Trea Turner responds to standing-O from Phillies fans amid struggles
In the midst of the worst season of his career, Trea Turner received a little "Brotherly Love" from Philadelphia Phillies fans, who gifted the shortstop several standing ovations Friday night.
Following the Phillies' 7-5 loss to the Kansas City Royals, Turner said the show of support was "pretty f---ing cool."
"The fans have my back, and they're showing up for me," Turner said via NBC Sports Philadelphia. "It's pretty cool to see—wish we could've come up with that win, but I thought it was awesome."
Turner also revealed that the fans' cheers brought tears to Momma Turner's eyes.
"She said she cried my first at-bat," Turner said. "I guess the fans made her pretty happy."
In the bottom of the second inning, as Turner approached the plate from the on-deck circle for his first at-bat, the crowd at Citizens Bank Park rose to their feet, trying to will the former All-Star out of his slump.
Unfortunately, Turner went hitless in his first two at-bats. However, in the sixth inning, the cheering paid off as Turner laced an RBI single, which cut the Phillies' deficit to only a run at 6-5.
Turner finished 1-for-4 batting out of the eight-hole in Friday's loss. While it might not sound like much, Turner had gone without a hit in his last three games and had only three base knocks over his previous nine games, going 3-for-36 with 10 strikeouts.
Whether or not the Philly fans' gesture was genuine, much like the Phillies, they know they'll need their $300 million shortstop to produce if they're to make the postseason. And at this rate, perhaps trading boos for kindness is worth a try.
Luckily for Turner and the Phillies, Friday's loss didn't hurt their standing in the playoff race. At 59-51, they remain a game ahead of the Cincinnati Reds for the second wild card spot in the National League.
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