The Phillies started a 7-game Western swing last night in Arizona, where the beat the Diamondbacks 7-3. Coming off a long flight from Philadelphia the day before, no after effects seemed to linger, as the Phils played one of their most complete games of the season, using sparkling defense, timely hitting and a stellar performance by Vince Valasquez on the mound to spur the victory.
Valasquez went seven strong innings, only allowing two runs. The key will be in his next turn, scheduled for Saturday night in San Francisco. Consistency has always been a big issue for Vinny, so it will be interesting to see his performance this weekend.
Scott Kingery, a native of Arizona, with his family in attendance, clubbed a homer to left on the first pitch he saw on the night. It was his 14th homer of the year.
It looks like Kingery will hold down third base for the rest of this season. Having a stable position may help Kingery to settle in. he is now batting sixth in the lineup. Let's see if he picks up his game again.
Manager Gabe Kapler actually played a little small ball last night, especially running with abandon on the base paths. I liked the aggressiveness and not always waiting for three-run homers. Use your speed, especially Roman Quinn and Kingery, and put pressure on the other team.
Although Cesar Hernandez is not an ideal lead-off hitter he is probably the best option right now, unless you try Quinn in the No. 1 spot. Hoskins hit second, Harper third and Realmuto fourth, while Jean Segura hit fifth. Adam Heasley had two hits and also played great defense in left field. This may be a lineup that Kapler will want to stick with for a while.
Jake Arrieta goes tonight against the D-Backs. If Arrieta can give the team five solid innings consider it a good night.
Don't look now but after their doubleheader sweep of the Marlins on Monday, the New York Mets are only 2 1/2 games behind the Phillies and the final wild card spot. The Phils are now tied with Washington for that spot, 6 games behind Atlanta for the NL East lead.
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