#14,000! Phillies 11, Rangers 4

Count from 1 to 14,000. It’ll take a while. That’s fine. It’ll give you time to ponder the fact that the Phillies have more wins than anyone else in baseball. It’ll give you time to think about the fact that Alec Bohm leads the league in RBIs, and the fact that the Phillies rotation features a trio of aces, one of whom boasts a 9-0 record. There are plenty of details about the 2024 campaign to mull over as the days grow longer, and nearly all of them are pleasant. It’s a good time to be a Phillies fan.

Tonight’s game began in bizarre fashion, as Marcus Semien hit an easy infield popup that both Bryce Harper and Bryson Stott stared at. Neither said they got it (or yo la tengo, or mine! or any other verbalized method of expressing ownership), and so the ball simply landed on the infield dirt for a single that should never have been. Taijuan Walker then gave Corey Seager a base on balls. He navigated through the next two batters, but allowed a single to Josh Smith to score the first run. Dane Dunning sent the Phillies down in order in their half.

The top of the second involved less traffic on the basepaths, but a similar result: a 2-out run, this time via Leody Taveras, who pummeled a splitter over the center field wall for a 2-0 lead.

The Phillies showed some grit and luck in the bottom second, with Alec Bohm reaching on a dropped ball and Nick Castellanos beating out a relay to turn a could’ve-been double play into a mere fielder’s choice. Brandon Marsh made sure that mattered, singling to right to score Bohm and inducing an error as he baited Dunning into a pickoff attempt, watching as the overthrown ball landed in the outfield and Castellanos scored to tie it.

Not content to merely contribute with his bat and on the basepaths, Marsh followed that up with an outfield assist to put Seager back in the dugout instead of on third.

In the bottom third, JT Realmuto took a slider deep to left for a 387 foot home run. It marked the 3rd run of the night for the Phillies, the 5th dinger of the year for Realmuto, and the 14,000th home run for the franchise.

14,001 came an inning later via Edmundo Sosa and a shot to right field. Though he missed out on the nice round number, the fact that he brought two runners home with him, extending the lead to 6-2, must have provided some consolation.

Walker struggled in the top of the 5th, giving the first two batters free passes before getting the next two out. Once again he allowed a hit and a run with two outs, this time via Josh Smith, bringing the score to 6-3 and ending his night. He was replaced by Matt Strahm, who wrapped up the frame.

Weirdness reared its head again in the bottom 6th. With two outs and Castellanos on first, Johan Rojas hit what ought to have been an neatly handled chopper towards Seager, Seager attempted an easy toss to second just as Semien ducked to give him space to throw towards first; the result was everyone safe and the inning continuing. A wild pitch then advanced the runners, and Kyle Schwarber walked to load the bases. Realmuto, not satisfied with only making history, continued his memorable night with a two-run single to left. Bohm, not to be outdone, hit a ball into the outfield that navigated itself into the green grass between a trio of onrushing, slightly confused Rangers and scored two more, making the tally 10-3.

Seager attempted to atone for his fielding blunder with a solo shot in the 7th; he then made another blunder in the bottom of the inning as a grounder from Nick Castellanos went through his legs. Seager is a good player, an All-Star. But even All-Stars have nights to forget.

That, of course, includes our own Bryce Harper. Not tonight, though. Harper hit #14,002 in the bottom of the 8th, a solo shot to right. José Ruiz then sent the Rangers down in order to end it.

The Phillies are 36-14. They conclude the series against the defending champs tomorrow at 1:05. Here’s to the next 14,000.