The Phillies got a useful answer on Tuesday night, even if it came because of necessity rather than design. With Trea Turner sidelined after getting hit by a pitch Monday night, Brandon Marsh moved to the top of the lineup and Kyle Schwarber hit second while playing first base.
The result was hard to ignore. Philadelphia scored 8 runs on 6 hits, and the lineup included home runs from Marsh, Schwarber, and Alec Bohm. Marsh also made a strong first impression as a leadoff hitter this season, finishing 1-for-3 with a two-run homer, a walk, and a stolen base.
A lineup that works, with some obvious limits
Marsh at leadoff is not a perfect fix. It created three straight left-handed hitters at the top of the order with Marsh, Schwarber, and Bryce Harper, which is less than ideal against left-handed starters.
It can also become a problem late in games if opposing teams bring in left-handed relievers. Still, the combination may be the best version of the Phillies’ top three available right now, especially with Turner struggling.
In a perfect setup, Turner would be hitting first or second and helping break up the left-handed sequence. But his recent production has made that difficult, while Marsh has been one of the club’s best hitters.
Turner’s return changed the plan, but not the question
When Turner returned on Wednesday, he went back to leadoff and responded with three hits, his first multi-hit game since June 7th. That helps explain why the Phillies and Don Mattingly still prefer Marsh deeper in the order behind Harper.
Even so, the brief shift offered a clean look at how different the lineup can look with Marsh setting the table. The sample is small, but Tuesday’s version of the order produced immediate offense and showed why the idea is worth revisiting.
The question now is not whether Turner can still lead off in the right matchup, but whether the Phillies should be more willing to give Marsh those chances when the lineup needs a spark.
