Rafael Marchán after strong Game 1 performance: ‘I just save everything for here. That’s my thing’

PHILADELPHIA — J.T. Realmuto’s backup doesn’t play a lot. Realmuto is a gamer. More often than not, he’s playing and behind the dish for the Phillies. But Thursday’s circumstances — a Braves-Phillies doubleheader at Citizens Bank Park — created playing time for Realmuto’s backup, Rafael Marchán.

Marchán caught Game 1 on Thursday afternoon, an eventual 5-4 Phillies win over the Braves. It was just his 11th start of the season; Realmuto had started 44 of the Phillies’ first 54 games at catcher.

It can be hard for someone not to get regular playing time, especially for someone like Marchán, who was a starting catcher for most of his minor-league career. It’s not easy to stay ready.

“It’s a little (difficult), but I don’t try to think too much about that,” Marchán said. “I just try to come (here) every day and do my work. … Control what I can control.”

Marchán’s preparation helped him out on Thursday. He was an important figure, both early and late, for the Phillies in their win. The 26-year-old backstop finished the opener 1-for-2 with three RBIs, two runs, a walk and a hit-by-pitch.

“I’ve been saying all along,” manager Rob Thomson said, “this kid’s a really good player. Although there’s not many (good) numbers there, he’s really giving us good at-bats. And he understands the strike zone. He’s very disciplined.”

Marchán put the home team on the board first in the third inning with a two-run home run. He scored another run a few innings later, diving head-first into home plate after Atlanta third baseman Austin Riley bobbled a grounder off the bat of Trea Turner. Marchán also threw out a runner, Stuart Fairchild, trying to steal second base to end the fourth inning.

Marchán’s homer was his first of the year. It was the sixth of his major-league career, compared to nine in the minors in more than 1,700 plate appearances. He says he likes to save his power production for the majors.

“I like to hit in the big leagues,” Marchán said. “It’s more fun hitting in the big leagues than the minors, so I just save everything for here. That’s my thing.”

His third-inning homer was also his first extra-base hit of the year, and his fifth overall base knock. He entered Thursday 4-for-31 (.129) with a .399 OPS. The run he scored in the fifth was just his third of the year.

Marchán eventually came to the plate with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth. Atlanta reliever Daysbel Hernández was unraveling on the mound, and Marchán continued to let him. Nick Castellanos singled, Max Kepler walked and Edmundo Sosa executed a sacrifice bunt to put runners on second and third to start the Phillies’ half of the eighth. Brandon Marsh then walked against Hernández, who followed that up by hitting Marchán with a 3-2 slider to bring home a run, giving the Phillies a 5-4 lead.

The 26-year-old wasn’t done there. To cap off his big day, Marchán threw out another runner, Ozzie Albies, in the top of the ninth. Albies had walked to start the top of the ninth against Jordan Romano, who, despite ineffectiveness, worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam to record the save and secure the win.

“It’s pretty exciting,” Marchán said about his ninth-inning throw-out of Albies. “I felt like a kid — when you do something good — like really excited. So, I mean, (there’s) a lot of emotion when I do that.”

Marchán was coming off calling back-to-back shutouts. He was behind the dish for the Phillies’ 1-0 win over the Pirates on May 18. He caught the club’s 2-0 win over the Rockies last Thursday. Throwing arm and defense aside, Marchán’s game-calling — something he says he works on with Realmuto — is also one of his strengths, according to his manager.

“He can really throw, obviously,” Thomson said. “He calls a great game. He’s coming off two shutouts, his last two starts before today. He does a great job. It’s just a huge day for him.”

“It means a lot,” Marchán said about his Game 1 performance. “Especially when you don’t get those opportunities as much. To help the team win makes me feel really good and ready for something to happen in the next game.”