Categories: 2023 Postgame Recaps

Phillies fend off Padres comeback in Labor Day stomach churner

Kyle Schwarber hit his 40th home run of the season in Monday’s game against the Padres. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire)

Final Score: Phillies 9, Padres 7

SAN DIEGO — The Phillies’ offense slowed down a bit after a weekend against the Brewers’ fantastic pitching staff. It happens to the best teams, but things began to pick up again on a beautiful Labor Day afternoon against the struggling Rich Hill and the San Diego Padres.

Philadelphia scored nine runs, including eight in the first three innings. It was the lineup’s most prolific start to a game since April 16, when the Phillies scored nine in the top of the first against the Cincinnati Reds.

The 43-year-old southpaw had a rough afternoon against the Phillies. He allowed seven runs on six hits in just 1 1/3 innings pitched.

Alec Bohm cleared the bases on a three-run double in the first inning. Edmundo Sosa hit a solo home run to the second deck in left field and Trea Turner hit a two-run home run to the middle deck of the Western Metal Supply Company building.

Turner now has a 15-game hitting streak and a nine-game RBI streak. He’s the first Phillie since Chase Utley in May to June 2008 to carry an RBI streak that long. If he drives in a run on Tuesday, he’ll be the first Phillie since Bobby Abreu in May 2005 to have a double digit RBI streak.

In the fifth inning, Kyle Schwarber hit his 40th home run of the season to right field against long reliever Matt Waldron. He joins Jim Thome, Chuck Klein, Mike Schmidt and Ryan Howard as the only Phillies to hit at least 40 home runs in multiple seasons.

It was a productive day on offense all around for the lineup. After going 0-for-12 in the Milwaukee series, Bryson Stott went 4-for-5 with two doubles. Cristian Pache got his first hit, a triple in the third inning, since coming off the injured list. Bryce Harper was the only starter in the Phillies lineup without a hit.

It was another mixed bag of a start for Taijuan Walker. The Phillies squeezed five innings out of him, enough to get his 15th win of the season. He’s the first Phillie to win 15 games in a season since Aaron Nola won 17 in 2018.

He threw 28 pitches and allowed a home run to Fernando Tatis Jr. in the top of the first, but looked better over the next two innings. He struggled in the fourth, allowing three runs to score. Two of those runs that came around reached on walks.

The Phillies needed every run they could get in this game because the red-hot Padres lineup clawed their way back after being down by as many as seven runs. Ha-Seong Kim’s RBI single against Andrew Bellatti made it 9-5. San Diego added two more in the seventh against Gregory Soto: Garrett Cooper’s sacrifice fly made it 9-6 and a double from Gary Sanchez put San Diego within two.

But Jeff Hoffman, who has emerged within the last few weeks as the most trusted fireman in the bullpen, retired Matthew Batten and Trent Grisham to keep the lead at 9-7.

Craig Kimbrel was summoned from the ‘pen an inning early to take on the top of the Padres lineup. After recording the first out, Tatis Jr. and Soto worked out a pair of walks. Both reached scoring position on a double steal. That play could have tied the game for San Diego if the ball did not hit third base umpire Brian O’Nora.

Nevertheless, San Diego had two of its best hitters in Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts with a chance to tie the game with a base hit. Kimbrel struck out Machado and Bogaerts grounded to who else but Bohm, who cleanly fielded a ball with a ton of spin off the bat for the final out.

Since the Phillies are incapable of making things easy, José Alvarado began the ninth inning with two straight walks. Matthew Batten hit into a fielder’s choice for the first out before pinch hitter Luis Campusano and Kim struck out to end the game.

The September Phillies are now 2-2. They’re 76-61 overall.

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