Phillies rally late in first loss of season: ‘These guys never quit’

PHILADELPHIA – The Phillies had no runs and only one hit through eight innings on what was a frustrating day in the cold at the plate. 

Down to their last out, the Phillies rallied in the ninth to score three runs to force extra innings in an eventual 5-4 loss in 10 innings.

The Phillies were given an additional lifeline when Rangers first baseman Jake Burger misplayed a foul popup with two outs in the swirling winds. If Burger made the catch, that would have been a shutout win for Texas.

But with two runners on, the former Ranger Adolis García recorded his first hit as a Phillie with a double down the line in left field. The hit scored a run, and set up second and third with two away for Brandon Marsh, who came up with the clutch base hit to right field to score two.

Marsh stayed with a 1-2 splitter on the outside corner. He is 3-for-8 with two doubles and a game-tying hit through two games. 

“Fought off a good cutter up and in, a really good heater above the zone,” Marsh said. “And just stayed on him through the last split. It was a good at-bat. I had to fight for it.” 

All three Phillies runs scored that inning were unearned. The fans that braved the 40-degree temperatures were treated to the first comeback of the year. 

“They kept after it,” manager Rob Thomson said postgame. “Two big hits with two strikes, never gave up. García kind of got jammed on the double, but he fought and Marsh had a great at-bat. These guys never quit.” 

But it didn’t lead to a Phillies win as closer Jhoan Duran allowed two runs in the 10th inning. Andrew McCutchen, down to his last strike, drove in the decisive run on an RBI single. The Phillies ended up losing what turned out to be a highly-entertaining contest.

The Phillies were able to get the go-ahead run to the plate in the 10th. Bryce Harper cut the Rangers’ lead to 5-4 with an RBI single to drive in the additional runner at second J.T. Realmuto. Alec Bohm popped up to the shortstop to end the game.

Phillies starter Aaron Nola allowed three runs on five hits over five innings in his first start of the year. The Phillies right-hander gave up two home runs, a solo shot to Corey Seager in the first inning and a two-run line drive off the foul pole to Burger.

“I think command in the second inning got out of whack,” Nola said. “But I felt like I came back pretty well. … Obviously those two pitches that those two guys hit for homers were tough.”

The use of the ABS challenge system ramped up as the game moved along. Justin Crawford unsuccessfully challenged a strike call in the eighth, while Realmuto was 2-for-2 on challenges in the top of the tenth. Schwarber also had an unsuccessful challenge in the bottom of the 10th.

Schwarber challenged a 2-1 cutter that was called a strike on the outside corner. The ball just clipped the zone. The next pitch, a 2-2 changeup, was farther out of the zone and called strike three by home plate umpire D.J. Reyburn. Had Schwarber not used the challenge on the 2-1 pitch, he would have had a challenge left to use on that pitch. He ended the night 0-for-5 with four strikeouts, all against lefties. 

Teams are granted an additional challenge in extra innings only if they are out of challenges. Had the Phillies tied it, they would have gotten an additional challenge in the 11th. 

The Phillies will look to win the series on Sunday in the finale. Jesús Luzardo gets the start against fellow lefty MacKenzie Gore.