Bohm is a hit in debut
PHILADELPHIA » It might have been a little overshadowed, considering his new team was in the process of being easily swept by a Baltimore Orioles club less than a year removed from completing a 108-loss season, but Alec Bohm showed Thursday night why he’s here.
What’s even more apparent is why he should be here to stay.
Bohm, the Phillies’ third-overall selection in the 2018 MLB draft, completed his quick trip to the bigs with a start at third base amid an 11-4 loss to the Orioles at Citizens Bank Park.
Bohm’s ascension comes at nearly the quarter-pole of a shortened season that is bordering on becoming an afterthought. The Phillies are 5-9, have the worst bullpen in the majors and have just two hitters, J.T. Realmuto and Bryce Harper, carrying them offensively.
Second baseman Scott Kingery, hitting .100, has been benched, which made it easy to clear space for Bohm. He’ll man third for the foreseeable future while Jean Segura moves to second and Kingery clears his mind.
For starters, it wasn’t bad. Bohm snared a line drive and turned it into a double play in the top of the first inning. He doubled in his first major league at-bat in the second inning. He’d finish 1-for-4 after flying out to
deep center in the ninth.
“I was kind of surprised, I really didn’t feel that nervous,” Bohm said of his state of mind before doubling past Baltimore third baseman Rio Ruiz. “But Rhys (Hoskins) told me that someone had told him you only get one chance to get a home run on the first pitch you see. So I tried to go for it. When I saw the ball go past Ruiz, I just floated to second. I don’t even remember running.”
It was nothing like what Bohm had been doing for the last couple of weeks, participating in scrimmages with other B-Team rostered hopefuls at CocaCola Park in Allentown.
“It was nice to be able to get out and play a game that actually mattered,” Bohm said. “As much as you try to treat everything in scrimmages like it’s a game, it’s hard to do. The intensity was definitely higher out here, for sure.
“It is what you make of it,” he added about the Lehigh Valley scrimmages. “If you have a bad attitude going into it you’re probably not going to get much out of it.”
Bohm’s attitude is part of the reason Matt Klentak called for him Wednesday night. Then there’s the raw talent.
“We want Alec to play regularly,” Klentak said before the game. “We think he’s that kind of player. ... You know his track record in the minor leagues, you’ve seen him in both spring training and summer camp. He’s a hitter and we do think he can help our lineup. Our lineup thus far, and I’m mindful of the fact that we’re 13 games in and those 13 games have been somewhat disjointed, but our lineup has had several players off to fast starts from the very beginning and others that have struggled. Adding another quality bat into that mix can only help us.”
Actually, exactly two Phillies, Harper and especially Realmuto (two home runs Thursday night) are off to hot starts.
Manager Joe Girardi no doubt welcomed the 24-year-old Bohm with open arms.
“I thought he hit the ball good,” Girardi said of Bohm. “Alec hits the ball from gap to gap; had a double, almost hit a home run. He’s going to play. We didn’t bring him up to sit on the bench.
“We’ve got to get everyone involved. We have to get some guys swinging the bat better because they’re capable of doing it. We have to find a way.”