Phillies rough up Cards early, snap 3-game skid
PHILADELPHIA — It didn’t take the Philadelphia Phillies long to display that sense of urgency Bryce Harper wanted to see.
Zach Eflin pitched into the eighth inning, J.T. Realmuto hit a two-run home run and the Phillies beat the St. Louis Cardinals 9-2 on Friday night.
After a third consecutive loss to the New York Mets on Wednesday, Harper was critical of himself and an offense that scored four runs in three games and twice had 14 strikeouts.
Facing Carlos Martinez, the Phillies jumped ahead 6-0 in the second with their biggest inning of the season. Nine consecutive batters reached safely after Martinez got the first out.
“I think it does resonate when it comes from a guy like Bryce and he’s not one to necessarily sugarcoat it,” Phillies Manager Joe Girardi said. “He included himself and he had the big double and swung the bat extremely well tonight, but I like it because that sense of urgency is important because every game mat- ters as we found out last year and teams have found out in the previous years.”
Eflin (1-0) allowed 6 hits, struck out 6 and walked no one in seven-plus innings. The lanky righthander retired 12 consecutive batters at one point and exited after surrendering a two-run home run to Justin Williams in the eighth.
“I have a lot of confidence in myself,” Eflin said. “I think I can go out there and compete with the best of them.”
Martinez (0-3) gave up 6 runs and 5 hits in 5 innings. He retired the last 11 batters he faced and tossed four perfect innings of his five.
NATIONALS 1, DIAMONDBACKS 0 Kyle Schwarber hit a game-ending home run in the ninth inning after Max Scherzer passed Cy Young on baseball’s career strikeouts list. The lefty-batting Schwarber connected on a 2-1 pitch from left-hander Alex Young (0-3) for his first home run for Washington. Scherzer struck out the side in the seventh while passing Cy Young to move into 22nd place on baseball’s strikeout list. He finished with 10 on the day, giving him 2,808 for his career.
BRAVES 5, CUBS 2 Kyle Wright plunked four Cubs batters but still left with the lead, Will Smith stranded the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning and Atlanta defeated Chicago. Wright hit four batters, including Javier Baez twice, but limited Chicago to two runs and three hits over 41/3 innings. He also doubled for his first career hit. Four relievers, including winner Josh Tomlin (2-0), kept the Cubs scoreless until Smith entered for the ninth. Atlanta’s closer walked the bases loaded with two outs before striking out Joc Pederson to cap his third save in three tries.
MARLINS 4, GIANTS 1 Starling Marte snapped an eighth-inning tie with a three-run home run and Miami defeated San Francisco. Jazz Chisholm Jr. also homered for the Marlins. Marte’s shot to left-center field off reliever Wandy Peralta sent Miami to its fifth victory in six games.
PIRATES 6, BREWERS 1 JT Brubaker struck out eight in six innings and Pittsburgh extended its recent surge by beating Milwaukee.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
RAYS 8, YANKEES 2 Brandon Lowe hit a two-run double in the first inning and Tampa Bay defeated host New York. The Rays spurted to an 8-0, seventh-inning lead and beat the Yankees for the 16th time in their last 21 meetings.
ORIOLES 5, RANGERS 2 Rio Ruiz and D.J. Stewart homered while Jorge Lopez struck out eight in five innings, leading the Baltimore to a victory over Texas.
ATHLETICS 3, TIGERS 0 Frankie Montas allowed two hits in six sharp innings and Oakland won its sixth game in a row. Montas (2-1) walked 1 and struck out 7 during a 100-pitch outing.
INTERLEAGUE
REDS 10, INDIANS 3 Joey Votto hit a tworun home run to cap a seven-run third inning and Cincinnati cruised to a rout of Cleveland. Jeff Hoffman (2-1) surrendered just 1 run and 7 hits through 6 innings.