Phillies ‘push the Envelope,' Bunt Their Way to Another 1-run Win

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The 2016 Phillies are going to be different.

They have to be.

They're going to "push the envelope," as Pete Mackanin put it.

Well, bunting four times - three for hits, the other for the winning run - perfectly fits that mantra, one that helped the Phillies beat the Cincinnati Reds, 3-2, on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park (see full recap).

It penned another one-run win on Mackanin's scorecard, the Phillies' MLB-leading 13th victory in 16 such games. It also pushed the Phillies to six games over .500 (21-15) for the first time since 2011, when that club finished a franchise-record 102-60.

"It's fun to win those games because it teaches them how to win those close games," Mackanin said. "That's a real bonus for us."

With the game tied, 2-2, in the bottom of the fourth inning and Tyler Goeddel standing on third base with one out, starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson joined the bunt parade. He placed one right inside the chalk along the first-base line. It died in the dirt, forcing Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart to play the ball and leave home plate uncovered.

Goeddel scampered home for the go-ahead run. The play was a safety squeeze - and the difference.

"I'm very pleased with it," Mackanin said. "If you execute that play, then it works.

"He executed and it won us the game."

Hellickson, who allowed no earned runs and struck out nine over seven innings, was credited with the winning RBI, his first of the season and eighth of his career.

"Just trying to get it down and not trying to be too perfect with it," Hellickson said. "Goeddel can run, so I've just got to get it down."

Who knew his bat would be just as pivotal as his arm?

With these Phillies, that can often be the case.

"He put down a perfect bunt," Goeddel said. "It was an easy read at third. "You can't take any pitches off in a close game like that. I think we're as mentally tough as any team I've been on, personally. I wouldn't be surprised if we can keep this going throughout the year."

Goeddel exhibited some of that mental toughness, as he played a role - both good and bad - in the Phillies' win, their first game of a nine-game homestand.

The 23-year-old rookie giftwrapped Cincinnati a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning when what looked like an inning-ending fly ball caromed off his glove. Goeddel, who was running toward the left-field corner, said it was a play he "should make every time."

Instead, it was an error with runners on the corners and two outs, resulting in two runs.

"I just took my eye off the ball," he said. "And [Hellickson] was pitching so well, it didn't feel good out there, I'll tell you that.

"I was running towards the wall at first, then I looked up and it was more to the line than I thought. So when I changed directions a little bit, I took my eye off when I reached for it I guess and it hit off the glove."

Goeddel, the Phillies' Rule 5 draft pick, entered the game hitting a meager .159 with one extra-base hit.

He desperately wanted to make up for his mishap.

"Just trying to have a short memory out there," Goeddel said. "I knew I was going to get a chance to redeem myself, whether it be in the field or at the plate. I took some deep breaths and got my chance."

And seized it.

Goeddel laced a two-run, game-tying triple down the first-base line in the bottom of the fourth inning before scoring the winning run on Hellickson's bunt.

From goat to game-winner.

"I was hoping I'd get a chance and then a couple of guys got on," Goeddel said. "I wasn't trying to do too much because obviously my emotions were pretty high at that point. But I got a good pitch to hit and luckily it stayed fair."

Jeanmar Gomez closed out his major-league-best 14th save and another small-ball, one-run triumph was in the books.

"People have been doubting us since the first game of the year," Hellickson said. "We're just going to keep doing what we've been doing. Hopefully, win some games by more than one run.

"But it's fun."

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