A late lineup addition, Hill shines for Phils vs. former team

DETROIT -- Derek Hill got a chance to start Friday night against the Tigers, when Phillies center fielder Justin Crawford was a late scratch with left knee soreness.

And he made the team that drafted him pay. Hill, Detroit’s 2014 first-round pick at No. 23 overall, hit his seventh homer of the season and went 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Though, that was hardly enough for Philadelphia in a 10-2 loss to the Tigers before a crowd of 34,084 at Comerica Park.

“Derek’s a pro,” said Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly. “This guy’s always ready. And we really appreciate the kind of teammate he is, too. How he’s fit in. He’s ready for any situation we give him. He’s following the game. He knows where his spots are.”

Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola matched up well with Detroit starter Jack Flaherty, allowing two runs on three hits over five innings. All of his damage came on a two-run, opposite-field homer in the third inning by 21-year-old Philadelphia native Kevin McGonigle, who will be returning Monday to his hometown as a member of the American League All-Star team.

However, the Phillies’ beleaguered bullpen allowed eight runs in the sixth and seventh innings for Detroit to put the game away.

When asked if he’d thought about letting Nola, who threw 84 pitches, face the heart of the Tigers’ lineup in the sixth, Mattingly said, “Well, that’s one I’ll probably lose a little sleep over. There was definitely consideration for the way he was going.”

Left-hander Tim Mayza -- one of the few generally effective relievers in the Phillies’ bullpen -- gave up five runs (four earned) on two hits and two walks. James Outman’s two-run triple was the big blow, but a throwing error by Mayza also was crippling in the sixth.

Lazar, whose ERA rose to 7.11 in five appearances in 2026, gave up a solo homer to Colt Keith before walking Riley Greene and serving up a two-run homer to Spencer Torkelson in the seventh.

Philadelphia was down eight runs, and Hill’s strong showing got overshadowed in a rout.

Still, his showing was highly significant for a player who has been impressive in just one month with the Phillies -- his seventh MLB team in seven seasons.

Philadelphia acquired Hill June 11 from the White Sox, who sent the speedy outfielder and $250,000 in international bonus pool money to the Phillies for Dylan Campbell and Jose Colmenares.

Hill drove a low knuckle curve from Flaherty a Statcast-projected 427 feet with a 104.1 mph exit velocity to give his team a 1-0 lead in the third. He singled in his next two at-bats, driving in a run in the fourth.

“Honestly, it was a good pitch,” said Hill. “He made a really good pitch and we just had a really good game plan going into it. He pitched his butt off today and you’ve got to tip your cap to him.”

Did it feel special doing it against the Tigers?

“It’s just another game for me,” said Hill. “I don’t hold anything against them. I don’t praise them. It’s just another team for me, and I just want to go out there and stick to my game plan. When you start getting too emotional with things, you get out of your game plan. So, I just want to go out there and be me, and play ball.”

It was ironic that four of Hill’s fellow 2014 first-rounders were on the field with him Friday night. Flaherty was drafted by the Cardinals at No. 34, while current teammates Kyle Schwarber (No. 4, Cubs), Trea Turner (No. 13, Padres) and Nola (No. 7, Phillies) all went in the top-13 selections that year.

Hill found out he would start about 45 minutes before first pitch.

“The good man upstairs got me prepared,” Hill said. “I went out there and did some good things tonight. Hopefully, I can turn around tomorrow and build off this. I’m always mentally prepared to go out there and execute…The hitting department has been amazing -- especially overhauling my swing a little bit since coming over here.”

“He’s been a nice addition for us,” Mattingly said of Hill, noting that he hits both lefties and righties. Hill is 6-for-12 (.500) on this road trip.

Hill, the son of Dodgers scout and 1982 first-round Draft pick Orsino Hill, plays smart and knows the game.

Mattingly said prior to Friday night’s game that he liked the platoon of the right-handed hitting Hill and left-handed Gabriel Rincones, Jr., in right field.

“Derek’s been really good, too,” Mattingly said. “And he’s given us the option to give us a premier defender with the threat of a stolen base.”

Hill had a seven-game hitting streak that started one week after he was acquired, and he went 8-for-19 (.421) with homers in back-to-back games during that span.