Edmundo Sosa leads Phillies’ revived offense to 4-3 victory over Reds

CINCINNATI — Before the start of every series, the Phillies hold scouting meetings. The pitchers go over opposing hitters; the hitters review opposing pitchers. It’s a good time to bring up new topics or raise concerns.

As the hitters met Monday, Rob Thomson presented a few stats.

Even though the Phillies got shut out in back-to-back games in New York last weekend and scored a total of two runs in the last four games, the interim manager noted that they still ranked sixth in the majors in batting average and slugging percentage with runners in scoring position.

“So, over the course of the year, we’ve been doing pretty well,” Thomson said later. “But you face good pitching and, you know ...”

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Thomson didn’t have to finish his thought. With Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom, and fellow New York Mets starter Chris Bassitt in the rearview, at least until this weekend at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies came to Cincinnati and regrouped. They were opportunistic at the plate, precise on the mound, and got a big game from an unlikely source in a palate-cleansing 4-3 victory over the stripped-down Reds.

Go ahead and dub this the “Edmundo Sosa Game.” Because with Kyle Schwarber out of the lineup again with a strained right calf and Bryce Harper taking batting practice back in Philadelphia, Sosa got a rare start and delivered two hits, drove in three runs, and made two slick plays at third base.

“That was incredible watching him,” said Noah Syndergaard, who won for the second time in three Phillies starts. “I’m going to draw it up and try to get more balls hit to him and have him save the day.”

The Phillies’ bats awoke, if ever so briefly, against Reds starter Mike Minor. They struck for seven two-out hits and four with runners in scoring position, none bigger than Sosa’s two-run single in the third inning and RBI double in the fifth.

There wasn’t much offense after that. But Thomson’s message got through.

“It reassured what we all already know is how good of an offensive team that we are,” said Nick Castellanos, who drove in the first run with a single. “The reality is that the Mets have probably the best pitching staff comparable to anybody in the league. When pitching is good, hitting is really hard.”

When the Phillies acquired Sosa from St. Louis in a July 30 trade, they thought he could have games like this. The 26-year-old from Panama is well regarded for his defense and a work in progress at the plate. But it has been tough to crack the lineup with Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm playing so well at shortstop and third base, respectively.

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Thomson gave Bohm a turn as the designated hitter against Minor, a left-hander, and put Sosa at third base. It paid off when Sosa stayed back on a changeup and shot it into left field to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead and cap a three-run rally with two out in the third inning.

Sosa flashed his usual defense to help Syndergaard hold the lead. He dived to his right to take a hit from Jose Barrero in the fourth inning, then made a sliding stop in the hole behind second base with the Phillies playing a shift to gobble up Michael Papierski’s bid for a leadoff hit in the fifth.

Which play was tougher?

“I would have to say the one where I dove towards the third-base line,” Sosa said through a team translator. “Because of the angle where the ball was coming from and I had to do a 360 turn to throw to first.”

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Sosa start again Wednesday in the series finale. Not only will the Phillies face another lefty, Nick Lodolo, but they will also have sinkerballer Ranger Suárez on the mound, another sensible opportunity for Bohm to be the DH and Sosa to play third base.

Making his third start for the Phillies — and his first all season on four days’ rest — Syndergaard was a strike-throwing machine.

The big right-hander threw 61 of 77 pitches for strikes. He threw first-pitch strikes to 24 of 28 batters. And he pitched into the eighth inning for the third time in 18 starts between the Phillies and Los Angeles Angels.

“I feel like this is where I’m supposed to be,” Syndergaard said, noting his work with pitching coach Caleb Cotham and director of pitching Brian Kaplan since coming over in a deadline trade. “The strides that I’ve made in two rotation turns has been amazing. I’ve never had more confidence on the mound this year.”

Syndergaard credited an adjustment to his delivery. After blowing out his elbow in 2020 with the Mets, he said he adopted a “highly mobile smaller guy’s delivery” because he thought it would keep him healthier. But he’s 6-foot-6 and 242 pounds.

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“I thought it was more efficient, I thought it was going to make me a better pitcher,” said Syndergaard, who gave up three runs on eight hits. “It didn’t really work for me. It’s just not how I’m built. So, we’re just focusing on lifting and moving on the mound as fast as I possibly can and being explosive.”

The Phillies are 3-0 in Syndergaard’s starts since the trade.

With three more hits, Stott continued to thrive in the leadoff spot. He’s 8-for-18 (.444) with a .500 on-base percentage in four games atop the order.

Schwarber ran before the game but wasn’t ready to return to the lineup. When he is, Thomson will have another decision to make about whether to keep Stott right where he is.