After being held scoreless for five innings by Washington Nationals pitcher MacKenzie Gore, the Philadelphia Phillies rallied in the seventh inning to secure a 6-2 victory on Friday, ending their three-game losing streak.
The Phillies took an early lead in the first inning. Trea Turner led off with a single, extending his hitting streak to five games. He stole second base and advanced to third on a wild pitch. After Kyle Schwarber walked, Bryce Harper hit an RBI double that scored Turner. An errant throw from right fielder Dylan Crews allowed Schwarber to score as well, giving Philadelphia a 2-0 advantage.
Washington tied the game at two before Philadelphia’s offense returned in the seventh inning. Pinch-hitters Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh drew consecutive walks with one out. After Turner flied out, Schwarber broke the tie with a three-run home run measuring 456 feet into right-center field seats. In the following at-bat, Harper homered to center field on a 1-2 slider, marking the sixth time this season that Philadelphia has hit back-to-back home runs in a game.
The Phillies’ bullpen combined for three scoreless innings after starter Zack Wheeler left following five innings of two-run ball with four hits allowed, two walks and six strikeouts. Orion Kerkering, Matt Strahm, Jhoan Duran and David Robertson preserved the lead; Robertson entered after Duran was struck by a comebacker and had to be carted off the field.
“It was just about getting good pitches to hit,” said Schwarber about his key home run. “We were patient enough to get guys on base and then made it count.”
Harper added: “We know what we’re capable of when we stay within ourselves and don’t try to do too much.”
With this win, Wheeler has now allowed two earned runs or fewer in three of his last five starts.
