Top ten Phillies games from the season's first half

The Phillies provided some incredible entertainment over the first half of the 2024 season. (Yes, referring to the All-Star break as the “half” is something of a misnomer nowadays, but I’m sticking with it even though the Phils have played 96 games.)

Out of the Phils’ 62 first-half wins, here are the top ten. Nominations came from Phillies fans on twitter:

10. Ranger Suarez complete game shutout (April 16 vs. CWS)

Ranger Suarez’s dominance is one of the biggest stories of the Phillies season thus far. With the benefit of his first full spring training, the lefty was on fire straight out of the gates. He threw 30 innings and allowed just one run in a four-start stretch from April 11 through April 27.

Suarez pitched the second complete game shutout of his career in the middle of that incredible run, walking just one batter and striking out eight just as the Phils (10-8 after the win) began to hit their stride. Catch the original PHLY game story here and see a nice Brandon Marsh defensive play that I almost forgot about.

Shoutout to twitter users @StraccioniJr, @mnightconurn, @DMGallagher1302, @wawdphilliespod, and @JabaryBackup for nominating this one.

9. Kody Clemens ninth-inning home run (May 18 vs. WAS)

Another key to the Phillies’ success this season? Contributions from superstars and role players alike. Kody Clemens, for example, has spent most of the year in AAA and made just 65 plate appearances in the majors.

With one of those plate appearances, however, Clemens hit a two-out home run in the bottom of the ninth to send a May game vs. the Nationals to extras. The Phillies won it in the tenth on a Bryce Harper sacrifice fly.

Big thanks to twitter users @sexysportslover, @emilyhoard1, and @jerd1010 for nominating this game.

8. Nick Castellanos walk-off double (June 18 vs. SDP)

Nick Castellanos’ overall numbers this season aren’t where he’d like them to be, but he has certainly provided a number of clutch hits. On June 18 against the Padres, Citizens Bank Park exploded after Castellanos’ ninth-inning double completed a Phillies comeback win.

“We’re a really good team, and in order to beat us, you’ve got to put us away with all 27 outs,” said Castellanos afterwards. “Considering I haven’t had the best year, to be able to come through when the team needs it feels good.”

Check out the original PHLY game story here. And thank you to @DR3Wheels, @_mattdwyer, @kevs_wx, @ShardSlayerr, @_DrewDoc, and @n64expansionpak for mentioning this one.

7. Castellanos and Rojas hit ninth-inning bombs (April 30 at LAA)

Want more Castellanos heroics? Review the original PHLY story for the April 30 game against the Angels here. Casty hit a game-tying home run in the top of the ninth and, following a Bryson Stott double, Johan Rojas hit a two-run blast to give the Phillies the lead. Jeff Hoffman threw a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth to close it out.

With the dramatic W, the Phillies became the first team in the majors to reach 20 wins on the season.

Huge thanks to @Michael93826345, @TeebsMcGeebs, @King_Of_Flannel, @sportsskeptics, and @WillBullitt for keeping this game on my radar.

6. Bryce Harper three-homer game (April 2 vs. CIN)

Sixth might be a bit low for Bryce Harper’s three-HR game against the Reds.

It’s a little tough to remember now, but the Phillies entered this game 1-3 overall and a loss would’ve had fans grumbling about another slow start. Harper himself came into the game hitless in 11 at bats.

But on this cold, rainy night in South Philly, the first baseman put on a show. He hit solo home runs in the first and third innings, then capped off his night with a grand slam in the seventh.

Some interesting subplots in this one, too. Starting pitcher Spencer Turnbull threw five strong innings to earn his first win with the Phillies. Ricardo Pinto, meanwhile, arrived from Rochester, NY in the fourth inning and was pitching by the sixth. “That’s a baseball player,” said manager Rob Thomson. “He came in, I think he threw in the tunnel or the cages or something like that, came out, said hello, and went to the bullpen.”

Read all about it in this April PHLY article, which includes plans for a dome over the Bank. (Possibly a slight overreaction to the weather.)

Shoutout to several twitter users for recommending this game for the top ten: @NumbuhInfinity, @missdmh801, @fakeplasticsnow, @Philliesfan175, @JB___96, @lesbiantaras, @Shannonom05, and @RipAnotherBong.

5. Phillies turn 1-3-5 triple play (June 24 at DET)

The Phillies turned Major League Baseball’s first 1-3-5 triple play since 1929 in this 8-1 victory over the Tigers. With the bases loaded in the third inning, former Phil Matt Vierling hit a liner to Aaron Nola, who threw the ball to Harper to double the runner off first base. Harper, in turn, threw to Alec Bohm at third to complete one of the rarest plays in baseball.

“That was a pretty cool moment for all of us,” said Harper. “It was like going back to Little League, we were so excited.”

The win pushed the Phillies’ record to 52-26.

Twitter user @ShardSlayerr was the only person to mention this game, but I included it anyway because it’s my list. Go make your own list if you don’t respect triple plays.

4. The return of Rhys Hoskins (June 3 vs. MIL)

Rhys Hoskins’ first game back in Philadelphia as a Brewer was a fun one. Zack Wheeler allowed just one run over seven innings. David Dahl homered in his Phillies debut. Johan Rojas drove in a key run and made a spectacular throw to home plate. And the Phils won, 3-1.

But the former Phillie was the story of the game. Hoskins was treated to a hero’s welcome as he stepped to the plate in the second inning. A standing ovation lasted over a full minute as a visibly emotional Big Fella waved his helmet to the crowd in appreciation.

“It was loud,” said Hoskins after the game. “I got to sneak a peek up toward our family section, just to see how my wife was doing. It looked like she was probably shedding a couple of tears, too. It was loud, but that’s what this place does.”

Fittingly, the lone Brewers run of the game came on a seventh-inning Hoskins dinger. He jogged the bases to a confused mix of cheers and boos.

Thank you to @conordaly23, @SuperPhan120, @Derek9306, @RipAnotherBong, @kefferwill1, @whathe_hayls, and @BillAmbrosio for mentioning this one.

Check out the original PHLY game story here.

3. Phillies clobber Dodgers in first game of sweep (July 9 vs. LAD)

Once upon a time, some baseball fans argued that the Phillies’ impressive record was compiled completely against terrible opponents. The Fightins would be exposed, said these haters, when they played some postseason contenders.

The Phils’ three-game sweep against the NL Central-leading Brewers in June helped chip away at that narrative. But it probably wasn’t completely demolished until a three-game sweep of the Dodgers in July. The first of those three games was the most impressive, with the Phillies putting on a show in a 10-1 victory.

Zack Wheeler set the tone by striking out Shohei Ohtani on three pitches to start the ballgame. Trea Turner went three for four on the night, including a fourth-inning grand slam.

Check out the full PHLY recap of the game here. Thank you to @poke_legacy, @RipAnotherBong, @SuperPhan120, and missdmh801 for mentioning this game/series.

Oh, and the Phillies record against teams with records >.500? Here at the All-Star break, it’s now 27-16.

2. Cristopher Sanchez complete game shutout (June 28 vs. MIA)

This one came on the heels of a depressing 7-4 Phillies loss to the Marlins. Not only did they lose the game, but the Phils lost both Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper to injuries. At the time, fans feared that the two superstars might miss a significant chunk of the season.

Cristopher Sanchez, however, brightened folks’ spirits the following day by throwing the first complete game shutout of his career. The performance came less than a week after he signed a four-year contract extension with the Phillies. Sanchez displayed some rare emotion when the game ended, perhaps recognizing his journey from a back-of-the-rotation starter frequently optioned to the minors to a true front-line talent.

“I’m so proud of this kid, because he’s come so far,” said Thomson. “He’s a dominant pitcher in Major League Baseball.”

Meanwhile, the team revealed that Schwarber and Harper were expected to return without missing much time.

It was a great day for Phillies fans.

Thanks to @poke_legacy, @MFlyEaglesFly, @emilyhoard1, @d0cdank, @missdmh801, @phillyeric1 and @deefentz for mentioning this game.

1. Extra-inning win in Baltimore (June 14 at BAL)

The Phils pulled out a thrilling extra-inning victory in this one, the first game of a series in Baltimore that could easily end up as a World Series preview. The atmosphere was electric, with a sellout crowd comprised of both Phillies and Orioles fans completely locked in.

Some of the game’s heroes were the usual suspects: Kyle Schwarber launched a leadoff schwarbomb, Ranger Suarez held a strong Baltimore lineup to one run over 6.2 innings, and Alec Bohm smacked the game-winning hit.

Those efforts may not have been enough, however, without a fifth-inning home run from Rafael Marchan. The third-string catcher also made a nice play on a bunt in the fourth inning with two on, firing the ball to third base to get the lead runner. And had Marchan’s manic, scrambling, temporarily game-ending tag on Cedric Mullins held up to instant replay review, Phillies fans may have built him a statue that night.

After the ninth inning and the game-ending-play-that-wasn’t, rain delayed the start of extra innings and added to the madness. Each team scored a run in the tenth, and Bohm’s game-winner came in the eleventh.

“The atmosphere was tremendous,” said Thomson afterwards. “We got a lot of Philly fans here and obviously a lot of Baltimore fans. It was a great game, back and forth. It was just really good. It was like a playoff game.”

Baltimore later took the final two games of the three-game series, making the Phils’ victory in the opener even more important. If the Orioles and Phillies do play another series this Fall, you have to think it will be a great one.

Thank you to @liamirwin23, @2009philieseag1, @jon_palmer4133, @Beastmike, @emilyhoard1, @sportsskeptics, @SenGoldBars, @BornShalom, and @FluidsZero for nominating this game.

Here’s to more Phillies excitement in the second half! We’re just 66 games away from Red October.

Follow PHLY Phillies writer John Foley on twitter here.