The Philadelphia Phillies got Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber back from the injured list Tuesday just in time for a showdown with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
They didn’t need them.
Anchored by a Trea Turner grand slam, the Phillies torched Dodgers starter Bobby Miller for nine runs in four innings en route to a 10-1 win. In the first game of the season between the NL’s two best teams, the Phillies improved their MLB-best record (59-32) and delivered a loud message to their potential future postseason opponent.
Harper (hamstring) and Schwarber (groin) had both been sidelined since June 27. They were both activated from the injured list and back in their usual spots in the lineup on Tuesday.
It was a slow night for Harper, who finished 0-for-4 at the plate and didn’t account for a run. His teammates more than made up for his lack of production.
Schwarber knocked in two runs with a two-out single in the bottom of the second inning to extend a 1-0 Phillies lead to 3-0.
He then walked in the fourth to set Turner up to blow the game open. With the bases loaded and no outs in a 4-0 game, Turner launched a Miller slider that hung over the middle of the plate into the left-field bleachers for a grand slam.
Three batters later, Bryson Stott sent a solo shot over the right-field wall to extend the lead to 9-0.
By the time the fourth inning was over, each Phillies batter had taken a turn at the plate. Philadelphia plated six runs in the inning, and Miller’s night was done. He allowed nine earned runs on 10 hits including two home runs and three walks. He recorded two strikeouts.
From there, the Dodgers managed to get on the board with a Cavan Biggio solo home run. But that was all the damage done against Phillies starter Zack Wheeler. Shortstop Kiké Hernández was on the mound by seventh inning to spare the Dodgers bullpen as the Phillies cruised to victory.
Turner finished the night 3-for-4 at the plate with the grand slam. His was one of three Phillies home runs alongside Stott’s solo shot and a Brandon Marsh solo home run in the seventh.
The only bad news of the night for the Phillies arrived after Wheeler left the game. He was done after six innings and a season-low pitch count of 76, seemingly due to the blowout nature of the game. But the Phillies revealed mid-game that Wheeler experienced back tightness on the mound.
His long-term status wasn’t immediately clear, but his scheduled date for Philadelphia’s first-half finale against the Oakland A‘s on Sunday was certainly in jeopardy.
The Phillies and Dodgers are scheduled to play the second of their three-game series Wednesday night.
