ATLANTA — Maybe Trea Turner should participate in the Home Run Derby.
When Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber went on the disabled list along with JT Realmuto last Friday, the Phillies knew they needed someone else to step up, but Turner has been on a roll ever since.
He hit two two-run homers to left-center field this week in a Phillies road trip at Wrigley Field to clinch a two-run win, then smashed another two-run homer over the left-center field wall on Friday night at Truist Park to lead the Phillies to an 8-6 victory over the rival Braves.
“When I’m in a form like this, I’m not necessarily trying to do that,” he said. “I think I’m hitting it better. I don’t think I’m cheating, I don’t think I’m pulling the ball, I’m just letting it happen. I feel like my swing is in a lot better place, and my decisions and my ability to make adjustments are a lot better than last year. That’s been more typical in my career, being able to make adjustments.”
Turner has been in good form over his last nine games with seven extra-base hits, 10 RBIs and 11 runs scored, and is batting .343 since returning from the disabled list.
“That’s just the way he is,” manager Rob Thomson said. “When he gets going, he’s on a roll. He’s not the biggest guy on the planet and I don’t know how he hits the ball the way he does. He’s got the bat speed to launch the ball high and when the ball gets in the air, it flies. It’s just unbelievable to me.”
“The fact that he was down that long and then came back and took the batting position without going to rehab is a testament to his athleticism and physical condition.”
It was a frustrating night and what looked like the start of a big series until Turner and the Phillies finally broke through in the fourth inning against Max Fried. They left six runners on base through the first three innings on a failed Johan Rojas safety squeeze and a Whit Merrifield grounder with the bases loaded.
They scored in the first on a Bryson Stott fielder’s choice for an out, then Turner hit his first career two-run homer. Cristian Pache, in his best at-bat in weeks, smacked an eight-pitch single to advance Johan Rojas to third base.
Two weeks after Realmuto underwent right meniscus surgery, the Phillies lost Harper and Schwarber to injuries and the bottom of their lineup looked a clear weakness. On Friday night, for example, their No. 6-7-8-9 lineup consisted of Merrifield, Rafael Marchan, Rojas and Pache.
But the win at Truist Park put the Phillies at 5-2 without their big-money hitting trio, and much of that can be attributed to a pitching staff that includes Turner, Nick Castellanos and Alec Bohm, who learned Friday he’ll be playing in the Home Run Derby in addition to starting in the All-Star Game.
But Marchand and Garrett Stubbs also performed well at the plate, Pache anchored Friday’s initial comeback and Rojas played stellar defense to close out Wednesday’s win at Chicago, recording two singles, one RBI and a stolen base for Atlanta.
The Phillies are 58-30 this season, 10 games behind the Braves.
Aaron Nola shut down Atlanta from the get-go. This was his 37th career start against the Braves and he showed some funky swings in his first two innings against batters who have seen him pitch to them countless times, including Ozzie Albies, Marcell Ozuna, Adam Duvall and Orlando Arcia.
Nola (10-4, 3.48 ERA) didn’t allow a runner to reach base until Albies singled with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning. Austin Riley, who is batting .365 with five doubles and six homers against Nola, then hit a single to center field to bring the team within one run.
Albies gave the Braves a lead with a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth, but Ozuna’s tying hit ended Nola’s night. The Braves committed three errors in the top of the seventh, and the lead grew to five runs by the time the Phillies switched to No. 1 reliever Orion Kerkering. That lead was comfortable enough to withstand Ozuna’s three-run homer off Jose Alvarado one inning later.
Jeff Hoffman earned the save, his eighth to Alvarado’s 13.
The Phillies will be looking to win the series Saturday night when the Rangers’ Suarez takes on rookie right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach. They knew going into the series that anything short of a sweep would see them go home atop the division by at least eight games, so they’ve already accomplished a key goal of the weekend.
