Phillies Walk-Off Pirates, Clinch Playoff Berth and Top Wildcard Spot
AP Photo/Matt Slocum (Getty Images)
It was a cool fall night with the postseason right around the corner the Phillies had yet to clinch a postseason berth until last night. It was the first game of a three-game set against the Pirates who had their ace on the mound in Mitch Keller. Keller who hasn’t been lights out this year has still had a very solid year. On the other side, the Phillies had Aaron Nola going who has struggled for a majority of the year.
The game started out slow with both pitchers looking quite good in the first five innings both giving up zero runs. That all changed in the bottom of the sixth when Left Fielder Brandon Marsh started the scoring with a solo home run. Later in the inning, First Baseman Bryce Harper added on with a sacrifice fly that drove home Kyle Schwarber giving the Phillies a 2-0 lead. The Pirates did answer with Bryan Reynolds hitting a solo home run of his own making it 2-1 Phillies. Looking at both starting pitchers they pitched great games, Mitch Keller went six innings, gave up three hits, two runs, and had six strikeouts. Aaron Nola pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowed four hits, one run, and struck out eight. This start was especially important for Nola who other than his last start has struggled mightily. After this start against the Pirates, he’s put two back-to-back good starts together for the first time this year and is starting to look more like Aaron Nola of last year.
Unfortunately, Nola wasn’t awarded the win last night as in the eighth inning Relief Pitcher Craig Kimbrel gave up a solo home run as the Pirates tied the game 2-2. This has started to become a trend with Kimbrel as he’s given up a few home runs in his more recent relief appearances. It’ll be interesting to see how the Phillies handle the backend of their bullpen in the Playoffs as Kimbrel has been shaky.
However, Jose Alvarado seems to be all the way back as he threw a clean no-hit inning striking out two of the three batters he faced in the top of the ninth. The Phillies were unable to strike in the bottom of the ninth, so the game moved on to extra innings. Shortly after, arguably the Phillies’ biggest surprise Relief Pitcher Jeff Hoffman was given the ball in the top of the tenth with a chance to clutch up and did not disappoint. With a runner already on second Hoffman walked the first batter. He then got Pinch Hitter Connor Joe to fly out and Catcher Endy Rodriguez to fly out which moved the runners to second and third. With runners on second and third, it brought Designated Hitter Henry Davis to the plate where Hoffman picked up a massive strikeout to end the top half of the innings. Finally, in the bottom of the tenth with Pinch Runner Christian Pache on second, Phillies Centerfielder Johan Rojas came up huge hitting a single up the middle and walking off the Phillies right into the Postseason.
It shouldn’t go unnoticed that the Phillies’ two biggest unsung heroes this season Jeff Hoffman and Johan Rojas showed out in a playoff-clinching game. It’s a testament to the winning culture that has been built in Philadelphia. Jeff Hoffman who’s been in the league since 2016 hasn’t had a sub 3.8 ERA his whole career, but after being picked up by the Phillies this season he currently has an ERA of 2.47. Then looking at Johan Rojas he wasn’t expected to be a part of the Major League team. He was a Phillies prospect who was in AA, superb defensively but lacked the bat. Rojas was only called up due to an injury to Christian Pache, who is a very similar player in the fact that they’re both plus defenders that lack hitting. Since getting called up Rojas has fully earned his spot as the everyday Centerfielder for the Phillies. He’s hitting .304 with two home runs, twenty-two runs batted in, and fourteen stolen bases in fifty-six games.
All in all, this Phillies team may be better than last year’s team that fell just short, losing in the World Series to the Astros. This team has the experience and confidence that they didn’t have last year and with an improved and more well-rounded roster, the Phillies look ready to finish the job they came so close to completing last year.
