The Phillies are surging toward a National League playoff berth while the Red Sox are playing out the string in this shortened 2020 season.
Given the current status of their respective organizations, the result in the opener of Tuesday's doubleheader at Citizens Bank Park should surprise nobody.
Boston rallied from a series of gaffes to take the lead into the bottom of the seventh inning, and Philadelphia rose just in time to post its 12th victory in 15 games. Alec Bohm walked it off with a two-run single to left, as the Phillies scored a 6-5 triumph.
Matt Barnes was one pitch from escaping a jam and giving the Red Sox a result they likely wouldn't have deserved. The Phillies pushed two men into scoring position with two outs for Bohm, who fouled off one two-strike curveball and lined a second through the left side. J.T. Realmuto came in from third and Didi Gregorius raced home from second, sliding in well ahead of the throw from Michael Chavis.
The Red Sox erased a 4-1 deficit and were just one out from clinching at least a split. Bobby Dalbec's solo homer in the sixth � the fourth of the day for Boston � tied the game and Rafael Devers skied an RBI double off the top of the wall in right. Tommy Hunter was on the hook for the loss until Philadelphia saved him late.
Back-to-back solo homers started the Red Sox rally in the fifth. Alex Verdugo unloaded a majestic shot to the second deck in right field and Devers sent a laser to the boxes in left-center. Boston was suddenly in a 4-3 game and there was more to come in the sixth.
The Red Sox could have coasted to victory if not for an amateurish bottom of the third. Boston allowed three runs on just one hit, as a pair of mental mistakes and three walks help set the stage for disaster.
Bryce Harper drew a leadoff walk and Realmuto hit a slow roller toward second. Harper slowed in the baseline and Christian Arroyo elected not to tag him, throwing to first base instead. Harper scampered to second, took third on another groundout and scored when Christian Vazquez sailed an errant pickoff throw into left field.
That gave the Phillies a 2-1 lead, and they added another pair when Bohm grounded a two-run single up the middle. Martin Perez issued two more walks and bounced a wild pitch to put two men in scoring position for Bohm, who sent a grass-cutter to center. Perez finished with a career-high six walks but left in position for the victory after a scoreless final 2 1/3 innings.
