PHILADELPHIA -- The last time Brandon Marsh homered, it landed in a corn field in Dyersville, Iowa.
That was 40 days and 80 at-bats ago.
But who’s counting? Marsh hit a two-run home run in the second inning and doubled home an insurance run in the eighth in Tuesday night’s 6-4 victory over the Brewers at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies can clinch a fifth consecutive trip to the postseason as early as Wednesday night with another win and an Arizona loss at Colorado.
If the Phillies want to not only win next week’s best-of-three NL Wild Card Series, but take a run at a World Series championship, they will need contributions from players like Marsh the next several weeks.
Marsh was one of the Phillies’ best stories in the first half. He was hitting .317 with 14 home runs, 45 RBIs and an .868 OPS at the end of June. As a result, Marsh was named to his first NL All-Star team and was elected as a starter.
But Marsh entered Tuesday batting .175 with a .475 OPS since the break. The last All-Star on any team with a sub-.500 OPS in the second half (minimum 150 plate appearances) was Yasmani Grandal with the 2015 Dodgers (.498). The last All-Star with an OPS lower than that was the Angels' Reggie Jackson in 1983 (.479).
Marsh’s Tuesday bumped his second-half OPS 34 points to .509.
“[I] definitely wish we all succeeded all the time,” Marsh said. “But it's a tough game and it's a very humbling game.”
Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said he has liked Marsh’s approach and swings the past few days, even if he had little to show for them until Tuesday.
“More aggressive in New York, I thought,” Mattingly said. “Just letting it go. Sometimes you struggle for a while and you're wanting hits instead of just trying to hit the ball hard somewhere. He’s been more aggressive the last few days, so I feel those are good signs for us moving forward.”
Marsh hopes so, too.
“Just picking my spots,” he said. “You know, when to [swing] and when not to. It’s all about what we get as hitters. Pitchers can nibble around the zone or throw out of the zone. But when they come in there, we’ve got to be ready for it. I felt really good tonight, and I’ve just got to carry it in tomorrow.”