MILWAUKEE — Bryson Stott can admit the truth now. He put too much pressure on himself at the beginning of the season. Not only did he make the team out of spring training, but he was the Phillies’ opening-day third baseman. It was a lot for a rookie who had barely played at triple A.
It was telling, then, that Stott was the one to offer calming words last week to Nick Maton when the high-strung infielder got called up from the minors.
“I told Maton, ‘We’re just back in Scranton,’” Stott said. “We’ve all played together before. We’re just doing it here. It’s something we’ve all dreamed of.”
With each game, Stott gets more comfortable. With each game, he keeps playing better, too. He hit his first major-league homer last Friday, cracked his first walk-off home run last Sunday, and notched his first four-hit game Wednesday night in a 10-0 rout of the free-falling Milwaukee Brewers.
Stott, Rhys Hoskins, Odúbel Herrera, and Bryce Harper homered; Aaron Nola dazzled for eight innings; and interim manager Rob Thomson became the first Phillies skipper to win his first five games at the helm since Pat Moran went 8-0 in 1915.
The Phillies have won a season-high six consecutive games overall, beating up on the swooning Los Angeles Angels last weekend and now the Brewers, who have lost five games in a row and seven of eight. And if the Phillies can knock off reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes in the series finale Thursday, they will complete their first road sweep since Aug. 30-Sept. 2, 2021, against the sold-for-parts Washington Nationals.
Thomson Magic may or may not be a real thing. But Thomson has fostered an environment for the Phillies’ young players to thrive by giving them consistent playing time.
And once again, Stott set the tone. With one on and one out in the third inning, he fouled off a tough two-strike sinker and hit an elevated fastball from Brewers starter Adrian Houser into the right-field bleachers to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead.
Hoskins stroked a two-run shot two batters later to stretch the margin to 4-0, while Herrera made it 5-0 in the fifth. The Phillies scored again in the seventh and four times in the ninth to break open the game.
Through it all, the constant was Stott, who singled in the fifth inning, doubled and scored in the seventh and singled and scored in the ninth.
A natural shortstop, Stott has moved over to second base since Didi Gregorius returned from the injured list. And with Jean Segura out until at least August after having surgery on a broken right hand, Stott figures to stay at second for a while.
Under deposed manager Joe Girardi, Stott found playing time to be sporadic. He has started six games in a row, including all five under Thomson, and gone 9-for-23 (.391) with three homers and eight RBIs.
Just like he used to do in the minors.
Nola in control-a
Nola issued a two-out walk to Christian Yelich in the eighth inning, ending a streak of 22 consecutive innings without walking a batter.
Make no mistake, though: Nola was in complete control.
For a second time this season, Nola dominated the Brewers. He scattered four hits, all singles, and didn’t permit a runner to advance beyond first base. It was similar to Nola’s seven-inning gem April 24 at Citizens Bank Park. He held the Brewers to one hit and one walk while striking out nine. The Brewers were 5-for-46 (.109) against Nola in the two games.
Leading man
Kyle Schwarber collected four hits, including an RBI double in the seventh inning, the continuation of a hot streak that coincided with his return to the leadoff spot.
In 10 games back atop the order, Schwarber is 11-for-38 (.289) with 10 walks and a .438 on-base percentage.
“That’s the thing about him and Hoskins at the top [two spots]. They really grind out at-bats,” Thomson said. “They see a lot of pitches. So you get to [Bryce] Harper, and the pitcher’s at 12, 13, 14, 15 pitches. Those guys are doing well.”
Oppo-dúbel
Although Thomson wants to give Mickey Moniak “a little bit of a shot” to grab the center-field job, he also wants to keep Herrera sharp.
So far, that doesn’t seem like a problem.
Herrera walked in the third inning and stroked an opposite-field solo homer to left field in the fifth to open a 5-0 lead. He’s 11-for-33 (.333) with three doubles and two homers in his last 10 games.
