Tuesday’s game had little margin for error. There wasn’t much offense, on either side. Both starters were adept at inducing ground balls, and that is what they did. Phillies lefty Cristopher Sánchez induced 11 groundouts. Righty Colin Rae entered after the Brewers’ starter, Jared Koenig, and induced eight groundouts.
The Phillies combined for two runs on eight hits with six walks, and didn’t score until the eighth inning, when Alec Bohm hit a 420 foot home run to snap a 0-for-14 streak, tying the game at 1. Defense and pitching were key for the Phillies in a 2-1 win over the Brewers, and that begins with J.T. Realmuto, who saved a run from scoring in the top of the 10th.
» READ MORE: Phillies outfielder David Dahl, 30, revived his career, thanks to a mental skills coach
With a ghost runner on second base, Seranthony Domínguez took the mound. Blake Perkins grounded out to move the runner, Oliver Dunn, to third. Sal Frelick reached first on a hit by pitch, then stole second base.
Brice Turang hit a ball towards Bryson Stott, who fired to Realmuto at home plate. Realmuto blocked the plate with his body, collided with Dunn, and held on to the ball to avoid a run from scoring, but Turang reached first for an infield single. Joey Ortiz popped out to end the inning.
It didn’t take long for the Phillies to walk it off in the next half inning. Stott was intentionally walked, and Nick Castellanos hit a double to score ghost runner Whit Merrifield. It wasn’t easy, but it was just enough.
Bohm was also a major contributor in Tuesday’s win. The infielders were particularly busy, because of the amount ground balls that were hit their way. In the top of the fifth, he made a nice defensive play off of a hard-hit grounder from Gary Sánchez.
The ball hit Bohm in the stomach, and fell on to the dirt. He grabbed bare-handed and threw it to Bryce Harper at first base in time for the out. He made another bare-handed grab in the next at-bat, on a single hit by Perkins, but Perkins beat the throw.
In the top of the sixth, William Contreras hit a high bouncer that the 6-foot-5 Bohm jumped up for, caught in midair, and fired back to first. The Phillies infield fielded two double plays; One in the second inning and one in the fourth inning.
» READ MORE: MLB suspends Phillies minor leaguer José Rodríguez for one year for betting on baseball
The Phillies’ pitching staff did their part to keep the game within reach. Sánchez, who saw his velocity tick up again, allowed one earned run on four hits with one walk and three strikeouts through six innings pitched. José Ruiz and Orion Kerkering both pitched scoreless innings. Ruiz allowed one hit with two strikeouts, and Kerkering allowed no hits with two strikeouts.
Kerkering leaned on his fastball again, which has been helping him keep opposing hitters off balance. He threw 10 pitches, six of them sweepers, and four were fastballs (three four-seamers and one sinker).
Matt Strahm continued his streak of 24⅔ innings without allowing an earned run. He allowed back-to-back hits to start the ninth, but worked his way out of trouble forcing two flyouts and a strikeout (of Rhys Hoskins, which got some sarcastic cheers).
