September 11 – Cal Stevenson’s highlight-reel double in the eighth inning gives the Philadelphia Phillies a 9–4 home win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday.
Kyle Schwarber tied a major league record with his 14th leadoff home run of the season for the Phillies (87-58), though he later slid awkwardly on a first-base catch attempt after falling down, retreating because of pain in his left elbow. Trea Turner hit two home runs for Philadelphia, including a two-run insurance hit in the eighth inning, and Bryce Harper added a triple-double.
Junior Caminero had three hits, while Christopher Morrell and Josh Lowe had two each for Tampa Bay (71-74), which has lost its last six games.
The Phillies had a strange start to the eighth inning. Bryson Stotts’ shot hit the umpire on the right field line and bounced straight to first baseman Jonathan Aranda, giving him an easy out. Stotts banged his helmet on his way back to the dugout, but his teammates supported him.
Brandon Marsh drew with Richard Lovelady (3-6) and advanced on Cody Clemens’ double three. Stevenson then scored two runs on Edwin Uceta’s changeup ball to right field, making the score 2-2. Buddy Kennedy’s RBI single and Turner’s two-run blast – his 18th of the season – extended the lead to 9-4.
Two batters later, Uceta hit a 96 mph fastball to Nick Castellanos, which emptied the bullpen and Uceta was ejected from the pitch.
Suarez, a left-hander from Philadelphia, gave up four runs and a career-high 12 hits in 5 1/3 innings. Taj Bradley of Tampa Bay also got a no decision after giving up four runs (three earned) and six hits in six innings.
After Bradley allowed Schwarber to hit his 35th homer in the bottom of the first half, José Caballero hit an RBI single. Tampa Bay tied the game on a single in the bottom half.
It was a similar story in the second inning, when the Phillies took the lead — this time on an unearned run — but the Rays scored on Yandy Diaz’s single to tie the game at 2-2.
Philadelphia took the lead for the third time in a row when Turner hit a two-pointer past Bradley to take a 4–2 lead. However, the visitors tied the score again with two runs in the fifth and sixth innings.
The Phillies’ four relievers combined to pitch 3 2/3 scoreless innings, including Jose Alvarado (2-5), who had two strikeouts in the eighth, and Tanner Banks, who pitched out of a bases-loaded situation in the ninth inning.
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