Top ten moments of the Philadelphia Phillies 2017 season

Oct 3, 2017

PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 27: Rhys Hoskins #17 of the Philadelphia Phillies acknowledges a standing ovation by the fans after hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning during a game against the Chicago Cubs at Citizens Bank Park on August 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies won 6-3. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) /

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BOSTON, MA – SEPTEMBER 26: Chris Sale #41 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after Kendrys Morales #8 of the Toronto Blue Jays hit a two run home run during the fifth inning at Fenway Park on September 26, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

No. 8: Beating the AL’s best

Little to nothing went right for the Phillies in June as they finished the month just 9-18. It was better than their abysmal May, but still certainly not something to be proud of.

One of those nine wins came on a night most probably wouldn’t expect the Phillies to win. That was on June 16 when the Boston Red Sox were in Philadelphia and their ace, Chris Sale, started. Sale was among the AL’s best pitchers this year and has a strong case for the Cy Young award. Even if he doesn’t win, he should still be runner-up.

For the most part, Sale did exactly what he was supposed to do to a struggling lineup like Philadelphia’s. He gave up just one run on four hits, recording ten strikeouts while walking just one. From that line alone, one would think that the Phillies were destined to lose.

However, Nick Pivetta kept the Red Sox with his best start of the season according to Game Score v2. He went seven scoreless innings, striking out nine batters while giving four hits and walking two. When Pivetta had to be at his best, he was.

Philadelphia’s lone run in the game came off the bat of Ty Kelly. He hit a RBI double down the left field line that just managed to score Andrew Knapp from first base. That hit built upon the legacy of the Ty-Breaker.

Kelly’s double secured a 1-0 win, breaking an eight-game losing streak for the Phils. It was a great moment in the middle of a terrible losing streak for the team.