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The Philadelphia Phillies were presented with a measuring stick opportunity in a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park.
After dropping two out of three games to the New York Mets in their first series out of the All-Star break, the pressure was on the Phillies to right the ship against the two-time defending World Series champions.
In Game 1, Philadelphia proved they belonged. They picked up a 10-7 victory behind a solid outing from Cristopher Sanchez. It was nice to see the offense produce at such a high level, especially with the bullpen running into some issues despite the big lead.
A game on July 20 normally wouldn’t mean much to a team and its players, but this matchup is different. Not only do the Phillies want to prove they are a top team in the MLB, but the game featured two players reaching career milestones.
Trea Turner, Bryce Harper reach 200-home run milestones
First it was shortstop Trea Turner, who hit his 13th home run of the season in the bottom of the second inning off Emmet Sheehan. He went yard again in the bottom of the sixth inning off relief pitcher Alex Vesia to give Philadelphia an 8-3 lead.
Turner is finding his groove at the plate, already smashing four home runs in the second half and riding a five-game hitting streak. His bounce-back would help get this offense on track after a brutal start to the campaign.
That was also the 200th home run of his career, reaching an impressive milestone despite never being referred to as a power hitter. Turner now has 300 doubles, 200 home runs and 332 stolen bases, showcasing his versatile and dynamic skill set.
Joining him in the 200-home run club, but of a different variety, was first baseman Bryce Harper. The All-Star had a tough series against the Mets, going 2-for-11 with five strikeouts, but he made an impact against Los Angeles.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, he took Landon Knack deep on a 95 mph four-seam fastball. That was the 200th career home run with the Phillies for the slugging first baseman, giving him 384 in his career.
Turner and Harper picked up the slack around Kyle Schwarber, who had an off night at the plate going 0-for-3 with three strikeouts.
The ball was flying out of Citizens Bank Park in a reenactment of the Home Run Derby that occurred the week before. Seven home runs were hit in the game, with Dodgers star Mookie Betts hitting two along with Turner.
Brandon Marsh and Derek Hill joined in for Philadelphia, hitting their 16th and eighth home runs of the year.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/phillies/onsi as Phillies Duo Reaches 200-Home Run Milestones Against Dodgers.
