SPORTS Phillies continue historic start to season with 11-4 rout of Rangers.
PHILADELPHIA – This is what history looks like. It’s a swift reply to an early two-run deficit against, well, yes, the Rangers are the reigning World Series champs even though they don’t look the part. It’s the first career three-run homer by an understudy who is making nobody miss the injured $300 million leading man. It’s the majors’ RBIs leader dropping a two-run flare between three defenders in center
field. And it’s another victory, the Phillies’ 36th against only 14 losses, the best 50-game start in the history of a 142-season-old franchise. The final score – 11-4, by the way – almost doesn’t matter. Neither do the stars du jour, although we’re obligated to inform you that fill-in shortstop Edmundo Sosa clocked an opposite-field three-run shot, J.T. Realmuto hit a go-ahead homer and drove in three runs, and Bryce Harper crushed his team-leading 12th homer in garbage time. Here’s the important part: The Phillies are unstoppable. Not only do they have the best record in baseball – and a six-game cushion over the Braves
in the National League East before Memorial Day weekend. Since a 2-4 start, they are 34-10, the first time they have ever won 34 of 44 games within a single season. “I don’t really get caught up in it,” manager Rob Thomson said before the game. “I don’t think any of our guys do, either. They come prepared every day. It’s just a new day.” Thomson is all but required to say that. It’s his job to ensure his players stay levelheaded amid all of their early success. Maybe it explains his fifth-inning hook of Taijuan Walker – one out shy of qualifying for a win – after he gave up a two-out RBI single to cut the lead to 6-3.
