Phillies survive Jordan Romano's off night, outlast Oakland Athletics in 4-3 win

Lochlahn March, The Philadelphia Inquirer on May 24, 2025

Published in Baseball

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WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jordan Romano hadn’t allowed an earned run in nine appearances before taking the ball in the ninth inning on Friday.

The Philadelphia Phillies had just scored three runs on the Athletics’ All-Star closer Mason Miller in the top half of the inning, giving Romano a comfortable lead to work with. But all three insurance runs ultimately proved crucial in the Phillies’ 4-3 win over the A’s.

Romano allowed a single, a walk, and a three-run homer to spoil the shutout. He was lifted from the game for Tanner Banks after allowing the tying run to reach on another single, but Banks earned his first save of the season with a strikeout.

Trea Turner had started the game with a leadoff homer, but that accounted for the Phillies’ only run until the ninth. Phillies starter Zack Wheeler tossed 62/3 scoreless innings to help keep the A’s at bay until the Phillies’ bats started to heat up.

Wheeler hasn’t allowed an earned run in 222/3 consecutive innings, the second-longest such streak of his career. He pounded the zone with his fastball, using his four-seam and sinker a combined 71% of the time. Four of Wheeler’s eight strikeouts came on his sweeper. He only allowed three hits.

Wheeler dueled Athletics rookie Jacob Lopez, who also allowed three hits over seven innings.

With Miller in for the ninth, J.T. Realmuto stretched an infield single to three bases when the ball went by Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz. He came home on a double from Alec Bohm, who was in turn driven home by a bloop single from Johan Rojas.

After Rojas stole second, Turner kept the line moving with an RBI single to center field that chased Miller from the game.

The inning before, Rojas made a highlight-reel catch in center field to preserve what was then a shutout. With two outs and a runner on third, Tyler Soderstrom launched a sinker from Matt Strahm 395 feet. Rojas made the catch, hanging on even after his momentum brought him tumbling to the ground on the warning track.

According to StatCast data, it had a .890 expecting batting average off Soderstrom‘s bat.

Bryce Harper was hit by two pitches — on the elbow by Lopez and on the foot by reliever Justin Sterner — but remained in the game.

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