As the Phillies cling to a wild card spot in the National League, an ugly season by high-priced addition Trea Turner is beginning to come under a microscope. Especially after his latest gaffe resulted in a heartbreaking loss to the Marlins on Wednesday night.
The Phillies saw a 5-0 lead slip away and blew another multi-run lead in the 10th inning, but still had a chance to close out the Marlins in the bottom of the 11th — until a Turner error gave Miami new life.
With two outs, Josh Bell hit a ground ball that could’ve ended the game, only for Turner to let it go right through to the outfield. Turner took about four steps toward the ball, got down on a knee to field it, and saw it bounce right past his glove, allowing the Marlins to tie the game.
TREA TURNER BOOTS THE JOSH BELL GROUNDER. GAME TIED AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/NtR8Mgou0k
— MLB Clutch Moments & Walk Offs (@MLBWalk_Offs) August 3, 2023
MORE: Trea Turner offers honest take on early-season struggles
It certainly wasn’t the easiest play, considering it came off the bat at 107.2 MPH and was ruled a hit. But it’s a play Turner was used to making before 2023.
To make matters worse, Turner finished the night 0-for-5 with a walk. He did score two runs, but the Phillies continue to wait for the former All-Star to have a breakthrough at the plate.
Turner didn’t shy away from responsibility in the clubhouse, telling reporters, “Obviously I’m the reason why we lost that game.”
“Obviously I’m the reason why we lost that game.”
A brutally honest Trea Turner after an all-around tough night. pic.twitter.com/7qAXyQ6Jw2
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) August 3, 2023
MORE: Trea Turner contract details with Phillies
Philadelphia gave Turner an 11-year, $300 million deal in December after back-to-back seasons of more than 20 home runs and 190 hits. Through 106 games with the Phillies, Turner is batting just .237 with 10 home runs and a .661 OPS. After finishing with an on-base percentage (OBP) north of .335 in each of his full seasons entering 2023, Turner has a .291 OBP this season.
Entering Wednesday’s game, Turner’s 1.3 fWAR ranked 19th among 31 shortstops with at least 250 plate appearances. Geraldo Perdomo, Orlando Arcia, Jon Berti, and CJ Abrams are among much cheaper players who rank higher than Turner.
As five teams sit within two games of each other in the NL wild card race, Wednesday night’s dramatic loss might be one the Phillies are still thinking about in October. If Philadelphia wants to separate itself from the pack, Turner will need to find his groove sooner rather than later.
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