In Bryce Harper’s return, Phillies use early offensive outburst to top Blue Jays
The Phillies had some trouble scoring runs without Bryce Harper in their lineup last week and through the weekend. On Tuesday night in Toronto, the Phillies got Harper back, and their offense scored plenty early en route to an 8-3 victory over the Blue Jays.
Harper finished Tuesday’s ballgame 1-for-3 with a pair of walks and two runs. He was the second half of back-to-back home runs in the top of the first inning, which gave the road team a very early 3-0 lead.
Harper pulled an 0-2 splitter into the right-field seats from Blue Jays starter Bowden Francis, whose night was over after 1 2/3 innings and 58 pitches. The Phillies tagged the right-hander for seven runs on seven hits.
Harper’s homer followed an opposite-field, two-run home run from Trea Turner. The Phillies shortstop also homered in the top of the eighth, giving him seven long balls on the year.
Scoring on Turner’s first home run was Bryson Stott, who later ended up being the 10th man to come to the plate for the Phillies in the top of the first; they sent 11 total to the plate in the inning. Stott led things off with a walk. His second trip to the dish resulted in a two-run single, capping off a six-hit, six-run offensive outburst from the Phillies in the first.
On the mound for the Phillies was left-hander Cristopher Sánchez. He lasted six innings, allowing one run. Sánchez had trouble with his command at times, walking a season-high four hitters.
The Phillies starter found himself in trouble in the bottom of the fifth. After allowing a leadoff home run to Davis Schneider, Sánchez walked nine-hole hitter Andrés Giménez with one out. Bo Bichette then singled, and two batters later, Sánchez issued another walk to George Springer to load the bases with two outs. The left-hander got out of the jam by getting Alejandro Kirk to ground out to Harper at first base.
The Phillies’ win snapped a four-game losing streak and gave them their 37th win on the season.