Kyle Schwarber belted a three-run homer to snap a tie in the seventh inning, lifting the visiting Philadelphia Phillies to a 6-2 victory over the Washington Nationals on Friday.
Bryce Harper followed Schwarber with a solo shot to cap the scoring. Harper also had an RBI double in the first inning for the Phillies, who halted a season high-tying three-game losing skid.
All was not rosy for Philadelphia, however, as trade deadline acquisition Jhoan Duran exited on a cart in the ninth inning after taking a liner off the right leg from Paul DeJong. David Robertson recorded the final three outs to preserve the win.
Washington’s Clayton Beeter (0-2) relieved starter MacKenzie Gore and issued walks to both Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh with one out in the seventh inning. Konnor Pilkington replaced Beeter and retired Trea Turner before Schwarber deposited a 1-0 slider into the second deck in right-center field for his team-leading 43rd homer of the season and sixth in his last 12 games.
Harper sent a 1-2 slider from Pilkington over the wall in center field for his 19th homer of the season.
The blasts made a winner out of Tanner Banks (4-2), who retired the side in order in the sixth inning after relieving starter Zack Wheeler. Orion Kerkering and Matt Strahm also worked a scoreless inning without allowing a hit.
Beeter, in turn, permitted two runs in one-third of an inning for the Nationals.
The Phillies scored twice before Gore recorded an out in the contest. Turner singled to center field, stole second base and advanced to third on a wild pitch from the Nats’ southpaw, who promptly walked Schwarber. Turner trotted home on Harper’s double, however Schwarber also crossed home plate after right fielder Dylan Crews’ throw to second base was off-line.
Washington halved its deficit in its half of the inning as James Wood worked a lead-off walk off from Wheeler and promptly scored on CJ Abrams’ double to center field.
The Phillies preserved their one-run lead, however, after Crews was thrown out at home in the second inning on a bullet from right fielder Nick Castellanos.
Daylen Lile, however, forged a 2-2 tie after depositing a 1-0 fastball from Wheeler over the wall in right-center field for his third homer of the season in the bottom of the fourth.
–Field Level Media
