Phillies Hit Two Home Runs off Josh Hader in 9th, Win Series Opener 3-2 Over Brewers

Alec Bohm and Matt Vierling both hit solo home runs off Josh Hader in the top of the 9th inning, as the Phillies stormed back to beat the Brewers 3-2 for their fifth straight victory.

Phillies (26-29) Beat Brewers (33-24)

• Winning Pitcher: Connor Brogdon (1-0. 2.38)
• Losing Pitcher: Josh Hader (0-1, 0.96)
• Save: Corey Knebel (10, 3.38)

Milwaukee Brewers closer Josh Hader entered the night having tossed 17.2 innings without having allowed a single run this season. Hader has been so dominant, hitters entered the evening with only four hits off him all year, good for a .069 batting average.

So when Alec Bohm stepped to the plate and went down 0-1 after swinging hard and missing on a 96 mph sinker, the odds were definitely stacked against the Phillies. But Bohm dug in and took the third pitch of the at bat, a sinker left up over the plate, 426 feet to deep center for a game tying solo home run.

Simply tying the game up against Josh Hader would have been a massive accomplishment for the Phillies, but Matt Vierling, who was called up this morning from AAA-Lehigh Valley had bigger plans. With one out, Vierling took Hader deep over the left field wall, on the fifth pitch of the at bat to give the Phillies the lead at 3-2. Hader, could only smile to himself, knowing he just blew the game against a guy who was playing in the minors and carrying his own bags just the night before.

Sporting a brand new lead, Corey Knebel entered the game in the bottom of the 9th looking for an easy save. Instead he walked three Brewers hitters and was forced to throw 31 pitches, before managing to strike out Pablo Lopez with the bases loaded to end the game.

For the Phils, this was their 5th straight victory and are now 4-0 since firing Joe Girardi and naming Rob Thomson interim-manager. I don’t think anything could feel as good as the dramatic comeback win against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday afternoon, but overcoming a 9th inning deficit against a playoff team with the best reliever in baseball sure is up there.

Ranger Suarez wont get the majority of the credit for tonight’s win, although he was excellent and kept the Phillies in the game by completing seven strong innings. Suarez allowed only six hits and two earned runs, while making it past the fifth inning for only the first time in his last four starts. More importantly, Suarez didn’t walk a single batter, after uncharacteristically walking three or more hitters, four times this season.

Prior to the ninth inning heroics, the only Phillies offense came in the form of a Bryce Harper RBI sac fly in the 3rd inning. The Phils managed to load the bases in the 5th inning, but Brewers starting pitcher Jason Alexander forced JT Realmuto to ground into an inning ending double play with only one out. Altogether, the Phils managed only five hits, failing to strike against Brewers pitching before cutting up Hader in the 9th.

The Phillies will look to make it six consecutive wins when Aaron Nola takes the mound tomorrow night against the Brewers in the 2nd game of the series.

Andrew McCutchen gives the Brewers the lead with an RBI double.

1-0 Brewers

Bryce Harper ties up the game with a sac fly in the 3rd inning.

1-1 Phils

A wild pitch by Ranger Suarez leads to an RBI single by Rowdy Tellez to regain the lead for the Brew Crew.

2-1 Brewers

JT Realmuto grounds into an inning ending double play with one out and the bases loaded.

Alec Bohm takes Josh Hader deep in the top of the 9th inning to tie the game up at 2!

2-2 Phils

Matt Vierling added to the roster today takes the best closer in baseball deep for the second time in the inning to gives the Phillies the lead for the first time tonight.

3-2 Phils

Corey Knebel walked two Brewers hitters and needed 32 pitches to close out a nail biter of a bottom of the 9th inning.

PHILS WIN 3-2!!

Up Next

The Phillies will look make it six straight wins in game two of a three game series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night.

Aaron Nola (3-4, 3.92) will toe the rubber facing off against Adrian Houser (3-5, 3.51), with the first pitch scheduled for 8:10 pm.

NBC Sports Philadelphia will have the broadcast of the game.