- Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner started the year on a cold streak.
- On Wednesday, he broke through with a clutch home run in the bottom of the ninth.
It's been a tough start to the season for Phillies shortstop Trea Turner.
After heading to Philadelphia on a monster 11-year, $300 million deal, Turner had not provided the type of at-bats that made him a player worth nearly a third of a billion dollars.
On Wednesday night, it appeared as though Turner was set to hit a new low, swinging at pitches that were in the dirt as the Phillies attempted to mount a comeback against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
But luckily for the Phillies, Turner would get his shot at redemption in the bottom of the ninth.
With two outs, one man on, and the Phillies trailing 5-3, Turner stepped up to the plate and smashed a home run that he and the city of Brotherly Love desperately needed.
—Nick Piccone (@_piccone) May 24, 2023
Turner's home run tied the game and the Phillies would go on to win in the 10th.
After the game, Turner spoke with media, and explained that his mother had helped him to be prepared for the boos that he was getting through his slow start and sometimes awful at-bats.
"My mom prepared me for anything in this game and this world. She was tough on me from an early age, and not much phases me," Turner said.
"She told me today she was booing me. She actually texted me and said 'Good game, except for your fourth at-bat.' And I said 'Yeah, not a good one.' And she said 'I was booing you.' She's one of the reasons why I'm here."
—Tim Kelly (@TimKellySports) May 24, 2023
With the win, the Phillies gain some much-needed momentum heading into a road trip where they will face off against divisional rivals the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets.
Through it all, Turner's mom will be cheering, or booing, him on.