Big Jeff Hoffman scores to save the game, Pache’s preparation pays off in victory originally appeared in NBC Sports Philadelphia
Jeff Hoffman is built as both a linebacker and a pitcher and that mattered on Monday night.
With two outs and runners on the corners in the top of the ninth inning of a tied game, Hoffman threw a slider to Elehuris Montero that escaped JT Realmuto’s glove for a wild pitch.
The Rockies were missing three players on their bench — Brendan Rodgers and Jake Cave were sick, Kris Bryant was having back problems — so the runner at third base was starting pitcher Kyle Freeland. Realmuto quickly recovered the wild pitch and turned to Hoffman, who slid into home plate at the same time as Freeland to save the game. Freeland beat Hoffman to the plate, but his foot popped out during the slide and the replay didn’t show enough to overturn the umpires’ decision in the elimination field.
“I wish baseball was more of a contact sport,” Hoffman said after the game.
“It was a crazy play for two pitchers to be involved. I’ve already talked to Kyle, he’s fine, so it’s good to know. Honestly, get there on time because I knew JT would have a chance to turn this around for me and he threw in a perfect spot for me. I just put the tag on it as quickly as I could.
“Optional quarterback, all-state,” coach Rob Thomson joked, referring to Realmuto’s high school days.
The Phillies’ nearly invisible offense failed to get through in the bottom of the ninth after Hoffman’s play, but finally did in the 10th, with Whit Merrifield sacrificing the automatic runner to third base and Cristian Pache delivering the walk-off single in a 2-game victory. -1.
Pache was only in the game because he ran for Kyle Schwarber after the leadoff man led off the bottom of the eighth with a walk. Pache hit a first-pitch sinker from Rockies reliever Jake Bird and smoked through the hole between first and second base, then celebrated with his teammates.
“It’s extremely exciting for me because I’m not playing much, but I try to be ready in the cage so I can take advantage of the opportunity whenever I’m given,” Pache said through team interpreter Diego D’Aniello.
“I was in the cage batting and we set up the machine to throw the sinker in a situation that we could try to see and be aggressive while hitting and luckily we did just that and got the barrel towards the ball. “
Seranthony Dominguez was a winning pitcher, who retired all three batters he faced in the 10th with the go-ahead in scoring position.
The 9-8 Phillies have rolled out their first six series. They scored more than five runs once, on the night Bryce Harper hit three home runs, and were restricted to three runs or fewer eight times.
In 17 games, the Phillies had just 30 extra-base hits, the fewest in all of Major League Baseball. In as many games last season, they had 63.
Thomson goes on to say that the team is built to attack and that he knows it will happen, citing reasons such as the back of his baseball cards and the law of averages. It’s hard to believe that programming will remain so silent, but you have to wonder if certain aspects of it have become obsolete. Right now, there is no defining trait or characteristic for this offense – not strength, plate selection or stick-to-ball skills.
On the other side of the coin, the Phillies are above .500 despite the offense’s invisibility thus far. In previous years, with smaller pitching staffs, this team might be closer to 6-11 than 9-8.
“Throughout the year you have to win all types of games,” said Bryson Stott, who scored twice, walked and stole a base. “You have to win close games, you have to win close games, so I think it’s big.”
Aaron Nola, finally pitching without rain, wind, frigid temperatures or all of the above, had his best start to the season, dominating the Rockies to the tune of one run in 7⅓ innings with nine strikeouts and just one walk, to the second-to-last hitter who he faced.
Nola’s curveball was fantastic and when he commands it like he did on Monday, it can be as overpowering as a 90s fastball. All 12 swings he generated found the hook.
Nola’s first start was at home on March 30, a day later than expected because of rain, and started 27 minutes late.
His second start came six nights later in Washington, D.C., and the temperature dropped to 42 degrees midway through the inning.
Her third start was the most miserable of all, a two-hour slog on a rainy Wednesday afternoon in St. Louis. The rain was so heavy that Nola had to adjust her delivery, shortening her stride with her front leg so as not to slip and lose control. The result was a fastball that averaged just 89.5 mph, nearly three mph from the Braves game.
“Hopefully it’s about 75 and sunny (for Nola’s next start),” Realmuto said that afternoon, all but speaking into existence.
From the first shift on Monday night, you could tell Nola had better, crispier things. His fastball scored 92-93, directly in line with his career norms. He maintained that velocity into the eighth inning and struck out five of the final six batters he faced.
The Phillies pitching staff has a 3.68 ERA on the season, third-best in the major leagues. The starters have a 2.95 ERA, and in the bullpen, Jose Alvarado, Hoffman, Gregory Soto, Matt Strahm and Yunior Marte are off to promising starts.
“I think throughout the season there will be a lot of guys supporting each other,” Hoffman said. “Right now, you could say the pitchers are doing it for the offense, and we could look at a month from now and the hitters might be carrying the pitchers. Marathon season. We kind of roll with the waves. At the end of the day , I hope we take care of each other well enough to win a lot of games.
