Sept. 18 — Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos each hit a home run and Zack Wheeler allowed one run in seven innings, leading the Philadelphia Phillies to a 5–1 win over Milwaukee on Tuesday night, denying the Brewers a chance to win the National League Central title.
Milwaukee (87-64) entered with a 10-game lead over the Chicago Cubs and a miraculous two-game lead. The Brewers followed the Cubs with one win and one loss, losing 4-3 to the Oakland Athletics.
Philadelphia (91-60) holds a two-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in the majors. Los Angeles lost to the Miami Marlins 11-9 on Tuesday. The magic number for the Phillies to win the NL East is four.
Wheeler (16-6) allowed four hits, struck out six, walked no and had a 2.56 ERA. It was Wheeler’s NL-best 24th start of at least six innings. In 23 of those games, he allowed two or fewer.
Matt Strahm and Jeff Hoffman also pitched one scoreless inning each.
Frankie Montas (7-11) allowed three runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out 10 and walking two.
Harper then hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning to give the Phillies a 3-1 lead. Kyle Schwarber led off the inning with a single off a ball carrier in the third. After Trea Turner struck out, Harper hit a 1-1 homer from 394 feet for his 29th home run.
Philadelphia added a run in the seventh inning. Edmundo Sosa scored twice. Pitcher Aaron Ashby loaded the bases on Schwarber’s returner with an RBI single to right field.
Turner had an RBI single in the ninth. Add a single.
Castellanos hit his 21st home run on the first pitch of the second inning, hitting the ball 430 feet to give the Phillies a 1–0 lead.
In the fourth inning, William Contreras hit a single and Garrett Mitchell hit a triple, and the Brewers tied the game.
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