The bullpen gives the team a shot in the arm: Phillies 5, Red Sox 4

Headed into the break at .500

When the game started and it was announced that Aaron Nola would not be making the start, the gloom fell on the fanbase that today would be a loss. Not having one of your top starters on the mound and in need of a bullpen day from a bullpen that isn’t exactly trustworthy didn’t feel like a recipe for a win. However, it’s tweets like this that always feel true.

Thankfully, this is what came to pass. Thanks to a huge, gutsy effort from the bullpen and some timely hitting from their supersub, the Phillies eeked out a win to take a series in Boston and end the first half on a great note.

Brandon Kintzler had a pretty east first inning, but gave up the first run to Xander Bogaerts before being relieved by Cristopher Sanchez. Sanchez would then proceed to throw three innings of solid relief, only allowing one run and keeping the Red Sox at bay. While he was working, J.T. Realmuto put the Phillies out in front with a two-run single in the third that put the team up 2-1.

Nick Pivetta was pitching for the Red Sox and was having a fairly solid outing until that third inning. He managed to hold it all together for a bit, but in the fourth, we saw the Pivetta we have all come to know and love. After striking out the first two batters, Pivetta allowed a double to Rhys Hoskins, then walked Brad Miller to bring up Ronald Torreyes. Giving the team another solid at bat, Torreyes got a 3-2 fastball that he turned on.

Ladies and gentlemen, Nick Pivetta.

That score would get whittled away in the fifth and sixth thanks to Hector Neris and particularly Jose Alvarado, who struggled in his relief outing. This double he gave up to Christian Arroyo dropped the lead down to one.

Archie Bradley would come in to calm that inning down, then get two outs in the seventh before a walk forced Joe Girardi to call on Ranger Suarez. Suarez would get everything settled, even if he had to get out of a self-inflicted jam in the eighth. With the bases loaded and two outs, Suarez induced a groundout that ended the inning and the biggest threat from Boston. He sat the side down in order in the ninth, ending the game with the rare seven out save and putting the Phillies at .500 on the season.

It was a huge win for the team, one that’ll send them to the break a happy group.