PHILADELPHIA _ It took just 14 pitches in Friday night's 11-5 win for the Phillies to hear their first boos of the second half. It was the first time since 2011 that the Phils played a game after the All-Star break atop the National League East. And the night could not have started any worse.
They gave up four runs to the hapless Padres. Jorge Alfaro threw a ball into center field, Carlos Santana dropped a pickoff throw, Odubel Herrera misplayed a liner, and Jake Arrieta looked flat. But as quickly as it unraveled, it was forgotten. The Phillies moved on. They scored six two-out runs in the second inning, silenced the boos at Citizens Bank Park, and opened the second-half with a win.
If there was ever an ideal Phillies inning, it was their rally in the second. The Phillies walked three times, including one by Rhys Hoskins with the bases loaded. The team's offense is built on seeing pitches, working deep counts, and reaching base before the extra-base hits come.
They regularly worked deep counts in the first half, saw more pitches than any other team, and walked the third-most times in baseball. But the extra-base hits were few and far between. The Phils ranked seventh-to-last in both slugging percentage and extra-base-hit percentage. The offensive philosophy was not flawless.
But the Phillies stayed committed. General manager Matt Klentak said before Friday's game that "we like to take pitches, work at-bats, take walks, and grind the opposing pitcher down." A four-day All-Star break did not cause them to suddenly shift their beliefs.
This lineup, the Phillies believe, can hit for power. And after they worked their walks on Friday night, it did. Santana clubbed a three-run homer to center to cap a six-run inning. Manager Gabe Kapler favors the term "Phillie-style at-bats" for a long plate appearance that makes the pitcher work. Well, this was a "Phillie-style inning." They walked, filled the bases, and emptied them with an extra-base hit.
The Phillies averaged just 4.33 runs per game in the first half. They were the only division leader to finish below the league average. A rate that low will likely not be enough if the Phillies are to reach the playoffs, especially when factoring in a likely regression _ even a slight one _ by a pitching staff that carried the team for the first half.
Any offensive uptick will mask any regression by the pitchers, which is what was needed Friday. Arrieta lasted just 31/3 innings. He allowed five runs, four of which were earned. He was pulled after 82 pitches, just 42 of which were strikes. It was a night when a six-run inning was needed.
The offense bailed out Arrieta and five relievers pieced together the final 17 outs. Cesar Hernandez and Herrera each drove in two runs. Santana had four RBIs and Scott Kingery had two hits.
The Phils scored four times in the eighth, turning the game into a rout, and the first night of the second half ended with cheers, not boos.
