ARLINGTON, Texas — A reconfigured Philadelphia Phillies outfield provided the decisive spark Saturday, as a seventh-inning rally against Texas Rangers ace Jacob deGrom propelled the team to a 3-2 victory.
For the first time, Brandon Marsh, Harrison Bader, and Max Kepler started together in the outfield. The new look was part of manager Rob Thomson’s plan to rest Nick Castellanos, with Bader getting the start against the right-handed deGrom and Kepler shifting to right field. Slotted consecutively in the batting order, the trio engineered the game’s pivotal offensive burst.
“It just shows that whatever positioning, whatever lineup we have out there, we can contribute from all angles,” Kepler said. “I think we’re very flexible and formidable.”
Through six innings, the Phillies had scattered just four hits, struggling against deGrom’s 99 mph fastball. In the seventh, Marsh ignited the rally with a single, and Bader followed by drawing deGrom’s only walk of the game. That brought up Kepler, who had been battling a prolonged slump, hitting just .154 in August despite an expected batting average of .248. His bad luck was evident in the third inning when a well-hit fly ball with a .700 expected batting average was run down in center field.
“You do everything right, but you don’t get that result,” Kepler said of his earlier out. “Those are always salty and they sting.”
Putting the frustration behind him, Kepler drove a pitch into the right-field corner for a two-run double, scoring both Marsh and Bader to give the Phillies the lead. Bryson Stott followed with a single off reliever Danny Coulombe to bring Kepler home for a crucial insurance run.
“I’m happy for him,” Thomson said of Kepler. “There’s been a lot of talk about him, a lot of noise. He’s had good at-bats for a bit, and he showed it tonight.”
Kepler acknowledged his struggles have been primarily mental. “I kind of start to doubt myself… not necessarily the mechanics, just myself as a whole,” he explained.
Starter Jesús Luzardo persevered through a challenging outing, allowing an early run in the first but limiting the damage. He stranded five Rangers runners, aided by stellar defense, including two runners caught stealing by catcher J.T. Realmuto and sharp plays by Edmundo Sosa at third base.
“A lot of traffic on the bases, and I thought we handled it pretty well,” Luzardo said. “Obviously, had some help with J.T. and the defense, which is great.”
The bullpen secured the win. Matt Strahm surrendered a solo home run to Corey Seager in the eighth before retiring the next three batters. Jhoan Duran then closed the game with a perfect ninth inning for the save, striking out Joc Pederson with his knuckle curve to end it.
The victory was a testament to the Phillies’ depth, as the bottom half of the lineup delivered while the top three hitters—Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper—went a combined 0-for-9 against deGrom.
While the outfield combination proved successful, Thomson confirmed it was a temporary measure. Castellanos will remain a fixture, with the manager continuing to evaluate his options in left and center field.
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