PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Phils are 9-1 since interim manager Rob Thomson took over for the fired Joe Girardi. Their latest win came after an apparent pregame message: It's time to start beating teams in the NL East.
"I talked to the guys before the game about we need to start winning games in our division," Thomson said after they rallied for a 3-2 win against Miami, kicking off the series Monday night.
The comeback win put the Phils' record in their division at a measly 7-14, while they are 24-16 against teams from the National League West and Central, as well as interleague opponents.
If the Phils' record against the NL East was a little better, they wouldn't be eight games behind the first-place Mets, three-and-a-half games back of the second-place Braves, and three-and-a-half off the San Francisco Giants, who currently occupy the third and final wild-card position in the National League.
Thomson said winning games within your division is what good teams do.
"So, that's a good start," he said. "Starting [Monday], we have eight straight within our division, so it's good."
And that's eight straight against the back half of the East. The Marlins are in fourth, and the Nationals, who the Phils have five games against later this week, are in last place. These are winnable games and an opportunity for the Phils to build on their mediocre record overall.
During Monday's comeback, first baseman Rhys Hoskins knocked his first walk-off hit in his 571st career game. With two outs in the ninth inning and utility player Matt Vierling on second base, Hoskins knocked an RBI double to left center field.
Maybe the Phils should thank Marlins manager Don Mattlingly, who removed ace starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara from the game with two outs in the eighth, leading 2-1, and Hoskins on third base.
Alcantara was at 113 pitches, which is a lot for pitchers in this era of Major League Baseball. But Alcantara has handled the Phils in his career, with Monday being another example. He didn't want to come out of the game after inducing a double play from Phils catcher J.T. Realmuto. Mattingly took him out anyway.
Alcantara said he was angry because he wanted to finish the inning, though he acknowledged he didn't like that he walked a couple batters in that frame.
The very next pitch, Didi Gregorius drove in Hoskins.
It was a break for the Phillies, and they took advantage of it.
Hoskins admitted to NBC Sports Philadelphia's Jim Salisbury that the Phils exhaled a bit when Alcantara was out, but he said the Marlins bullpen is still good.
"We got some grindy runs there," Hoskins said during an earlier interview on the Phillies Radio Network. "Didn't look pretty, but good teams find ways to scratch runs across, and it's kinda what we did tonight."
