Realmuto has memorable night to mark milestone

PHOENIX -- Now that’s how you celebrate a major milestone.

J.T. Realmuto homered and doubled on the same day he marked 10 years of MLB service time, Trea Turner notched two RBIs and Kolby Allard allowed one run over five innings as the Phillies used a four-run sixth inning to beat the D-backs 6-4 at Chase Field on Thursday.

Realmuto’s home run came while celebrating the major milestone. The three-time All-Star has appeared in 1,204 games in his career, including 664 with the Phillies.

“It’s crazy how 10 years sounds a lot more than what it feels like to me,” he said. “It’s just crazy to me thinking that six years ago I was in Miami. It’s gone by really fast.”

Realmuto was hitting just .185 with two RBIs in the seven games heading into the series opener, but the 33-year-old broke out of his slump in a big way. His seventh-inning home run made it more difficult for Arizona to rally, while his ninth-inning double helped him finish the night 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs.

Realmuto took extra batting practice before the game and it paid off in his final two at-bats.

“Watching video we found some things mechanically,” he said. “My bat just wasn’t staying in the zone very long.”

Realmuto spent the first 540 games of his career with the Marlins, earning his first Silver Slugger award with the club in 2018. Fast-forward six seasons and he has accumulated three Silver Sluggers and two Gold Gloves, all while becoming an integral part of Philadelphia’s heartbeat.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson was clear on that point following the win. Philadelphia has won three straight, while the loss snapped the D-backs’ four-game winning streak.

“He is one of the finest catchers I’ve ever been around,” Thomson said of Realmuto. “His toughness physically, mentally, emotionally, is second to none.”

Turner, meanwhile, had been in a slump of his own, as he had recorded just three RBIs in the 15 games prior to Thursday’s series opener. His two-RBI single in the sixth broke a tied game open and helped set the stage for Realmuto’s solo shot the next inning.

The two have been teammates since the start of the 2023 season, and Turner said Realmuto’s performance on Thursday shows the impact the catcher can have on the Phillies’ overall success.

“Those last two at-bats were him,” Turner said. “He does so much behind the plate, but if he can hit like that, that’s game changing.”

Weston Wilson, who was in Thursday’s lineup because of an injury to Austin Hays, finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run. His two-out RBI double to left-center started the Phillies’ sixth-inning rally.

Carlos Estévez allowed one run while striking out two in the ninth to earn his first save since joining Philadelphia on July 28, marking his 21st save overall.

The night, though, belonged to Realmuto, who reflected on his time with both the Marlins and the Phillies after the win. He was happy to celebrate the longevity in the league – as illustrated by the mylar ‘congratulations’ balloons floating next to his locker – but he said his focus isn’t on the past.

Rather, it’s on what has yet to come.

“I feel like I still have a lot of my career left and a lot of baseball left to play,” Realmuto said. “Miami gave me a chance when I was 18 years old … and Philly took a chance on me and traded for me.

“I’ve been blessed ever since just to be here and be part of this organization.”