Phillies analyst John Kruk does it again, this time predicting Trea Turner’s home run

John Kruk needs to buy some lottery tickets.

For the second time in about a week, the former first baseman-turned NBC Sports Philadelphia analyst successfully predicted a Phillies home run.

In the bottom of the sixth inning during Wednesday’s loss to the Los Angeles Angels, play-by-play announcer Tom McCarthy rolled out an interesting stat that’s been a key to the Phillies’ success the last few weeks — during the previous 12 games, the Phillies have outscored teams by 55-12 from the sixth inning on.

“Well, that means a three-run homer,” Kruk predicted.

On the very next pitch, Trea Turner blasted a bomb to deep left field, a three-run shot that gave the Phillies a lead they would ultimately lose in the ninth inning.

In the eighth inning, Phillies slugger Bryce Harper — who had gone 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout — stepped to the plate with 299 career home runs. Kruk set up the at-bat beautifully.

“You don’t think, right?” Kruk said wryly. “Down one, runner on first, two outs, 299 career homers, last game of the homestand.”

Harper blasted the first pitch from lefty Matt Moore into right-center field, securing his 300th home run and once again putting the Phillies back in front. All Kruk could do was chuckle.

Last week, during a Phillies win against the San Francisco Giants, the clairvoyant Kruk wistfully forecast a Kyle Schwarber home run seconds before it happened.

“I got a feeling this ball could travel long distances here,” Kruk said just before a two-run Schwarbomb dropped into the second deck in right field.

The Phillies are off Thursday before a three-game series against the Brewers at American Family Field in Milwaukee. Only Friday night’s game will be televised by NBC Sports Philadelphia — Fox is broadcasting Saturday night’s game, and Sunday’s finale will stream exclusively on Peacock, NBC’s subscription streaming service.

Former Sixers malcontent Ben Simmons surprised many fans earlier this week by saying in an interview with ESPN Andscape that he’d welcome a trade back to Philadelphia, calling the city “a second home to me.”

But it was Simmons’ comments about how he’s ready to “come back and dominate people” after playing just 42 games the past two seasons that have Stephen A. Smith angry.

The longtime ESPN host and former Inquirer columnist — who once called Simmons “the most pathetic excuse for a professional athlete we have ever seen” — once again lit into the former All-Star in a recent episode of his podcast, The Stephen A. Smith Show.

“I think Ben Simmons at this particular point is trifling as hell,” Smith said. “He’s talking before he actually does. This brother has been the basketball version of Mr. Irrelevant for the last two years.”

“You know what I noticed about Ben Simmons? He always makes sure he gets his money. He’s never so disillusioned or foggy that he forgets when that check gets deposited,” Smith added. “Sitting on the bench in orange one week and yellow another. Looking fly as hell. Tremendous basketball player. And to be clear, ain’t s— as a competitor. Enough of the talk, I want to see Ben Simmons playing basketball!”

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The Sixers will face off against the Nets in the preseason in Brooklyn on Oct. 16, but fans should circle Feb. 3 on their calendars. That’s when Simmons and the Nets will travel to Philadelphia to take on the Sixers at the Wells Fargo Center. When Simmons came to town last season, Sixers fans were so tepid that Stan Van Gundy called them out on TNT, saying he “expected better from Philly.”