Presented by the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame
I was going to start by saying it was a relatively quiet night in Philly sports, but it’s going to be a fun weekend. The Phillies are hosting the Yankees, the Union are back in action, and we’re still on LeBron watch. Well, I guess we can put that last one to bed—the Sixers got LeBron! Will we finally see The Process come to fruition?
July 24 is chock-full of Phillies dramatic finishes, impressive performances, and debuts.
Hayes Does It Unconventionally
On this day in 1985, the Phillies found themselves tied with the Astros, 1-1, in the bottom of the eighth at The Vet. With a runner on and one out, Von Hayes stepped to the plate to face Nolan Ryan. Hayes delivered, hitting a two-run, inside-the-park home run to give the Phillies the lead and the eventual win.
It was one of just three hits for the Phillies all game. Kent Tekulve closed it out in the ninth to earn the save for Kevin Gross, who outdueled Ryan by pitching eight innings, allowing just one run and striking out seven.
Trivia: Since 1960, Phillies players have hit four game-winning, inside-the-park home runs. Who hit them? (Answer below.)
Double Walk-Off
On this day in 1998, the Phillies walked off the Marlins on both ends of a doubleheader.
In Game 1, Scott Rolen hit a walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the 12th to give the Phillies the win. In Game 2, the Phillies found themselves down 3-1 in the bottom of the ninth when Mark Lewis hit a two-run home run to tie the game.
The teams traded runs in the 10th and 11th, and once again, the Phillies found themselves trailing in the bottom of the 12th. Ruben Amaro Jr. hit a game-tying home run, setting up Rico Brogna to knock in Doug Glanville with the game-winning run—giving the Phillies two 12th-inning walk-off wins on the same day.
Phillies Slugger, Tomas Perez?
On this day in 2001, the Phillies beat the Expos, 10-2, at The Vet. Travis Lee homered, while Tomas Perez hit two home runs—one from each side of the plate.
Perez came into the game with just three career home runs. Nelson Figueroa pitched 7⅔ innings to earn the win and also helped himself at the plate, going 3-for-3 and scoring two runs.
Myers Debuts
On this day in 2002, Brett Myers made his MLB debut against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Myers pitched eight innings, allowing just two hits and one run while striking out five to earn the win. José Mesa closed it out, saving the Phillies’ 4-2 victory.
Marlon Anderson homered and drove in two runs. Myers also made a little Phillies history, becoming the first player born in the 1980s to play for the franchise.
Abreu Has an Inning
On this day in 2003, the Phillies pounded the Cubs, 14-6, at Wrigley Field, thanks in large part to a nine-run sixth inning.
Bobby Abreu provided the big blow with a grand slam and also added a sacrifice fly, driving in five runs in the inning. Those five RBIs tied a Phillies record for the most runs driven in by a player in a single inning, matching the mark previously set by Von Hayes. Todd Pratt also homered in the Phillies’ offensive outburst.
Late Start
On this day in 2020, the Phillies opened the season in front of no fans at Citizens Bank Park. The start of the season had been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, making it the latest Opening Day in Phillies history.
On the field, the Phillies lost to the Marlins, 5-2. Aaron Nola got the start, while Didi Gregorius provided the Phillies’ only offense, hitting a home run and scoring the team’s second run.
Trivia Answer: Since 1960, Dick Allen, Von Hayes, Bob Dernier, and Bobby Abreu have hit game-winning, inside-the-park home runs.
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