Sosa homer gives Phillies win over the Orioles
Edmundo Sosa hit a tiebreaking solo homer to the opposite field with two outs in the seventh inning to help the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-4 on Wednesday night.
J.T. Realmuto knocked in two runs with an RBI double while Bryce Harper added an insurance run with a seventh-inning RBI single to allow the Phillies (55-47) to win the best of three series against their I-95 neighbors.
"It was really important to contribute and help the team win in a moment like that," Sosa said.
Adley Rutschman hit a three-run homer for the Orioles, who maintain a 1 1/2 game lead over Tampa Bay in the American League East after finishing 4-3 on their seven-game road trip.
"It was definitely a letdown," said Baltimore starting pitcher Kyle Bradish, who surrendered the homer to Sosa. "Tough day to not be your best, trying to win a series against a good team."
Sosa got the start at shortstop for the Phillies after manager Rob Thomson decided to give Trea Turner a day off.
Turner carried a .225 average in 12 games after the All-Star break and was hitting .245 for the season in the first year of a 10-year, $330 million contract with Philadelphia signed in December.
Thomson indicated that he felt Turner was pressing. "He's been doing a bunch of work lately, and maybe that's a bit too much," Thomson said before the game.
One pitch after slicing a ball just foul outside the foul pole, Sosa pushed Bradish fastball and hit it into the stands inside the right field foul pole for his career-high seventh homer of the season.
"Coming into the at-bat, all I was doing was trying to stay positive and doing something good," Sosa said. "I actually thought I hit the barrell with the tip of the bat. The only thing I saw was the ball going up in the air real high and then I started running."
Bradish (6-6) would allow five earned runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings.
"That's kind of been a big bugaboo for our pitching staff this year – executing 0-2," Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. "Up and away, and Sosa put a good swing on it."
After Kyle Schwarber walked and Nick Castellanos was hit by a pitch from Cionel Perez, Harper bounced a grounder up the middle that hopped just past the outstretched arm of Jorge Mateo, allowing Schwarber to score.
Thomson used Craig Kimbrel in the eighth against the heart of the Baltimore lineup, retiring Anthony Santander, Ryan Mountcastle and Jordan Westburg on just 12 pitches.
"They had three lefties on the bench and we felt they would pinch-hit in the bottom of the order," Thomson said. "We thought they would not pinch-hit in the middle of the order, so we just flipped it."
Seranthony Dominguez (2-2) got the win for the Phillies, who received a two-hit game from Jake Cave. Gregory Soto would earn his second save of the year with a clean ninth inning.
Austin Hays had two hits for the Orioles.
TRAINERS ROOM
Orioles: INF Gunner Henderson (back) sat out Thursday night's season finale after being pulled in the late innings during Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Phillies. Henderson could be back in Baltimore's lineup on Friday night against the Yankees.
Phillies: LHP Jose Alvarado (left elbow inflammation) threw from 120 feet on Thursday for the first time and plans on getting back on the mound this weekend as he tries to return from the injured list for the second time this season. Alvarado- a key 8th inning set-up man in front of closer Craig Kimbrel- was placed on the injured list on July 7. ... Castellanos was removed from the game in the ninth inning because of tightness in the calf following the hit-by-pitch in the seventh inning. Thomson labeled the move as precautionary.
UP NEXT
Orioles: Return home to Camden Yards to begin a three-game series against the Yankees on Friday night. RHP Grayson Rodriguez (2-2, 6.91) will face off against Yankees RHP Gerrit Cole (9-2, 2.78)
Phillies: Travel to Pittsburgh for a three-game set against the Pirates. Philadelphia will send RHP Zack Wheeler (7-5, 3.88 ERA) to the mound against Pirates RHP Mitch Keller (9-6, 4.01).
