Spencer Turnbull exits with shoulder soreness, but Brandon Marsh powers Phillies to series win vs. Tigers

The Phillies called up Michael Mercado to take Turnbull’s seat out in the bullpen, and he made his major league debut Monday night. Although he was starting in Triple-A, the plan was to move him back to a relief role to control his workload.

Mercado did throw 91 pitches in back-to-back Triple-A starts earlier this month, and had a 1.98 ERA in 10 starts for Lehigh Valley. He would seem, then, to be the most likely choice to step in for Turnbull, if necessary.

In the meantime, the Phillies pocketed another victory — and crossed another day off the calendar — on the back of Marsh’s fourth career four-hit game and his first since April 16, 2023. Two of the hits even came against left-handed pitchers — Tyler Holton in the second inning and Joey Wentz in the eighth.

Marsh rarely starts against lefties, and it’s difficult to contend that he should. Entering play Wednesday, he was batting .143/.225/.167 with 22 strikeouts in 49 plate appearances against lefties.

But the Phillies hoped Marsh would be an everyday player when they traded for him at the 2022 deadline for touted catcher Logan O’Hoppe. Manager Rob Thomson claims he still believes Marsh will hit lefties. Until he does, though, the bulk of his opportunities are coming against lefty relievers.

“When we’ve got the lead, I don’t want to get his defense out, so he’s going to have to take down a left-hander,” Thomson said this week. “It’s baby steps. Eventually, I think he’s going to be not a platoon. I think he’s going to get the bulk of left-handed pitching.”

Marsh, stuck in a 5-for-27 rut, was in the lineup for the matinee finale in Detroit because the Tigers were using Holton only as an opener. He singled off Holton but did most of his damage against newly recalled righty Keider Montero.

In the fourth inning, Marsh broke a 1-1 tie by blasting a 95-mph fastball into the left-field bleachers for a two-run homer and snapping a homerless drought that lasted 135 plate appearances dating to April 26. In the fifth, he tagged a full-count heater from Montero for a two-run single to give the Phillies a 5-1 lead.