Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber went deep, Zack Wheeler struck out 13 in a dominant outing, and the Philadelphia Phillies cruised to a 7-2 win over the Miami Marlins on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park.
Harper set the tone early, launching a two-run home run in the first inning off Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara. Schwarber followed with a solo shot in the fifth—his National League-leading seventh homer of the season—as the Phillies handed Miami its fourth straight loss.
Wheeler (2-1) was electric on the mound, scattering five hits over seven innings while allowing just two runs without issuing a walk. The right-hander struck out the side in the seventh inning, capping his outing with 96 pitches.
The lone blemish on Wheeler’s night came in the sixth, when Eric Wagaman tagged him for a two-run homer. Otherwise, the Phillies’ ace was in full control, registering his third double-digit strikeout performance of the year.
Alcantara (2-1), making just his fourth start since returning from Tommy John surgery, labored through a nightmarish outing. Harper’s home run came on the 18th pitch of the first inning, and Alcantara would need 30 pitches just to escape the opening frame. He recorded only four outs before being pulled after 61 pitches, having allowed six earned runs, four hits, two walks, and two wild pitches. His ERA ballooned to 7.27.
Philadelphia piled on in the second inning, taking advantage of Alcantara’s struggles with command. Alec Bohm and Johan Rojas each delivered RBI singles, Bryson Stott added a sacrifice fly, and Rojas later scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-0.
Friday marked the Phillies’ 19th game in their first 20 where a starter pitched at least five innings. Phillies starters entered the night having thrown 109.1 innings—fourth-most in MLB.
The series continues Saturday, with Taijuan Walker (1-1, 2.30 ERA) taking the mound for the Phillies against Miami’s Cal Quantrill (1-1, 5.79 ERA).
With the offense clicking and the rotation rolling, the Phillies look to continue their early-season dominance as they chase a fifth straight series win.
Key Players and Stats
- Bryce Harper: 2-run HR (1st inning), his fourth of the season
- Kyle Schwarber: Solo HR (5th inning), now with 7 on the year
- Zack Wheeler: 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 13 K
- Eric Wagaman (MIA): 2-run HR (6th inning)
- Xavier Edwards (MIA): Extended hitting streak to a career-high 11 games
- Nick Castellanos (PHI): 2 hits before exiting with a hip issue for the second straight game
