Turner breaks out of slump behind support from Philly faithful

Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) has food and gum and water dumped on him during an interview after a victory against the Kansas City Royals at Citizens Bank Park. Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Trea Turner breaks out of massive slump behind support from Philly faithful

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 8/5/23

A night after Philadelphia Phillies fans gave Trea Turner a massive show of support, the shortstop broke out of a prolonged slump in a huge way.

On Saturday night, Turner finished 2-of-4 with four RBI in the Phillies' 9-6 victory over the Kansas City Royals. However, Turner's most significant moment of the night came in the sixth inning, when he smashed a three-run home run to give the Phillies an 8-6 lead.

HE ANSWERED THE CALL#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/TquMSmVkV8
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 5, 2023

Feeling the gravity of Turner's homer, the crowd at Citizens Bank Park stayed on their feet, willing the shortstop out of the Phillies dugout for a cathartic curtain call.

Trea Turner gets the Philadelphia curtain call pic.twitter.com/mKFFCbdkXu
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 5, 2023

Afterward, Turner said, "Curtain calls are special," before adding that he's not a big fan of the spotlight.

"I like watching other teammates do it, not necessarily being the guy up there," Turner told Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "But it means you did something big in a big moment. It was fun."

With Turner mired in struggles at the plate, and the field, Phillies fans banded together on Friday night to give the shortstop an ovation before each of his at-bats. Turner appreciated the gesture, which drove his mother to tears, but he paid all the good faith off with his big outing on Saturday.

Putting Turner's slump into perspective, Saturday's long ball broke a 21-game homerless streak, and the three-run shot was his first with men on base as a Phillie, per ESPN Stats and Info.

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