Stubbs' four-hit game leads Phils' resurgent offense in series win over KC

KANSAS CITY -- Maybe Phillies backup catcher Garrett Stubbs got a bolt of inspiration from watching starter J.T. Realmuto’s two-homer, seven-RBI performance on Saturday.

Thrust into the lineup for Sunday’s series finale against the Royals, Stubbs made sure the catcher hit party kept on going.

With Realmuto getting a day of rest, Stubbs stepped up with a 4-for-4 hitting show that helped lift the Phils to an 11-3 victory at Kauffman Stadium. It was the first four-hit game of Stubbs’ career. He had a triple, double and two singles -- including a perfectly executed drag bunt -- as the Phillies hit the double-figure mark in scoring for the second day in a row.

Twice Stubbs came to the plate needing a homer for the cycle, but he singled in the eighth and reached on a hit-by-pitch in the ninth.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever gotten on base five times,” Stubbs said. “Maybe in Little League. I would have taken 4-for-5 with a chance to get a homer in the fifth at-bat.”

Kansas City had position player Garrett Hampson on the mound when Stubbs came up for the final time. But Stubbs didn’t get the chance to swing for the homer because Hampson hit him with a 57 mph offering.

“Everybody was giving me crap about not getting out of the way,” Stubbs said with a laugh. “I tried. It just didn’t work out. This is the only team where you can go 4-for-4 with a hit-by-pitch and they are giving you crap when you come into the dugout.”

Stubbs, who started the day in the No. 9 hole and hitting .193, used the whole field. His RBI triple into the right-field corner leading off the third against Royals starter Seth Lugo helped Philadelphia take an early 2-0 lead. Stubbs later had a double to left field that set up a three-run inning.

It was a banner day all the way around for the bottom of the Phillies’ batting order. The Nos. 7-9 hitters were a combined 8-for-12 as Philadelphia finished with 16 hits.

“I look pretty smart putting Stubby in there today,” manager Rob Thomson said jokingly. “The triple got us going and then a big two-strike double from him down the line.”

The Philadelphia offense shared the spotlight with spot starter Kolby Allard, who delivered five strong innings after being recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Allard gave up two runs on eight hits and left with a 3-2 lead.

Allard was making the start so that established rotation members could get an extra day’s rest. Right-handers Zack Wheeler (154 2/3) and Aaron Nola (159 1/3) have two of the five highest innings-pitched totals in the National League.

“I thought it went pretty well,” Allard said. “Garrett and I had a good game plan to get ahead and execute pitches. I’ve just been taking the attitude to get an ounce better every day.”

Allard was able to work around a mental miscue by third baseman Alec Bohm in the first inning. With runners at first and second and one out, Salvador Perez hit a sharp grounder that Bohm fielded near the bag. He stepped on third for a forceout, but did not throw to first when he had plenty of time to double up Perez.

Because Bohm lost track of the outs, Allard had to face Freddy Fermin with two on. The Phillies escaped damage when Fermin bounced into a forceout.

Bohm, who grounded into a double play to end the Phillies’ first, bounced back later to go 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Thomson said he spoke with Bohm after the defensive lapse.

“Not remembering the outs, that was a mental mistake and it can’t happen,” Thomson said. “You fix it. [Bohm] is one of the better players on the team. He cares about getting hits and helping the team. He gets frustrated. But you can’t take your at-bats on the field with you. When you aren’t hitting, you’ve got to get lost in the team.”

The Phillies followed their script from Saturday in having a mid-game lead and then pouring it on after the Royals went to the bullpen. Philadelphia logged a combined 34 hits and 22 runs over the last two games of the series.

“I think it’s big,” Thomson said. “We got our approach back. Not trying to do too much. Pass the baton. Eliminate chase as much as you can. I thought our at-bats were really good.”