It’s only fitting that history was made a mere stone’s throw away from Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Roughly 24,000 players have played Major League Baseball since the N.L. debuted in 1876. Jose Altuve is just the 103rd member to reach the 2,500-hit milestone thanks to a double in the top of third inning. Little did he realize that “his moment” would serve as a catalyst for a continued offensive explosion for the night in front of 39,642. Phillies 11 Astros 7.
Throughout the third, the Astros
and Phillies would combine to score 8 runs, each posting 4 spots in their respective frames. Isaac Paredes worked some two out magic launching a 2-run blast, his 19th of the year, which brought home Yordan Alvarez. Moments earlier, Alvarez drove in Cam Smith on a double to deep right center. Altuve’s historic double preceded a Yainer Diaz singlethat drove him in, making it 4-0.
The Phillies would respond. J.T. Realmuto reached on a leadoff single. Bryan De La Cruz, Trea Turner, Bryce Harper and Luis Arraez joined him with base knocks of their own, and just like that, things were tied up 4-4.
The Astros would regain the lead in the fourth. Cam Smith brought in Daulton Varsho with a 2-run shot to center. For Cam, it was his second straight night with a home run. Sadly. that was where the fun would end for Houston.
Trea Turner sent one to the seats getting one of those runs back in the fifth. Then in the sixth, the wheels officially came off.
Hunter Brown, who was making his 17th start of the year, went five innings. He’d allow 4 runs on 7 hits while striking out 7. Enter Bryan King. Four batters faced, zero retired and to boot a fielding error from Christian Walker. AJ Blubaugh attempted to clean up the mess, but to no avail. Inheriting a bases loaded nightmare, things only went bad to worse. Blubaugh’s stuff was missing the corners at an alarming rate. Bryan De La Cruz drew a bases loaded walk which gave Philly the lead, and they’d never relinquish it. At one point, AJ threw a sequence of six straight balls. Kyle Schwarber added the defining exclamation point, clearing the bases with a monster grand slam. It was Schwarber’s 44th blast of the season. Philadelphia would score 6 in the 6th, making it 11-6.
In the seventh, Isaac Paredes drove in Houston’s 7th run of the night with an RBI single, scoring Jeremy Pena who doubled. Pena now has 30 doubles.
Tatsuya Imai started the bottom half of the seventh issuing back-to-back walks but settled down. Once again in the 8th, Imai allowed multiple base runners to reach but got out unscathed.
Odds & Ends:
The Astros and Phillies would combine for 24 hits on the night.
Kyle Schwarber has now hit 10 career grand slams. Ryan Howard holds their team record with 15.
Cristian Javier will get the start in Thursday’s rubber match. First pitch is set for 12:05 CDT. He’ll be opposed by Zack Wheeler, who has 12 wins.
