Bryce Harper hit a grand slam, Cristopher Sánchez pitched well for seven innings, and the Philadelphia Phillies had an easy win against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night, winning 10-1.
Kody Clemens also had a good game for the Phillies, hitting a home run, a triple, and bringing in four runs. The Phillies are on fire, winning seven games in a row, 11 straight at home, and 18 out of 21 games . They’re leading the league with 26 wins.
“It was a great team effort tonight,” said Harper, who had three hits in the game. For Toronto, Danny Jansen and Alejandro Kirk managed to hit doubles, but their team has struggled lately, losing six of their last seven games.
Sánchez, who got the win for the Phillies, only allowed one run on six hits during his seven innings of pitching. “Our starting pitchers have been really impressive lately,” Harper added.
Harper’s grand slam in the fourth inning ended José Berríos’s night early. Berríos, who had a great ERA coming into the game, allowed eight runs on seven hits in just 3 2/3 innings.
“They made him put in the effort,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. “He’s one of the best pitchers out there, no doubt. They made him put in the effort.”
He gave up more runs against the Phillies than he had in his previous seven starts, where he allowed seven runs over 43 2/3 innings before Tuesday. “I thought we had a solid game plan,” Harper said.
Harper went head-to-head with the Blue Jays’ top pitcher in the first inning, turning a tough situation around after being down 0-2 to get a single after an eight-pitch battle. Nick Castellanos then doubled to bring Harper home and give Philadelphia a 1-0 lead.
“I was just trying to fight and avoid swinging at pitches outside the strike zone,” Harper said. Clemens, who was brought up after shortstop Trea Turner was sidelined for at least six weeks on Saturday due to a left hamstring injury, and was in the lineup at third base after Alec Bohm’s 18-game hitting streak ended on Monday, hit a two-run homer in the second inning and an RBI triple in the fourth.
“That’s fantastic,” said Thomson. “I’m really happy for him.” In three games, Clemens has gone 4 for 9 with a double, triple, two homers, and seven RBIs. “He’s a great player,” Harper said. “It’s enjoyable to watch.”
