Thomson's decision-making, Phils' hits clutch in DH sweep

WASHINGTON -- Any team will tell you, winning both halves of a doubleheader, especially a day-night doubleheader, isn’t easy for anybody.

The Phillies made things especially difficult on themselves Friday. But they swept their twin bill with the Nationals anyway.

That’s how things are going these days for the surging Phillies, who ensured they’ll win five consecutive series for the first time since 2011 with a wild, come-from-behind 10-inning 8-7 victory in Game 2. Paired with their fairly straightforward 5-3 win in Game 1, the Phillies have now won 13 of 15 games under interim manager Rob Thomson, 14 of 16 overall and 11 straight over the Nationals, the longest active streak for any club against any one opponent.

“It’s a different guy every day, and it’s been that way for a while now,” Thomson said. “That’s the character of this club. They believe.”

The Phillies used 22 players and exhausted nearly their entire bullpen in the two games, pulling out the nightcap on a disputed obstruction call, despite blowing a ninth-inning lead, and needing reliever José Alvarado to bat in the 10th. When the dust cleared, they improbably found themselves on the long end of the kind of late-inning nail-biter that hasn’t gone their way much in recent years.

“I don’t think we ever feel like we’re out of a game,” said Rhys Hoskins. “I think we’re a more confident group in here now.”

Engineering it all was Thomson, who has pulled all the right strings since replacing Joe Girardi a little more than two weeks ago. His decision-making Friday may have been his finest yet as a big league manager. Here are a few key decisions he made that dictated Friday’s outcomes:

Obstruction call
Situation: Game 2, Top of the 10th, two on, one out
Score: 6-6

OK, this first one wasn’t Thomson’s decision. But second base umpire Dan Iassogna’s snap-interpretation of the obstruction rule was the choice that turned all Thomson’s decisions to gold.

J.T. Realmuto’s hard chopper up the middle scored Kyle Schwarber with the go-ahead run and sent trail runner Hoskins scampering from second. But Hoskins and Nats shortstop Luis García collided as García dove for the ball, which skipped into center field. Hoskins got up, kept running, and appeared to be thrown out at home by Victor Robles' relay.

Iassogna granted Philadelphia the run regardless, ruling García obstructed Hoskins, who ended up representing the winning run.

Quotable: “As I’m rounding third, [third base coach Dusty Wathan] is saying: ‘Don’t stop! Don’t stop! You’re going to be out, but don’t slow up!’” -- Hoskins

Said Thomson: “He knows the obstruction rule. Very smart.”

Hitting Harper
Situation: Game 2, 8th inning, two on, two out
Score: 5-3, WSH
Decision: Pinch-hitting Harper, sacrificing the DH
Did it work? Yes.

The Phillies were only in a position to win because Thomson decided to rest Bryce Harper for Game 2 and then pinch-hit his star slugger with the game on the line. Easy call, right? Actually, it was a gamble. Harper’s elbow injury precludes him from playing the field. So hitting Harper for Odúbel Herrera required forfeiting the DH for at least the next inning, with extras looming.

And then Harper almost never swung. He fumed when home plate umpire Clint Vondrak called Kyle Finnegan’s 3-0 pitch a strike, believing it to be above the zone. Harper took out his frustration on the next pitch, lacing a game-tying double to the wall in right-center.

Quotable: “Harper was upset it wasn’t ball four. I was like, ‘Good. Let him hit.’” -- Thomson

Realmuto challenge
Situation: Game 2, 8th inning, two on, one out
Score: 5-3, WSH
Decision: To challenge
Did it work? Yes.

Similarly, Harper’s heroics wouldn’t have happened had Thomson not challenged the play before, when Realmuto seemed to bounce into an inning-ending double play. But replay revealed Realmuto beat the return throw by a fraction of a second, and the inning continued after umpires reversed the original call.

Thomson’s successful challenge shifted the game on its axis. Instead of taking the field, the Phillies tied the game on Harper’s two-run double. Then they went ahead on Matt Vierling’s second homer of the night, in the ninth, and again on Realmuto’s hit after Didi Gregorius’ two-out error pushed the game to the 10th.

Quotable: “From afar, I thought [Realmuto] was out. But it's close. So we went to the phone. [Bench coach Mike Calitri] says to challenge it. At that point, I still really didn’t think we’re going to win it. I thought he was out.” -- Thomson

‘Pen management
Situation: All day

Had Gregorius’ miscue not extended the game, Thomson would’ve looked like a genius for summoning Alvarado for the last two outs of the ninth. Instead, Alvarado got four huge outs and stranded the tying run on second in the 10th.

Game 1 provided the first glimpse of how Thomson’s closer-by-committee might operate since Corey Knebel lost the closer role earlier this week. Looking to preserve a two-run lead behind Ranger Suárez, Thomson tabbed Connor Brogdon, Seranthony Domínguez and Brad Hand for the final 10 outs. Domínguez handled the heart of Washington’s order in the eighth and Hand bent, but didn’t break in the ninth.

Most encouraging, though, might be Brogdon’s resurgence. He recorded four big outs and has been lights-out since returning from Triple-A with a revamped pitch mix in early May, pitching to a 1.23 ERA and 18 strikeouts in his last 14 2/3 innings.

Quotable: “I have a tremendous amount of confidence in him, I really do.” -- Thomson