The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 3-0 in a seven-inning intrasquad affair on Wednesday evening. Taijuan Walker earned the win and Orion Kerkering picked up the save. On the flip side, Walker Buehler took the loss.
Offensively, Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, and Otto Kemp each scored a run for the Powder Blues as they took the contest over the Pinstripes.
The teams played in front of a sold-out Citizens Bank Park, with the Phillies selling tickets for $10, with all proceeds supporting Phillies Charities.
Batter up!
Jesus Luzardo dazzled in his appearance, pitching three shutout innings for the Powder Blues. Luzardo recorded all nine of his outs via the strikeout while allowing two hits and one walk. The third inning found him navigating out of a bases-loaded jam, striking out Max Kepler to record the third out.
Aaron Nola had success against his side of the lineup, just without as many strikeouts. Through three innings, Nola struck out three batters while allowing only two baserunners on a pair of hits. The right-hander needed 41 pitches to get through three frames.
As the Phillies went to the bullpen in the fourth, the Powder Blues broke the ice. Bryce Harper, the first batter to face Taijuan Walker, connected on a leadoff home run into the center field berm. J.T. Realmuto then reached as the next batter on a walk, advancing to second on a walk to Edmundo Sosa. After a flyout from Otto Kemp moved Realmuto to third, Realmuto scored on a single from fellow catcher Garrett Stubbs, giving the Powder Blues a 2-0 lead.
The Powder Blues looked to pad their lead in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Kemp and Stubbs hit back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners. With two outs, Brandon Marsh slipped a single up the middle, scoring Kemp.
Orion Kerkering, slated to make an appearance for the Pinstripes, was traded to the Powder Blues mid-game to pitch the top of the seventh. He pitched a shutout inning, getting the save for Taijuan Walker, who earned the win.
The Phillies, however, were not finished as the Pinstripes took the field for the bottom of the seventh. Jhoan Duran allowed one base hit in the inning, striking out Edmundo Sosa for the final out of the game.
The good and the bad
Jesús Luzardo was in top condition in his three innings, striking out nine batters. As a team, the Phillies’ pitchers struck out 20 batters. That, however, does mean that Phillies batters struck out 20 times. Max Kepler was 0-for-3 with three strikeouts while Harrison Bader, Kyle Schwarber, Weston Wilson, and Caleb Ricketts each struck out twice.
Bryce Harper’s solo home run was one of three base hits on the night for him, going 3-for-4 total. The Phillies’ catcher contingent also shone on the night as J.T. Realmuto, Garrett Stubbs, and Rafael Marchán each had two hits.
Walker Buehler looked shaky in his inning of relief, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks. Taijuan Walker meanwhile loaded the bases but limited the opposition to no runs. The pair will likely be looked to as the first line of defense if a starting pitcher has a poor performance in the postseason.
Phillies fans pack the house
31,344 fans filled out the stands at Citizens Bank Park. The only sections not full were the ones the Phillies did not open: the Club box level and the Terrace level. The Philadelphia faithful came out in droves to see a game with no meaning, even out-attending Tuesday’s matchup between the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers.
When the National League Division Series begins at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday, there is no doubt that the stands will be filled and rally towels will be waving. With an intrasquad Game 163 in the rearview, it is time for the postseason to begin.
