Miami Marlins reliever Tyler Phillips looked calm and composed in his brief inning of work on Sunday to close out the Toronto Blue Jays. But his postgame interview was anything but calm, scaring Marlins on-field reporter Stephen Strom after going on an eerie rant about his disdain for opposing batters.
It took Phillips just six pitches to retire the three final Blue Jays hitters that came to the plate on Sunday, securing a 5-3 victory for the Marlins in the process. This came after an expected appearance in Saturday’s game between the two teams that saw Phillips throw 32 pitches and allow one earned run off of a solo home run from George Springer.
Phillips got his much-needed revenge against the Blue Jays lineup on Sunday. And after the game, while speaking with Strom about his performance, he made it incredibly clear that he came into the game “pissed off” because he “doesn’t like hitters.”
“Tyler, you threw 32 pitches yesterday. When did you know you were going in tonight?” asked Strom.
“When they called down,” Phillips bluntly answered. “I was ready. They called down, I’m pissed off, I’m ready to go.”
“Why do you get so pissed off?” Strom asked.
“Because I don’t like hitters,” answered Phillips.
MARLINS WIN!
Miami beat Toronto 5-3 on Sunday afternoon. Tyler Phillips collected his 2nd save of the season after throwing 32 pitches yesterday.
Phillips was locked in with @SStrom_ after the victory. pic.twitter.com/OyqvawsCKu
— Marlins Radio Network (@MarlinsRadio) August 24, 2025
Phillips’ blunt answers continued throughout the remainder of the interview. When asked how he was able to get through the top of the ninth inning, he declared that he simply “threw the ball over the plate.”
“Just threw the ball over the plate,” said Phillips. “Every win is big. It doesn’t matter what their record is. Every win is big. That’s what we’re here for, to try and win the game.”
As Strom wrapped up the interview, he joked to Phillips that he had “scared” him throughout the interview.
“Great win,” said Strom. “You are scaring me. Go to the clubhouse, thank you very much.”
It was certainly an incredibly intense interview from Phillips. But as a Marlins fan, it is quite clear that Phillips cares a great deal about the success of his team, going as far as to slapping himself in the face prior to coming to the mound on Sunday to hype himself up for the moment.
Maybe that same intensity is exactly why Phillips has done such a great job in turning around his career. Notably, Phillips has trimmed his ERA in half from his rookie season with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2024, where he sported a 6.87 ERA compared to his current ERA sitting at 3.27 in 2025.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.