PHILADELPHIA — This is what a heater feels like in late May: Kody Clemens is the Phillies’ 14th position player — not good enough to make the Opening Day roster — and he was 18 hours removed from a dramatic game-tying homer when the Washington Nationals brought in a lefty reliever to face him Sunday. Clemens did not look over his shoulder, although he knows how much the Phillies love to seek the platoon advantage.
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Manager Rob Thomson didn’t this time. Clemens drilled a two-run double to right. The Phillies are 20 games over .500 a week before Memorial Day.
“He’s just been swinging the bat so well, you know?” Thomson said.
Kody. Clemens. pic.twitter.com/5ExQVU7Tqk
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 19, 2024
Clemens is a testament to this whole thing. He is hitting .321/.345/.821 in 29 plate appearances. He might not have a job whenever Trea Turner returns from the injured list — which could be within the next two weeks. Good teams find ways to win. Great teams do it with their complementary players.
Could Clemens play more in the short term?
“It all depends on who we’re facing,” Thomson said. “I think we’ve done a pretty good job of mixing and matching, and I think we’ll continue to do that. Try to get everybody in the games and be a part of it.”
The Phillies have a few weeks to let it play out. Thomson is committed to at-bats for Edmundo Sosa against all lefty starters and some righties. They prefer Sosa at shortstop over anyone else on the current roster. That matters.
Maybe, once Turner returns, the Phillies send Clemens back to Triple A and have him focus on outfield work. Remember: They opted against carrying a lefty bench bat (other than Garrett Stubbs) in spring training because Thomson decided he would be fine with Whit Merrifield against a righty pitcher. The Phillies will pinch hit for only one righty in the lineup — Johan Rojas — so Clemens needs to be able to play left field in that scenario.
Cristian Pache saw more playing time in the past two weeks as Merrifield faded. The Phillies want a righty platoon partner for Brandon Marsh; Clemens does not fit that. They won’t sever ties with Merrifield. Pache has always felt extraneous with Rojas, but the Phillies will want to preserve depth.
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It’s a decent problem to have.
What is Alec Bohm doing differently in 2024?
He leads the majors in RBIs with 42. He is on pace for 141, which sounds absurd until you remember that Ryan Howard posted 149, 136, 146 and 141 RBIs in four consecutive seasons. Alec Bohm, on Sunday, had one of those games teams dream about when they take a hitter with the third overall pick in the MLB draft. He batted four times with runners in scoring position. The first two times, he scorched two balls to the opposite field for sacrifice flies. Then, in the eighth, he pulled a ball 403 feet for a three-run homer.
He is hitting .330/.389/.528.
“The preparation I think has been the next step that I feel like I’ve maybe gotten a little bit better at,” Bohm said. “I feel like I’m just a little more prepared for the at-bats. It’s just a lot more specific.”
Bohm spends more time thinking about that day’s pitcher than he did before. He has a coach set a pitching machine to mimic the opposing starter’s arm angle. He has always been productive with runners on base, but he is driving the ball more — especially to the pull side.
“It’s just kind of understanding where the ball’s coming out of the guy’s hand and how it’s getting to me,” Bohm said. “A little bit better of a plan. I’m just a little more calm, a little more prepared. I’m able to use the whole field a little bit better.”
Bohm has found a home as the cleanup hitter on the team with the best record in baseball. It’s a good fit.
Cristopher Sánchez hits a new high
Before Saturday night, Cristopher Sánchez had thrown a total of 10 pitches at 96 mph in the majors. He fired 16 in his strong seven-inning start (with no walks) against Washington. He had never hit 97 mph before. He did that three times — including a 98.3 mph sinker at the bottom of the strike zone that Nick Senzel pounded into the ground for an out.
When was the last time Sánchez threw 98 mph?
“I don’t remember,” he said Sunday morning.
Thomson does — in 2020, Sánchez’s first spring with the Phillies.
“Yeah,” Thomson said. “He was throwing 98 but it was hitting the top of the complex building.”
The Phillies have conducted an interesting experiment with Sánchez; they dialed him back last season to help him stay in the strike zone more. It worked. Sánchez continued to add strength over the winter. It has allowed him to repeat his delivery better. He can throw strikes and throw harder.
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He has a 3.31 ERA in nine starts. His 2.59 FIP is best on the Phillies and fifth in the National League.
Sánchez might have left too many hittable pitches over the heart of the plate Saturday; Washington had eight hits in seven innings, although seven were singles. If Sánchez had a problematic trend last season, it was the 16 homers he surrendered in 99 1/3 innings.
He’s allowed one in 49 innings this season. The added velocity, Thomson said, is a reason why. Sanchez attributed the recent uptick to better weather but the strength work he’s done is the base for everything. He sat 95 mph and reached back for 98 in the sixth inning Saturday. Can he live there and keep throwing strikes?
“Possibly,” Thomson said. “He’s shown it for a short period here. But this kid just keeps getting better and keeps maturing. It’s unbelievable where he’s come from when we first got him. It’s incredible. So, who knows where it’s going to end up?”
(Top photo of Kody Clemens after one of his two doubles on Sunday: Eric Hartline / USA Today)
