The Phillies secured their first win of the season on Tuesday night in the Bronx thanks to a pair of homers from Kyle Schwarber and Brandon Marsh, and a great night on the mound, led by Matt Strahm.
NEW YORK -- The Phillies received exactly the sort of start they needed from Matt Strahm and a bounce-back effort from the bullpen Tuesday night to pick up their first win of the season.
Strahm, a reliever as recently as a month ago, pitched four scoreless innings and went through the teeth of the Yankees' lineup twice in a 4-1 Phils win. He allowed just one hit, a single to No. 9 hitter Anthony Volpe.
This was Strahm's first start since 2019, excluding one appearance as an opener two years ago. The lefty was thrust into the No. 5 spot in the rotation after Ranger Suarez and Andrew Painter went down in March with elbow injuries and helped deliver a win the Phillies badly needed after starting 0-4.
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Strahm, who signed a two-year, $15 million contract with the Phillies in early December, was supposed to be a multi-inning or high-leverage reliever. With all the pitching injuries they're dealing with, they’re fortunate to have his versatility.
A bullpen that had been taxed and hit around to the tune of an 11.30 ERA responded.
Andrew Bellatti pitched a 1-2-3 fifth with two strikeouts.
Jose Alvarado struck out the side in the sixth, whiffing DJ LeMahieu and Aaron Judge. Alvarado has thrown 22 of 30 pitches for strikes this season and K’d five of the seven batters he's faced.
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Connor Brogdon worked two scoreless innings, covering the seventh and eighth. Seranthony Dominguez was surprisingly unavailable after pitching an inning Monday night. McKinley Moore, a right-handed reliever called up earlier in the day, warmed up prior to the eighth just in case extended their four-run lead. Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Dominguez was fine, just "a little bit tight."
Craig Kimbrel made things a little too interesting in the ninth. He was taken deep by LeMahieu and brought the tying run to the plate before recording the final two outs.
"Tonight, we're going to figure it out for sure," Bellatti said about two hours prior to first pitch. "Historically, the bullpen for the Phillies the last few years hasn't been what we've wanted it to be. Last year, we kind of turned the corner, and then this year, adding veteran guys definitely brings a lot of expectations.
"Early in the season when pitchers are trying to just get into a routine, get comfortable, this kind of stuff happens. Middle of the season, too, when you're going through little ruts. I think it's a little magnified that it's early in the season, first four games. Just getting into the groove."
The Phillies' offense woke up after scoring one run in two straight games. Kyle Schwarber hit a solo home run on the second pitch of the game and Brandon Marsh crushed a 436-footer to right-center on a full count to lead off the third. Marsh made two bad mistakes in Monday's loss, misplaying a ball in center and missing a stop sign at third base, but he's been hitting to start the year with two doubles, a triple and a homer.
The Phillies finally came through with runners in scoring position in the fifth. Garrett Stubbs hit a two-out single to put runners on first and second for Trea Turner. In his first plate appearance as a Phillie with multiple men on base, Turner stroked an RBI single to center and Schwarber followed with an RBI single between first and second base. A year ago, without infield shift limitations, it might've been an inning-ending groundout.
That fifth inning must have felt like a release for an offense that had been unable for days to come through with the big hit it needed. The Phillies went 3 for 18 with runners in scoring position, stranding 17 on Sunday and Monday.
Now they have a chance to win their series in the Bronx. The Phillies are 1-4 heading into Wednesday's 1:05 p.m. finale. Aaron Nola opposes Gerrit Cole, who pitched six shutout innings with 11 strikeouts in his first start.