OOTP 7/8: Phillies 8, Astros 7 (11 innings)

When bullpens blow games, it hurts. When they blow it twice in a game, it really, really hurts. Luckily for the simPhillies, Jay Bruce has been on a tear this year. He continued that tear in this game.

Everything started hunky dory! Hit Machine Jean led off the game with a single, then scored when Andrew McCutchen homered, giving the team a 2-0 lead. Aaron Nola, coming off one of the worst starts in his virtual career, got off to a good start in this one, holding the Astros scoreless while the offense tacked on another run in the fourth on a J.T. Realmuto RBI single. However, the home town offense scored two in the bottom half of the inning on an Alex Bregman RBI single that plated two, making the score 3-2.

Harper got those two back in the fifth with a two-run home run, then Realmuto hit a solo home run of his own, pushing the score to 6-2. In the sixth, the Astros knocked Nola out of the game when Yordan Alvarez hit a solo shot, making the score 6-3. That score held into the eighth when the Astros got to Seranthony Dominguez (still virtually healthy!) with a single, home run and double, knocking him out of the game. Victor Arano came in, allowed an RBI single to Michael Brantley and the score was tied at 6.

That lasted into extras when Jay Bruce homered in the tenth, temporarily giving the Phillies the lead. I use temporarily because Hector Neris gave it right back when George Springer homered to tie it again. So the Phillies needed a savior. Who would it be?

Hit Machine Jean, that’s who.

He continued his virtual wrecking ball of a season by untying it off of Ryan Pressly. Adam Morgan came in, cleaned up the mess and gave the Phillies the win.

The two teams meet in a rubber match tomorrow before the Phillies head to Washington before the virtual All-Star break.