Jeff Hoffman Revenge Game: Phillies 7 Rockies 4

The 19-19 Philadelphia Phillies look to add to their four-game win streak with the second of a three-game series in Colorado.

Ryan Feltner got the ball against the Phillies back on April 20th, going 5.2 innings with six strikeouts, which lead to the Colorado Rockies’ only win of the four-game series.

With one out, Trea Turner drew a seven-pitch walked and stole second immediately. Bryce Harper walked on five pitches and Nick Castellanos took a first-pitch sinker past Ezequiel Tovar for a base hit to left and made it 1-0.

After a Kyle Schwarber walk, Alec Bohm battled back from a 1-2 count and drove a single right up the middle to make it 3-0. After a Brandon Marsh walk, Kody Clemens drove in a run on a groundout to first, 4-0.

One of the scariest things happened in the top of the second. Castellanos hits a line drive off the side of Feltner’s head. Luckily there was no blood and Feltner was able to walk off the field.

Randal Grichuk took a sinker to left for a leadoff double in the bottom half of the inning. Ryan McMahon hit a sinker right back to Suárez, Grichuk made the crucial mistake of going and was tagged out. After a single from Tovar, Alan Trejo hit a sacrifice fly to right and made it a 4-1 game.

The Rockies looked to start a rally in the third with a Jurickson Profar leadoff double. With two outs, CJ Cron took a 3-1 cutter to left for an RBI double, 4-2 Phillies. After a Grichuk walk, McMahon got jammed but Marsh couldn’t make the diving catch and instead was an RBI double, 4-3. Suárez finally worked out of it with a three-pitch strikeout to Tovar.

Suárez was done after four, allowing three runs but given the tough circumstances, it’s hard to have a real takeaway.

Connor Brogdon deserved a pat on the back for his performance, coming in for two scoreless innings in the fifth and sixth. Brogdon struckout two and walked one on 27 pitches.

Andrew Bellatti came in relief, his first outing since that same April 20 game against the Rockies. Bellatti struggled with fastball command but recorded two strikeouts on full-count sliders to Kris Bryant and Elias Díaz.

Jake Bird came in the top of the 8th for the Rockies and with two outs, Kody Clemens took a double opposite way to left. Garrett Stubbs then roped a cutter to right field for an important insurance run.

The Phillies came into the game with a thin bullpen. With a combination of circumstances, they’re down Matt Strahm, Seranthony Domínguez, and Craig Kimbrel for tonight. It’s almost certainly why they asked Brogdon to pitch two innings and have Bellatti make his return from the IL against the heart of the Rockies order.

So given the situation, Jeff Hoffman came on to pitch the eighth with a two-run lead. CJ Cron hit a rocket that went right through the glove of Trea Turner. After a Grichuk strikeout, McMahon pulled a fastball to right field to put runners on second and third.

Hoffman avenges his former team when he got Tovar hit a grounder to second to bring home Cron and then blew a 98 mph four-seam fastball right by Trejo to keep the Phillies lead.

The Phillies added on in the ninth, Turner walked and Harper obliterated a hanging slider to make it 7-4.

Gregory Soto faced the minimum in the ninth and won their first series in Colorado in over a decade (at least according to the broadcast).

Aaron Nola gets the ball tomorrow against Kyle Freeland. First pitch is at 3:10 tomorrow so you won’t see a second of the game (Please have a good game seven James Harden).