PHILADELPHIA — Ronald Torreyes got a total of five at-bats in the Phillies’ first 15 games, then spent the next 29 days on the COVID-19 injured list. But there he was Tuesday night, walking to the plate with one out and the game tied in the bottom of the eighth inning at Citizens Bank Park.
You’d think Torreyes might stop for a moment, take a deep breath, see a few pitches, ease his way back.
Yeah, right.
Torreyes jumped on the second pitch from Miami Marlins reliever John Curtiss, lined it into left field, and pumped his fist as he took off around first base and headed for second. Two runs scored, and after seven mostly frustrating innings, the Phillies had their first lead en route to a come-from-behind 8-3 series-opening victory.
Before we go any further, let’s introduce you to Torreyes. Because until now, he may have been the Phillies player most likely to be confused with a batboy.
Torreyes is listed at 5-foot-8. He plays every infield position and occasionally the outfield. He played for Joe Girardi with the New York Yankees in 2016 and 2017 and quickly became one of the manager’s favorites. And he grabbed a spot on the Phillies’ bench in spring training when faded prospect Scott Kingery got optioned to the Lehigh Valley training site.
With Torreyes ready to return this week and Kingery headed to the seven-day concussion list, the former took the latter’s spot again and demonstrated why Girardi has so much confidence in him.
“That’s a huge hit,” Girardi said. “There’s a lot of big at-bats in that inning. But that’s a really big hit and really happy for him.”
But before Torreyes took his hero turn, the Phillies had to rally from a 3-1 deficit earlier in the eighth inning against Marlins reliever Dylan Floro. They did so on a one-out single by Rhys Hoskins, an RBI double off to right-center field from struggling Alec Bohm, a single by Odúbel Herrera, and a walk to Andrew Knapp that loaded the bases.
Up stepped Nick Maton, filling in once again for injured shortstop Didi Gregorius, and once again, the rookie delivered. Fresh off a two-homer game Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin, Fla., Maton tied the score by lashing a single to right field and set the stage for Torreyes.
The Phillies scored seven runs in all in the eighth inning before an announced crowd of 11,114, including two fans who ran onto the field one inning apart. The big inning also gave the Phillies their 14th win in 20 home games this season.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. gave the Marlins a 3-1 lead with a two-run homer in the top of the eighth against reliever Jose Alvarado. Chisholm also scored the Marlins’ first run in the fourth inning. He singled, went to second base on pitcher Zack Wheeler’s errant pickoff throw, moved to third on a single by Miguel Rojas, and scored on Adam Duvall’s sacrifice fly.
Apart from the error, Wheeler was brilliant. He breezed through three innings, setting down nine consecutive batters — five via strikeouts — on 35 pitches. It was par for the course for him against the Marlins. He faced them 15 times previously in his career, holding them to a .199 average and posting a 1.87 ERA.
It seemed Wheeler would give himself a lead, too. He led off the bottom of the third inning with a double off the railing atop the right-field fence, missing a home run by about a foot. But the top of the order was unable to drive in him or even advance him beyond second base.
The Phillies were 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position through seven innings. But Wheeler at least gave them a chance to come back. He stranded Rojas at second base, overcame Brian Anderson’s leadoff double in the fifth inning, and got out of a first-and-third, one-out jam in the seventh.
It marked the fifth time in nine starts this season that Wheeler completed seven innings and the fourth time that he allowed one run or fewer. He has allowed two earned runs in his last 28 innings and has a 1.70 ERA, 40 strikeouts, and five walks in 37 innings over his last five starts.
The Phillies tied the game in the seventh with the benefit of a replay review. Brad Miller was called out after sliding into first base, but the call was overturned. Andrew McCutchen lifted a sacrifice fly one batter later to drive in Maton.
