Déjà vu all over again? Stott's setup for Crawford's walk-off harkens back to '22

PHILADELPHIA -- This moment felt familiar.

Bryson Stott hit a walk-off home run in Rob Thomson’s third game as the Phillies' interim manager in June 2022.

Stott had a similar opportunity in the Phillies' 3-2 win in Game 1 of Thursday’s split doubleheader against the Giants at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies had a runner on first base with one out in the ninth inning in Don Mattingly’s second game as interim manager. They trailed by a run, thanks to Kyle Schwarber's 350th career home run in the first inning. Stott locked into a nine-pitch at-bat against Ryan Walker, who threw eight consecutive sinkers outside until he threw one over the heart of the plate.

Stott hit the ball down the right-field line for a game-tying triple. He scored two batters later on Justin Crawford's walk-off infield single. It was the second walk-off hit in Crawford’s first month in the big leagues.

Both had been struggling for weeks.

“Just, obviously, believing you can do it,” Stott said afterward.

“It felt good to get that going again,” Crawford said.

It was the first time the Phillies have won consecutive games since a four-game winning streak from March 31-April 4. It was the first time they have won a series since a three-game series in Colorado on April 3-5.

Stott entered the season with high expectations, following a strong second half in 2025 and an encouraging spring. But the season has been a slog. He finished Game 1 batting .214 with two doubles, two triples, five RBIs and a .553 OPS.

Maybe this gets him going.

“I feel like my swing has been where it was in spring and last year,” Stott said. “I’m hitting the ball harder than I ever have and squaring up the ball a lot more. It’s just going at people and things like that.”

The numbers back up what Stott is saying. His average exit velocity this season is a career-high 90.2 mph, outpacing his career average at 87.8 mph. His hard-hit rate is a career-high 46.9 percent, outpacing his career mark at 33.5 percent.

Stott talked in the spring about how his approach changed in the second half last year. He said he, essentially, “turned left field off.” He got closer to the plate, turning outside pitches into middle pitches.

If the ball went to left field, it went to left field. Stott said he doesn’t think he’s gotten away from that approach.

“It’s kind of why I’m out in front of a lot of things,” Stott said. “I don't [think] that I've ever hit this many fastballs off the end of my bat. I wouldn't say I'm thinking left field. Maybe more left center, and just trusting my hands are fast enough to get to anything in and go from there.”

Crawford started the season batting .355 with an .813 OPS in his first nine games. He batted .176 with a .551 OPS in his next 16.

He had three hits in Game 1.

“At times, I think when things maybe aren’t going your way,” Crawford said, “you want to try to do too much, you try to hit the ball too hard, just do stuff that just isn’t my game.”

Mattingly said Wednesday that he will make his team work on its bunting more, which is part of Crawford’s game. Crawford had a bunt hit in the fourth inning to load the bases with two outs.

Stealing bases is Crawford’s game, too. He got caught stealing in the seventh inning. He is 2-for-4 in stolen-base attempts this year.

Giants catcher Patrick Bailey had his fastest pop time (1.84 seconds) and second-hardest throw (82.2 mph) to get Crawford at second base. But Crawford also didn’t get a great jump. His secondary lead (20.3 feet) was shorter than secondary leads of the average successful steal of second this season (23.2) and all steal attempts of second (22.7 feet).

Crawford’s secondary leads have been a work in progress for some time.

“Just got to be more precise,” Crawford said. “Making sure I'm picking good times when I go, good counts and, of course, getting good jumps. … Always learning when I’m safe or out.”

The Phillies believe Crawford will get there eventually.

“What I like about Craw,” Mattingly said. “He’s a good kid, No. 1. And I think he believes in himself. Obviously, we believe in him, or he wouldn’t be here.”