TORONTO (AP) — Kyle Schwarber’s third homer of the game was a go-ahead, three-run drive in the ninth inning, and the Philadelphia Phillies rallied past the Toronto Blue Jays 10-9 on Tuesday night after allowing six runs in the first.
“That’s what we pride ourselves on, is just making sure that we’re never out of a game,” Schwarber said. “We always feel like we’re going to be in it and we did a really good job of that tonight.”
Schwarber hit his 12th leadoff homer of the season and went deep again in the fourth before his blast with no outs in the ninth on the ninth pitch he saw from Chad Green (4-5), a 96 mph fastball. Right fielder George Springer barely moved in reaction to Schwarber’s 426-foot line drive that reached the second deck for his 31st homer of the season.
Schwarber became the first Phillies player to have two three-homer games in a season. He finished 5 for 6 with six RBIs and came within a triple of the cycle, adding a double in the third and an RBI single in the seventh. It was Schwarber’s third career three-homer game and his first five-hit game. The first two homers came against Chris Bassitt.
“He carried us tonight,” Philadelphia’s Kody Clemens said.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 4 for 5 with a two-run homer for Toronto, which led 6-1 after one and knocked Phillies starter Tyler Phillips out of the game after two-thirds of an inning. Phillips gave up six runs on eight hits, including two-run homers by Daulton Varsho and Addison Barger.
“Even after the first inning happened, everyone’s demeanor was good,” Schwarber said. “There was no sense of defeat. Just felt like everyone had a really good attitude about it and it showed.”
Orion Kerkering (4-2) pitched a scoreless eighth. Matt Strahm, the seventh Phillies pitcher, gave up Leo Jiménez’s homer in the ninth but closed it out for his second save in eight chances.
“I thought our bullpen did an outstanding job of holding them down,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said.
NL East-leading Philadelphia matched a season high with 18 hits and won its third straight.
Green blew a save for the second straight game after doing so on Sunday at Minnesota. He converted 16 consecutive save opportunities to begin the season.
Edmundo Sosa led off the ninth with a single and advanced to third on Clemens’ double before Schwarber’s homer made it 10-8.
“When he’s hot, he might be the best hot hitter in all of baseball,” said Bassitt said.
In the first, Phillips retired two of the 10 batters he faced, departing after Springer’s second hit.
“To go out there and do that, it feels pretty bad,” Phillips said.
Nick Castellanos and Bryson Stott each drove in a run in the third and Schwarber’s second homer cut it to 6-4 in the fourth.
Guerrero connected off former Toronto teammate Taijuan Walker in the sixth for his 28th homer to put the Blue Jays ahead 8-4.
Philadelphia answered with a three-run seventh against a trio of Toronto relievers.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: INF Alec Bohm (left hand) is recovering more slowly than expected and will not play in this two-game series, Thomson said, adding that Bohm could return Thursday against Miami. Bohm left last Thursday’s game against Atlanta after two innings and has not played since. … Castellanos was removed in the bottom of the seventh after being hit on the left leg by a pitch in the top of the inning.
Blue Jays: SS Bo Bichette (right calf) ran the bases Monday and will do so again Wednesday. ... Barger exited after six innings because of a sore left knee.
UP NEXT
After being named AL Pitcher of the Month for August, Blue Jays RHP Bowden Francis (8-3, 3.66 ERA) is scheduled to make his first September start against Phillies LHP Cristopher Sánchez (9-9, 3.49) on Wednesday.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Ian Harrison, The Associated Press
