Father’s Day at the ballpark can be one of the most treasured days of the year because, for many, baseball and dads go hand in hand.
And if you were taught or introduced to the game because of your dad, the pair are intertwined for life.
So while it was an uncharacteristically cold and damp June Sunday in South Philadelphia, the Phillies made sure to send fans home celebrating the day … and a win.
With Zack Wheeler leading the way, the Phillies bested the Blue Jays, 11-4, and collected their fifth sweep of the season. Wrapping the homestand 5-1, the consecutive series wins improved their season series record to 16-7-1, which only trails the Detroit Tigers as best in MLB.
Wheeler went 6.0 innings and allowed four hits and two runs, only one was earned and punched out nine. It’s now the fourth time this season he’s had at least nine strikeouts without allowing a walk.
The Phillies wasted no time snagging a lead for Wheeler to work with. Seriously, if you blinked in the bottom of the first inning, you might have missed it.
The first pitch Trea Turner saw from Toronto’s José Berríos was a double down the leftfield line; Kyle Schwarber drove him in with a single on the very next pitch.
Otto Kemp has settled in nicely since playing his first game at Citizens Bank Park Monday (that’s an understatement). Alec Bohm drove him home after leading off the third inning with a single.
Just one inning later, Kemp was on the opposite end and tacked on two RBI for the Phillies. In the six games at home, he had 10 hits and four RBI. Kemp said after the club’s walk-off win against the Cubs he specifically waited to be called up to experience the home crowd — the Philly faithful have lived up to his expectations — just as he has to theirs.
“It’s nice to chip in where I can, trying to be a table-setter, really just do whatever the game is asking me to do,” Kemp said after his four-hit day. “That’s been the mentality, just seeing what the game is telling me to do on any given at-bat and try to execute and pass it off to the next guy. I feel like we’ve done a really good job with team baseball the last couple days.”
Kemp wasn’t the only one putting up impressive numbers this past week — Bohm has been on an offensive tear (also, somehow an understatement).
Bohm had his fourth multi-hit game in the homestand Sunday, with three RBI and a two-run homerun he clobbered 344 ft. Overall, he had 10 hits, two home runs and nine RBI. That lowly .217 average that lingered in the beginning of May is clearly a thing of the past as his average has climbed to .283.
There are ebbs and flows throughout a baseball season — it’s expected when there’s 162 games to be played. Getting hot at the right time is key … but it never hurts to have a little bit of luck as well.
When reporters filed into Rob Thomson’s office for his pregame availability, it felt like we were transported six years into the past.
Why? Bamboo.
This isn’t the first time bamboo has graced the clubhouse vicinity. “Bamboo” Brad Miller, a utility player who joined the club in the midst of the 2019 season, brought bamboo to Citizens Bank Park. It just so happened to coincide with the offense finding life again during a dreary stretch.
Now, in Thomson’s office, a small stalk was resting in a cup in front of a massive bamboo plant.
Topper went on to tell the lore of the two plants, and how hitting coach Kevin Long’s wife, Marcey, was in the office May 29. Check the date — a day before the Brewers came to town.
“She said, ‘Let me take that home, get it some sunlight and bring it back to you,'” Thomson said.
During the bamboo-less stretch, the Phillies were swept twice and lost all three series to the Brewers, Blue Jays and Pirates.
“The last day in Pittsburgh, Long called Marcey, and he said, ‘You better get that damn thing back in (Thomson’s) office,'” Thomson said.
Since the status of the mini plant was still unclear, Marcey also brought one that is certainly thriving.
“That’s the story of our success,” Thomson said with a laugh.
Sweeps are uncommon but they do happen … and the Phillies were well on their way to sweeping Toronto by the sixth inning. Capping it off with a Nick Castellanos grand slam though? That might’ve been the bamboo luck.
Who knows, maybe a little magic has found its way back to the Phillies.
Listen, they’re 5-1 since it returned. Can it really be a coincidence twice?
It was an exhilarating day at the ballpark … and one I look forward to debriefing with my dad.
After all, he did introduce me to the game.
