Phillies’ Centerfield Gamble Backfires in Friday Night Loss
The Phillies rolled the dice with Cal Stevenson in centerfield Friday night, and it didn’t work out. At all.
Thomson’s decision to start the seldom-used outfielder raised eyebrows immediately, then quickly turned into a full-blown disaster. Philadelphia had the lead until Stevenson’s adventures on the basepaths and in the field helped turn the tide against them.
First, Stevenson got picked off at first base. Then, he completely lost track of a routine fly ball in center, spinning around before watching a catchable ball drop for a costly error. By the time the dust settled, the Phillies’ lead had evaporated.
What makes the timing even stranger is that Brandon Marsh, the team’s regular centerfielder, is expected back from injury on Saturday. Stevenson, hitting just .167 in limited action, was likely headed back to the minors anyway as the corresponding roster move.
It seems Thomson was simply giving Stevenson one last big league opportunity before the demotion. That’s a nice gesture in theory, but it’s one that backfired spectacularly in practice.
The way things played out, Stevenson might have a long wait before getting another call-up. Phillies fans, watching their team surrender a winnable game partly due to these miscues, probably won’t be too broken up about it.
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