Durán Seals Win in Exciting Phillies Debut

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    PHILADELPHIA — In an electrifying game at Citizens Bank Park, new Philadelphia Phillies acquisition Jhoan Durán made a memorable first appearance, closing out a hard-fought 5-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers with a save. The game reached its pinnacle during the eighth inning when Bryson Stott, initially called out, was ruled safe after a replay review, driving in the go-ahead run.

    The Phillies faced an uphill battle, initially trailing 3-0 by the seventh inning and later 4-3 in the eighth. Despite these setbacks, they managed to mount comebacks against the AL Central-leading Tigers, paving the way for Durán’s much-anticipated debut.

    Adding to the high-drama atmosphere, Durán took to the mound to the tune of The Undertaker’s gong, with only the glow of iPhone lights in the stands and flames lighting up the big screen. Living up to the hype, Durán delivered a commanding performance, retiring three batters on just four pitches in the ninth inning to notch his 17th save.

    The Phillies showcased resilience, especially since they played without star slugger Bryce Harper, who was ejected during the seventh inning following a heated argument over a called third strike.

    Earlier, the Tigers jumped to an early lead thanks to Gleyber Torres, who smashed a three-run homer off Phillies’ starter Ranger Suárez. However, the Phillies chipped away at the deficit with a sacrifice fly by Stott, accompanied by run-scoring singles from Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber, leveling the score at 3-3.

    Detroit briefly reclaimed the lead in the eighth inning when Wenceel Pérez hit a solo homer off reliever Orion Kerkering. Shortly after, Otto Kemp pulled the Phillies back with an RBI double, making it a tie game once more. The inning took another dramatic turn when Edmundo Sosa managed to reach base on a misthrow by reliever Brenan Hanifee, which lifted Spencer Torkelson off the first base bag to give Philadelphia renewed momentum.

    Stott’s pivotal grounder to short was initially marked as an out, but after review, the call was overturned, securing the crucial 5-4 edge for the Phillies.

    The misstep by Hanifee ultimately cost Detroit the game, negating Torres’s stellar three-hit performance.

    Looking ahead, the series continues with Philadelphia’s ace, Zack Wheeler (9-4, 2.56 ERA), taking the mound against the Tigers’ left-hander Tarik Skubal (10-3, 2.09 ERA).