Tyler Phillips, a native of South Jersey and lifelong Phillies fan, spent Sunday morning at Truist Park signing autographs for Phillies fans along the left-field line. His affinity for the team stemmed from childhood memories of unsuccessfully seeking player autographs. Phillips, 26, made a memorable MLB debut in Sunday’s 6-0 loss to the Braves, pitching four innings, allowing one run on three hits, and striking out seven batters. His seven strikeouts set a new Phillies record for most strikeouts by a pitcher in relief during their MLB debut, breaking a 123-year-old record held by Bill Duggleby since 1901.
“Unreal,” Phillips expressed. “I couldn’t have imagined a better debut”
In his debut inning in the fifth, Phillips struck out the side. He caught Matt Olson looking on a 2-2 curveball and then struck out Marcell Ozuna and Travis d’Arnaud swinging on sliders. In the sixth, Phillips added strikeouts against Adam Duvall and Jarred Kelenic, although Eli White managed a solo homer to left field in between.
Before finishing his afternoon, Phillips added two more strikeouts against Braves batters.
His family, including his 3-year-old son Frank, watched from the stands. Reflecting on the experience, Phillips shared, “He was crying after the game. I hoped they were happy tears, but he was actually scared of the Braves’ mascot, he said. I think he’ll remember this day. He’s excited to be here, and I’m just really glad he could witness it all.”
Tyler Phillips made a remarkable MLB debut, breaking a 123-year-old record previously held by Bill Duggleby. In Sunday’s game against the Braves, Phillips, a lifelong Phillies fan from South Jersey, pitched four innings, allowing one run on three hits while striking out seven batters. His seven strikeouts are the most by any Phillies pitcher in relief during their MLB debut. Reflecting on his achievement, Phillips described it as “unreal” and expressed his joy at realizing a childhood dream.
During his debut inning in the fifth, Phillips struck out the side, retiring Matt Olson looking on a 2-2 curveball and fanning Marcell Ozuna and Travis d’Arnaud swinging. In the sixth, he struck out Adam Duvall and Jarred Kelenic, though Eli White managed a solo home run in between. Phillips added two more strikeouts before ending his afternoon.
His family, including his 3-year-old son Frank, witnessed the milestone from the stands, although Frank’s tears afterward were due to fear of the Braves’ mascot rather than sheer happiness. Phillips, overwhelmed by the experience, struggled to put his feelings into words, having spent seven seasons in the Minor Leagues before his long-awaited call-up by his hometown team.
Manager Rob Thomson hinted at considering Phillips for future starts, acknowledging the team’s need to discuss pitching options following a challenging outing by rookie Michael Mercado.
