Schwarber, Marsh Homer, Luzardo Dominant as Phillies Blank Padres 3‑0
SAN DIEGO (Interstat) — Kyle Schwarber and Brandon Marsh each homered, and Jesus Luzardo pitched six strong innings as the Philadelphia Phillies blanked the San Diego Padres 3-0 on Monday at Petco Park.
Schwarber put the Phillies ahead in the first inning, lining a full-count changeup from Griffin Canning onto the party deck atop the right-field wall for his major league-leading 21st home run. The solo shot came with one out after Trea Turner struck out to open the game. Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm followed with a strikeout and a groundout to end the inning, but the early run was enough for Luzardo.
The left-hander allowed four hits over six innings, striking out six and walking two. He worked out of jams in the first and third innings, when the Padres put multiple runners on base but could not score. Luzardo improved to 4-4 on the season, lowering his ERA after a tough loss to Cincinnati on May 19 in which he allowed two earned runs over six innings. He had won his previous start at Boston on May 14, tossing six scoreless innings.
Luzardo received defensive help in the third inning when Manny Machado grounded into a double play, erasing a runner from scoring position. In the fifth, with runners on first and second and one out, Luzardo got Miguel Andujar to pop out and Xander Bogaerts to fly out to left, ending the threat.
The Phillies, who entered the game with just 14 runs over their previous six home games and had lost four of six, added insurance in the seventh inning. Schwarber led off with a sharp single to right off Canning. Harper walked, putting runners on first and second. Bohm then grounded into a double play, but Schwarber advanced to third. That brought up Marsh, who drove a 1-0 pitch from Canning over the right-field wall for a two-run homer, his fifth of the season. The blast scored Schwarber and gave the Phillies a 3-0 lead.
Canning took the loss, falling to 0-3. He allowed three runs on three hits over 6 2/3 innings, striking out five and walking three. He retired the side in order in the second and third innings and allowed only one runner to reach second base before the seventh.
The Phillies managed just three hits in the game — Schwarber’s solo homer, his single in the seventh, and no other hits. They also grounded into two double plays, including a rally-killing twin killing in the fourth when Schwarber walked to lead off, then Harper grounded into a 4-6-3 double play.
Philadelphia’s bullpen took over after Luzardo departed. Brad Keller pitched a perfect seventh, striking out one. Orion Kerkering struck out two in a perfect eighth. Jhoan Duran worked the ninth for his 10th save, allowing a one-out single to Ty France but striking out Ramon Laureano to end the game. Duran struck out one and induced two flyouts.
The Padres outhit the Phillies 5-3 but could not capitalize. Fernando Tatis Jr. had two hits, both singles, and drew two walks. Ty France also singled twice. San Diego left seven runners on base and went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position. Machado struck out twice and grounded into a double play. Jackson Merrill struck out three times.
San Diego’s bullpen was effective after Canning left. Yuki Matsui pitched two scoreless innings, allowing no hits and striking out one. Jeremiah Estrada faced one batter in the eighth, striking out Adolis Garcia.
The game took 2 hours, 27 minutes in front of 41,293 fans.
Philadelphia improved to 27-27 with the win, snapping a two-game losing streak after being swept in a three-game series by Cleveland over the weekend. The Phillies had lost four of six at home to Cincinnati and Cleveland before traveling to San Diego. The Padres fell to 31-22, losing for the second time in three games. They had dropped two of three to the Athletics over the weekend.
The series continues Tuesday night with the Phillies sending a starter to be determined against San Diego’s Dylan Cease.
Philadelphia’s next 10 games include the final two games of this series in San Diego, then a three-game set at the Los Angeles Dodgers before returning home to face the Padres again and the Chicago White Sox. San Diego will host the Phillies for two more games before traveling to Washington for a three-game series.
Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of San Diego 7, Philadelphia 6. Interstat’s ELO system had projected San Diego with a 54.30 percent probability to win. Philadelphia had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5. The total score of 3 went over the over-under line of 7.5.