Road warriors: Phillies beat Rays for 11th straight

ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. » Taijuan Walker overcome early struggles to win his sixth consecutive start and the Phillies extended their road winning streak to 11 games with an 8-4 victory over the AL-leading Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night.

It’s the third-longest road winning streak in Phillies history, trailing a 13-game run in 1976 and 12-game stretch that spanned the 1887 and ’88 seasons.

Tampa Bay has lost a season-high four in a row and 10 of 16 overall.

Walker (10-3) allowed four runs and five hits, all in the first three of his seven-inning outing. The right-hander, who had given up three runs over 32 innings in his previous five starts, walked five and struck out eight.

Bryson Stott had four hits, and J.T. Realmuto and Alec Bohm each had three as Philadelphia finished with 17 hits overall. Bryce Harper went 2 for 5 in his fifth consecutive game with two hits.

The Phillies grabbed a 5-4 lead on Trea Turner’s leadoff homer and Stott’s RBI single in the fifth.

Nick Castellanos, who earlier hit into a double play on an 107.7 mph grounder, extended the Phillies’ advantage to 6-4 on a 437-foot homer to center off Robert Stephenson.

Brandon Marsh made it 8-4 with a two-run single in the seventh.

Tampa Bay took a 4-3 lead on Luke Raley’s solo homer in the third.

Harper doubled and scored on Realmuto’s single off Yonny Chirinos (4-4) to pull the Phillies even at 3 in the third.

Kyle Schwarber went 0 for 6 and was the only Philadelphia position player without a hit.

ALL-STAR HAPPENINGS

PHILLIES » Manager Rob Thomson, the NL All-Star skipper, has started contacting his league counterparts. The first was Atlanta’s Brian Snitker, who managed in last year’s contest. “I wanted to ask him a lot about the process, what was going into it,” Thomson said. “He was really good. He helped me a lot.”

RAYS » OF Randy Arozarena, a Home Run Derby participant, took several

rounds of rapid batting practice.

JEWELRY

Thomson presented Rays pitcher Zach Eflin with his 2022 NL Championship

ring before the game.

TRAINER’S ROOM

PHILLIES » Prospect Andrew Painter (right elbow) threw off a bullpen mound one day after a batting practice

session was postponed due to stiffness.

RAYS » Manager Kevin Cash said ace Shane McClanahan (mid-back tightness) remains on target to return when eligible on July 16.

UP NEXT

Phillies LHP Cristopher Sánchez (0-2) will make his fifth start of the season on Thursday night. The Rays have not announced their starter.

STEVE NESIUS — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The Phillies’ Bryce Harper, left, beats the throw to Tampa Bay catcher Francisco Mejia to score on J.T. Realmuto’s single during the third inning on Wednesday in St. Petersburg, Fla.