PHILADELPHIA — Bryce Harper homered and had three hits, and five Phillies pitchers combined to shut out the Phillies in a 3-0, seven-inning intrasquad game on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park.
All that intrasquad weirdness was witnessed by 31,343 fans who snapped up tickets at $10 apiece, which benefitted Philadelphia charities, for the On-Deck Game, a chance to see the National League East champions prepare for the postseason that starts Saturday.
Whatever the baseball value, it was certainly a spectacle that testified to the devotion of a fanbase to turn out on a Wednesday night for a glorified practice.
Both delegations of Phillies tipped their caps to fans postgame, with Harrison Bader, Otto Kemp and J.T. Realmuto among those sticking around to sign autographs. Rafael Lantigua, playing at Citizens Bank Park for the first time, and the college/minor league umpires called up for the game all posed on the field for pictures afterward.
The Phillies incorporated an intrasquad game into last year’s preparation during the bye week, which didn’t work baseball-wise in a four-game loss to the Mets in the NLDS. This year, as they await the winner of the Dodgers and Reds, they spiked the mix with fans to up the feel, right down to Jhoan Duran’s customary light-show entrance, even though he was in to protect a three-run deficit in a half-inning that normally wouldn’t have been played.
“We wanted to do it up last year, actually, but it was just too late,” manager Rob Thomson said pregame about having fans. “You’ve got to get a lot of people in here, workers and concessions and EMTs and all kinds of people. So we thought about it just a little bit late last year. We got ahead of it this year, but a great response from our fan base.”
Thomson crafted the lineups, the home team wearing powder blue jerseys and the road team in pinstripes. Each team had five pitchers work, with starters Aaron Nola and Jesus Luzardo working three scoreless innings each.
Otto Kemp, Garrett Stubbs and J.T. Realmuto had two hits each for the Powder Blues, who collected nine safeties.
Rafael Marchan had two singles to lead the Pinstripes’ four hits.
Luzardo started for the Powder Blues. He allowed two singles and a walk, recording all nine outs via the strikeout. His fastball hit 98 on the in-stadium radar gun. He threw 60 pitches.
Pinstripes starter Nola also went three scoreless. He scattered two singles and struck out three in 41 pitches, including a four-pitch bottom of the third. Nola headed to the bullpen for some extra work afterward.
Each of the next two pitchers stumbled into trouble. Only one found a way out.
Taijuan Walker allowed a walk, a single and a walk as the second PB hurler. But he induced a 5-2-3 double play from Lantigua, then got Caleb Ricketts to fly out to center.
Walker Buehler was greeted by a Harper homer over the 401 sign in dead center. Buehler walked Realmuto and Edmundo Sosa, with Realmuto scoring on a Stubbs single to short.
The Powder Blues tacked on a run against Tanner Banks in the bottom of the sixth with soft contact. Kemp and Stubbs singled with one out, and Kemp scored on an RBI single to second by Brandon Marsh that Bryson Stott stopped with a dive but could do nothing with.
Behind Luzardo and Walker, David Robertson, Matt Strahm and Orion Kerkering followed with scoreless innings.
Duran tossed a scoreless bottom of the seventh with just an infield single hit by Realmuto.
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The most notable pitcher who didn’t take the mound was Ranger Suarez. Thomson said that Suarez feels good after taking a line drive to his inner thigh in Saturday’s final regular-season start.
“I think he asked him to bat-boy tonight,” Thomson said. “So he’s moving around alright.”
Suarez might have pitched if not for the contusion, Thomson said. He did throw a bullpen earlier in the day.
Cristopher Sanchez, who is lined up for the Game 1 start, also didn’t pitch. That makes 10 pitchers, plus Sanchez and Suarez. Lou Trivino was the odd man out Wednesday and perhaps for the NLDS roster.
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The game was another chance for Turner to test his hamstring, which landed him on the IL on Sept. 8. Turner was 1-for-4 with a single off Luzardo in the third.
Turner didn’t really open up and test the hamstring.
“I think he’ll let it go if he gets an opportunity,” Thomson said. “Probably not going to steal a base or anything like that. At least get down the line and possibly take an extra base if he gets on base, that type of thing. But I think he’s going to push a little bit.”
Source: Berkshire mont