Saturday, October 24

Welcome to the latest edition of the Phillies Beat newsletter. This version was written by Paul Casella, who has been based in Philadelphia since 2019 and covers the team alongside Todd Zolecki.

PHILADELPHIA -- For much of this season, the Phillies needed everything to break just right in order to go their way.

They needed the right starter on the mound. They needed the right guy at the plate in the right situation. They needed to be playing the right opponent at the right time.

But ever since they walked through that cornfield in Iowa, things have been different.

It doesn't matter who's pitching, who's at the plate, how many runs they're trailing by or who the opponent is -- the Phillies just keep winning.

They extended their winning streak to nine games on Sunday afternoon with one of the most improbable victories in recent memory. Kyle Schwarber delivered the Phillies' first walk-off home run in more than three years to cap a six-run ninth inning and a perfect homestand.

It's safe to say the postgame flight to Seattle was likely one of the more enjoyable cross-country flights the Phillies have taken in quite some time.

So, with the Phillies looking for their first 10-game winning streak since 2010 on Monday night, let's take a look at the 10 best moments from the current streak.

1. Walk-off Schwarbomb (Sunday)
Phillies 6, Cardinals 4

Was there any question? This is arguably the top moment of the entire season, let alone the past two weeks.

It's not just the fact that it was the Phillies' first walk-off home run since June 9, 2023 (also by Schwarber), or that it went a ridiculous 459 feet.

It's also that the Phillies were trailing 4-0 and down to their final out. Not to mention they were staring at a cross-country flight immediately following the game to begin a nine-game West Coast swing.

Yet somehow, they put together an epic rally -- one that ended with an even more epic bat flip from Schwarber -- to keep the streak alive.

2. Bohm's walk-off triple (Friday)

Phillies 7, Cardinals 6 (10 innings)

When Schwarber's ball cleared the fence on Sunday, it ended the longest walk-off home run drought in Major League Baseball. In the time between the Phillies' last walk-off homer in 2023 and the one on Sunday, every other team had hit at least two walk-off homers -- and four teams had hit at least 10.

But the Phillies nearly had two in a span of three days.

Just two days before Schwarber's game-winning moonshot in Sunday's series finale, Alec Bohm nearly had one of his own in the series opener. He instead settled for a walk-off two-run triple -- something the Phillies hadn't done in even longer. It was their first walk-off triple since Sept. 21, 2021 (J.T. Realmuto).

3. Painter's masterpiece (Saturday)
Phillies 12, Cardinals 3

While the two walk-offs provided the best single moments, Andrew Painter is responsible for the most significant performance. He turned in by far the best start of his young career on Saturday night -- one that had both his interim manager and his catcher saying afterward that the sky is the limit for the 23-year-old rookie.

It wasn't just that Painter held the Cards to one run over a career-best seven innings, but it was how he did it. He induced 20 swings and misses (six more than his previous best) and threw the fastest pitch of his career (99.6 mph) ... on his 100th pitch of the night.

It was the type of outing both the Phillies and their fans have been dreaming about for more than three years.

4. Schwarber into the corn ... twice! (Aug. 13)
Phillies 7, Twins 1

There was no shortage of incredible moments from the Phillies' victory over the Twins in the MLB at Field of Dreams Game in Iowa, but nothing topped Schwarber blasting a leadoff home run into the corn. Well, except for maybe Schwarber hitting a second ball into the cornfield just a few innings later.

Schwarber's two homers set the tone for the victory at the Field of Dreams, which kicked off this remarkable nine-game run. Just as he showed again on Sunday, his ability to meet the moment should surprise nobody at this point.

5. Vintage Nola (Wednesday)

Phillies 4, Marlins 1

Though Nola had been showing signs of turning the corner for nearly a month, we still hadn't seen a true Nola-esque start ... until Wednesday.

The veteran right-hander held the Marlins to just one run over seven innings while striking out eight and walking zero. Nola, who departed to a well-deserved ovation, has a 2.51 ERA over his past five starts, during which he's struck out 34 batters in 28 2/3 innings.

6. 5-for-5! (Aug. 15)
Phillies 9, Twins 1

Perhaps it would have been more fitting to have Bohm's 5-for-5 game at No. 5, but he has plenty of representation on this list. Regardless, his career-best five-hit night against the Twins left zero doubt that he's in the midst of a second-half heater.

It's the only five-hit game by a Phillie this season, and Bohm became the first Phillies first baseman with five hits since John Kruk on July 27, 1993.

7. Marsh climbs the wall (Wednesday)
Phillies 4, Marlins 1

Brandon Marsh's bat has cooled off significantly following his incredible first half, but that hasn't stopped him from impacting games. The latest example came on Wednesday, when he scaled the wall in foul territory down the left-field line to make one of the best catches of his career.

Marsh planted his foot halfway up the wall and leaped to make the grab, just as a Phillies fan pulled back his hat that he had extended in an effort to catch the ball.

“It was fun," Marsh said afterward. "I gotta thank the guy standing over there for pulling away at the last second because I think he had first dibs on it before me. He moved over a little bit and helped me have the room to catch it.”

8. Down, but never out (Aug. 16)

Phillies 7, Twins 5

While Sunday's rally was remarkable because it came entirely with two outs in the ninth inning, the four-run deficit is not the largest the Phillies have overcome during this stretch. Exactly one week earlier, they scored seven unanswered runs to erase a 5-0 deficit at Target Field.

Trailing 4-0 after the first inning and 5-0 entering the sixth, the Phils scored four in the sixth and added three more in the eighth to finish off a sweep of the Twins.

9. Stott's defense earns Raley the save (Tuesday)
Phillies 6, Marlins 4

Bryson Stott's transition to third base has gone as seamlessly as anyone could have imagined. That was on full display in the ninth inning last Tuesday, when Stott made a sliding stop to start the frame and another one moments later to end it.

On a night when shutdown closer Jhoan Duran was unavailable, Stott's highlight-reel inning helped Brooks Raley secure his first save since July 30, 2023.

10. Bohm's toe-tapping double play (Tuesday)

Phillies 6, Marlins 4

Just two innings before Stott's glovework saved the day, Bohm made a must-see play of his own. With a runner on first and two outs, Bohm completed an incredible toe-tapping double play by snagging a line drive as he simultaneously dragged a foot across the base.

"We told him he couldn't play in the NFL, only college, because he only got one foot there," Stott said with a smile. "But that was a sick play."

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