Darvish leads Padres past Phillies 2-0 with 7 sharp innings
PHILADELPHIA » Yu Darvish escaped a jam and retired $179 million of offense in Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos in a key spot, pitching seven shutout innings to lead the San Diego Padres to a 2-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday.
The Padres took two of three from the Phillies and moved 10 games over .500 (24-14). Each game included a shutout.
Darvish (4-1) struck out five, walked none, allowed six hits and continued a run of solid starts. But it was the veteran righthander’s work in the sixth inning that helped the Padres win the series.
Darvish allowed oneout singles to Rhys Hoskins and Alec Bohm that put runners on the corners with the Padres ahead 2-0. Schwarber, who entered batting .189, struck out swinging. Castellanos, the cleanup hitter, grounded into an inning-ending forceout.
Bryce Harper lobbied hard for the Phillies to sign Schwarber and they gave the outfielder a $79 million, four-year contract. Castellanos got a $100 million, five-year contract. That’s $179 million on two sluggers that have gone cold as Harper sits out with a sore elbow.
Harper missed a fourth straight game from the lingering effects of platelet-rich plasma injection in his right elbow. The Phillies hope Harper can return Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Padres have won each of Darvish’s last six starts since April 17 and he’s 4-0 over that span.
Luis Garcia got two outs in the eighth. The Padres move to bring in lefty Taylor Rogers to face the lefthanded Schwarber backfired when he lined a single up the middle. But Rogers got Castellanos to ground into another forceout to end the inning. Rogers worked the ninth for his 15th save.
The Padres and Phillies each won 3-0 games in the first two games of the series and this one also had little offense. Robinson Cano lined an RBI single to right — and nearly took out teammate and baserunner Wil Myers — off Kyle Gibson (3-2) and HaSeong Kim added a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning.
Gibson struck out seven, walked none and gave up eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. Every Padres starter had a hit.
TRAINER’S ROOM » Harper hasn’t played right field since April 16 and will remain as DH whenever he returns. Harper took light swings each of the last two days. “It’s hard to predict how someone’s going to feel in that area,” manager Joe Girardi said. OF Mickey Moniak (broken wrist) started a rehab assignment in extended spring training in Clearwater, Florida. SS Didi Gregorius (left knee sprain) has no timeline for a return.
TIP OF THE CAP » Harper seemed to find a hat in the stands a fan was wearing that he liked more than his own Phillies cap. Harper tossed his maroon Phillies hat into the stands and the fan threw his back to Harper for the trade. The fan who claimed he got the hat tweeted it was autographed by Harper. DOG DAYS » As concession stand prices soar in all sports, the Phillies scheduled only two $1 hot dogs promotions this season. Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania got the message from fans the team needed more cheap meat and tweeted, “I agree, more Dollar Dog Nights. @Phillies, let’s do this.”
UP NEXT » The Padres wrap their road trip with three in San Francisco. The Padres send LHP Sean Manaea (2-3, 3.77 ERA) to the mound Friday against Giants RHP Jakob Junis (11, 1.74).
The Phillies host the Dodgers for three and send LHP Ranger Suarez (4-1, 3.72) to the mound Friday against LHP Julio Urias (2-3, 3.00).