A night after cranking out 19 hits and pounding the Mets for 13 runs to snap a seven-game losing streak, it appeared early on the Phillies were quickly reverting back to the frustratingly familiar form that has plagued this team for much of the past three weeks.
Then the sixth inning happened, and what an inning it was.
They dropped five runs on the Mets, highlighted by back-to-back shots off the bats of Maikel Franco and Brad Miller, to erase a 5-2 deficit. It was no doubt the turning point in the game, and, quite possibly, it could be a turning point in the team’s season. Gabe Kapler seems to think so. After the game, he called Franco’s two-run blast a “huge hit in our season.” My guess is we can probably expect to see Franco in the lineup again tomorrow. Just a hunch.
Miller, meanwhile, was fired up–from what he could remember.
“Maik just hit a huge, huge homer that was an incredible inning for us, so you know, I was just fired up. And then I blacked out. It felt good,” he said.
Oh, and this happened, too:
Gabe Kapler had never been ejected as a manager until this week.
He has now been ejected twice. pic.twitter.com/zDS7AEZxOy
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) June 26, 2019
To recap:
- It started with what might have been an intentional 94 mph up and in fastball from Wilmer Font that plunked Scott Kingery. Wilson Ramos was set up inside, but two emotional homers, some celebrations, and the Mets/Phillies recent history would lead me to believe there may have been a little more something to it.
- A rightfully pissed off Gabe Kapler was tossed for the second time in four games after going 237 consecutive games to start his managerial career without getting run.
- Joe West was doing Joe West things here with the quick hook. We see you, Joe. We get it. We all know you were there tonight. Good job.
- And finally, not that we needed further confirmation of this self-evident truth, but the Mets continue to be a joke. Have a week, Mickey Callaway!
After the game, Kapler explained that he was upset over the combination of Kingery getting plunked, along with feeling that a warning to the Phillies dugout created a competitive disadvantage for his relievers late in the game.
“I felt fairly emotional seeing the ball go near Scott’s face, right? And then when we were warned, I recognized that we were put in a tough spot with our relievers coming into the game to win the game, he said. “I felt like it put us at a disadvantage going up and in.”
Maybe it’s the curveball machine (it’s not), or maybe it’s the bamboo (it might be), but whatever it is, the Phillies will take it after their first back-to-back wins in 17 days. For his part, Miller is happy to make another run over to Chinatown tomorrow to help grow the clubhouse collection.
“Yeah, I mean. I’ll do whatever it takes. They’re going to think I’m crazy going back to that place tomorrow. Third day in a row,” he said. “I told them I would see them tomorrow, so I mean, they’re just going to keep hiking the prices up on me or something, but it’s worth it.”
Kapler was also asked if he’s starting to believe in the power of the bamboo.
