Offense booms, Walker shines as Phillies top Reds
Final: Phillies 8, Reds 3
It’s been a slow and inconsistent start to the season for a diminished Philadelphia Phillies lineup, but the offense came through in Cincinnati on Friday night.
The Phillies attacked Reds starter Connor Overton, chasing the right-hander after three innings in an 8-3 victory at Great American Ball Park. Jumping ahead early and adding on late, Philadelphia evened the four-game series behind starting pitcher Taijuan Walker’s best outing as a Phillie yet after dropping the opener Thursday.
Kyle Schwarber put the Phillies (5-9) on top in the first half of the first inning, driving home Trea Turner on an RBI double. In the second inning, Edmundo Sosa — getting a start at third base against a righty — homered to right field to make it 2-0.
The Phillies tacked on with a three-run third as Nick Castellanos hit an RBI double, Brandon Marsh tripled home a run and J.T. Realmuto hit a sacrifice fly to put five earned runs on Overton’s line.
Philadelphia added insurance in the ninth inning as Realmuto smacked a run-scoring double off the wall in right-center field and Alec Bohm knocked in two with a base hit to right.
Meanwhile, Walker pitched past the fifth inning for the first time this season as he allowed one run on four hits in six innings, the only blemish coming on a Jake Fraley RBI single in the bottom of the fifth.
Seranthony Domínguez relieved Walker in the seventh and allowed a run on a single by Jonathan India; José Alvarado then entered for a three-strikeout eighth. Connor Brogdon allowed a run on a sacrifice fly in the ninth, but took advantage of the extra breathing room to complete the win.
Shibe Vintage Sports Notes
- With a fourth-inning double, Bryson Stott extended his hitting to streak to 14 games to begin the 2023 season, now the fourth-best mark in Phillies history.
- Castellanos went 2-for-4 with a double and a walk, boosting his season OPS to .881 after struggling badly last year.
- Marsh hit his third triple of the season on Friday in his `12th game of the year. His career high came last year when he hit four triples in 134 games.
Ticket IQ Next Game
- Saturday, April 15 vs. Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park
- 4:10 p.m. Eastern
- TV : NBC Sports Philadelphia+
- Radio: 94WIP
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