Monday, April 13

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PHILADELPHIA -- Phillies center fielder Justin Crawford is learning on the job, while the league is learning about him, too.

It’s been a fun two-plus weeks for Crawford, who has played well as a rookie. MLB Pipeline’s No. 50 overall nearly hit the first home run of his MLB career on Friday, hitting a two-out, ninth-inning triple off the top of the right-field wall at Citizens Bank Park. He slapped a single past Arizona third baseman Nolan Arenado in the third inning on Saturday, which set up Kyle Schwarber’s go-ahead, three-run home run. Crawford dropped a bloop double down the left-field line in the sixth. He doubled to the left-center field wall on Sunday.

Crawford is batting .341 (15-for-44) with four doubles, one triple, one RBI and an .885 OPS. Crawford has played fine in center field (-1 outs above average). He is 1-for-2 in stolen-base attempts.

“You’ve got to take it one at-bat at a time,” Crawford said on Sunday, when asked what he’s learned so far. “That’s kind of where I’m at, good or bad. Some days you get hits, some days you don’t. We play a lot of games here. I’m learning that really quick. A lot of quick turnarounds. So, no matter what the day is, no matter what you did yesterday, it’s flipping the page and being ready to go the next day.”

Crawford’s triple on Friday would have tied the game, if he had hit the ball about 12 inches higher. He hit a sweeper just 1.18 feet above home plate. It was the lowest pitch hit by a Phillies player for an extra-base hit since Bryce Harper hit a double on a pitch 0.92 feet off home plate on June 24, 2024. 

It didn’t surprise Crawford that he got it.

“Throughout my career, that’s actually a pitch I can get to,” he said. “I think the tricker part for me is not getting the one in the dirt. So, yeah, that one was low, but for me it was up just enough to drop the barrel on it. For me it was just a reaction, thinking left-center, trying to get a fastball away. I just saw it good and I was able to flick it out there.”

Did he think he got it, though?

“I thought it was gone for sure,” Crawford said. “I was like, ‘No way.’”

Crawford’s third-inning single on Saturday was the quintessential Crawford hit. Arenado was playing on the infield grass, which has been happening a lot to Crawford, because teams want to take the bunt away from him.

Entering Sunday, third basemen had played Crawford 94 feet from home plate, which ranks fourth closest amongst left-handed hitters: 

1. Victor Scott, STL (87 feet)
2. Chandler Simpson, TB (88 feet)
3. Xavier Edwards, MIA (93 feet)
4. Crawford (94 feet)

Third basemen play the average left-handed hitter 116 feet from home plate.

Since 2015, third basemen had played only one Phillies left-handed hitter closer: Ben Revere (91 feet). Roman Quinn also got 94 feet from third basemen. 

“I love seeing the third baseman in or back, honestly,” Crawford said. “Because if he’s back, I’m obviously going to lay the bunt down. But I can tell teams have been trying to take the bunt away from me. I don’t mind. I like it for that exact reason. Like, I could sneak that one by him. It’s just playing the game and always trying to read the defense, seeing what they’re doing and trying to take what they give me.”

Crawford then hit a bloop down the left-field line in the sixth. He didn’t get out of the box immediately, because his swing took him to his left knee, but he got to second easily because of his speed.

“I didn’t know if it was fair or foul at first, but I hustled just in case it was fair,” Crawford said. “As I was running, I made sure that I touched the bag and I just heard Paco [Figueroa] say, ‘Keep going.’ So, I was thinking two out of the box and hearing Pac talk to me also helped out.”

Figueroa has loved his time with Crawford, taking outfield play, secondary leads and base stealing.

“His makeup is off the charts,” he said. “We’ve got to be patient with him, but give credit to him. He’s putting in the work every day.”

Jhoan Duran earned his fifth save in Philadelphia’s 14th game on Saturday. No Phillies pitcher has saved more than five games in the team’s first 14 games, putting Duran on track to set the Phils’ single-season saves record. Who holds that mark?

A. José Mesa

B. Mitch Williams

C. Brad Lidge

D. Steve Bedrosian

Jonathan Bowlan has a 3.86 ERA in seven appearances, striking out eight and walking one in seven innings. He allowed an inherited runner to score in the eighth inning in Sunday’s 4-3 loss to the Diamondbacks, but he looks like a nice pickup from Kansas City in the Matt Strahm trade.

Bowlan enters games to Jimmy Dean’s “Big Bad John,” which touts a John who is 6-foot-6, 245. Not coincidentally, Bowlan is listed in the Phillies’ media guide at 6-foot-6, 245, although he acknowledged on Sunday morning that he weighs 250.

Close enough.

Bowlan played college baseball at Memphis. A volunteer coach his freshman season, Conner Porter, brought the song to Bowlan’s attention.

“It literally described me at the time, although I wasn’t quite 245,” Bowlan said.

Bowlan used the song throughout the Minor Leagues. He chose the song with Kansas City, too, although it never played in 37 appearances over parts of three seasons.

“Whenever I got called in, they were just doing ads or whatever,” Bowlan said.

But it has played at home at Citizens Bank Park.

“I was talking to [assistant catching coach] Brad Flanders,” Bowlan said. “I was like, ‘I’m super nervous about this walkout. I don’t know if it’s going to be any good not. I’ve never heard it in a [big league] stadium before.’”

Kiteman delivered the ceremonial first pitch from the 600 level at Veterans Stadium to the field for the Phillies’ home opener on April 13, 1990.

A. Mesa (45 in 2002)

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