Coincidence or karma? Trea Turner rallies Phillies to comeback win

PHILADELPHIA — Call what happened at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday night kismet.

A line drive bounced off a pitcher’s forearm and into the glove of a Philllies infielder.

Another line drive bounced off the glove of an opposing pitcher and into the outfield for the winning hit.

Trea Turner’s two-run, walk-off single propelled the Phillies to a 4-3 win over the San Francisco Giants before 40,420 fans. The Phillies (69-57) now lead the Chicago Cubs by 3.5 games for the National League’s top wild-card spot.

With the bases loaded, Turner hit a 2-2 sinker 104 mph up the middle. The ball deflected off the glove of the Giants closer Camilo Doval and skidded just past diving second baseman Thairo Estrada to knock in Bryson Stott with the tying run and Brandon Marsh with the winning run.

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“I’m glad that it didn’t end up right at Estrada or in the pitcher’s glove,” Turner said.

In the fourth inning, Turner made a diving catch at shortstop of a line drive that deflected off the forearm of Phillies starting pitcher Taijuan Walker.

Were the two plays, which inexplicably both went the Phillies’ way, coincidence or karma?

“You can spin it whatever way you want,” Turner said. “When you point it that way, it’s starting to fall in our direction,but that’s why you just have to play good baseball, and in the long season I think you take care of your business, you don’t have to worry about that stuff.”

The Phillies trailed 3-2 as the ninth inning began. Doval hit Stott on the elbow to start the inning. Marsh singled and stole second. The Giants intentionally walked Schwarber to load the bases, and that brought Turner to the plate. Soon after, the Phillies had their 35th comeback win of the season.

“They fight,” manager Rob Thomson. “They’re resilient. They compete.”

The game’s other storyline was Walker, who made his first start since Aug. 12. The Phillies gave him some extra rest because his velocity had been way down in his previous few starts.

On Tuesday, he threw 89 pitches in five innings, striking out seven and allowing three runs (two earned) and six hits.

The best news was that the velocity on all his pitches was up from his last outing. For example, his fastball averaged 91.2 mph Aug. 12. It averaged 93 mph Tuesday night.

As for that fourth inning line drive, Giants hitter Patrick Bailey hit a 102.5 mph shot right back at Walker. The ball ricocheted off his right forearm and into the glove of the diving Turner for an out.

Walker stayed in the game and struck Wade Meckler out swinging to end the inning.

“It felt like it was coming at my face,” Walker said. “I was putting my arms up, so it wouldn’t hit me in the face. I looked back, and I saw Trey on the (dirt), so I assumed he had caught it. I thought, ‘OK, I’m not hurt. I’m good.’ ”

Spin it any way you want, but for one night things seemed destined to work out for the Phillies.

Philadelphia goes for the sweep of the three-game series at 4:05 p.m. Wednesday.

San FranciscoABRHBIBBSOAvg.Wade Jr. 1b511003.258Estrada 2b513001.278Flores dh310120.301Pederson lf302200.243b-Slater ph-cf100001.239Conforto rf300002.248d-Matos ph-rf101000.250Davis 3b300012.246Bailey c400001.260Meckler cf-lf401001.160Schmitt ss100011.196a-Sabol ph100000.246Camargo ss100000.222Totals35383412 PhiladelphiaABRHBIBBSOAvg.Schwarber lf311021.184Turner ss501202.251Castellanos rf400002.274Harper dh312211.297Bohm 1b400001.283Realmuto c401001.253Stott 2b312000.298Sosa 3b201001.255e-Cave ph100000.250Rojas cf200002.289c-Marsh ph-cf111000.283Totals32494311 San Francisco100020000—381Philadelphia200000002—492

One out when winning run scored.

a-grounded out for Schmitt in the 6th. b-struck out for Pederson in the 7th. c-hit by pitch for Rojas in the 7th. d-doubled for Conforto in the 8th. e-flied out for Sosa in the 9th.

E—Davis (7), Bohm (8), Schwarber (5). LOB—San Francisco 9, Philadelphia 9. 2B—Estrada (23), Pederson (10), Matos (8), Schwarber (14), Stott (27). HR—Harper (11), off Harrison. RBIs—Flores (44), Pederson 2 (43), Harper 2 (44), Turner 2 (48). SB—Marsh (7). CS—Harper (3).

Runners left in scoring position—San Francisco 5 (Sabol, Davis, Meckler, Conforto 2); Philadelphia 4 (Sosa, Turner 2, Schwarber). RISP—San Francisco 1 for 10; Philadelphia 2 for 10.

Runners moved up—Pederson, Meckler. GIDP—Bohm.

DP—San Francisco 1 (Davis, Estrada, Wade Jr.).

IPHRERBBSONPERA352215655.40110003302.15110001102.14100002132.69100010122.74 22210192.60IPHRERBBSONPERA563227894.02100010134.00100012271.33110002224.72110001123.06

Inherited runners-scored—R.Walker 1-0. IBB—off Doval (Schwarber). HBP—Harrison (Sosa), Ty.Rogers (Marsh), Doval (Stott).

Umpires—Home, Nick Mahrley; First, Jacob Metz; Second, Vic Carapazza; Third, Adam Hamari.

T—2:54. A—40,420 (42,901).

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