The Phillies are Winning Games the Only Way They Know How

Good teams never say die.

In life, any individual or entity who aspires to achieve greatness must be willing to compete until the very end. In sports, any team that is worth its weight in gold and has championship aspirations never believes they're out of any game. That is the 2025 Phillies.

With 228, the Phillies lead all of Major League Baseball in runs scored in the seventh inning or later. In third place sit the Phillies current adversaries: the Seattle Mariners (220). When the going got tough Tuesday night, it was a matter of strength-on-strength. And the Phillies got tougher.

The Phillies beat the Mariners at their own game - or should I say, the Mariners attempted the Phillies game, and failed. After a masterful outing from Cristopher Sanchez, where went 6.1 innings, charged with 2 earned runs on 6 hits, and struck out 12 (tying his career high), on came Orion Kerkering - who blew the lead. Kerkering, not his usual self, walked two batters on eight pitches before surrendering 3 runs to the Seattle offense in the seventh inning. Gut check time for the Phils.

When the heart of the order came up for the Fightins in the bottom half of the eighth, they delivered. First, Bryce Harper sliced a base knock to left field. Next, on the first pitch of the AB - and fourth of the inning - JT Realmuto busted open the tie game with a home run to left that had no doubt. Left fielder Randy Arozarena didn't bother opening his hips to chase this one down, standing perfectly still as the go-ahead bomb sailed over his head.

Just like that, the good guys were on top again. For the first time in a long time - since the days of the 2008 World Championship team - Phillies fans have a sense of security in the late innings. Yes, the offense has the firepower to get you back into any game - or in last night's case, give you the lead - but it's the back of the bullpen that instills confidence in Phillies fans for the first time since George W. Bush was in office. That sentence has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with Rob Thomson's newest toy - flame throwing closer Jhoan Duran.

For Whom The Bell Tolls? Any trio who dare step up to the plate while Jhoan Duran is on the hill. Duran's days in Philadelphia have channeled the Ranger Suarez/Jose Alvarado 2022 credo - strike one, strike two, good luck.

While in red pinstripes, Duran has made All-Stars look like mince meat. 10 year vets appear to be minor leaguers, no more apparent than when MLB's leading home run hitter Cal Raleigh stepped up to the dish with the game on the line.

102 mph. Swing and a miss. Strike one.

102 mph. Swing and a miss. Strike two.

Here, I'll take some off this one for you, Cal. See if you can hit it. Good luck.

The poor sap. He never stood a chance.

101 mph. Swing and a miss. Strike three. Ballgame over.

Duran clearly favors efficiency. His 12 pitch outing last night fell right in line with his usual performance. Since joining the Phillies, the most pitches he's thrown in an appearance has been 16, with his lowest being his 4-pitch-save debut. Duran has been a godsend for the Phils. Orion Kerkering's uncharacteristic lack of control tonight - he had walked zero batters since the All-Star Break, entering last night - is the epitome of the 2025 Phillies bullpen pre-Duran. Rob Thomson admitted it himself, while rationalizing Jordan Romano's job - "he either shuts people down, or he gives up two or three runs," Thomson said about Romano.

Seems like a gross understatement regarding Romano, but it's something you cannot have out of a ninth inning option. With the addition of Duran and the timely, yet brief, return of Jose Alvarado - who is back on the roster but is not postseason eligible due to his performance enhancing drug suspension - the Phillies have as solid a ninth inning as ever. And they've got a stellar offense, too.

In the seventh inning or later, the Phillies not only lead baseball in runs scored, but also in home runs and SLG, while sitting in the top 5 in hits, AVG, OBP, and OPS. When the going gets tough, the Fightins get tougher.

When it comes to individual players performing in the final three innings, two stand head and shoulders above the rest: the Mariners Cal Raleigh and the Phillies Kyle Schwarber. They're the top two in both home runs and RBI, while Schwarber is also top five in AVG.

In the late innings Tuesday night, both of those men were shut down by the opposing bullpen. The difference? The Phillies took the lead without Schwarber's help, while the game ended in Cal Raleigh's hands. If you're the Mariners, with your star-studded lineup of sluggers, the one guy you want at the plate with the game on the line in Cal Raleigh. Luckily for the Phillies, he's no match for Jhoan Duran.

And the 8th inning or later? JT Realmuto's your man, hitting a National League best .384 with an OPS near 1.000 during those innings.

The 2025 Phillies resiliency in the late innings will be what defines them. They have the best offense in baseball in the 7th inning or lately and their shaky bullpen has received tremendous reinforcements. Jose Alvarado's return will allow Rob Thomson to save the arms of Matt Strahm, Tanner Banks, Orion Kerkering, and so on. The recent addition of David Robertson also represents another fresh arm come October. The Phillies are 73-53. The second best team in the National League and they hold a 5.5 game lead over the Mets. With 36 games to go, if the Phillies keep up this kind of play, they'll find themselves World Champions once again.