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New York Times
37 minutes ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Otto Kemp's first trip to Phillies' ballpark was worth the wait as he shines in walk-off win
PHILADELPHIA — Phillies third baseman Otto Kemp waited. As Chicago Cubs pitcher Daniel Palencia and catcher Carson Kelly sorted out PitchCom issues. As Citizens Bank Park grew raucous around him. As Palencia reset, as Phillies teammates Bryson Stott and J.T. Realmuto inched away from their bases and closer to home and a walk-off win in Monday's 11th inning. Advertisement Really, Kemp had been waiting a while. Nearly three years to visit Citizens Bank Park after his August 2022 signing, holding off so his debut would be more meaningful. A lifetime for his major-league debut, Saturday in Pittsburgh, and perhaps just as long to lay down a good bunt. He had never bunted in a minor-league game. Had not bunted in a game, period, since playing summer ball in St. Cloud, Minn., in 2021 — a ball he popped up straight to the catcher. But the Division II player turned undrafted signee with the Phillies turned major leaguer laid one down, sending the Cubs' infield scrambling as he hustled to first to load the bases with the score 3-3. 'Just trying to get on top of it and execute,' he said. The Phillies needed someone, anyone to step up. To get out of their own way. To grind out a win and snap a five-game losing streak. It was not pretty nor easy, but it was achievable as they walked off the Cubs 4-3 in the 11th on Monday. Nine of twelve Phillies batters combined for 16 hits. Fifteen of those 16 hits were singles. The Phillies went 5-for-16 with runners in scoring position, a category they sit 29th in the majors in this month, but they prevailed. 'We had 19 base runners tonight and scored (four) runs,' manager Rob Thomson said. 'That's kind of hard to do. But I did like our at-bats a lot.' Back-to-back bunts in the 11th and a Brandon Marsh game-winning hit saved a rollercoaster night for an offense that seemingly couldn't get out of its own way. Edmundo Sosa and Nick Castellanos tried to turn surefire singles into doubles on the basepaths six innings apart. The Cubs easily tagged out both at second. Trea Turner couldn't make his way back to first in time in the third, a pickoff that ended the inning. The at-bats took time to come together, too. The Phillies loaded the bases in the fourth but only scored one run as two ground-ball outs followed — including one off a first pitch. Outside changeups became easily fielded grounders in the sixth. A three-pitch strikeout in the seventh had Alec Bohm slamming his bat and spiking his helmet into fragments. Advertisement Some signs of life for the Phillies' offense provided a respite. With Bryce Harper on the injured list with right wrist pain, it's going to take everyone. The Phillies embraced that Monday. Weston Wilson had his first hit since May 23. Marsh, who entered Monday batting .216 with a .638 OPS, found some joy with his first career walk-off hit. And perhaps no one understood the assignment better than Kemp, who went hitless in his first two major-league games after slashing .313/.416/.594 with a 1.010 OPS for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The boos ricocheted around the ballpark when he committed an error in the second, losing a ball in the lights and allowing Kelly to reach base. Two innings later, he was careening toward the ground, arm extended, to catch a Dansby Swanson line-out. Then came his first career hit — and a wild trip to from first to third on a failed pickoff — and the second, the third soon followed. Kemp rode out the error, rough at-bats in his first MLB game, facing Pirates ace Paul Skenes in his second. Going undrafted out of Point Loma Nazarene University, practicing bunting over the past few days after not doing so in a game in years, even getting lost before Realmuto helped him find the clubhouse Monday. He did it. 'It's unbelievable, the energy that I felt today, support from all these fans,' Kemp said. 'The buzz is crazy. That was another reason why I didn't want to experience (Citizens Bank Park) before the first big-league game.' The boos seem a lot smaller when the crowd is frantic over a bases-loaded, walk-off win. So, too, do the Phillies' recent woes, when you're staring at sparkling stadium lights. It was just one game. Nothing was perfect or flashy. But it was perhaps a step out of rock bottom, a step closer to where they need to be. (Top photo of Otto Kemp and Brandon Marsh: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)
Reuters
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Phillies get by Cubs in 11 to end 5-game skid
June 10 - Brandon Marsh knocked in the winning run in the 11th inning as the host Philadelphia Phillies nipped the Chicago Cubs 4-3 on Monday. Otto Kemp recorded the first three hits of his major league career for Philadelphia, which had lost nine of its previous 10 games, including five in a row. Nick Castellanos also had three hits as the Phillies handed Chicago its fourth loss in six games. The Cubs went ahead 3-2 against Carlos Hernandez (1-0) in the 11th as Pete Crow-Armstrong lined an RBI double off the right field wall. However, the Phillies promptly tied it -- and then won it -- in the bottom half against Danny Palencia (0-2). J.T. Realmuto began that frame with a lined single to right, tying the score at 3-3. The next two batters, Bryson Stott and Kemp, both reached on perfectly executed bunts, loading the bases. Marsh followed with a blast off the base of the wall in left-center field, sending his teammates storming out of the dugout. Chicago jumped out to an early 1-0 lead as Kyle Tucker, the second batter of the game, sent Zack Wheeler's 1-2 fastball deep into the right field seats. Philadelphia drew even in the fourth on Realmuto's run-scoring groundout. Wheeler silenced the Cubs in the top of the fifth, giving the Phillies a chance to move in front in the bottom half. Kemp began the rally with a leadoff single to left-center for his first career hit. He advanced two bases on an errant pickoff throw by Matthew Boyd and then scored on Weston Wilson's flare into right. The score remained 2-1 until Ian Happ launched a game-tying homer off Matt Strahm with one out in the eighth. Wheeler allowed one run and three hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out seven. Boyd was charged with two runs -- one earned -- and eight hits in six frames. He walked two and did not strike out a batter. --Field Level Media
CBS News
4 hours ago
- Sport
- CBS News
Brandon Marsh delivers for Phillies in 11th inning to beat Cubs, Otto Kemp has 3 hits in win
Brandon Marsh singled home the winning run in the 11th inning after the Philadelphia Phillies used two bunt hits to load the bases and beat the Chicago Cubs 4-3 on Monday night. Ian Happ tied it at 2 for the Cubs on a solo homer off reliever Matt Strahm in the eighth. Pete Crow-Armstrong hit an RBI double in the 11th off Carlos Hernández (1-0) for a 3-2 lead. J.T. Realmuto made it 3-all when he drove in the automatic runner with a single off Daniel Palencia (0-2). The Phillies then improbably got two straight bunt singles — the first from rookie third baseman and undrafted Division II prospect Otto Kemp, who had the third of his first three big league hits in the game. Bryson Stott — a late-inning replacement after he was benched amid a 2-for-24 slump — also bunted for a hit to set up the clutch swing from Marsh. The Phillies needed this one after they were swept in three games last weekend at Pittsburgh. Philadelphia was 1-9 over its past 10 games and fell from the top of the NL East standings. The 25-year-old Kemp bailed out the Phillies twice. Kemp, who played at Division II Point Loma Nazarene University, singled in the fifth for his first hit since he was promoted to the Phillies on Saturday. Kemp scurried to third on Cubs starter Matthew Boyd's errant pickoff attempt and scored on Weston Wilson's RBI single for a 2-1 lead. Key moment The Phillies scored only one run in the fourth to tie it at 1 after they had loaded the bases with no outs. Key stat Cubs manager Craig Counsell was ejected for the second straight game. After getting tossed Sunday at Detroit, Counsell was thrown out in the ninth inning for arguing that Kemp ran out of the baseline on an infield single. Up next The Cubs send RHP Colin Rea (4-2, 3.59 ERA) to the mound against Phillies RHP Mick Abel (1-0, 0.79) on Tuesday.
Associated Press
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Brandon Marsh delivers for Phillies in 11th, rookie Otto Kemp has 3 hits in 4-3 win over Cubs
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Brandon Marsh singled home the winning run in the 11th inning after the Philadelphia Phillies used two bunt hits to load the bases and beat the Chicago Cubs 4-3 on Monday night. Ian Happ tied it at 2 for the Cubs on a solo homer off reliever Matt Strahm in the eighth. Pete Crow-Armstrong hit an RBI double in the 11th off Carlos Hernández (1-0) for a 3-2 lead. J.T. Realmuto made it 3-all when he drove in the automatic runner with a single off Daniel Palencia (0-2). The Phillies then improbably got two straight bunt singles — the first from rookie third baseman and undrafted Division II prospect Otto Kemp, who had the third of his first three big league hits in the game. Bryson Stott — a late-inning replacement after he was benched amid a 2-for-24 slump — also bunted for a hit to set up the clutch swing from Marsh. The Phillies needed this one after they were swept in three games last weekend at Pittsburgh. Philadelphia was 1-9 over its past 10 games and fell from the top of the NL East standings. The 25-year-old Kemp bailed out the Phillies twice. Kemp, who played at Division II Point Loma Nazarene University, singled in the fifth for his first hit since he was promoted to the Phillies on Saturday. Kemp scurried to third on Cubs starter Matthew Boyd's errant pickoff attempt and scored on Weston Wilson's RBI single for a 2-1 lead. Key moment The Phillies scored only one run in the fourth to tie it at 1 after they had loaded the bases with no outs. Key stat Cubs manager Craig Counsell was ejected for the second straight game. After getting tossed Sunday at Detroit, Counsell was thrown out in the ninth inning for arguing that Kemp ran out of the baseline on an infield single. Up next The Cubs send RHP Colin Rea (4-2, 3.59 ERA) to the mound against Phillies RHP Mick Abel (1-0, 0.79) on Tuesday. ___ AP MLB:
Forbes
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Daycare 2.0 Could Be Quickest Fix For Flopping Phillies
Andrew Painter, pitching for Lehigh Valley IronPigs, could get the call to the Phillies. (Photo by ... More Olivia Damato/MLB Photos via Getty Images) It's ugly with the Phillies right now. So ugly that a big change must happen to reverse the current trend of losing. The Phils have lost eight of nine. And since winning the first game of a doubleheader against the Braves on May 29, their lead in the NL East has poofed away and now they trail the Mets by 4½ games. They've been outscored 48-19 in those aforementioned eight defeats. And worse, they've lost their 'straw that stirs the drink' in Bryce Harper, who has been placed on the IL with a wrist injury. Now back to the change. Outside of firing the hitting coach or pitching coach or the manager — or swinging a bonkers trade — the easiest remedy to fixing the Phillies in the short term is to embrace Daycare 2.0. Over the weekend, the team called up infield/outfield prospect Otto Kemp to replace Bryce Harper on the active roster after Kemp pounded Triple-A pitching for the past two-plus months. And a few days earlier, pitching prospect Mick Abel got recalled from the minors and plugged into the rotation. Don't stop with Kemp and Abel. Now, it's time to bring up stud prospects Andrew Painter and Justin Crawford to fully embrace a youthful vibe and change the energy around a team that has looked as chipper as a gang of pallbearers. The Phils originally planned for Painter's MLB debut to be around 'July-ish.' Well, close enough. Bring up the kid now and slot his 99-mph heater into the rotation. Here's a look at that heater and some other dandies: Adding Painter to the rotation would bring the starter total to seven once Aaron Nola returns from an ankle injury in a couple weeks. That would allow for the Phillies to dispatch a couple arms to a bullpen that already looks zonked. And who might that be? How about Abel and Jesus Luzardo? Baseball insider Evan Macy of PhillyVoice posed the brilliant move of putting Luzardo in the pen, saying: 'The lefty can dial up his fastball to the high 90s, and started his career in the Athletics' bullpen. Could a move to a late-innings reliever be a possible lift for the relief corps?' Luzardo is also groping for clues after suffering through two historically bad back-to-back starts in which he gave up 20 runs in 5⅔ innings. Allowing him to cut loose on his blazing fastball in the bullpen could be the answer for both him and the team. Crawford, meanwhile, is peaking right now. In his last 18 games, the 21-year-old kid is hitting .408 with 11 stolen bases. Overall against Triple-A pitching this season, he boasts a .349 average and has 23 swiped bags while playing supreme defense in the outfield. Crawford could eliminate the team's dreadful CF platoon (Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas) if his unbelievable reverse splits carry over to the big leagues. The left-handed-hitting Crawford is batting .313 against right-handers and .478 against lefties this season. Here's a look at what Crawford can do: What outfielder does the team drop to make room for Crawford? Struggling Weston Wilson still has an option and can be demoted to Lehigh Valley. But Philly could also ship out Max Kepler or Marsh to another team for the infamous player to be named later or cash considerations. Both Kepler and Marsh have underperformed all season. And here's idea: Maybe drop both of them and bring up Crawford and Gabriel Rincones, who has an .825 OPS against right-handed pitching at Triple-A this year and caused a stir during spring training with a couple bombs. But first things first, now is the time to call on Painter and Crawford; the Phillies have to do something — and Daycare 2.0 may be the easiest remedy.
