Categories: 2022 Postgame Recaps

Phillies lose to Giants in extra innings, fall seven games under .500

Kyle Schwarber homered in a loss Monday.(Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)

Final Score: Giants 5, Phillies 4 (10 innings)

For the second day in a row, the Philadelphia Phillies got what felt like it could have been a season-altering home run.

And for the second day in a row, the Phillies lost in extra innings, this time at the hands of the San Francisco Giants.

Evan Longoria seemingly hit a game-winning home run off of Corey Knebel in the top of the ninth inning, with his solo shot giving the Giants a 3-2 lead.

To their credit, the Phillies tied the game in the bottom of the ninth, with Kyle Schwarber hitting a ball into the team’s bullpen, knocking Logan Webb out of the game and denying him of a complete game.

The Giants began extra innings with a runner on second base, and Curt Cassali, the No. 9 hitter, promptly brought him home with with a towering home run off of Andrew Bellatti:

The Phillies did get a sacrifice fly from Alec Bohm in the bottom of the 10th inning, but ultimately couldn’t scratch across another run.

Monday marks the fourth consecutive loss for the Phillies, who are now 10-17 in May and 21-28 overall on the season. Ranger Suárez will get the ball Tuesday as the Phillies continue their series against the Giants.

Moniak Struggles At The Plate In His Return

Former No. 1 overall pick Mickey Moniak made his season debut Monday, returning from a broken hand that he suffered in his final at-bat of Spring Training.

But while Joe Girardi did say before the game that he didn’t want Moniak to try to do too much, the 24-year-old went 0-4 with three strikeouts in the loss.

“Possibly, he maybe tried to do a little bit too much,” Girardi said when asked about whether Moniak was pressing at the plate. “But eventually you gotta get that first game out of your way, right?”

To his credit, Moniak had a tremendous sliding catch in the top of the eighth inning. But with his three strikeouts today, he’s now been struck out 25 times in 51 at-bats.

Corey Knebel’s Struggles Continue

A night after he allowed Nick Plummer to hit the game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth inning, Knebel gave up a 411-foot shot to Evan Longoria in the top of the ninth inning Monday.

Knebel now has a 5.40 ERA in May, a month that has seen him blow three saves.

Girardi was asked about whether Knebel will remain in the closer’s role both before and after the game, and gave the 30-year-old a vote of confidence on both occasions.

He’s Heating Up

Nick Castellanos entered Monday’s game hitting just .225 with a .651 OPS in May, but there are signs that as June approaches, one of the team’s biggest offseason signings is starting to heat up.

The 30-year-old hit a first-pitch home run off of Logan Webb in the bottom of the second inning, which traveled 406 feet:

This was the second home run in as many at-bats for Castellanos, who also hit a go-ahead home run against the New York Mets in an eventual loss Sunday night. Prior to that, Castellanos hadn’t homered since May 10 in Seattle.

Gabe Kapler Pauses His Protest

A significant media crowed formed at the visitor’s dugout at Citizens Bank Park this afternoon in anticipation of former Phillies manager Gabe Kapler speaking.

While Kapler did reflect on his two seasons in Philadelphia, the topic most were interested in Monday afternoon was whether the reigning National League Manager of the Year would pause his protest and appear on the field during the playing of the National Anthem before the game.

Kapler — now in his third season as manager of the Giants — directed multiple members of the media to a post on his website where he explained his decision to come out for the National Anthem Monday, while also suggesting two charities that he believes would be wise to donate to.

“Today, I’ll be standing for the anthem. While I believe strongly in the right to protest and the importance of doing so, I also believe strongly in honoring and mourning our country’s service men and women who fought and died for that right. Those who serve in our military, and especially those who have paid the ultimate price for our rights and freedoms, deserve that acknowledgment and respect, and I am honored to stand on the line today to show mine.”

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The 46-year-old decided that he would not come out for the playing of the National Anthem last Friday, in response to the the lack of action after a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas killed at least 21 people, including 19 students.

After declining to get too much into Kapler’s decision over the weekend in Queens, Girardi gave some more extended thoughts Monday.

“You know, everyone has a choice in this country, right? I mean, that’s what America is founded on. It’s not the choice that I’ll make. But with all the choices we make in life there are consequences, right? No matter what you do in life [there are consequences], so you have to be prepared to explain why you do things in this world. And it’s not something that I would do.”

Shibe Vintage Sports Pitching Performance

Even though he gave up three home runs Monday, Logan Webb was excellent, striking out 10 batters over eight plus innings. Unfortunately for the 25-year-old, the final pitch of his outing ended up in the Phillies’ bullpen, as Schwarber tied the game with a 402-foot home run.
Kyle Gibson danced out of some potential trouble in the top of the first inning, and really was excellent for much of the afternoon. He gave up a game-tying, two-run home run off the bat of Wilmer Flores in the top of the sixth inning, but limited the Giants to those two runs and just three hits over six frames.

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