Categories: 2022 Postgame Recaps

Alec Bohm gives and takes in loss to Rangers

Alec Bohm struggled defensively on Tuesday. (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)

Final Score: Rangers 6, Phillies 4

The Philadelphia Phillies got the best and worst of Alec Bohm in Tuesday’s series opener against the Texas Rangers. And in a game where Ranger Suárez was ineffective on the mound and the team struggled to come through with runners in scoring position (2-10), a poor defensive inning for Bohm helped to doom the Phillies.

While a 400-foot home run by Rangers DH Mitch Garver put the Phillies in an early 2-0 hole, they tied the game in the home half of the first when Texas left fielder Nick Solak was unable to complete a diving catch on a ball hit by Rhys Hoskins. As Solak ran after the ball, Bohm and J.T. Realmuto scored to tie the game:

A single by Didi Gregorius would later score Hoskins, giving the Phillies a 3-2 lead.

In the top of the fourth inning, the Rangers tied the game on one of the more impressive home runs you’ll see at Citizens Bank Park all season. Rangers catcher Jonah Heim turned on a pitch and hit it 379 feet, while managing to keep it fair:

Just as you began to wonder if Bohm was playing at a higher level than any Phillie right now after he had two hits in his first three at-bats, his defensive struggles returned in the top of the sixth, a frame that saw him make two questionable plays at the hot corner.

With a runner on first base and no one out, Suárez seemingly induced a double play ball. Bohm fielded it cleanly at third base, but bobbled the ball as he tried to get it out of his glove. By the time Bohm decided to just go for the out at first, Nate Lowe had beaten the ball out. All runners were safe, and Joe Girardi elected to pull Suárez in favor of Seranthony Domínguez.

Following a strikeout of Kole Calhoun, Brad Miller — in his return to Citizens Bank Park — failed to come through with a pinch hit off of Domínguez. But Zach Reks picked him up a batter later, with a triple into the right field corner that scored two runs.

Domínguez nearly saw his way out of the inning without any further damage, as he got Marcus Semien to ground out to third base with two outs in the inning. But Bohm double clutched at third base, and what turned out to be a strong throw didn’t get to first base in time to beat Semien, allowing Reks to score.

Given both their roster construction and that an elbow injury has temporarily entrenched Harper at DH, the Phillies are going to have to live with some ups and downs with Bohm defensively at third base right now. Chances are, he’ll grade out as one of the worst defenders at the position in 2022, just as he has over the last two seasons. But as long as his batting average is well north of .300, Bohm is going to be in the lineup as the third baseman on the overwhelming majority of nights.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Phillies had a chance for a big inning. After Quinn reached on a line drive that hit off of Lowe’s glove, Matt Vierling doubled into left field. Rather than potentially making the first out at home plate, third base coach Dusty Wathan elected to hold Quinn at third base with Kyle Schwarber, Bohm and Bryce Harper due up.

Instead, Schwarber hit a weak pop up to Corey Seager at shortstop, before reliever John King struck out both Bohm and Harper to end the inning.

J.T. Realmuto led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a 397-foot home run off of Matt Bush, his second home run of the year:

Unfortunately for the Phillies, Realmuto’s home run didn’t spark a larger rally, as Rangers closer Joe Barlow retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth. The Phillies have fallen to 11-13 on the 2022 campaign.

The Phillies will wrap up their brief series with the Rangers Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park, with Zack Wheeler slated to get the ball for Philadelphia.

Shibe Vintage Sports Starting Pitching Performance

Jon Gray pitched the first three innings for the Rangers Tuesday in his first start since April 19. As he works his way back from an MCL sprain, Gray allowed five hits and three earned runs, while striking out three. After signing a four-year/$56 million deal to join the Rangers this offseason, Gray has an unsightly 7.50 ERA early on in the 2022 season.
Ranger Suárez was able to keep the Phillies in the game in the series opener, but the Rangers made quite a bit of hard contact off of him. In five plus innings, the 26-year-old allowed six hits and five runs, three of which were earned. The Rangers homered twice against Suárez, and neither of them were fence scrapers. On the season, Suárez has a 4.63 ERA.

Phillies Nugget Of The Game

J.T. Realmuto is the first Phillies position player to 1.0 fWAR in 2022, as he reached the mark in Tuesday’s loss. The next closest player to the mark is Alec Bohm at 0.8, despite the fact that he doesn’t have enough bats to be considered qualified yet.

Postgame Notes

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