Phillies Turn First Triple-Play Since ’09 in Win Over Padres
Phillies turned a triple play for the first time since 2009
Not many things are similar between the 2009 and 2016 Phillies season. Only two players remain from that National League Championship team, there’s a whole new coaching staff, a new front office and ownership has taken over, and an abundance of young players are looking to prove themselves in the big leagues.
One similarity you can now draw between those two teams is that both managed a triple-play.
That’s right. In their 6-5 win over the San Diego Padres, the Phillies turned a beautiful 5-4-3 triple-play to help Edubray Ramos out of a jam in the seventh inning.
After walking the first two batters in the bottom of the seventh, Ramos induced a ground ball by Jabari Blash over to third base. Maikel Franco picked it up and tagged third, fired the ball to Cesar Hernandez covering second, who flipped it to Tommy Joseph at first base to complete the triple-play.
5️⃣-4️⃣-3️⃣. So smooth. https://t.co/5NYzNoTTOo pic.twitter.com/QwisIYToC8
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 7, 2016
The last triple-play turned by the Phillies was the rare unassisted triple play by Eric Bruntlett against the Mets in 2009. triple play ended the game for the Phillies after he caught a Jeff Francouer line drive, stepped on second, and tagged Daniel Murphy in-between the base pads.
The triple-play helped Sunday afternoon as the Phillies won yet another one-run game. Odubel Herrera hit a first inning home run to get the lead, and then a four-run fourth inning helped the Phillies go up by five runs.
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San Diego fought back against Jerad Eickhoff, who started strong but struggled in the sixth inning. San Diego managed to tie the game up in the sixth against Eickhoff, who went six innings, giving up five runs (one was unearned) off five hits for his seventh win of the year.
Eickhoff had a terrific curveball early in the game, which helped him collect five strikeouts in his six innings of work.
Tommy Joseph would rescue Eickhoff in the seventh inning by driving in Cesar Hernandez to retake the lead.
With the help of that triple-play and Jeanmar Gomez’s 29th save of the season, the Phillies take the series against the San Diego Padres, and will head to Los Angeles to face Chase Utley and the Dodgers.
Odubel Herrera looks to have broken out of his prolonged slump as he went 3-5 with that first inning home run.
Carlos Ruiz also had a big game at the plate, going 3-4 with an RBI.
Maikel Franco and Cody Asche both went hitless, as did Tyler Goedell in two at-bats as a defensive substitution to Asche.
Zach Eflin gets the start Monday in Chavez Ravine, and will be opposed by one of the Dodgers top pitching prospects Julio Urias.