Categories: 2023 Postgame Recaps

9th inning rally not enough as Phillies lose to Giants

Bryce Harper hit a game-tying home run in the ninth inning today. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire)

Final Score: Giants 8, Phillies 6

Over their last handful of games, the Phillies offense has taken a while to wake up. Last Saturday, all 12 of their runs came in the final three innings in a win over the Nationals. The next night, they scored three times in the ninth inning in a loss to those same Nationals.

That same late-inning offense carried over into their series against the Giants this week. In Monday’s contest, they scored early, but also late in their 10-4 win against San Francisco. Then last night, they walked things off on a two-run single by Trea Turner to secure their 35th come-from-behind win of the season.

Altogether, 21 of the 29 runs the Phillies scored between their games on Saturday and Tuesday were scored in the sixth inning or later.

And after squandering a number of opportunities late in the game today, the lineup finally came through in the ninth inning for the second straight night against Giants closer Camilo Duval.

Duval walked the first two batters he faced — Kyle Schwarber and Turner — to start the ninth, which brought Bryce Harper to the plate. Harper nearly worked another walk, but he lined a 3-1 pitch down the right field line that eventually hit the foul pole, tying the game at five:

The two-time MVP’s ninth inning homer was his seventh this month, which is an encouraging development since he came into August with five home runs on the year. After today’s 2-for-4 performance at the plate, Harper is slashing .333/.420/.707 in 20 games this month.

Unfortunately, Craig Kimbrel couldn’t keep San Fran from scoring in the top half of the 10th. The veteran reliever walked a batter, hit another and gave up a single to Paul DeJong on his way to surrendering three total runs in the frame, giving the Giants an 8-5 lead.

Philadelphia added a run to the board in the bottom of the 10th, but couldn’t score again before Turner’s game-ending fly out to left field.

Before the late-inning madness ensued, Michael Lorenzen made his fourth start with the Phillies since being acquired at the trade deadline. The right-hander, who pitched very well in his first two starts and then struggled in his last outing, put together an underwhelming performance.

Lorenzen tossed 5 2/3 innings and gave up four runs, three of which came on home runs — one by Wilmer Flores and another by DeJong.

Philadelphia also hit a pair of homers earlier in the game. Schwarber, who is in the middle of an interesting season, left the yard to start the sixth. Turner then went back-to-back with Schwarber for his fifth homer since Aug. 4th — better known as the date fans at Citizens Bank Park started giving the shortstop standing ovations before his at-bats.

All in all, 27 of the 35 runs Rob Thomson’s lineup has scored in their last five games have come in the sixth inning or later.

Even though today’s loss stings, this series was looked at as an important one against a fellow playoff-contending team in the Giants and the Phillies won it. So, all things told, it was a good series for Philadelphia, who now has a 2 1/2 game lead over the Chicago Cubs for the top Wild Card spot in the NL.

Ticket IQ Next Game