The next chapter in the Trea Turner-Phillies saga?
A heartwarming one, apparently.
After Phillies fans banded together to give Turner a standing ovation during Philadelphia’s weekend series against the Royals, Turner reciprocated their efforts in two different ways: improved performance on the field and some grateful signs off of it.
“Trea Turner is thanking Phillies fans for the standing ovations this weekend on billboards around Philly. Wow,” John Clark of NBC Sports tweeted.
Turner, who signed an 11-year, $300 million deal this offseason, has been mired in a season-long malaise, hitting just .238/.291/.378.
His play reached rock bottom last week against the Marlins when he botched a ground ball hit by Josh Bell in the 11th inning that could have kept the game tied, ultimately resulting in a Phillies loss.
But Philadelphia fans decided to strike a forgiving note this time, organizing on X, formerly known as Twitter, to support Turner with a standing ovation when the Phillies returned to Citizens Bank Park for a homestand prior to this weekend.
“If you’re coming to a Phillies game this weekend, let’s not boo Trea Turner,” one fan said. “Let’s give him a standing ovation every time he comes to bat this weekend.
“My boy is in his head and he needs some love — not tough love, not right now, he needs love love.”
In Turner’s first game with the fans providing an ovation, he first hit a weak lineout but later smacked an opposite-field single, to the crowd’s delight.
“That third [at-bat] was really good,” Turner said, per the Philadelphia Inquirer. “That’s my swing right there. Something I haven’t been able to do for a while is hit that fastball the other way. I feel like I’ve fouled that pitch off a thousand times this year. For that swing to come out right there is a really good sign.”
The real win, though, came when Turner smoked a three-run homer on Saturday night to give the Phillies the lead for good, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
Turner also said his mother cried after his first at-bat on Friday after she saw the city’s support for him.
“I guess the fans made her pretty happy.”
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