Kyle Schwarber set the tone with a leadoff home run, and Zack Wheeler delivered eight scoreless innings as the Philadelphia Phillies triumphed over the Seattle Mariners 6-0 on Sunday. The win ended the Phillies’ six-game losing streak.
The game remained tight until the eighth inning when Philadelphia’s offense exploded. Bryson Stott, Bryce Harper, and Alec Bohm each hit home runs, contributing to a five-run inning that sealed the game. Schwarber, who had a three-hit day, added a double and a single.
Wheeler (11-5) was in dominant form, allowing just two hits and striking out nine. His longest outing of the season saw only one Mariner reach second base when Cal Raleigh doubled in the first inning.
“I knew today we needed a win, so I just had that mindset. And I was able to do it,” Wheeler said. “I feel like we got quicker outs today so that obviously allowed me to go deeper into the game and that’s what we needed”, told ESPN.
Wheeler outdueled Seattle’s Logan Gilbert in a clash of All-Star pitchers. Gilbert (6-8) struggled early, giving up the home run to Schwarber on the third pitch of the game, a fastball over the middle. Schwarber’s homer marked his 41st career leadoff homer and his 10th of the season.
Despite the early setback, Gilbert pitched solidly, allowing four hits and striking out seven without issuing a walk. He threw 98 pitches over six innings, including a marathon 15-pitch at-bat against Nick Castellanos in the second inning, the longest at-bat in the majors this season. Castellanos eventually grounded out to third.
“I felt good today for sure, but it would have been pretty sweet to finish off the series with a win and get a sweep,” Gilbert said. “Especially against that team, they’re really good. Good series getting the win, but it’s tough losing today.”
Bryce Harper reached a significant milestone, singling in the fourth inning to achieve 3,000 total bases in his career. He is the 42nd player in MLB history and the 12th left-handed hitter to reach this milestone before turning 32.
Philadelphia held a narrow 1-0 lead going into the eighth inning. The scoring barrage began with Stott hitting his eighth homer off Mariners reliever Yimi García. With two outs, García walked Trea Turner, prompting Seattle to bring in left-hander Tayler Saucedo. Harper then hit a two-run homer, followed by Bohm’s solo shot, extending his on-base streak to 22 games, the longest active streak in the majors. J.T. Realmuto capped the inning with a run-scoring single, giving the Phillies a six-run cushion.
“I think these guys have been frustrated and grinding, and now they see something come out of it,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “I think it’ll be a pretty happy flight going to L.A.”
The Phillies caught a lucky break in the seventh inning when Jorge Polanco’s deep fly ball was lost in the sun by center fielder Brandon Marsh. Miraculously, Marsh caught the ball at the warning track.
“I had my arms out and the baseball gods put the ball right in my glove,” Marsh said. “Better lucky than good in that moment for sure. The luck hasn’t been falling our way, hopefully that’s the turning point.”
The victory provided a much-needed boost for the Phillies as they prepare to face the Dodgers in Los Angeles.