The hard-hitting Philadelphia Phillies (60-44) delivered one blow that they could have done without Saturday during their 9-4 road win over the New York Yankees (56-48).
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh accidentally rammed into the back of utility man Edmundo Sosa. Marsh, playing left, was jogging forward. Sosa, playing third base, was backpedaling. They both were going for the Jazz Chisholm Jr. pop-up in shallow left field.
Marsh’s right elbow appeared to drill Sosa in the back as Sosa made the putout. Sosa held onto the ball long enough to secure the catch before dropping it to the ground, rolling over and grabbing at his back.
Marsh, on the other hand, immediately came out of the collision OK. Sosa was down for a couple minutes while receiving attention from athletic trainers. He eventually walked off the field and received a hug from a remorseful Marsh. Sosa patted Marsh on the back of the head.
Sosa officially left the game with a back contusion. He told reporters postgame that he’s feeling better and is good to go for Sunday’s series finale.
Sosa’s scare was hardly the injury headliner, though. Yankees superstar right fielder Aaron Judge missed the game with what was ultimately diagnosed as a flexor strain in his right elbow. Fortunately for Judge, the two-time AL MVP isn’t dealing with a UCL tear and is expected to have a short stay on the IL.
The Phillies were without their starting right fielder, too. Nick Castellanos sat out with a left knee injury that he suffered Friday while running toward the right field wall to make the final out of a 12-5, series-opening win over the Yankees. Castellanos’ injury doesn’t appear to be serious, as Phillies manager Rob Thomson said before the game that they’ll check back on the veteran’s knee for Sunday.
Before Sosa exited, he deposited a two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning. The versatile 29-year-old launched a 424-foot no-doubter to center field. The night before, he helped the Phillies polish off another decisive win over the Yankees with an RBI single that ignited a four-run ninth inning.
Sosa’s homer Saturday was the Phillies’ second big fly of the afternoon. Bryce Harper blasted a 425-foot solo shot in the third inning. Harper’s smack to right center was part of Philadelphia’s climb to a 4-0 lead through four frames. Then the Phillies distanced themselves in the seventh.
Following Sosa’s dinger, New York committed its 10th error in the past five games, this one resulting from a Chisholm bobble on a potential inning-ending, double-play grounder. Then surging slugger Kyle Schwarber drove home two runs with a double to center field. Schwarber now has five extra-base hits — including four home runs — and 10 RBI in his past four games.
The Yankees faced a 9-1 deficit, having allowed at least seven runs for the fifth time in their eight games since the All-Star break. They scattered three runs of their own in the seventh and eighth innings, two from a Giancarlo Stanton long ball, but a massive comeback wasn’t in the cards.
Phillies starter Ranger Suárez improved to 8-4 after allowing just one run in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out eight while issuing one walk and throwing a season-high 108 pitches.
But the bats were the star of the show for the Phillies, who have recorded double-digit hits three games in a row. Luckily for Sosa, the one he took to his back doesn’t appear as consequential as his two-run homer in the seventh.
