Phillies the first team in 22 years to walk off twice in a doubleheader

PHILADELPHIA -- What a week for the Phillies.

What a day.

The Phillies swept the Giants in Thursday’s doubleheader at Citizens Bank Park with a 3-2 walk-off victory in Game 1 and a 6-5 walk-off victory in 10 innings in Game 2, leading them to a 3-0 start under interim manager Don Mattingly.

It was the first time the Phillies had two walk-off wins on the same day since July 24, 1998, against the Marlins. The last team to accomplish the feat was the Pirates on May 28, 2004, against the Cubs.

“That’s more like us,” Alec Bohm said.

The Phillies haven’t been themselves in a long time. It cost former manager Rob Thomson his job on Tuesday, sparking a whirlwind week for a team that opened the season with World Series aspirations.

But Thursday night, fog filled the service level outside the Phillies’ clubhouse. The Phillies have used a fog machine for years following home wins. They haven’t needed to reorder any liquid fog this year -- they’re now 8-10 at home -- but maybe they will in a few weeks.

“Obviously, it’s been a weird time,” Kyle Schwarber said. “We start with what happened, but I think we all have a lot of love and appreciation for Thoms. We know the situation, but there's obviously a lot of baseball to be played.”

There is time to change and make things better, both for the Phillies’ postseason chances and for individuals on the team.

Bohm hopes to be one of those players. He is batting .151 with one home run, 13 RBIs and a .426 OPS. He made a fantastic, game-saving diving catch in the 10th inning in Game 2 to keep the game tied.

Bohm noticed Luis Arraez looking his way as he hugged the line with runners at the corners. Arraez has the ability to hit the ball wherever he wants it, so Bohm shuffled his feet toward the hole before the pitch.

Arraez hit the ball where he wanted it, but Bohm was there to catch it.

“It makes you feel smart,” Bohm said, chuckling.

Bohm then hit a walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th.

“I feel like I’m on the right track,” he said. “It’s just the results haven’t shown up yet. But, you know, I trust that it’s going to come. Hopefully, you know, this is something that can kind of spark a little turnaround here, for me.”

Notable stats from this doubleheader

• This was the first time since at least 1910 the Phillies have had a game-tying ninth-inning hit in both ends of a doubleheader.
• Chase Shugart is the first pitcher to earn two wins on the same day since Brian Duensing did so for the Twins on Aug. 9, 2013. He is the first Phillies pitcher to do so since Terry Adams on Sept. 21, 2002, vs. the Reds.
• This was the first time since July 31, 1983, that a team won on a walk-off in both games of a doubleheader with the same pitcher earning the win in both (Jesse Orosco won both games for the Mets against the Pirates. Bob Bailor drove in Darryl Strawberry to walk off Game 1; George Foster drove in Mookie Wilson to end Game 2.)
• The last time the Phillies had two walk-off wins in a doubleheader, Scott Rolen hit a walk-off two-run home run in Game 1 and Rico Brogna hit a walk-off single in Game 2. Ruben Amaro Jr., who was in the broadcast booth Thursday, had a game-tying homer in the 12th inning of Game 2.

Trea Turner and Schwarber started Game 2 with back-to-back homers in the first inning. It was the seventh time in franchise history the Phillies hit back-to-back homers in the opening frame. It was Schwarber’s second homer of the doubleheader, his third in four games and his 11th of the season.

He hit his 350th career homer in the first inning in Game 1.

The Phillies entered the San Francisco series ranked 29th in MLB in batting average (.219), 29th in on-base percentage (.294), 27th in slugging percentage (.362) and 28th in runs per game (3.64). Their top three hitters -- Turner, Schwarber and Bryce Harper -- ranked 11th with a .784 OPS; their top three ranked fifth last season (.813 OPS).

“If you're going to have a good year and you're going to end up where you want to go, your big boys got to go,” Mattingly said.

They went in Game 2. Turner hit a two-out single to center field in the fifth. Giants manager Tony Vitello summoned left-hander Ryan Borucki from the bullpen to face Schwarber and Harper.

Borucki had held lefties to a .311 OPS this season. Righties had a 1.526 OPS against him.

Schwarber hit a 3-1 sinker to left field for a bloop double to put runners on second and third. Harper walked on four pitches to load the bases, sending right-handed-hitting Adolis García to the plate.

Phils right-handed hitters entered Wednesday with a stunningly poor .515 OPS against lefties, nearly 100 points lower than the 29th-ranked Rangers (.610), and 26 points lower than the 1918 Red Sox (.541), who currently have the worst right-handed splits vs. lefties in a single season in baseball history.

But García hit a 3-2 slider to left-center field to score two runs to give the Phillies a 4-2 lead. The Giants tied the game in the sixth and scored a run to take the lead in the ninth. Schwarber’s two-out double in the ninth scored Brandon Marsh to tie it.

Shugart threw four pitches in one-third of an inning to get the win in Game 1. The Phillies didn’t want to use him in Game 2, but they had no choice.

“I’m a little riled up,” Shugart said. “Just a big moment in a big spot. And I feel like that's my first time in a big moment like that.”

Shugart wasn’t aware of the historical significance of his efforts. Somebody told him about Deunsing and Adams.

“I mean, that’s a sick list to be a part of,” he said.