Romano’s Slide Step Key to Final Out in Phillies’ Victory

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Jordan Romano celebrated more than just his first career save after the Phillies‘ thrilling 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night. The right-handed reliever’s excitement stemmed from executing a well-practiced slide step that led to an impressive double play, effectively sealing the game.

Romano faced pinch-hitter Max Muncy, striking him out with a fastball for the final out. Following that, catcher J.T. Realmuto made a swift throw to nab Chris Taylor attempting to steal second, as confirmed by a replay review. Romano’s execution of a quick slide step delivery was pivotal in this moment.

“I’m usually pretty slow to the plate,” Romano said. “J.T. getting a guy on the slide step, it was just cool. Something we worked on, something we talked about, and seeing it in the game was pretty cool.”

Despite Romano’s successful final out, the ninth inning posed challenges for him. He recorded an average fastball velocity of 93.7 mph, and his slider command was inconsistent, notably allowing Tommy Edman to hit a two-run homer, which interrupted the Phillies’ hopes of a shutout.

Throughout his career, holding baserunners has been a noted weakness for Romano. He has worked on refining his slide step with the Toronto Blue Jays and focused on improving it again after joining the Phillies. This issue has recently been more pronounced, as opposing teams have attempted to steal on him 15.8% of chances this season.

“You have to keep an eye on those baserunners,” Romano explained. “It’s been a point of emphasis since Spring Training.”

Manager Rob Thomson acknowledged the improvements made by Romano in executing the slide step, highlighting its effectiveness. “I mean the time was, I think it was 1.45 seconds to the plate last night on that stolen base attempt,” Thomson stated. “So if he can do that, we got a shot.”

Meanwhile, the team is monitoring several players as they recover from injuries. Pitcher Ranger Suárez, recovering from low back stiffness, threw 34 pitches during a live batting practice session on Saturday. Thomson, who watched via a live feed, commented on Suárez’s performance. “Fastball was normal. The first inning, he was really, really good. Command was outstanding,” he noted.

In addition, infielder Weston Wilson is dealing with a moderate oblique strain and has faced live pitching for the second consecutive day. The Philadelphia hierarchy is also optimistic about top pitching prospect Andrew Painter, who completed his live batting practice session “very well,” according to Thomson.

As the team prepares for the final game of the series against the Dodgers, which will feature starting pitcher Taijuan Walker (0-0, 1.69 ERA) against Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow (1-0, 0.00), the focus remains on strengthening their performance on both the mound and the base paths.