PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kyle Schwarber hit a grand slam in the sixth inning and Bryce Harper capped the scoring with a two-run homer in the eighth, carrying the Philadelphia Phillies to a 9-5 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night.
Schwarber’s shot to right field off reliever José Fermin was his eighth career grand slam and 32nd homer of the season.
Taylor Ward and Jo Adell hit back-to-back home runs for the Angels in the fourth inning for a 3-1 lead that wouldn’t stand after Los Angeles starter Yusei Kikuchi left after five solid innings.
The Phillies ruined what could have been a big inning in the first, when Schwarber and Trea Turner got caught in rundowns and were tagged out on the same grounder by Harper. Nick Castellanos followed that with a two-out, RBI single for a 1-0 lead.
Los Angeles turned it around in the fourth on Ward's and Adell's home runs. Zach Neto also plated a run with a single that inning but the Angels left the bases loaded.
The Phillies got a run back on Turner’s RBI single in the fifth. Yoan Moncada hit a home run in the sixth to restore a two-run Los Angeles lead.
Seth Johnson (1-0) struck out two in one inning of work. Sam Bachman (2-3) took the loss.
Key moment
Schwarber’s 32nd homer in the sixth moved him into third in the National League behind the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani and Arizona’s Eugenio Suárez — who hit two home runs Saturday — who both have a league-leading 33.
Key stat
Harper has gone 12 for 24 over the past six games, with seven doubles and four home runs.
Up next
The Phillies will go with lefty Ranger Suárez (7-3, 2.15 ERA) against the Angels’ José Soriano (6-7, 3.90) in the Sunday series finale.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Rob Parent, The Associated Press