With baseball nonetheless a methods off and a winter storm bearing down on the east coast, let’s heat ourselves within the blanket of reminiscence. Regardless of how issues ended, the Phillies did have a reasonably good yr in 2024. Particularly for those who focus primarily on the primary half of the season.
Within the second half they appeared far more … human. However that didn’t imply they didn’t plant loads of memorable moments in your head, in order that 2024 could be remembered by extra than simply what didn’t occur.
And there are many choices!
- Bryce Harper’s three-homer recreation, signaling the slugger had lastly landed in 2024.
- Trea Turner hit a grand slam in opposition to the Dodgers to open up an 8-0 lead on the eventual World Sequence champions.
- Kyle Schwarber’s three-homer recreation — hit them to left, proper and heart.
- Schwarber’s different three-homer recreation, in Toronto, which ended a drought the place the Phillies couldn’t knock in runners from scoring place.
- Schwarber grew to become the all-time MLB chief with 15 leadoff house runs in his profession.
- The benches cleared in opposition to the Rays once they hit Nick Castellanos and the Giants once they buzzed Harper.
- Edmundo Sosa hit a 450-foot bomb in opposition to the Braves.
- Turner, of all individuals, hit the longest homer of the season, 459 ft, in opposition to the Braves in an Apple TV+ recreation, in order that’s why you didn’t see it.
- Weston Wilson hit for the tenth cycle in Phillies historical past on the night time the Phillies’ TV broadcast workforce was sitting within the stands. John Kruk joined in a standing ovation.
- Tyler Phillips threw a complete-game shutout. It was the Phillies’ fourth of the season on the time and there had been solely 12 whole throughout baseball. Zack Wheeler hadn’t even thrown a CGSO but.
- Eight Phillies have been chosen for the MLB All-Star Recreation, tying a league file: Wheeler, Cristopher Sanchez, Ranger Suarez, Jeff Hoffman, Matt Strahm, Harper, Alec Bohm, and Turner. They crammed a lot of the beginning infield. There have been 17 pitcher spots on the NL roster and the Phillies took 5 of them.
- Bohm entered the HR Derby, and efficiently knocked out Pete Alonso and Marcell Ozuna with the assistance of Harper’s “wooder” jug.
- The Phillies received the NL East for the primary time in 13 years.
- The walkoff win in Recreation 2 of the NLDS because the Phillies fought for his or her lives in opposition to a Mets squad that was actually feeling themselves.
- The Cal Stevenson Recreation.
Stroll-off fever
And the way concerning the walk-offs? Nick Castellanos had the primary one on April 13 in opposition to the Pirates. Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner did the desk setting, Whit Merrifield did the pinch-running, Bryce Harper wild pitch inducing, Alec Bohm did the intentional strolling, and Castellanos, at a time when the Phillies have been a mere 2-for-12 with the bases loaded, spanked a ball to heart nicely over the centerfielder’s head. Castellanos bought a bucket of water to the face for his heroics.
Two nights later, Cristian Pache bought the identical remedy when he walked the Phillies off with an opposite-field single. And it took over a month, however their subsequent walkoff win on Could 18 noticed a Kody Clemens game-tying homer with the Phillies right down to their final out in opposition to the Nationals at house. Johan Rojas made a daring escape from second to 3rd in extras on a sac fly and made it with a Superman dive. Harper, the sound of missiles priming audible every time he stood as much as the plate, launched a twisting excessive liner that the fielder tracked down however allowed Rojas to win the sport with ease.
On June 4, after Seranthony Dominguez will get out of an inconceivable spot, Castellanos wins it within the tenth with an RBI double. He does it once more two weeks later in opposition to the Padres, after Harper went first to 3rd on a Bohm single. Bryson Stott tied it and Castellanos hit a plummeting pop-op proper the place nobody might attain it. The ball drops, clearly truthful, as the precise fielder is attempting to cradle it, and the ball recreation is over.
On August 16, Brandon Marsh out of the blue aborted an try and get to second base on a scorching excessive liner to proper, then places on the brakes when he sees the throw … however the throw sails over the whole infield. Marsh appears to be like up and sees no person overlaying second base, so he simply type of goes over there and begins dancing. This was very a lot a Brandon Marsh-style of play. Then the Nationals let Cal Stevenson get away with a bunt base hit, which units up a Turner no-doubter to win it.
Harper had that nice scoop on a grounder at first and Rojas lays out absolutely to steal a base hit in heart because the Phillies maintain again the Astros at house on August 26. Josh Hader is on the mound as Harper drives Schwarber in from second with a single to proper. There’s nothing the Phillies love greater than beating Hader.
Castellanos was again to work on September 1. Carlos Estevez provides the Phillies two clear innings of labor that embody a clutch strikeout of Merrifield, who’s now on the Braves. Harper survives a double-play try and Castellanos hits his fourth walkoff of the season on a single up the center.
On September 9, Rojas makes a loopy catch in heart, then collides with the wall and drops the ball on the improper facet of it, letting the Rays tie the sport. Rojas simply sat there for some time, because the TV broadcast reveals a sequence of response pictures from individuals exploding with pleasure on the catch after which gasping in horror on the consequence. Luckily, Harper nails a double to proper and Stott manages to hit a straightforward out someplace that it’s not really easy to discipline. Bench man Buddy Kennedy, in considered one of his first appearances, has the entire stadium chanting his title and manages to work a stroll, permitting Clemens to return up and swat a hard-hit ball to proper that ends the sport. Kennedy additionally hit back-to-back doubles with Wilson to tie a recreation with the Mets on September 15, resulting in J.T. Realmuto hitting a walkoff gapper to attain the profitable run.
And within the Phillies’ remaining walk-off of the season, Castellanos would ship a late, sweaty win in Recreation 2 of the NLDS.
There’s at all times extra to recollect a couple of season than the ending. However extra importantly, you don’t must dwell prior to now when the longer term can also be promising — and the Phillies’ future has loads of promise.
Is your favourite second talked about above? Tell us, and hearken to the most recent episode of Hittin’ Season for extra moments like these, in addition to what moments the Phillies have in retailer for 2025!