PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kyle Schwarber homered twice to reach 30 for the season, drove in five runs and led the Philadelphia Phillies to an 8-4 win over the Washington Nationals in the first game of a doubleheader on Tuesday.
Schwarber has kept going deep from the top of the order, even as his batting average has hovered under .200 for most of the season. But when the lefty connects, look out. There’s a reason his homers are known as Schwarbombs.
Schwarber hit a two-run shot off Nationals starter Trevor Williams (5-7) in the third and Alec Bohm made it back-to-back homers with his 12th of the year that tied the game at 3-all.
His 29th homer was a modest — by his standards — 363 feet.
No. 30 soared into the second deck, a no-doubt-about-it 447-foot three-run blast off Williams in the fourth. Jake Cave kept the homer-happy Phillies rolling with a two-run homer in the sixth that broke the game open.
Philadelphia, which won its third straight, entered the game battling with San Francisco for the top NL wild card. The Phillies had played one fewer game than the Giants because of Monday’s rainout that forced the doubleheader.
Zack Wheeler (9-5) settled down after allowing early homers to Lane Thomas and Keibert Ruiz. Wheeler struck out six and walked none over six innings.
Williams gave up six runs in 4 2/3 innings as the Nationals' four-game winning streak ended.
The Phillies sent left-hander Ranger Suarez (2-5, 4.01 ERA) to the mound in the second game of the twinbill against All-Star Josiah Gray (7-9, 3.54).
UPON FURTHER REVIEW
First base umpire Lew Williams went 0-for-3 on challenged calls.
He had one call against the Nationals overturned by replay and then blew two calls on Phillies baserunner Nick Castellanos in the third.
Castellanos was called out at first base on a long throw from third by Vargas. The Phillies challenged and the replay showed Castellanos beat the throw. He was called safe after a review.
His time at first almost didn’t last long. Williams again called Castellanos out on Williams’ pickoff attempt. Again, the Phillies challenged; again, replay showed he was safe. Castellanos got his hand on the bag and escaped the tag.
HARPER FANS
Phillies slugger Bryce Harper struck out three times.
UP NEXT
The Nationals send LHP MacKenzie Gore (6-8, 4.34 ERA) to the mound Wednesday against Phillies RHP Michael Lorenzen (6-7, 3.48 ERA).
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