Kyle Schwarber launched a pair of home runs and left-hander Cristopher Sanchez struck out 10 in six strong innings, but the Philadelphia Phillies had to survive a comeback bid by the visiting Colorado Rockies to win 7-6 on Wednesday evening.
The Phillies finished off a three-game sweep as they won for the sixth time in their past eight games. Colorado has lost five straight and seven of its past eight.
Schwarber hit homer No. 250 of his career, a solo shot, leading off the bottom of the first to tie the game and spark a four-run inning against Rockies right-hander Ryan Feltner (1-2).
Then in the sixth, with Philadelphia leading 5-1, Schwarber lined a ball off the facing of the second deck in right for his fifth home run of the season and the 26th multi-homer game of his career.
Sanchez (1-2) brushed off an unearned run that he allowed in the first inning to lower his ERA to 2.53. He scattered five hits and walked one.
Sanchez retired the final four hitters he faced, getting the Rockies in order in the sixth.
Down 7-1, Colorado rallied against reliever Gregory Soto in the eighth. Three singles loaded the bases, and Elehuris Montero brought home one run with a sacrifice fly. A walk reloaded the bases, and Michael Toglia’s walk made it 7-3 and ended Soto’s night.
Facing right-hander Jeff Hoffman, pinch hitter Charlie Blackmon grounded out to bring in another run. Hoffman walked Jacob Stallings to load the bases yet again, and Ezequiel Tovar singled to left to make it 7-6.
Phillies closer Jose Alvarado surrendered a two-out single in the ninth to Montero, and pinch runner Nolan Jones stole second. But Alvarado closed it out by getting a popout for his third save of the season.
Philadelphia didn’t wait long to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 4-1 lead. After Schwarber’s first blast, Trea Turner followed with a solo shot to left field, his second homer of the season. With one out, J.T. Realmuto grounded a single to right and Alec Bohm doubled him in. Brandon Marsh made it a four-run frame with an RBI single to right.
The Phillies added on in the fifth when Turner doubled for his third hit and later scored on Realmuto’s groundout. In the sixth, Johan Rojas doubled with one out, chasing Feltner in favor of Peter Lambert. Schwarber then hit the third pitch he saw for a two-run homer.
Feltner yielded six runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked two and fanned eight.
The Rockies announced earlier in the day that Kris Bryant was placed on the injured list with a back strain.
–Field Level Media