Phillies Bash Way to Victory, Power Hitting Erupts

The Philadelphia Phillies finally busted out of their early season power outage on Thursday night, bashing three home runs to power their way to a 5-1 victory over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates.

Alec Bohm got things started by launching a solo shot in the 4th inning to break a 91 plate appearance homerless drought for the Phillies. It was the first dinger of the season for the young third baseman.

“Hitting is contagious,” Bohm said after the game. “I think good at-bats lead to more good at-bats and guys feed off each other, especially in this clubhouse. The more we see success, the more success we’re going to have.”

Bohm’s blast gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead, and that was all the run support starting pitcher Ranger Suárez would need. The right-hander turned in another brilliant outing, firing six scoreless frames while allowing just two hits and two walks while racking up eight strikeouts.

With Suárez mowing down the Pirates’ bats, centerfielder Brandon Marsh clubbed a two-run bomb in the 7th to extend the Phillies’ advantage to 3-0. The energetic Marsh has provided a spark for Philadelphia’s offense in the early going.

“We’ve got dudes and dogs on dogs that show up and show out every night,” Marsh said, clearly unfazed by his unique vernacular. “Wherever [manager] Rob Thomson puts us, we’re ready to go.”

Shortstop Bryson Stott followed with a two-run blast of his own later in the inning, effectively putting the game out of reach at 5-0. While Stott’s struggles have mirrored those of the inconsistent offense thus far, he’s taking his sluggish start in stride.

“Kevin [Long, hitting coach] is like, we’re not changing a thing,” Stott explained. “Just stay right there.”

With the warm weather arriving and the talent in their lineup, the power display was simply a matter of time for the Phillies. No one was overly concerned by the slow start offensively.

“If you don’t think we’re going to slug, you ain’t watching the games,” manager Rob Thomson stated matter-of-factly prior to the outburst.

While just a single game, the sudden surge of longballs could be the spark that ignites the potent Philadelphia bats. When clicking, this lineup is capable of regularly mashing from top to bottom.

After scuffling through the season’s frigid opening weeks, the warmer temperatures and return to Citizens Bank Park seem to have heated up the Phillies’ power hitting. If this is just the start, opposing pitchers could be in for a very long summer in the City of Brotherly Thump.