PHILADELPHIA – Trea Turner's quickness led to what turned out to be the deciding run in a 4-3 victory over San Francisco on Friday night.
The Phillies are hoping that it didn't come with a high cost for their star shortstop.
Turner scored from second base in the bottom of the fourth on a passed ball four to Bryce Harper, the fast shortstop sliding in very close before the tag from pitcher Jordan Hicks. However, Turner was substituted the following half inning by Edmundo Sosa, leaving the game with what the team described as hamstring soreness.
Turner got two hits, increasing his average to .343. He stole his 10th base of the season.
Turner hit a single to left with two outs in the fourth. He stole second on a delayed steal, barely reaching the back corner of the bag before the throw. With Harper at bat and taking a big step off second, Turner took off when Hicks' 3-2 splitter missed the strike zone and bounced off the glove of catcher Tom Murphy.
Turner reacted swiftly around third, hardly slowing down on the turn. Hicks was late to cover the plate. The throw from Murphy, who took over for Patrick Bailey when the Giants' starting catcher exited with blurred vision in the second inning, was high, and Hicks' tag hit Turner's shin just after his foot had touched the front corner of the plate. A review confirmed the run, putting the Phillies ahead 4-2.
Turner avoided colliding with both Hicks and Harper's bat left at the plate on ball four, but he didn't return from the dugout for the next half inning.
The display of speed helped rescue the Phillies on a night when Aaron Nola struggled significantly. He needed only nine pitches in the first inning before throwing a career-worst 46 in the second. He walked four batters in the inning; he had walked four batters in a game only twice since the beginning of 2023.
Nola had a tough time through four innings, limiting the damage with four hits and two runs allowed. He threw 89 pitches.
Thairo Estrada brought in two runs with a double to right center in the second. Nola walked two more in the inning, but managed to get Jorge Soler to foul out to Realmuto near the Giants' dugout with the bases loaded.
Nola allowed two singles to start the third, but Alec Bohm initiated a double play to end the threat. Nola retired his last four batters, a series of 10 consecutive outs by Phillies pitching through the top of the sixth.
The Phillies responded to the lengthy top of the second with an extended third. Hicks walked two and wasn't aided by Matt Chapman's second error of the game to start the inning, dropping a high pop behind third off the bat of Kyle Schwarber.
Bohm extended his streak of hitting in 16 games with an RBI single. Brandon Marsh hit a two-run single up the middle.
The Phillies supported Nola's early departure with five relief pitchers. Seranthony Dominguez halted his recent struggles with a scoreless sixth, navigating around an error. He struck out one, hit 99 with his four-seam fastball, and displayed a little more movement on his slider.
Dominguez, who had an ERA of 9.58 previously, had only his seventh scoreless outing in his 13th appearance.
Orion Kerkering gave up his first run of the season because of three singles in the seventh inning. One of the singles was a ground ball hit to Bryson Stott at second base. Stott hesitated, allowing Jung Hoo Lee to reach base. Kerkering then got a double play and left a runner stranded at third when Michael Conforto hit a fly ball 360 feet to the right field wall.
Matt Strahm pitched a scoreless fifth inning, and Jeff Hoffman struck out all three batters in the eighth. Jose Alvarado navigated around Estrada’s lead-off single in the ninth to secure his sixth save in as many opportunities.
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The important decision of whether Spencer Turnbull or Cristopher Sanchez would be removed from the starting rotation was postponed until Saturday. However, another significant choice was imposed on manager Rob Thomson on Friday.
Yunior Marte was placed on the injured list due to inflammation in his right shoulder. Thomson stated that he is uncertain about when Marte will return, but there are no plans for any medical procedures at the moment.
Jose Ruiz's contract was selected.
Marte experienced discomfort after pitching in San Diego last week. The issue seemed to have been resolved, but it resurfaced during the game against the Angels, causing his fastball speed to drop from its normal high-90s to 92. He threw 18 pitches on Tuesday, allowing three hits, three runs, and getting two outs.
Marte has been heavily utilized, pitching 12 times in 13.1 innings over 32 games. The 29-year-old has a 2.70 ERA, with 12 strikeouts and five walks. Nine of his appearances were without conceding any runs.
Ruiz has given up two runs in 11 innings, with 13 strikeouts and three walks at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The 29-year-old made his debut in the big leagues in 2017 with San Diego. He has an ERA of 4.51 in 212 games over seven seasons with the Padres, White Sox, and Arizona.
“Thomson mentioned, “He has the ability to throw strikes, and his fastball reaches 96 to 97 miles per hour. His slider is very effective, and I believe he has the determination to succeed in Philadelphia. I really admire him.”
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Ranger Suarez was named the National League Pitcher of the Month for April. Suarez achieved a record of 5-0 with an ERA of 1.32 and a WHIP of 0.63. These statistics rank second and first in the league, respectively.
He is a key factor in the Phillies' 18 quality starts, which includes his complete-game shutout of the Rockies on April 16.
