Alec Bohm shows the boost he can give playoff-bound Phillies, who have ‘bigger goals’
NEW YORK — An empty champagne flute sat on the carpet next to Alec Bohm 's trusted glass water jug, one of the only signs that the 154th game of this season was different. In reality, it was not. The Phillies had all but guaranteed they'd play in October months ago. They have been atop the National League East since May 3. A division title will trigger a rager.
But Major League Baseball wants to sell "OCTOBER READY" shirts for $39.99, so the Phillies had a toast filmed for social media Friday after a 12-2 win over the New York Mets . (There will be another shirt available to purchase, perhaps for the same price, whenever the Phillies celebrate next.) Manager Rob Thomson did all of the talking. It was brief. He thanked his players. He credited the dozens of staff members that comprise the traveling party.
"It's difficult to get to this point," Thomson said. "There's a lot of really good teams out there. You've got to overcome obstacles."
The celebration was muted because this is the standard now. The Phillies have made the postseason for three straight years for only the third time in franchise history. The previous two postseason-clinching games incited rowdy parties that bled into the morning.
"Pretty calm and relaxed," Bohm said, "for what it usually turns into."
The Phillies have a game to win Saturday afternoon. If they do, they will win their first NL East title in 13 years.
During the blowout Friday night, Bryson Stott turned to Garrett Stubbs in the dugout. Stott, who has made the postseason every year he's been in the majors, couldn't help but compare this team's situation.
"Look how much it's changed in three years," Stott said to Stubbs.
It's true.
"Down to the last series in '22," Stott said. "Last year, it was mayhem until 3 a.m. Obviously, it's still a huge accomplishment just getting to the playoffs. A lot of teams don't get to the playoffs, so we're not taking it lightly. But we also know there's bigger goals that we set that are within reach."
They won Friday with offensive contributions up and down the lineup, none more important than Bohm's four hits and four RBIs. His three-run homer in the fourth inning ripped open the game. Bohm was an All-Star for his spectacular start and, since July, he's been decent. Nothing more, nothing less.
How does he get back to being one of the league's best run producers?
"Just do what I did tonight," Bohm said. "Simple as that."
That would work.
"Just keep putting the bat on the ball," Bohm said. "Cut the chases down. Do what I can to just swing at good pitches. Make them throw the ball over the plate. The more I put the ball in play in those situations, there's a chance for good things to happen."
Bohm returned to the lineup last weekend. He missed 16 days with a strained left hand that hurt whenever he tried to swing a bat. He played one minor-league game, then batted fifth in his first three games back with the Phillies.
"I was just sort of waiting for him," Thomson said, "to get his timing back."
The Phillies have various methods of measuring fatigue. The easiest — talking to the player. A watchful eye might have noticed Bohm's swing lagging in July and August. He was late on pitches he hit earlier in the year. There is data to support it now; MLB's Statcast measures bat speed and Bohm's dipped in July and August. This month, so far, it's back to the average speed from May and June.
Bohm has worn down in past seasons. Maybe he'll enter this October with more armor.
"We won't talk about his hand," Stott said, "but it looks like he's a little more free and trusts it a little more now. He looks good."
It feels like forever ago, but Bohm powered the Phillies for the first few months. Friday marked his fourth four-RBI game of the season — but his first since May 19. Bohm had 70 RBIs in his first 84 games. He had only 20 in his next 51 games before this eruption.
Better run production from the cleanup spot would help come October.
"It would be huge," Thomson said. "That would be huge. That's why sometimes — I mean, you're not looking for injuries, but it's a blessing in disguise sometimes just to get him off his feet for 10 days. Let him rest."
Thomson is convinced Bohm was tired by July. "I think so," the manager said. "I think everybody was going through it right around that time." Bohm finished stronger in 2023 than in 2022; he was one of the few Phillies to hit during the entire seven-game National League Championship Series against Arizona . He was 7-for-25 with a homer, a double, two walks and only three strikeouts.
It's why Thomson kept Bohm in the cleanup spot for the final nine games of last October's run. It is why Bohm has been so important to this team all season.
"You look around and see all the talent," Bohm said. "You see all the guys. You see the front office and the moves they make. You look at it on paper at the beginning of the year and this team should be in the playoffs."
So, a simple toast was appropriate. The Phillies, indeed, have come a long way.
"This is the standard," Thomson said. "The goal is now firmly entrenched, that it's to win a World Series. And that's it. That's good to feel. It really is. It's difficult to come into a season where you just want to get better. You just want to get to .500 or you just want to get to the postseason. The goal now is to win it all. And that's a really good feeling to have."
(Top photo: Adam Hunger / Associated Press)
