Inside The Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies Sweep of Angels Propelled by Harper Slam, Stott Walk-Off

The Philadelphia Phillies win 9-7 against the Los Angeles Angels in a walk-off fashion.

Kade Kistner

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
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The Philadelphia Phillies fired Joe Girardi last Friday in order to "bring a new voice" into the clubhouse. For some, simply firing the manager wasn't going to be enough to fix the deep rooted issues within the club.

Others, like many of the players, helped share some of the blame in the Phillies' woes. But after Girardi's departure, the team looks to once again be having fun. It sounds silly, but when you play a sport that boasts a 162 game season, the players have to enjoy what they do in order to find success.

This past weekend against the Los Angeles Angels they did exactly that.

After outscoring the Angels 17-2 over the course of the first two games, Philadelphia had their work cut out for them during a 9-7 walk-off victory on Sunday. 

Starter Kyle Gibson pitched effectively through the first three innings by allowing zero runs. However, he ran into trouble in the fourth when he gave up five earned runs. His night was over after 3.1 innings pitched. 

Mercifully, the Phillies were able to get two runs back in the fifth to help ease some of the damage and bring them back within striking distance. 

Los Angeles' offense looked potent on Sunday, the first time it had at any point in the weekend series. A fact that is especially surprising considering the team boasts two of the best players in baseball in Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani.

Of course the real storyline, or storylines should I say, were those surrounding Bryce Harper's eighth inning grand slam which paved the way for his good buddy Bryson Stott's walk-off home run.

Down by four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, Philadelphia had the bases loaded. Harper saw his chance to put the team on his back, again. During perhaps one of the roughest stretches in baseball this club has seen since its rebuilding days, Harper had the opportunity to prove there was still fight in this team.

He did just that.

Harper's second decker grand slam tied the game up 6-6 in the bottom of the eighth and gave the Phillies a fightin' chance.

The struggling Corey Knebel was called upon to blank the Angels in the top of the ninth. Instead, he gave up an earned run which gave Los Angeles the lead once again. However, he was able to limit the damage to just the one run.

Down 7-6 in the bottom of the ninth, rookie shortstop Stott walked up to the plate with two runners on. In what seemed to be an act of divine intervention, Stott hit his second home run of his big league career, a three-run shot for the walk-off victory. 

Not only did it secure the series sweep against a very talented team, but it kept the fires going in what is now a rip-roaring start to the Rob Thomson era. 

The boys are having fun. There is hope. There is a feeling that they can overcome the early season adversity that has been plaguing them. Maybe it was the new manager bump? Maybe they are just finally returning to the mean? Whatever it may be, it's working. 

More From SI's Inside The Phillies:

  1. How Mike Trout Will Join the Phillies
  2. Andrew Painter is Off to a Historic Start
  3. Phillies Top-10 Prospects Heading Into the 2022 MLB Season
  4. 18-Year-Old Phillies Prospect is Making History
  5. How did Philadelphia end up with Citizens Bank Park?
  6. How the Phillie Phanatic Came to be America's Favorite Sports Mascot
  7. This Unlikely Draft Pick Could be the Final Piece in the Phillies Next Blockbuster Trade
  8. "The Family Was More Nervous Than Him," Stott’s Relatives on Debut
  9. Picking the Phillies' All-Time Single Season Lineup
  10. Why Did the Phillies Forget About These Top Prospects?

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Kade Kistner
KADE KISTNER

Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl.  During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated.  Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.

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