Jimmy Paredes began his workday Sunday with a plunge into the hot tub at Citizens Bank Park.
Now, you might be wondering why someone would want to soak in hot water when the temperature at first pitch was 95 degrees, but Paredes had a pretty pragmatic answer.
“The air conditioning in my apartment has been running nonstop,” he said. “I was cold.”
Makes sense.
Paredes’ bat was not cold Sunday afternoon. The reserve outfielder clouted three RBI hits, a single, a double and a home run, in leading the Phillies to a 7-6 win over the Colorado Rockies (see Instant Replay).
Told that he was just a triple shy of hitting for the cycle, Paredes smiled and said, “Maybe next time.”
Paredes’ big day at the plate helped the Phillies notch their first series sweep of the second half and propelled them to within seven games of .500 with 43 to play.
It’s something to shoot for.
The Phillies reached down to Triple A for a starting pitcher for this game. Zach Eflin’s trip to the disabled list became Adam Morgan’s most recent opportunity. The lefty was chugging along fairly smoothly when he was drilled on the left forearm by a line drive off the bat of Nick Hundley two batters into the fourth inning.
Morgan was hit hard. He squatted on the mound before leaving the field. X-rays were negative and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The Phils have lost two starting pitchers to injury this month in Eflin and Aaron Nola, and Jeremy Hellickson has been nursing a sore back. (He's tentatively scheduled to pitch Saturday.) The Phils can’t afford to lose more pitching. Morgan will be re-evaluated on Tuesday, but should be OK to make his next start.
“It’s just a bruise,” Morgan said. “I’ll be fine. It’s dangerous when it’s around the elbow, but it got me more on top of the forearm.”
Paredes’ first hit of the day, a single, gave the Phils a 1-0 lead in the second inning. His home run in the fourth put them up, 3-2. He doubled home a run in the fifth as the Phils opened a three-run lead.
The Rockies made things interesting against closer Jeanmar Gomez in the ninth, rallying for two runs before Gomez got the final out to secure the one-run victory and earn his 31st save.
The Phils had scored a single run in the sixth inning to open a 7-4 lead and that proved important after the Rockies rallied in the ninth. Ryan Howard singled to lead off the frame and scored on a double by Odubel Herrera.
Howard has hit safely in eight of his last nine games at a .433 (13 for 30) clip. Since the break, he is hitting .367 (18 for 49) with four doubles, five homers, 13 RBI and a .755 slugging percentage.
Not too shabby.
Paredes wasn’t too shabby Sunday, either.
The veteran was acquired from Toronto on June 1 in a cash deal. This was just his 17th start and he made the most of it.
“I try to be ready for whenever they put me in,” he said. “I was ready for my chance and I did the best I can.”
The Rockies, on the other hand, may not have been ready for the game. At least their defense suggested that. They made four errors. Starting pitcher Tyler Chatwood walked five in four innings.
The Phillies were sloppy at times, too. Cesar Hernandez missed a tag at second and that cost Morgan a run.
“I think because it was one of the hottest days we’ve played on this year, I think that had a lot to do with it,” said Phillies manager Pete Mackanin, explaining the sloppiness. “You’ve got to give credit to the guys that kept hustling throughout. I’m sure there was a lot of weight loss by both teams.
“It’s great to beat a team like the Rockies. I applaud our guys on a real tough day. They battled and played hard. That was very special to me.”
The Phillies are off on Monday. They host Chase Utley and the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night.