Revere packs a punch in latest Phillies win
WASHINGTON -- Ben Revere expected the good-natured razzing from his teammates. Given the situation, his second career home run was just even more surprising than his first. And this time it contributed to one of the wildest Phillies wins of the season.
Trailing 7-2 after seven innings, the Phillies scored two in the eighth, tied the score in the ninth and then won it in the 11th during Friday's 9-8 victory over the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park.
The stunner was Revere's home run to right field that tied the score 7-7 against Rafael Soriano with two outs in the ninth. It was actually a no-doubt-it shot.
"My teammates were saying I was putting the team on my back," Revere said laughing.
That's not a big back for the 5-foot-9, 165-pound Revere but right now he can handle the load.
Since Aug. 1 he is hitting .357 (50 for 140).
This latest home run contributed to win. His first one came during a 6-2 loss to the visiting Colorado Rockies on May 27.
This one was done on the road and quieted the crowd of 27,437.
"I would say it shocked most of the guys in the dugout and the (people) in the stadium," Revere said. "You could hear a pin drop and I would say it kind of shocked a lot of people."
Maybe manager Ryne Sandberg wasn't among the totally shocked.
"In some ways it catches everybody off-guard, the two times he had done it but we see him do it in batting practice where he hits 10-15 balls out," Sandberg said. "I think it can be part of his game where he can be a guy who hits into gaps and hits doubles."
And as Sandberg points out, doubles is a powers number.
That is not to suggest that Revere will begin launching out balls at will, but he continues to be on a tear.
He is now hitting .316 and continues to lead the National League.
Playing on a gimpy ankle, he is among the many Phillies who have continued to battle despite being way back in the standings. Even for the second wild-card the Phillies are 8.5 back with 22 to play. Still, the Phillies have won 11 of their last 16. It is obviously late, but they haven't packed it in.
"We just fought, fought," Revere said.
And nobody delivered a bigger blow than the little guy who now has two career home runs to brag about.