97.5 The Fanatic Phillies Notebook: Alec Bohm’s Historic Hit Streak
The National League East race is on. The Atlanta Braves have kept up their torrid regular-season norms, and the Philadelphia Phillies are on their heels as a top-tier MLB team.
Alec Bohm carried the Fightin’ Phils to two more series victories this week during his 15-game hit streak.
Phillies vs. San Diego Padres
- Friday 4/26: Win 9-3
- Saturday 4/27: Win 5-1
- Sunday 4/28: Win 8-6
Phillies vs. Los Angeles Angels
- Monday 4/29: Loss 6-5
- Tuesday 4/30: Win 7-5
- Wednesday 5/1: Win 2-1
A Historic April Performance
The series victory in Anaheim brought the Phillies to 21-11 on the season. They have substantiated their spring training emphasis on avoiding an early-season lull similar to the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
The Phillies lost their first two series in 2024. They have gone 6-0-2 in their next eight series with three sweeps. They crushed the hapless Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox at Citizens Bank Park, but the San Diego Padres posed a more legitimate threat.
The dominant weekend sweep at Petco Park came against a more threatening lineup card with Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, and Fernando Tatis Jr. at the heart of the order.
The starting rotation has given the Phillies a chance to win virtually every game for weeks. It’s no surprise that a club is 10 games over .500 when the starting staff has a collective 2.50 ERA.
Fans will undoubtedly appreciate the dominance when they hear that it was the best March/April record for a Phillies team since the 102-60 season in 2011.
The Alec Bohm Hit Streak
A lineup with Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, and Kyle Schwarber will produce runs. There’s no surprise there. However, not many people would’ve guessed Bohm as Philadelphia’s best hitter over one month into the season.
The 27-year-old third baseman has erased past concerns about his development as a hitter. He ranks second in the majors in batting average behind Mookie Betts, second in RBI behind Marcell Ozuna, and second in doubles behind Shohei Ohtani.
When the Phillies put runners on base for their new cleanup hitter, he’s driven them home with his ability to hit to all fields and an incredibly improved power bat.
Jayson Stark spoke on The Best Show Ever about how a current 15-game hit streak has put Alec Bohm in legendary company.
Bohm became the first Phillie with an extra-base hit in eight consecutive games since Chase Utley in 2008. His 23 hits over a 10-game span were the most the club has seen since a Jimmy Rollins hot streak in 2005.
The national accolades are finally pouring in for the former third-overall pick. Expect to see him in Arlington in July for the MLB All-Star Game.
Phillies Win Ugly
The Phillies came away with a series victory against the Angels by winning the final two of their 10-game road trip. The wins were anything but comfortable.
Most fans in Philadelphia fell asleep on Tuesday night sometime after an exhilarating 76ers playoff win and before a wild ninth inning rally in an April Phillies game.
The Angels led 5-3 after seven innings. The Phillies chipped the lead to one with an RBI single from (surprise) Alec Bohm in the 14th of his 15-game hit streak.
Nick Castellanos tied the game with one out in the ninth on an opposite-field home run. It was the first of three extra-base hits that put the Phillies on top. Bryson Stott followed with a double, and Johan Rojas provided the deadly blow with a two-run, game-winning homer.
Zack Wheeler struggled to manage his pitch count efficiently in Wednesday’s close-out afternoon game. The Cy Young hopeful’s version of a bad day ended after five innings of one-run ball. The bullpen allowed five hits in four innings without their usual overpowering stuff.
Jose Alvarado scattered three singles in the eighth but passed it along to Gregory Soto for a save opportunity. The Halos had two men on with two outs when Taylor Ward sent a fly ball to left field that fell about three feet short of a walk-off home run and a stolen series victory.
Kyle Schwarber caught it with no room to spare in his only game in the outfield this season. Soto felt some relief.
“I was just thinking, ‘Stop, Kyle, Stop. Don’t keep going.’ I’m thinking if he keeps going back, then it’s a homer. The game is done.”
–Gregory Soto (through team translator)
MLB teams don’t win World Series without any hiccups. The Phillies are on an incredible streak. They’re also learning to navigate series without their A game.
Looking Ahead
The Phillies will begin a six-game homestand with four games against the San Francisco Giants at Citizens Bank Park.
- Friday 5/3 at 6:40pm: Aaron Nola (4-1, 3.20 ERA) vs. Jordan Hicks (2-0, 1.59 ERA)
- Saturday 5/4 at 6:05pm: Ranger Suarez (5-0, 1.32 ERA) vs. Keaton Winn (3-3, 3.18 ERA)
- Sunday 5/5 at 7:10pm: Taijuan Walker (1-0, 8.53 ERA) vs. Logan Webb (3-2, 2.98 ERA)
- Monday 5/6 at 4:05pm: Cristopher Sanchez (1-3, 3.68 ERA) vs. TDB
All stats as of the beginning of play on May 2.
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