The Phillies won their series against the Colorado Rockies over the weekend. They took the first two games of the series. The club lost the final game of the series as emotions got heated.
Game one
The Phillies were victorious in the first game of the series in Colorado. Taijuan Walker pitched well as he went six innings allowing three earned runs. Walker’s command looked good as he did not walk any Rockies’ batters. He only struck out three but got outs in a hitter’s park.
The offense was boosted by Alec Bohm and Kyle Schwarber as they hit home runs in the seventh inning to give the Phillies a 3-1 lead. Bryce Harper doubled in the eighth inning to add two more runs for the Phillies. He eventually would score on a ball thrown into the outfield.
The bullpen looked good once again. Matt Strahm, Seranthony Domínguez, and Craig Kimbrel kept the Rockies off the scoreboard. Kimbrel looked dominant as he struck out three hitters in the ninth inning to lock down his fourth save of the season.
Game two
Ranger Suárez made his season debut in game two of the series— a game in which the Phillies would win 7-4. Suárez went four innings and allowed three earned runs. He was working off some rust but limited any major damage. Suárez will be a key piece in the Phillies rotation as the season trudges along.
The Phillies’ offense came out of the gate hot as they put up four runs in the first inning. Nick Castellanos, Alec Bohm, and Kody Clemens had RBIs in the inning. In the eighth inning, Garrett Stubbs had a base hit that scored Clemens to give the Phillies five runs on the night. The Phillies’ offensive performance was capped off by a Bryce Harper home run in the top of the ninth inning.
The bullpen had to pitch a little longer than they have been used to. In five relief innings, the bullpen allowed just one unearned run. Gregory Soto came in to close the game and pitched a perfect ninth to get his first save of the season.
Game three
The Phillies were unable to sweep the Rockies as they dropped the series finale, 4-0. Aaron Nola took the mound and struggled a bit as he allowed all four runs.
The offense was unable to manufacture any runs despite having some opportunities. As a team the Phillies were 0-14 with runners in scoring position.
The most excitement from the game occurred when Rob Thomson was ejected after Kyle Schwarber was called out on strikes on a pitch that missed the zone. The frustration overflowed for the Phillies as the benches cleared in the seventh inning after Rockies’ reliever Jake Bird taunted the Phillies dugout. Bryce Harper was incensed, and the benches and bullpens cleared. In the end, Harper and Bird were both ejected.
Takeaways
Overall, the Phillies had a good series. Bryce Harper continued his hot streak, and the pitching was overall much better than it had been. The bullpen has been impressive despite José Alvarado’s absence.
The Phillies will travel to San Francisco to play the Giants in a three-game series.
