Game Recap: Phillies Tame Tigers, Win 8-1

The Phillies hit the road for a quick three-game series in Detroit with the Tigers on Monday night.

Coming off a series win and two straight victories against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Phillies looked to continue building momentum. It did not take long in Detroit before the Phils were able to grab the lead and they never looked back.

The club made history, turning the first 1-3-5 triple play in Major League Baseball since 1929 and it did not stop there.

3-4 Punch

A lineup with Bryce Harper is always going to be competitive but when you add the 2024 version of Alec Bohm, that same lineup becomes lethal.

Both Harper and Bohm made their presence felt early against the Tigers in their first matchup this series. Harper would double home two runs (Schwarber & Turner) to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead.

Looking to make his impact on the game, Alec Bohm would then follow up Bryce with a 2-run home run, making it 4-0 Philadelphia.

These two will certainly represent the Phillies in the All-Star game this year and Harper has the most votes among all players in the National League.

On the evening, Bryce Harper went 3-5, hitting two doubles and a home run. He had 5 of the team’s 8 runs batted in.

Alec Bohm went 4-5, with a home run, double, and two singles. He drove in the team’s other 3 RBIs, increasing his season total of 64. This ties him for third place in all of Major League Baseball.

Phillies on Cruise Control

After jumping out to the 4-0 lead in the first inning, the Phillies started cruising.

Aaron Nola pitched another quality game, tossing 7 innings, allowing 6 hits, 1 earned run, and 6 strikeouts. This is the third straight game that the Phillies have had their starting pitcher toss seven innings in a game. Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sanchez did it against Arizona and Aaron Nola continued the trend against the Tigers.

The starting rotation is the best in all of baseball and when you can have your #1, #4, and #2 arms go deep into games consecutively, it makes Rob Thomson’s job much easier.

Phillies Debut

Michael Mercado would make both his Phillies and Major League Baseball debut on Monday, pitching in the 8th inning against the Detroit Tigers. Mercado took Taijuan Walker’s roster spot after it was announced that Taijuan would be placed on the 15-day Injured List.

Mercado has pitched in 14 games for the Leigh Valley Iron Pigs this season, sporting a 1.71 earned run average. It is expected that he will take Spencer Turnbull’s longman role with the team and Spencer will return to the starting rotation.

Michael Mercado pitched a 1-2-3 inning, earning a strikeout in the process. He is the first Phillie to make his big league debut this season. It was certainly a memorable moment for the young right-hander and his family.

Photo Credit: (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)