Altherr’s hit provides relief for relievers
Hours earlier, he had graced his bullpen bunkies with platitudes, dosing heavily on should-be closer Hector Neris, whom he had just helped escort out the clubhouse door en route to the minors for an assignment without a timetable.
Now here was Phillies manager Gabe Kapler Monday night, his upbeat optimism meter humming high after Aaron Altherr’s twoout rope to left field was butchered by Cardinals left fielder Marcell Azuna into a two-run, game-winning hit in what was an admirably exciting and wellearned 6-5 Phillies victory.
Usually long on postgame platitudes, Kapler wouldn’t disappoint in covering a brilliant start by Nick Pivetta (7⅓ innings, two hits allowed, career-high 13 strikeouts for a no-decision), big hits and nice defensive plays up and down his lineup and certainly Altherr’s ultimate lone at-bat of the night, which lifted his average to .180 ... but enhanced his team-leading average with runners in scoring position number to .364 (go figure).
“I was ready for the opportunity to end the game,” Altherr said. “Especially in a spot like that, you want to be up there and be able to have a chance to end the game. I was able to put a good swing on a ball. Ozuna thankfully dove for that ball and we got by them and we were able to get two runs there.”
That is what it took for the Phillies to beat the Cardinals in this series opener.
That is also what it took for the Phillies to beat the Cardinals a second time in this series opener.
For the first time came on a swing and a miss by Yairo Munoz that could have gone for strike three and out number three in the ninth inning.
But pitcher Victor Arano’s strikeout pitch that could have garnered him a save instead bounced by catcher Andrew Knapp, bringing in a run that at that point cut the Phillies’ lead to 4-3. Naturally, reliever Adam Morgan then came in and gave up a game-tying single to pinch-hitter Kolten Wong. Morgan would escape only semi-scathed afterward, but in the 10th, Jake Thompson started the inning by serving up a fat one to Tommy Pham, who had struck out in his three previous at-bats.
So on a day that Hector Neris was sent to the Lehigh Valley on a careerre building mission, and with wonder child Ser anthony Dominguez unavailable, and Kapler nonetheless talking in glowing terms about all the bullpen shutdown (please don’t use “closer”) relievers his team has ...
Don’t you wonder if this bullpen isn’t just a touch overrated right now?
Ah, cue the platitudes anyway.
“Edubray Ramos and Arano were both exactly as expected, coming in and featuring their slider against a lineup that we really like the slider against,” Kapler concluded.
Indeed Ramos was impressive, striking out both Cardinals he faced after taking over for Pivetta in the eighth inning. But Arano, wild pitch on strike three and all, was touched for two hits and two earned runs. And Thompson — who earned a save Sunday by giving up a rocket of a flyout to center to the only batter he faced in Milwaukee — had to be called upon in the 10th and gave up a home run that could have stood for a Phillies loss.
But it didn’t, and Altherr was a deserving feel-good hero and Kapler continues to profess every belief that his bullpen is and will continue to thrive.
Hope that Seranthony guy is available tomorrow...