© David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
Edmundo Sosa Flashes Leather and Bat as Philadelphia Phillies Top Cincinnati Reds
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He's no Tadahito Iguchi, but he'll do in a pinch. Edmundo Sosa made his mark on the Philadelphia Phillies season Tuesday evening, dazzling on defense with his glove and coming through in the clutch on offense.
The Phillies fell into a hole against the floundering Cincinnati Reds by the second inning. Despite starter Noah Syndergaard's command of the strikezone, the Reds' hitters somehow managed to find holes in both the infield and outfield.
They took a 2-0 lead on a single from catcher Michael Papierski following a double from Albert Almora Jr. and a single from Matt Reynolds.
The Phillies though, who hadn't scored a run since the 10th inning on Friday, answered back without delay in the top of the third inning.
Bryson Stott, who has eight hits in 18 at-bats since taking over the lead-off role, singled to start the second, increasing his hitting streak to eight games.
His single was followed by a fielder's choice from Alec Bohm and another single from J.T. Realmuto. But the big hit came from former-Red Nick Castellanos, who, with two outs and two on, lined a single through the hole scoring Bohm from second. For the first time in almost 20 innings, the Phillies were on the board.
It didn't take them long to add to their total either, Jean Segura's walk loaded the bases for the man of the hour, Edmundo Sosa, who lined a two-RBI single to left, giving the Phillies a lead they would not relinquish.
Now, Syndergaard could cruise against an inferior lineup. For five innings he held the Reds entirely scoreless, allowing just three hits and not a single walk, letting his defense flash the leather.
Sosa, a shortstop playing third base, made everything look simple. It's a level of comfort the Phillies haven't experienced in years, perhaps since the days of Placido Polanco.
But Sosa wasn't out of the spotlight yet. With two outs and Segura on second in the fifth, he contributed a much needed insurance run with his third RBI on the night, this time a flyball double in left field that put the Phillies in a 4-2 lead.
The Reds wiped that insurance run from the board with an eighth inning home run that chased Syndergaard from the ballgame, but his seven innings of work were more than enough.
Now the back-end of the Phillies bullpen could take over. The combined efforts of David Robertson and Seranthony Domínguez kept Cincinnati in check.
Requiring only 18 pitches, the two retired the side efficiently in the eighth and ninth innings to secure the Phillies 62nd win of the season.
Philadelphia will go for it's 10,000th franchise win Tuesday evening with Kyle Gibson opposed by the Reds' T.J. Zeuch.
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