Two outs, bottom of the seventh. Tie game. Runner on second base. Due up is a guy mired in an 0-for-18 slump with just one hit in 25 at-bats on the season. On the bench is a guy with 11 RBIs in the previous four games.
Sounds like a pinch hitter might be in order, right Gabe Kapler?
“No,” the Phillies manager said, boldly.
Kapler said he never thought about using Maikel Franco as a pinch hitter for slumping J.P. Crawford with the game on the line Tuesday night. Crawford rewarded his manager’s faith by pulling a tie-breaking base hit into right field to help propel the Phillies to a 6-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park (see first take). Crawford’s first hit since March 30 gave the Phillies a 2-1 lead. An inning later, rookie Scott Kingery put it out of reach with his second homer in as many days, an arching grand slam into the left-field seats.
“Pretty special,” Kapler said of Kingery’s slam.
Aaron Nola threw 103 pitches over eight innings of three-hit ball for his first win of the season. He hooked up in a good pitchers' duel with Homer Bailey. The Cincinnati right-hander carried a no-hitter into the sixth and looked to be on his way to a win after Nola issued a four-pitch walk with two outs in the fifth, paving the way for the Reds to take a 1-0 lead.
MLB
Cesar Hernandez singled with one out in the sixth and stole second with two outs. He scored the tying run on a double by Odubel Herrera.
All six of the Phillies’ runs came on two-out hits.
Crawford’s tie-breaking hit, against reliever Jared Hughes, was key — and maybe a little improbable, given his poor start.
“It was really cool to see him come up with a huge knock for us,” Kapler said.
Crawford had spent the previous few days trying to correct a flaw in his swing. He had been “getting around” the ball instead of “staying inside” it. Who noticed the flaw?
“Everyone,” Crawford said. “I watched a lot of film the last couple of days and have been working on it really hard. Finally happy to see some results.”
Crawford’s first at-bat of the game produced a hard lineout to left field. He hit it right on the barrel — the best contact he’d made in a while — and that fueled his confidence for later in the game. It also fueled Kapler’s confidence to let him hit in a big situation in the seventh. Crawford escaped an 0-2 hole before stroking the 2-2 hit.
“He was swinging the bat well and managing his at-bats well,” Kapler said. “We trust J.P. We’ve said that many days in a row now. It’s nice to see him reward the faith his teammates have in him.”
The Phillies entered this homestand 1-4. They have won four of five to run their record to 5-5 entering the final game of the homestand Wednesday night. The wins have come against two lowly clubs, Miami and Cincinnati, and another one, Tampa Bay, is sitting out there on Friday. But you can only play the team that appears on the schedule. The Phils have made some hay on this homestand, and on Tuesday night, J.P. Crawford was happy to finally lend a helping hand.