Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
Hoffman entered the game in the bottom of the ninth and threw a fastball over the plate that rookie Adrian Del Castillo launched 416 feet into the right field seats as the Arizona Diamondbacks walked off the Phillies 3-2 at Chase Field.
It was the first time an Arizona player ever had their first major league home run be a walk-off dinger.
The loss snapped a 3-game winning streak for the Phillies, who struggled all night to solve Arizona starter Ryne Nelson.
Nelson went 7 1/3 innings and allowed just one run on three hits while striking out a career-high, nine batters.
“He kept guys off-balance,” said Phillies manager Rob Thomson. “His fastball had good carry on it. He pitched well.”
Nelson accomplished this by filling the zone. He faced 25 batters. He threw a first-pitch strike to 21 of them. Of his 97 total pitches in the game, a whopping 72 were for strikes.
The Phillies didn’t even have a baserunner against him until the fifth inning. The lone run they scored off him was on an opposite field home run by Bryce Harper in the top of the seventh.
Zack Wheeler gave the Phillies a chance in this one though, throwing a pretty solid game himself. Wheeler went six innings, allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out eight.
Arizona scratched out three weak hits against him in the first inning, and Joc Pederson launched a solo home run off Wheeler in the third. Otherwise, Wheeler was sharp. Although he’d tell you otherwise.
“It was a little bit of a mixed bag,” Wheeler said. “I just didn’t feel all the way there, but I finally got through it. The first inning killed me a little bit (with) some soft hits getting through, and they put a run on the board.”
Hoffman (3-2) hasn’t been nearly as effective lately for the Phillies as he was earlier in the season. The All-Star reliever had been the erstwhile closer for the Phillies prior to the trade deadline – often sharing duties with Jose Alvarado.
However, since the Phillies traded for Carlos Estevez at the trade deadline and put him into the closer’s role, Hoffman has struggled.
In his last five outings, Hoffman has allowed seven runs (six earned), nine hits, a walk and hit a batter. Opposing hitters are batting .409 against him with a 1.213 OPS.
His ERA for the season has climbed to 2.02. It’s the highest it’s been since April 15th.
ROSTER SHUFFLE
The Phillies made a bevy of roster moves prior to the game on Friday. OF Austin Hayes, who has a mild left hamstring strain, was placed on the 10-day I.L. retroactive to Wednesday. In his place, the Phillies selected the contract of OF Cal Stevenson.
Stevenson, 27, has some MLB experience with the Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants, but he was rewarded with the call-up because he has been lights out at Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season.
In 91 games with the Iron Pigs, he has slashed .307/.420/.488 for an OPS of .908. The left-handed hitter has 21 doubles, five triples, seven homers, 39 RBI and 27 stolen bases.
To make room for Stevenson on the 40-man roster, the Phillies designated Darick Hall for assignment. The 29-year-old power-hitting first baseman who has played some for the Phillies in the past two seasons, had his path to major league playing time blocked because Bryce Harper is an everyday superstar, while Alec Bohm can also play first base and so can guys like Kody Clemens and Weston Wilson, who are ahead of Hall on the depth chart.
The Phillies also sent LHP Kolby Allard back down to Triple-A and selected the contract of RHP Max Lazar.
Lazar, 25, has made 34 relief appearances between Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season posting a 1.79 ERA and a 0.84 WHIP in 40 1/3 innings with 53 strikeouts.
To make room on the 40-man roster for Lazar, the Phillies designated RHP Max Castillo for assignment.
ON DECK
The Phillies turn to Aaron Nola (11-5, 3.54 ERA) on Saturday night against Arizona ace Zac Gallen (9-5, 3.75). The game has a slightly earlier start time (8:10 pm EST) than the first two games of the series.
