Final score: A’s 18, Phillies 3
If Brent Rooker is trying to play his way out of Oakland, he’s certainly leaving it all on the table.
At least, he left it all on the table at Citizens Bank Park this weekend. Rooker hit two homers in Sunday’s series finale, totaling a ridiculous 902 feet — 450 on the feet, 452 on the second — to cap a weekend that will be remembered even if it doesn’t precede a trade to the team he just torched.
Rooker went 7-for-12 over the series with three homers (none shorter than 416 feet) and a double. If it was an audition for a club reportedly “keeping a close eye” on him, he aced it. The fit wouldn’t be obvious. After this season, he has three years left of control. He’d either play left field (which he doesn’t play well) or push Kyle Schwarber there and, well, he doesn’t play it well either.
No matter. If he’s going to make Citizens Bank Park look as small as only a select few have made it look before, they’d figure it out.
Yet still, to say Rooker led the A’s home run charge on Sunday would be false. That credit would go to Lawrence Butler, who hit three taters of his own. Seth Brown matched Rooker with two. Zack Gelof hit a grand slam. You get the point.
The Phillies still end the first half with the best record in baseball, at 62-34. Nonetheless, after sweeping the Dodgers, losing two of three to the MLB-fourth-worst-A’s isn’t a perfect way to end the first half. The All-Star Break will come at the right time for many, even if many won’t get much of an All-Star Break at all.
Notes
- Much of the damage came against Michael Mercado, who allowed six runs on three homers and three walks across four innings. Since his memorable debut in Chicago two weeks ago, he has a 17.47 ERA.
- Seranthony Domínguez allowed two of the homers.
- So did José Ruiz.
- The Phillies actually led 1-0. Trea Turner homered in the first, already his eighth homer of July.
- Alec Bohm hit two doubles.
- It was an exceptional first half but a historically forgettable day for the pitching staff, which on Sunday included Garrett Stubbs for self-explanatory reasons.
Ticket IQ Next Game
- All-Star Game: Tuesday, July 16 at 8:00 p.m. ET
- Globe Life Field
- Seven Phillies representatives, excluding Ranger Suárez
- Friday, July 19 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates at Citizens Bank Park
- 6:40 p.m. ET
- TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
- Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP
- Spanish Radio: WTTM 1680
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