Harper, Realmuto’s returns spark victory declaration over Mets originally appeared in NBC Sports Philadelphia
If one of a team’s best players gets injured, the coach usually says something about having confidence in whoever will replace him, while mentally crossing his fingers and wondering if he can get the board to buy a plane ticket to Lourdes.
The next man sounds good. Having the stars in the lineup is almost always much better.
Phillies catcher JT Realmuto has missed the last three games with a sore right knee. First baseman Bryce Harper did not play against the Mets on Tuesday afternoon due to a migraine.
“It runs in my family,” Harper said. There are times when I understand. I got it 30 minutes before first pitch (Wednesday). It’s just not a good feeling. It’s not funny.” He added that they usually last two and a half to three hours.
Both started Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park when the venue, but not the opponent, changed. Both played key roles in helping the Phillies rally in the fifth inning to win their third straight win against their longtime division rival, 10-5. They also won 16 of their last 19 games to capture and maintain the best record in baseball.
The stat of the night comes courtesy of Tim Kelly of Phillies Nation: The Phils lead baseball with 31 wins through May 15.st game until July 18th.
Harper went 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and 3 RBI.
“It’s hard to prepare for a guy you haven’t seen in a while,” he said. “You’re kind of getting out of the Triple-A business. He has a good sinker and I thought he threw us off balance a little. But obviously we were able to get some pitches over the plate, be good at hitting and take the lead right there.
Realmuto delivered the bases-loaded single that put the Phillies ahead for good in the fifth. Coach Rob Thomson said after the game that he is ready to play on Thursday.
Mets left-hander Joey Lucchesi, making his first appearance against the Phillies in more than three years, stifled baseball’s second-best offense, allowing one run on three hits to four.
The run came in Harper’s 10th home run of the year, an opposite-field solo shot that tied the score in the bottom of the first.
The Phillies were trailing by one run heading into the fifth when the bottom of the order set the table for Realmuto and Harper to deliver the knockout punches in a four-run blast.
It all started with Lucchesi suddenly losing the attacking zone and walking with Edmundo Sosa and Cristian Pache. Johan Rojas homered, loading the bases when Lucchesi made an ill-advised late throw to third, trying to force out Sosa. Kyle Schwarber then forced a run tying third baseman on inning balls.
With the score tied, Realmuto singled off Pache and Rojas, bringing Harper to the plate.
Lucchesi’s first pitch went up and in, knocking Harper off the base. The crowd of 37,219 responded. Ooooooh. The next pitch was a sinker in the middle of the strike zone and Harper responded in the best way possible. This time the reaction from the stands was even stronger – OOOOOOOH! – as he doubled in two more runs.
With that, Lucchesi left and the rout began against the Mets bullpen. As soon as the dam broke, Phillies runners flooded the plate. Two more in the sixth. Three more in the seventh.
On a related note, shortstop Trea Turner (strained left hamstring) threw grounders, hit the cage, ran and threw before the game. There is still no forecast for his return. “But he’s doing well,” Thomson said.
In the 11 games he was absent, the Phillies averaged 7.2 runs per game. It was originally estimated he would miss about six weeks. Until then, the Phillies can only imagine what their offense can accomplish when he returns.
