Harper, Phillies continue to amaze in blowout against Blue Jays
Final Score: Phillies 10, Blue Jays 1
Enjoy it while it lasts.
The hottest stretch of Phillies baseball we may ever see continued on Tuesday in a 10-1 win against the Toronto Blue Jays at Citizens Bank Park. Bryce Harper hit his eighth-career grand slam and his third home run in as many days, Kody Clemens fell a single and double shy of the cycle and Nick Castellanos extended his modest hit streak to four with a first-inning double. All of this was done against Blue Jays starter José Berríos, the league leader in earned run average heading into Tuesday’s contest. The eight runs scored on Berríos raised his ERA from 1.44 to 2.85.
Cristopher Sánchez threw a season-high seven innings on a night the Phillies were content to use him in a piggyback with Spencer Turnbull. He allowed only one earned run, struck out five and was still throwing in the mid-90s with his fastball in the final frame. Turnbull threw two shutout innings in his first appearance as a reliever since his MLB debut on Sept. 14, 2018.
The Phillies are now winners of 18 of their last 21 games and are two full games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in MLB. They will look for their fifth series sweep of the season on Wednesday afternoon against Toronto. Aaron Nola will take the mound against Chris Bassitt.
Highlights
- Castellanos, batting in the cleanup spot, drove in the first run of the game on a double down the left field line, scoring Harper from first. Give credit to Harper for working out an eight-pitch at-bat and keeping the inning alive.
- With Harper’s bat, Clemens hit his second home run of the season to expand the lead to 3-0 in the second inning.
- With the bases loaded and two out in the fourth, Harper hit his second grand slam of the year to put the Phillies ahead 8-0. He has 10 RBIs in his last three games.
- Blue Jays manager John Schneider was ejected from the game following the Harper grand slam. He was likely unhappy with the hit-by-pitch call on Schwarber that could have ended the fourth inning. The Blue Jays believed Schwarber did not check his swing and should have been out on strikes.
- The Phillies got another good bounce off the State Farm sign in left center field as Edmundo Sosa tripled to score another run in the eighth inning to make it 9-1.
Notes
- A brutal cross-up between catcher Garrett Stubbs and Turnbull led to a check-in from an athletic trainer for Stubbs. It appeared Stubbs was expecting a breaking pitch, but was hit with a fastball. Stubbs stayed in the game.
- The Phillies are winners of their last 11 games at Citizens Bank Park. A win on Wednesday would tie a franchise record in consecutive wins at home. The Phillies won 12 straight games at CBP from July 8 to Aug. 6, 2010.
- Sánchez’s start marks the 11th time this season a Phillies starter has thrown seven innings, three more than the second-place Mariners who have eight. The Phillies are 10-1 when their starting pitcher throws at least seven innings.
- The Phillies are also 10-0 when they hit two or more home runs in a game.
Ticket IQ Next Game
- Wednesday, May 8 vs. Toronto Blue Jays at Citizens Bank Park
- 1:05 p.m. EST
- NBC Sports Philadelphia; MLB Network
- 94 WIP
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View Comments
Permit me to issue a word or two of caution:June is coming.The schedule is very difficult in that month.So far this season,the Fightins' have dominated sub.500 teams with great starting pitching.In 1954,the Cleveland Indians did just that by going 89-21 against the bottom 5 teams while going 22-22 against the other big teams.Will this dominance continue against the top teams?
Still,this current team is miles ahead of the dreadful teams fielded before Thomson took over.