Author: Lochlahn March

During the Phillies’ rain delay last week in Washington, Derek Hill kept himself busy with a Sharpie and pair of cleats.

The outfielder spent the hour and a half coloring the white shoes red with a marker. It was just a way to pass the time while the Phillies waited for their game to start, but it’s not the first pair of spikes that Hill has customized.

It’s actually a hobby of his, although typically it involves more elaborate designs and acrylic paint instead of a Sharpie.

“It’s like a little getaway from the game,” Hill said. “It’s pretty addicting. So, once I get going, I’ll go for like two months, and then I’ll stop for like two months, then I’ll just pick it up and just keep on going. But I got to make some for Philly.”

Hill, 30, has always been artistic. Not only does he love to draw and paint, he also had an interest in metalwork and ceramics growing up.

This is the first year he’s tried painting his cleats, though, and found that the process helps him unwind.

“Just don’t have any outside noise,” Hill said. “Just sitting there, it’s just quiet, and you get to relax, and just focus on one thing, and not worry about anything outside of that.”

His new teammates don’t yet know about this side of him, as Hill was only acquired from the White Sox on June 11.

He has already made an impression in the clubhouse with two clutch ninth-inning home runs in Washington and a home run-robbing catch against the Mets in New York. In 14 games since the trade with the White Sox, Hill is batting .313 with a .865 OPS. He’s become a key utility platoon outfielder, primarily starting against lefties or coming off the bench.

But so far, his affinity for art has been under wraps. Even Brandon Marsh, who shares the outfield with Hill and played with him in 2019 as prospects in the Arizona Fall League, was unaware.

“I had no idea how much of an artiste he was,” Marsh said.

Hill said the favorite shoes he’s done recently were a colorful pair he made for Easter, with bright purple, orange, green, blue, and pink on a white base.

The entire process, starting with a plain white pair, takes him about two days.

“I acetone them down, to get rid of all the finisher that they put on it,” he said. “And then let that dry, throw my paint on, throw my clear coat on, and let it dry, and it’s good to go.”

Most of the cleats Hill has designed were with the White Sox in mind. He has a red, white, and black pair in his Phillies locker, but originally wore them with Chicago’s City Connect uniform, which draws inspiration from the red Chicago Bulls basketball jersey.

For him, inspiration can come from anywhere.

“Honestly, I just see something and I’m like, ‘Oh, let me see if I can recreate that,’” Hill said.

Now that he’s settling in with his new team, he has plans for more at some point — maybe a pair that incorporates the Phillies’ powder blues.

“We’re going to have some heat on the feet,” Hill said.

Extra bases

The Phillies made a bullpen swap ahead of Tuesday’s game, optioning Chase Shugart and selecting the contract of right-hander Lou Trivino, a Green Lane, Montgomery County native. “Just needing a fresh arm,” said interim manager Don Mattingly. “Bullpen’s been on fumes. I know Shug gave up a couple homers lately, but he’s really good for us this year. He did what we needed from that role, taking the ball a lot, always ready to take it.” … Brad Keller (right forearm tendinitis) threw a live batting practice session on Tuesday. The Phillies will re-evaluate him on Wednesday to determine next steps. … Zack Wheeler (8-1, 2.03 ERA) is scheduled to start Wednesday opposite Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes (6-7, 3.10).

WASHINGTON — From Kyle Schwarber’s perspective, pinch-hitting is one of the most difficult things to do in baseball.

Derek Hill takes it one step further.

“It’s the hardest thing to do in sports,” the Phillies outfielder said.

On Wednesday night, both Schwarber and Hill were called on to do it in the ninth inning, and both delivered. Schwarber, who had been on the bench with lower back tightness, drew a crucial 10-pitch walk to put the tying run aboard against the Nationals. And Hill blasted a go-ahead, two-run home run in the 5-4 win over the Washington Nationals.

After playing the unlikely hero, Hill left the Phillies clubhouse Wednesday night to see family before reporters entered, but he fielded questions pregame on Thursday about the moment.

“Obviously the guys, they fought their butts off all nine innings, so just to be able to come in there and contribute was really cool,” Hill said.

Hill, who was acquired by the Phillies on June 11 from the Chicago White Sox after Adolis García’s season ended due to injury, has three pinch-hit home runs this season. He is tied with Randal Grichuk for the most in the major leagues this year.

And he followed it up with another big ninth-inning moment in Thursday’s 10-5 win. Hill came off the bench in the seventh, and after Bryce Harper’s go-ahead homer, he launched another two-run shot to give the Phillies more insurance.

Entering Friday’s series opener against the Mets, Hill was hitting .375 with a 1.042 OPS in 24 plate appearances with the Phillies. He has collected at least one hit in the last six games he’s appeared in. Of those, he only started three.

When opportunities are few, how does he stay ready?

“I went through a lot of trials and tribulations over the last some-odd years,” Hill said Thursday. “Just kind of failing, succeeding here and there, and just being able to take little pieces out of the successes, and hopefully continue doing that.”

According to interim manager Don Mattingly, experience is the real key to success as a pinch-hitter. Hill has 39 pinch-hit plate appearances since debuting in the majors in 2020, including 18 this year.

“I think it’s hard. I think it’s easier for older guys that kind of know their swing, they walk up with a plan,” Mattingly said. “I think it is something that it’s always hard. Pinch-hitting is tough, because you get one shot.”

Making contributions like the ones Hill made in the Nationals series can certainly help a new player integrate into a clubhouse. But the 30-year-old Hill didn’t need any help in that department.

“He’s been a good guy in our clubhouse. He’s a guy that’s prepared, he’s low maintenance, ready to go at all times,” Mattingly said. “We go look for a pinch-hitter, and he’s ready with a bat in his hand, or he knows when we defend with him, and things like that.”

Added Schwarber: “He fits right in with our group.”

According to Hill, Brandon Marsh in particular has been a big help in adjusting to the Phillies. The outfielders already knew each other before the trade, having played together in the Arizona Fall League as prospects in 2019.

“We all see the work that he’s been putting in down in the cages, and he’s a phenomenal athlete and a hell of a ballplayer,” Marsh said. “We’re lucky to have him, and just being a buddy of his from a couple years ago, and seeing him throughout these past couple years, and now getting to play together has been special for us.

“He’s been awesome for us, and we’re going to need him. We’re going to keep relying on D-Hill, for sure.”

Hill said he’s taking the opportunity to learn from Marsh while he gets an up-close look at the career season Marsh has been putting together.

“Marshy is the man, obviously,” Hill said. “We kind of already have that camaraderie and everything like that. And he’s a high energy guy, and I like to think of myself as the same.”

Thursday night’s series finale against the Nationals marked the halfway point of the Phillies’ season. The year is far from over and things still need to be done before playoff races truly take shape.

But when they do, the three consecutive ninth-inning outbursts this week against the Nationals might become even more significant in hindsight. And Hill, mere weeks after being acquired in a desperation move because of García’s injury, turned out to play a crucial role in two of the comebacks.

“Every single game matters,” Hill said. “At the end of the year, you’re going to look back at a couple games and be like, those are ones that got us in, or those are the ones that didn’t get us in. So to be able to keep that focus on 162 is pretty important.”

WASHINGTON — Kyle Schwarber and Derek Hill were down in the batting cages together underneath Nationals Park when the ninth inning began.

Schwarber had been on the bench for the last two days with tightness in his lower back, but he started to feel like himself again by the seventh inning on Wednesday night. He let interim manager Don Mattingly know he was available to pinch-hit if needed.

The Phillies, trailing the Nationals by one run, hoped they would have an occasion to use him. And when right-handed pitcher Orlando Ribalta came out for the ninth, Schwarber knew they would.

He stepped into the box with two outs, representing the Phillies’ last chance. The Nationals convened on the mound to discuss how to approach him.

“You’re just trying to stay within yourself, stay in the zone, and just trying to find a way on base,” Schwarber said.

It took 10 pitches, but Schwarber got there. He fell behind 1-2, and then fouled off four pitches and held off on three more to draw a walk.

And when the Nationals brought in lefty Richard Lovelady, it was Hill’s turn. The outfielder, who the Phillies acquired earlier this month, delivered a pinch-hit, go-ahead two-run homer for a 5-4 win over Washington.

“I’m just trying to go up there and just execute the plan that the hitting department has laid out for us,” Hill told the Phillies radio broadcasters. “And, obviously, tonight they gave us a pretty dang good one.”

In both at-bats, the Phillies were down to their last strike. And neither Schwarber nor Hill had an automated ball-strike challenge to fall back on, as the Phillies burned both by the fifth inning.

Hill, who left the clubhouse before reporters entered postgame, has plenty of experience coming off the bench in his six-year career. This season, he has 17 pinch-hit plate appearances between the Phillies and the White Sox.

But for an everyday player like Schwarber, it’s a much rarer occurrence. Schwarber has 61 career pinch-hit plate appearances, his last coming in 2024.

“It’s never easy,” Schwarber said. “It’s the hardest thing to do in the game, I think, is being a pinch-hitter and having to go up there and taking an at-bat.”

Schwarber watched the Phillies’ furious ninth-inning comeback on Tuesday night inside the visitors’ clubhouse. Due to his back tightness, he’d been unable to contribute as the Phillies went down to their final strike of the game and then rallied back to score eight runs.

As it unfolded, Schwarber had to keep himself from jumping up and down in excitement.

“It’s been a couple of crazy nights here,” said Mattingly.

On Wednesday, the Phillies once again fell behind early. The Nationals built a 2-0 lead on solo home runs off Aaron Nola in the first and second innings. Washington stacked eight lefties — including two switch-hitters — in its lineup. But by the time the Phillies offense jumped ahead in the fourth, Nola appeared to find a rhythm.

“I just tried to keep the guys in the game as long as I could,” he said.

He got ahead in the count more often, throwing first-pitch strikes 62% of the time. Nola successfully shut down Nationals star James Wood in all three of his plate appearances against him, striking him out in the third inning with a knuckle curve. It was one of five strikeouts Nola recorded over five innings.

“He’s the kind of guy I’ve learned to appreciate more and more, just the way he continues to fight, continues to make pitches,” Mattingly said. “He may bend a little bit, but he just doesn’t give in and stop pitching.”

The Phillies punched back, capitalizing on two singles, a double, a fielding error, and a sacrifice fly to score three runs and take the lead in the fourth. Alec Bohm, who ultimately reached first base on the error, fouled a ball off his foot in his at-bat and appeared to be in some pain. He played through it and remained in the game, but Mattingly said afterward that Bohm will get X-rays to ensure there isn’t a break.

Some managerial maneuvering backfired on Mattingly in the sixth as the Nationals jumped back in front. When Curtis Mead stepped up to pinch-hit against Phillies lefty Kyle Backhus, Mattingly countered by bringing in Jonathan Bowlan. As a righty, Bowlan had the advantageous matchup on paper against Mead, a right-handed hitter.

But Bowlan served up a first-pitch sweeper to Mead, who blasted it over Brandon Marsh’s head and into the left field seats for a two-run homer.

Things worked out, however, after a similar countermove in the ninth. After Schwarber’s walk, the Nationals brought in the left-handed Lovelady to face Justin Crawford, prompting Mattingly to call on Hill.

“He’s been making some really good adjustments since he’s gotten to us,” Schwarber said of Hill. “He works extremely hard, and he fits right in with our group. And to see him go out there and have that big swing, put us ahead, it’s really cool.”

Mattingly also used Garrett Stubbs as a pinch-runner for Schwarber, and Stubbs remained in the game to play third base for the bottom of the ninth.

He was not tested defensively, though, because Jhoan Duran struck out the side to earn the save and seal the Phillies’ second straight ninth-inning comeback.

“It’s them understanding that this game’s never over,” Mattingly said. “ … I think that’s important for our club to know that we can score a lot, we can score a little, we can score in different ways. I think these wins are very important.”