Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner delivered arguably his biggest hit since joining the club on Wednesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, launching a game-tying home run with two outs in the ninth inning to prevent a third consecutive loss. The Phillies would subsequently win the game by a 6-5 final (box score) in extra innings, improving their record on the year to 23-26.
According to Statcast, Turner's home run featured a 103.8 mph exit velocity and carried some 404 feet. Turner had hit three other balls at least 95 mph on Wednesday, suggesting that he was making quality contact, even if they weren't going for hits. That's a potentially encouraging sign for the slumping veteran.
Take a look at Turner's blast:
Turner, 29, entered Wednesday hitting just .251/.297/.382 (87 OPS+) with four home runs and six stolen bases in his first 47 games. It should go without saying that's not what the Phillies expected when they signed him to an 11-year pact worth $300 million.
Turner sat out Saturday's game in order to clear his head and have the opportunity to work on his swing with hitting coach Kevin Long. It's to be determined if that breather -- or, indeed, this home run -- will serve as the turning point.
The Phillies, by the way, entered their half of the sixth inning trailing by a 5-0 margin. They were able to slice into the lead behind timely hits from Alec Bohm and Brandon Marsh. Bohm later plated the winning run in the 10th, hitting a deep single with the bases loaded.
The Phillies will now begin an important road trip that will see them play four games against the Atlanta Braves, three against the New York Mets, and three against the Washington Nationals. The Phillies trail the Braves by 6 1/2 games in the National League East.
