© Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Nick Maton, Philadelphia Phillies' Daycare Jumpstart Another Win
In this story:
How many of the Philadelphia Phillies' 68 wins this season have come at the hands of the "daycare," comprised of Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, Nick Maton, and Matt Vierling?
Stott has a pair of clutch home runs: a walk-off homer against the Los Angeles Angels on June 5, and a go-ahead three-run bomb in the eighth inning versus the Atlanta Braves on July 25.
Bohm and Vierling hit back-to-back solo dingers off of then-Milwaukee Brewer Josh Hader, who had been practically unhittable in the ninth inning dating back to last season. He hasn't been the same since.
Now, Maton added a walk-off hit of his own to the list on Tuesday night against the Cincinnati Reds. Following a poor defensive effort from Edmundo Sosa which saw him commit two errors, the Reds took a 6-5 lead in the ninth inning.
Jean Segura led off the Phillies' half of the inning with a walk, giving way to Stott as a pinch-hitter. On a 1-1 count, Stott hit the ball to deep center field. It looked like it was on its way to the outfield seats. Fans who leapt up in celebration thought the same as well, but it bounced off the top of the wall.
Stott ended up on third, and Segura was waved home after a throwing error by center fielder Nick Senzel. The game was now tied.
Maton stepped to the plate, pinch-hitting for Sosa, and promptly smacked a single to right field to score Stott, and give the Phillies the win.
All of this excitement allowed one to forget that Philadelphia didn't log a hit until the sixth inning. By that point, Ranger Suárez had been taken out of the game, surrendering three runs in the sixth before being lifted for Michael Plassmeyer, making his major league debut with two outs and the bases loaded. Plassmeyer seized the moment, striking out Austin Romine on three pitches.
The Phillies first got on the board thanks to an Alec Bohm RBI single that made it 3-1. That was followed by a J.T. Realmuto triple, which plated Rhys Hoskins and Bohm to tie the game. Reds' starter Nick Lodolo, who dominated the Phillies last week, had been cruising up until this point. He was then lifted from the game for reliever Buck Farmer.
Farmer quickly allowed a single to Nick Castellanos, extending his hitting streak to 13 games, and giving Philadelphia the lead.
Plassmeyer kept it a 4-3 game across 1 1/3 innings, with Matt Vierling adding an insurance run in the seventh with a solo shot to left-center. Jose Alvarado entered the game in the eighth, and struggled for the first time in a while. He allowed a run on three hits, making it a 5-4 game, but was able to limit the damage by picking up three straight strike outs.
The Phillies proved on Tuesday that they can never truly be counted out, which is a feeling that hasn't surrounded the team in years. It's a good feeling. And with Bryce Harper on his way back, homering twice with Lehigh Valley in his rehab debut, things are only looking up.
Searching for their third straight win and a series victory, Cristopher Sánchez will take the mound for Philadelphia against Cincinnati's T.J. Zeuch on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.
More From SI's Inside The Phillies:
- How Mike Trout Will Join the Phillies
- Why You Should Root for the Philadelphia Phillies to Lose a Few Games
- Have the Philadelphia Phillies Found Their Centerfielder of the Future?
- Could The Phillies Soon Be Playing in Wawa Park?
- 18-Year-Old Phillies Prospect is Making History
- How did Philadelphia end up with Citizens Bank Park?
- How the Phillie Phanatic Came to be America's Favorite Sports Mascot
- This Unlikely Draft Pick Could be the Final Piece in the Phillies Next Blockbuster Trade
- Picking the Phillies' All-Time Single Season Lineup
- Drawing Comparisons to Harper, Phillies Prospect Wilson is Heating Up
Make sure to follow Inside the Phillies on Substack and Twitter!
