requirement for rallying to win is falling behind in the first place. And a couple more points from the notes packet neatly sums up the dilemma. Going into Wednesday’s series finale against the Giants, the Phils were 44-17 when scoring first but 25-40 when their opponent got the drop.
It’s of more than passing interest, then, that for the fifth straight game at Citizens Bank Park, the visiting team put up at least one run in the top of the first. In their last dozen games they’ve trailed at some point.
They tried to follow the same script that has allowed them to have eight walk-off wins this season. They were behind 4-0 by the time they got their first hot against Giants starter Alex Cobb. They rallied force the game into extra innings on a three-run homer by Bryce Harper in the bottom of the ninth.
But closer Craig Kimbrel came into the tie game in the 10th and gave up three runs and the Phillies ended up losing, 8-6.
Philadelphia Phillies
With the ghost runner on second, he promptly walked catcher Patrick Bailey and hit leftfielder Wade Meckler with a pitch to load the bases with nobody out. Paul DeJong then singled to drive in two runs.
“A leadoff walk and then a hit batter. I put myself in that situation. I felt like I gave myself an opportunity to get out of it but I made a bad pitch that ran back over the plate. I hate that I couldn’t get through that inning. That was a heck of a home run by Harper to put us back in there. It was exciting.”
Speaking of exciting. . .
With one out and runners on first and third, San Francisco second baseman drilled a shot into the rightfield gap. Not only was Johan Rojas able to sprint over to make the diving catch, he scrambled to his feet and doubled DeJong off first to end the inning.
Rojas was called up from Double-A Reading on July 15 and already has quite a collection of highlight reel quality defensive plays. But he wasn’t ready to say this as his best yet or pick a favorite catch.
“I don’t really know where I would rank it because I don’t pay much attention to like a Top 5 list or anything,” he said through interpreter Diego Ettedgui. “Honestly, every time I take the field, I just want to try my best to help this team. I’ve been fortunate enough to make a lot of correct plays in my career. But, honestly, I don’t know which one stands out the most. I know there have been some pretty good ones but I can’t say which one stands out.”
Said Kimbrel: “He’s special out there. He floats around. He definitely moves different. He’s like a magnet for the ball. Each and every step he makes seems like it’s exactly the right one.”
STOTT’S AOK
Second baseman Bryson Stott was in the starting lineup Wednesday after being hit on the wrist by a pitch from Giants closer Camilo Doval in the bottom of the ninth Tuesday night. “I’m really relieved,” said manager Rob Thomson. “I thought he’d be sore, at least, but he said he feels pretty good.”