Austin Hays thinks the Phillies are just missing ‘that one big hit’

Watching from the Phillies dugout during a 6-5 loss to the Yankees on Wednesday, Rob Thomson twice thought Austin Hays had won the game, or at least given them the lead.

In the seventh inning, Hays launched a deep fly ball that could have scored three if Alex Verdugo hadn’t caught it right up against the left-field wall. Then in the ninth, Hays barely missed a walk-off home run that again was snared by Verdugo on the warning track.

The almost-home runs pretty much encapsulate where the Phillies are right now, Thomson said. They are 3-9 since the All-Star break, and their last two losses were one-run games.

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“Just the games I’ve been here, the last two days, I felt like we put ourselves in a good position, getting guys on, put some really good swings on balls,” Hays said. “And we were just missing that last ball, that one big hit.”

Hays is still getting acclimated to a new clubhouse and new city after being traded from the Baltimore Orioles for Seranthony Domínguez and Cristian Pache on July 26. But he’s been making some solid contact at the plate, especially over the last two games. Hays hit his first home run as a Phillie on Tuesday and finished with four RBIs. He followed it up with a double on Wednesday, in addition to those deep flyouts.

Others have taken notice, with Thomson and Bryce Harper mentioning how well Hays has been swinging the bat.

Even if he’s new to the team, Hays is not unfamiliar with the situation they’re in. Over in the American League, Hays’ former team was mired in a slump of its own before he was dealt to the Phillies — the Orioles were swept by the Cubs right before the All-Star break as part of a five-game skid. And despite their struggles, the Orioles still are in first place in the AL East.

The Phillies are still in first place as well, as they embark on a 10-game road trip to face the Mariners, Dodgers, and Diamondbacks. And speaking from experience, Hays thinks things will turn around for the team.

“I see the competitiveness in this locker room. I see why everyone’s here,” Hays said. “Everyone shows up every day to play as a team, to play to win. That’s why this group is together. That’s why this team is built to win games.

“So I see it in everybody’s eyes — they’re ready to win, and we’re putting ourselves in a position to win and we’re just going to keep staying in those positions, and we’re going to get the big swing, and we’re going to get that ball to fall.”

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Taijuan Walker (right index finger inflammation) was scheduled to throw at least three innings in his first rehab start with double-A Reading on Wednesday night. ... Ranger Suárez (lower-back soreness) will accompany the team on its 10-game West Coast road trip and is “getting better” after playing catch on Tuesday. Thomson said he is still in play for a return when the Phillies visit Arizona from Aug. 8-12, but he will throw a few bullpen sessions before an final determination is made.