Williams’ 1st career slam beats Brewers
MILWAUKEE » Philadelphia Phillies rookie Nick Williams walked up to the plate with the bases loaded in the sixth and recognized a familiar name on the mound after the Milwaukee Brewers made a pitching change.
The previous time Williams faced Brewers reliever Tyler Webb was in Triple-A on June 11, when Williams hit a home run off a firstpitch slider.
Different level, even better result for Williams.
Williams hit his first career grand slam on the first pitch that Webb threw in the sixth, powering the Phillies’ 5-2 win on Sunday to avert a three-game series sweep.
“First pitch again, slider and another homer. It’s crazy,” Williams said.
This wasn’t quite the debut that Webb had envisioned with the Brewers after being acquired Thursday from the Yankees for minorleague first baseman Garrett Cooper.
“It was a lefty going up against a lefty. It was a good matchup for him,” manager Craig Counsell said about Webb. “He threw a breaking ball in the strike zone and the guy put a good swing on it.”
Just as five weeks ago, when Williams was with the Phillies’ top farm club at Lehigh Valley and Webb was pitching for the Yankees’ Triple-A team at Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre.
“I just had some playbacks in my mind,” Williams said.
He capitalized at Miller Park after the Phillies opened the sixth with three straight singles off Rob Scahill (1-3).
Four Phillies relievers combined to shut out the Brewers’ potent lineup over the final four innings, getting out of jams in the eighth and ninth when the Brewers put the tying run at the plate.
Closer Hector Neris opened the ninth by allowing two singles before retiring the next three hitters for his eighth save, capped by slugger Eric Thames’ gameending popout .
BRETT’S BLAST
The Brewers scored their only runs on pinch-hitter Brett Phillips’ two-run shot for the rookie’s first career homer. Phillips was pumped and bounced around the dugout among giddy teammates after crossing the plate for a 2-1 lead in the fifth.
Phillips’ latest stay in Milwaukee could be short with starting pitcher Junior Guerra on track to return from the disabled list. But the left-handed hitter could play a bigger role in the rebuilding Brewers’ future.
“It’s a great moment for whatever happens with Brett the rest of the year,” Counsell said.