On a wild Thursday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field, the Phillies pulled off one of their most dramatic wins of the season, storming back from a four-run deficit to stun the Rays, 7-6, in 10 innings. In a postgame interview, Brandon Marsh credited the teams’ slugger Kyle Schwarber for the win.
Schwarber, the burly slugger known for moonshots and leadoff power, went 1-4 on Thursday with a leadoff single in the top half of the 9th inning. Marsh explained he and Schwarber had a “funny interaction” before his last at-bat, and gave the lefty slugger credit for the Phillies comeback victory.
The plan, if there was one, certainly took a few unexpected turns. Down 6-2 entering the eighth inning, the Phillies began their comeback with Stott’s three-run homer. It came moments after the Rays’ Yandy Diaz had blasted a three-run shot of his own to seemingly bury the Phils.
Phillies come from behind, and Kyle Schwarber earns the win
But momentum swung fast. Stott’s blast cut the lead to one, and Schwarber kicked off the ninth with a leadoff single. Pinch-runner Johan Rojas advanced to third on a wild pickoff throw and scored on a Max Kepler fielder’s choice, tying the game at 6-6.
In extras, Marsh—who was mired in a 0-for-31 slump before returning from the IL—ripped a first-pitch double off Manuel Rodríguez to score Edmundo Sosa and give Philly the lead. Turner followed with a clutch RBI single up the middle to provide insurance.
“It was a big moment,” Marsh said. “But it took all of us tonight. Almost everyone was in the game at one point. That was a huge, huge win for us.”
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Marsh’s resurgence is a welcome sign for the Phillies. Once the team’s everyday center fielder, he had struggled prior to injury. But since his return, Marsh is 5-for-11 and brimming with confidence.
“He’s just taking it one at-bat at a time,” manager Rob Thomson said. “And it’s paying off.”
Meanwhile, Stott continued his scorching stretch with a double, a homer, and a perfect sacrifice bunt in extras. Over his last 20 games, he’s hitting .295 with 15 runs scored and 14 RBIs.
“I’m just trying not to overthink at the plate,” Stott said. “Trusting my eyes and putting a good swing on it.”
Closer Matt Strahm allowed one run in the 10th but secured the final out on a 2-2 fastball past José Caballero. Schwarber’s earlier contribution? A single and the coincidental win in the stat sheet.
After dropping the finales of three previous potential sweeps, the Phillies finally completed the job. Now, they head to Cleveland with a little extra momentum—and some clubhouse jokes about their new “winning pitcher.”
“It makes the travel day a lot more fun,” Stott said. “You can be a little rowdy on the bus and plane. It’s good to finally sweep one.”
