Philadelphia sports fans are notoriously harsh and won’t shy away from eating their own if they deem it necessary. But Phillies fans took a different approach to the struggling Trea Turner on Friday night, opting to shower him with a little love instead of their trademark derision.
After signing an 11-year, $300-million contract during the offseason, Turner has turned in the worst season of his career to date. He’s been plagued both in the field and at the plate, where he was mired in an 0-for-15 slump entering the first game of a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals. He was also dropped to eighth in the lineup and was coming off a dreadful Wednesday night performance against the Miami Marlins where he went 0-for-5, stranded five and misplayed what would have been a game-ending double play.
But Phillies fans sought to lift him up and did so with a standing ovation in the bottom of the second inning on Friday night.
Turner lined out to end that at-bat but was able to snap his hitless streak in the bottom of the sixth inning when he singled and drove in a run.
The Phillies ultimately fell to the Royals, 7-5, but Turner picked up a small victory and certainly appreciated the crowd. His mother did, too. She was brought to tears by the ovation.
“That was pretty f---ing cool,” Turner said after the game, via NJ Advance Media. “Fans have my back, and they’re showing up for me and that’s pretty cool to see. I thought that was awesome. I want to perform and help the team win. I appreciate it for sure.”
There is still plenty of time left this season for Turner to heat up. He may not be able to salvage many of his numbers but with the help of Phillies fans, maybe he can close things out on a high note and return to form in 2024.
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