Baseball handed Trea Turner a do-over.
He stared at strike three with the go-ahead run 90 feet away in the eighth; two innings later, down 0–2 with two outs, he lined a 94 mph fastball to right and turned a Braves lead into a 3–2 Phillies walk-off on Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park.
By the time Turner stepped in for that last swing, he’d already put his fingerprints all over the night with two doubles, two stolen bases, and a handful of outs stolen with his glove.
Then came the hit that mattered most.
“It was a matter of putting bat on the ball and keeping it simple,” Turner said. “Got another pitch to hit and it found the hole.”
Turner is now on pace to surpass 100 runs and 40 steals—benchmarks Rob Thomson set for him this season.
“It was a matter of putting bat on the ball and keeping it simple,” Turner said. “Got another pitch to hit and it found the hole.”
Turner is now on pace to surpass 100 runs and 40 steals—benchmarks Rob Thomson set for him this season.
“We’ve got plenty of guys who can hit home runs. He will, too, but I think his main focus needs to be getting on base and creating havoc and he's done that," Thomson said.
Atlanta had taken the lead in the top of the 10th when Nacho Álvarez Jr. slipped an RBI single through the right side. Matt Strahm (2–3) allowed only that hit, keeping the deficit at one—just enough room for the inning the Phillies needed.
The bottom of the 10th was equal parts patience and brinkmanship. Philadelphia loaded the bases against Hunter Stratton (0–1), forcing a call to Dylan Dodd. Dodd struck out Brandon Marsh for the second out and buried Turner 0–2. One pitch later, the game was over—Alec Bohm and Nick Castellanos sprinting home as Turner’s liner split right field and the dugout emptied to meet him.
If redemption made the headline, the prologue was the miss.
The bottom of the 10th was equal parts patience and brinkmanship. Philadelphia loaded the bases against Hunter Stratton (0–1), forcing a call to Dylan Dodd. Dodd struck out Brandon Marsh for the second out and buried Turner 0–2. One pitch later, the game was over—Alec Bohm and Nick Castellanos sprinting home as Turner’s liner split right field and the dugout emptied to meet him.
If redemption made the headline, the prologue was the miss.
Turner’s eighth-inning shot at the go-ahead - tie game, men on the corners, one out - ended with a called third strike from Pierce Johnson. The Phillies leaned on their pitching from there and waited for one more swing.
For nine innings, this felt like a master class in run prevention.
For nine innings, this felt like a master class in run prevention.
In his first start since fracturing a rib on June 18, Chris Sale looked like a problem again: six innings, nine strikeouts, three hits, 78 pitches (51 strikes), with only Weston Wilson’s third-inning bolt into the left-field seats denting him. Sale still lowered his ERA to 2.45.
Cristopher Sánchez matched him pitch for pitch - seven innings, eight strikeouts, one run on seven hits- threading traffic into outs and handing the game to the late innings.
Turner didn’t just finish it; he helped keep it winnable. He assisted on two double plays and ranged into the hole for the kinds of backhand stabs that turn rallies into routine. The constant action at short even turned into a running joke.
Turner didn’t just finish it; he helped keep it winnable. He assisted on two double plays and ranged into the hole for the kinds of backhand stabs that turn rallies into routine. The constant action at short even turned into a running joke.
“I told him, probably in the fifth inning, you can start striking more people out if you want—I feel like I’ve gotten quite a few plays,” Turner said. “He’s so positive out there on the mound.”
Sánchez smiled at the memory. “He was telling me strike them all out and I’m like, but you’re my teammate,” he said. “We were just joking though and it feels amazing to see how much he has improved back there.”
And Turner was clear this defensive version of himself is no accident.
Sánchez smiled at the memory. “He was telling me strike them all out and I’m like, but you’re my teammate,” he said. “We were just joking though and it feels amazing to see how much he has improved back there.”
And Turner was clear this defensive version of himself is no accident.
“I always felt like I should be a better defender than I was in the past, and I knew I was capable,” he said. “It wasn’t for the lack of effort or work; it was more just finding the right ways to be consistent. I remember a college coach would tell me: just complete every play. That’s been the goal my entire career—complete every play—and I feel like now I’m doing that at a way higher rate.”
The Phillies have now won three straight after the sweep in Queens trimmed their NL East lead to four. With the Mets losing to Miami and Turner’s 10th-inning answer, the margin is back to six.
The Phillies have now won three straight after the sweep in Queens trimmed their NL East lead to four. With the Mets losing to Miami and Turner’s 10th-inning answer, the margin is back to six.
On a night built on zeros and close calls, the last swing—and the best glove—belonged to the shortstop who completed every play that mattered.
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