Oppo-taco Tuesday: Phillies 8, Rays 4

Three home runs to the opposite field backed up 9 Ks from Zack Wheeler.

The Phillies launched three home runs, all to the opposite field, and collected 13 hits while Zack Wheeler cruised through 7 innings in an 8-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Kyle Schwarber, Alec Bohm, and Nick Castellanos all went deep, with Castellanos’ shot to right field in the eighth inning breaking the game open. Wheeler finished 7 innings on just 84 pitches and struck out 9 Rays hitters, 8 of which on his fastball.

And it’s not even June yet!

Schwarber got the party started with his 12th home run of the season to lead off the second inning facing Drew Rasmussen. It was Schwarber’s fifth home run in his last seven games, and it tied him with Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh for the Major League lead in long balls.

Schwarber went 3-4 on the night with 2 RBIs, a walk, and two runs scored.

Monkey off his back

Castellanos followed up Schwarber’s homer with a hustle double that just dropped in front of a diving Kameron Misner in center field. Max Kepler kept the line moving with a walk, but J.T. Realmuto’s first of two double plays on the evening and seventh on the year put the scoring threat in jeopardy.

Alec Bohm then came to the plate with a runner on third and two outs in a 1-0 game. He took the first four pitches and should’ve walked, but a called strike on the fourth pitch put him in a 3-1 count. He took advantage and ripped his first home run of the year over the right field wall. It was Bohm’s first home run in 44 games including last year’s postseason and extended the Phillies lead to 3-0.

Breaking it open

The Phillies offense sputtered for much of the game following Bohm’s home run despite knocking Rasmussen out of the game after 4.1 and five hits with two walks. Entering the eighth inning, the Phillies had only gotten one hit since the third with a single from Brandon Marsh to lead off the fifth.

But Trea Turner led off the eighth with a single, his second hit of the day, before Bryce Harper drilled a single through the first base hole to put two on with nobody out. Schwarber notched his second RBI of the night soon after, dropping a single in front of Jankowski to give Philadelphia a much-needed insurance run.

Finally, Castellanos broke the game wide open with a three-run blast to right field to make it a 7-2 Phillies lead. Castellanos finished 3-5 on the night with 4 RBIs and two extra-base hits.

Can’t handle the heat

Meanwhile, Wheeler’s fastball was dominant in his seven innings of work. He threw 42 four seam fastballs on 84 pitches. His fastball generated 9 whiffs and 9 called strikes and was responsible for 8 of his 9 punchouts. Wheeler’s heater averaged 95.9 MPH and topped off at 97.7 MPH.

Wheeler allowed a double to Brandon Lowe and a home run to Yandy Diaz to begin the fourth, but that was about it for any resistance he faced. He did however run into a small jam in the 7th after Jonathan Aranda led off with a single in a then 3-2 game with the Phillies offense silent since the third inning. But Wheeler picked up his ninth strikeout with a wicked curveball to Misner and then got Junior Caminero to ground into a 5-4-3 inning ending double play to end the threat and ultimately end his night.

The Phillies ace finished the night with 7 IP, 4 hits, 2 runs, no walks, and 9 strikeouts. He exited after just 84 pitches due to the big lead and a long top half of the eighth inning that lasted about 20 minutes.

Orion Kerkering and Matt Strahm took over in relief of Wheeler to pitch the eighth and the ninth. Kerkering allowed a run on a hit with a walk and a strikeout while Strahm also allowed a run on a hit and a walk and picked up two strikeouts.

Tomorrow’s matchup

Philadelphia will go for its fourth straight series win tomorrow night at 7:05. Cristopher Sánchez (3-1, 3.45 ERA) will take the mound against the team that traded him away in the Rays who will send Shane Baz (3-1, 3.86 ERA) to the bump.