Trea Turner puts on a show, Taijuan Walker cruises as Phillies win series in Chicago
CHICAGO — Trea Turner put on a show early Wednesday in Chicago and Taijuan Walker overcame a difficult first inning to lead the Phillies to a series win in their finale against the White Sox.
Turner, who entered the game homerless, took Mike Clevinger deep in the first inning for his first as a Phillie. He followed with a single, stolen base and run scored in the third, then doubled in Bryson Stott in the fourth inning of a 5-2 Phillies win.
His full skill set — power, speed, contact — was on display. Turner fell a triple shy of becoming the first player ever to hit for the cycle four times. While a triple is usually the missing element, Turner is one of the likeliest candidates in all of MLB to hit one in any given at-bat so the cycle watch could be on numerous times over the next decade.
Brandon Marsh also homered for the Phillies and is second in the majors in slugging percentage to Matt Chapman. Marsh is hitting over .300 as a Phillie with an OPS just below .900 in 200 plate appearances.
He’s just a different hitter than he was when he came over from the Angels last summer in a trade.
“Oh, no question,” manager Rob Thomson said of Marsh this week. “(Hitting coach) Kevin Long spread him out, got his head still, he’s staying behind the ball and not rushing to his front side. So he’s hitting the ball out front more, he’s also using the whole field. He’s very confident right now, he’s swinging it well and having very good at-bats.”
Marsh also made an impressive defensive play to end the sixth, leaping a step in front of the wall to rob Andrew Vaughn of extra bases and maybe a homer.
Marsh moved up to the five-spot in the Phillies’ lineup against right-handers because of his hot start and J.T. Realmuto’s early-season slump. Realmuto is beginning to find it at the plate, going 8 for 19 with three doubles, a homer and a walk over his last five games. He also made the kind of play Wednesday only J.T. Realmuto can make, firing an accurate one-hop seed from his knees to nail Oscar Colas trying to steal second base. It was the sixth runner Realmuto has caught this season after nabbing 30 and leading the majors in success rate a year ago.
Walker (2-1, 3.86) made his second straight quality start and earned his second straight win, allowing two runs over 6 innings. It looked early like it might be a short day when he allowed a double to Luis Robert and a two-run homer to Vaughn three batters in, but Walker put just three men on base over the next five innings and two were erased with a caught stealing and a double-play ball.
The key to Walker’s deep outing was recording six outs in the span of 16 pitches in the fifth and sixth innings. He put two men on base in the seventh and was lifted for Gregory Soto, who put out the fire.
Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless eighth and Jose Alvarado earned the save for the second straight day.
Soto has not allowed a hit or earned run over his last 6 innings. Kimbrel hasn’t been scored upon in 4 innings, striking out eight. Alvarado has retired 26 of the 30 batters he’s faced this season.
The Phillies are 8-11 as they return to Citizens Bank Park for a seven-game homestand against the Rockies and Mariners. The Rockies are 5-13 with one of the worst pitching staffs in baseball, home or away.
Matt Strahm will start the series opener Thursday, Aaron Nola will pitch Friday and Zack Wheeler goes Sunday. Saturday is TBA but could be left-hander Cristopher Sanchez. The Phillies need a sixth starter this cycle through the rotation because of the postponement Monday and the doubleheader Tuesday.
