DENVER \u2014 The baseball deities work in mysterious ways, like a scheduled day off in Colorado with temperatures that hovered in the mid-70s. It was golfing weather. At least half of the Phillies team went on 18-hole adventures, some as far as 40 minutes from downtown. A few even played 36 holes. For a team that did not have the most ideal six-game start to its season, this was a reprieve.<\/p>\n
Then, on Friday, a blast of cold air came through the Rocky Mountains. It was not hitting weather. A Phillies clubhouse attendant placed nine duffel bags in the middle of the visitors locker room at Coors Field with every piece of warm attire the Phillies could bring. Teams come to this ballpark to solve whatever ails them at the plate; it helps when you can feel your fingers gripping the bat.<\/p>\n
But all it took was 18 minutes of catharsis in the first inning. The Phillies scored seven runs, more than they had in any full game during the first week of this season. They made Michael Lorenzen throw 44 pitches to record three outs. It was the most runs the Phillies have scored in the first inning in almost three years.<\/p>\n
And, after a 10-1 cruise-control afternoon win over the Colorado Rockies, Trea Turner shrugged.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like everyone\u2019s making everything such a big deal nowadays,\u201d Turner said. \u201cI don\u2019t know. We were just playing baseball.\u201d<\/p>\n
The season is 4.3 percent complete, and inside the Phillies\u2019 clubhouse, they have marveled at the general reaction to the slow start during their 3-3 homestand. One player received a verbal death threat during a game at Citizens Bank Park, an incident that was corroborated by others who overheard it. The Phillies did not score runs like they were supposed to, and the loudest of the faithful vented their frustration. It was a long winter. Everyone would like to see some dingers.<\/p>\n
No one will be satisfied until October (or November), and it\u2019s why this whole Phillies season is such a fascinating experiment. This roster is carrying the highest of expectations. Had they swept a six-game homestand against the Texas Rangers and Washington Nationals, the loudest fans might have surmised: Great, it doesn\u2019t matter until the postseason.<\/p>\n
There is pressure. But not in March or April.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re veteran guys,\u201d Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. \u201cI don\u2019t think there\u2019s any weight on them. You know, they know they\u2019re going to hit. And it\u2019s just a matter of time. And, you know, I think, as I said a couple of days ago, I think it\u2019s magnified because it\u2019s the start of the year.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Phillies\u2019 No. 1-5 hitters entered Friday with a .556 OPS. That ranked 29th in Major League Baseball. The first five men reached in Friday\u2019s game \u2014 double, walk, walk, single, double.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe double that Trea had to start the game set the tone pretty early,\u201d Brandon Marsh said.<\/p>\n
Marsh, one of the few Phillies who has hit since Opening Day, crushed a 454-foot three-run homer to right field that put an exclamation point on the first inning. It was the longest homer of Marsh\u2019s career. But he had the farthest-hit ball in this game for only about an hour because Kyle Schwarber destroyed a baseball that landed 460 feet away in the fifth inning.<\/p>\n
\nA double-decker 460-foot blast for Kyle Schwarber \ud83d\ude33<\/p>\n
(MLB x @MountainDew<\/a>) pic.twitter.com\/RfbCz4xnwR<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 MLB (@MLB) April 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
It\u2019s the Rockies and it\u2019s Lorenzen, but in that first inning, the Phillies fulfilled every promise of this lineup. It took Lorenzen 26 pitches to register an out. The Phillies did not chase; Schwarber and Bryce Harper took their walks. Alec Bohm, in a position to drive in runs, served a two-run single to center. Bryson Stott did the same thing with a run-scoring double to center.<\/p>\n
Even after Marsh\u2019s homer, the Phillies kept going. J.T. Realmuto doubled and Turner collected his second hit of the inning, an RBI single to right.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s good to keep the line moving,\u201d Turner said. \u201cI felt like everyone took their hits. In this stadium, there\u2019s a lot of hits out there. The outfield is so big, so you don\u2019t have to hit it over the fence to keep the line moving. I thought we did a good job of that today.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nA 454-FOOT SHOT FOR BRANDON MARSH! \ud83d\ude80 pic.twitter.com\/JJtSlyjHaj<\/a><\/p>\n