Trea

Turner

Turner legged out an infield single in the top of the first inning and later came around to score to put the Phillies up 1-0. Then, in the third inning, Turner got the best of Orioles starter Brandon Young when he left a fastball over the plate, which Turner deposited into left-center field to put the Phillies back on top 3-2. July proved to be a great month for Turner and his fantasy managers. He slashed a season-best .287/.333/.564 with seven homers and 15 RBI and is now sitting on 17 homers for the season.

Turner’s fifth-inning solo shot helped the Phillies jump out to a 6-0 lead. However, they allowed the Marlins to score eight unanswered runs, losing for the seventh time in eight games. Turner has had a letdown season to date, but his bat has come alive in the second half. He now has five homers since the All-Star break compared to 10 in the first half.

Turner now has 14 home runs this year. He hit a two-run shot off Emmett Sheehan in the second inning and added a three-run shot off Alex Vesia in the sixth inning. A one-man offense Monday, Turner is hitting .246 with a .692 OPS and 40 RBI on the season.

Turner’s home run was his 12th of the season. He hit a solo shot off Sean Manaea in the fifth inning. Turner also had two singles and a walk, bringing his times on base total to four. His home run was his third in 12 games in July. Turner is hitting .241 with a .663 OPS and 35 RBI.

Turner finally got the Phillies on the board in the eighth inning with his 383-foot (101.2-mph EV) solo shot off of Luke Weaver, pulling the Phillies to within two runs at 3-1. That would be as close as they would get. The 33-year-old shortstop is having a disappointing season overall, slashing just .236/.284/.362 with 11 homers, 34 RBI and 16 stolen bases in his first 419 plate appearances.

It’s an unusual development to see Harper atop Philadelphia’s lineup with speedster Trea Turner receiving a rare day off. It’s unlikely to be more than a one-game occurrence. The 33-year-old first baseman has put together a strong first-half performance with an .884 OPS and 20 homers through 92 games. He’s headed to the Midsummer Classic, which the Phillies are hosting next week at Citizens Bank Park, for the ninth time in his legendary career.

Turner had a solo homer Monday, a two-run homer Tuesday and now a three-run homer tonight. Perhaps the Phillies should try batting him cleanup on Thursday and see what happens. The homer tonight was his 10th of the year. He’s scored runs in seven straight games and two runs in each of the last three.

That makes for a fun 33rd birthday. Turner has homered in back-to-back games and scored in six games in a row. Over the last two weeks, he’s hit .345 with 16 runs scored and seven RBI in 13 games.

Turner led off the bottom of the first with a 424-foot homer off Braxton Ashcraft. It was second farthest he’s hit a ball this year and just the fourth time he’s topped 400 feet. Turner is 11-for-33 with seven runs scored in his last seven games.

Turner sustained the injury when he was plunked by Sean Manaea in the opening inning. It doesn’t sound like anything that should lead to any sort of extended absence, so the 32-year-old shortstop should be considered day-to-day.