PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ronald Torreyes jumped on the first pitch he saw after sitting out a month due to COVID-19.
Torreyes delivered a tiebreaking, pinch-hit, two-run double in the eighth inning and the Philadelphia Phillies rallied to beat the Miami Marlins 8-3 on Tuesday night.
“I was very, very happy because I had the opportunity to help the team," Torreyes said. "I was happy because the manager trusted me in that situation. I was looking for a fastball up and I got the pitch.”
Torreyes said he had no symptoms but spent 11 days in a hotel room before he tested negative. He stayed sharp at Triple-A before being called up to the majors.
“I know I’m here to help the team win in any way possible,” Torreyes said. “My time away was good. I kept preparing myself mentally and physically.”
Manager Joe Girardi knows Torreyes well from their time with the New York Yankees. He didn't hesitate to use him in a clutch spot.
“He’s a baseball player. He knows how to do so many different things. He’s always prepared,” Girardi said. “He might not play for two weeks and you know he's going to be prepared wherever you put him. He's always ready.”
In the Phillies' first game since a dugout spat between Girardi and infielder Jean Segura, the Marlins took a 3-1 lead when Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a two-run homer off a 100 mph fastball from Jose Alvarado in the top of the eighth. But the Phillies answered in the bottom half against relievers Dylan Floro (2-2) and John Curtiss.
“I'm not quite sure what we saw other than not getting outs,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.
Rhys Hoskins hit a sharp single with one out and Alec Bohm followed with an RBI double off the right-field fence. Odubel Herrera reached on an infield single and Andrew Knapp walked to load the bases. Nick Maton lined an RBI single to tie it.
Curtiss entered and Torreyes lined the first pitch down the left-field line in his first at-bat since April 17. Segura’s infield single knocked in another run. Bryce Harper ripped a two-run single to cap the seven-run rally.
“Our whole dugout was fired up,” Harper said. “We keep fighting and we’re gonna do that all year.”
Phillies starter Zack Wheeler struck out 10, allowing one unearned run and five hits in seven innings. Wheeler reached double digits in strikeouts for the 10th time in his career and second this season.
“He was great,” Girardi said. “He threw the ball extremely well. He hit a double. He did everything he could.”
Archie Bradley (1-1) fanned the only batter he faced to earn the win in his first appearance since April 10.
Marlins starter Cody Poteet tossed five innings of three-hit ball in his second career start but Miami’s bullpen gave up eight runs in three innings.
Before the game, Girardi and Segura both said they love each other and were eager to put their recent argument on the bench in the past.
FANS GONE WILD
A fan jumped onto the field from the left-field stands in the top of the eighth, sprinted across the outfield and climbed into the seats down the right-field line before security got him.
Another guy ran onto the field in the bottom half of the inning. He tagged second base, eluded a security guard, stumbled and got tackled.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Marlins: OF Lewis Brinson (left finger) was placed on the 10-day injured list.
Phillies: SS Didi Gregorius (elbow) was placed on the 10-day injured list and INF/OF Scott Kingery was put on the seven-day concussion list. ... LHP JoJo Romero needs Tommy John surgery and was moved to the 60-day injured list. ... Torreyes was activated from the COVID-19 list and Bradley (side) returned from the injured list.
UP NEXT
LHP Trevor Rogers (5-2, 1.84 ERA) starts for the Marlins, and RHP Zach Eflin (2-2, 3.86) goes to the mound for the Phillies on Wednesday night.
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