Kyle Schwarber drilled his Major League-leading 31st home run and Zack Wheeler matched a career-high with 14 strikeouts in seven innings to lead the visiting Philadelphia Phillies to a 4-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night.
Wheeler (9-1) struck out 14 and walked none, posting his fifth straight win since suffering his only loss of the season on May 29 to the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Wheeler’s 14 strikeouts matched his previous career-high against Tampa Bay on May 29, 2021. All-Star reliever Jhoan Duran pitched a scoreless ninth for his 22nd save in 23 chances.
Cincinnati starter and loser Andrew Abbott (5-5) retired the first seven batters. But Derek Hill doubled, Justin Crawford singled and a Trea Turner ground out drove home Hill.
Then Schwarber unloaded on an Abbott fastball over the middle of the plate for a two-run homer and a 3-0 Philadelphia lead. It was just the second homer for Schwarber in his last 14 games.
Abbott allowed just the three runs, striking out eight and walking none in six innings to register his seventh quality start.
Schwarber, who finished with two hits, was the free agent the Reds pursued strongly last offseason. But the slugger decided to accept a bigger deal to stay in Philadelphia, agreeing to a five-year, $150 million contract.
Ironically, it was Eugenio Suarez who spoiled Wheeler’s shutout with his ninth homer, a solo shot to open the seventh. The Reds signed Suarez in free agency when they missed out on Schwarber. The home run was 198th by Suarez in a Cincinnati uniform, tying him with Hall of Famer Barry Larkin for 11th on the club’s all-time list.
For the Reds, it was their third loss in four games in their current nine-game homestand heading into the All-Star break. Overall, Cincinnati has dropped seven of nine, 10-of-14, and is 21-38 since opening the season 20-11.
The game was delayed 10 minutes in the bottom of the eighth when Cincinnati’s Sal Stewart grounded into an apparent force play and nearly an inning-ending double play.
But Elly De La Cruz beat the throw at second before overrunning the bag. Stewart was retired at first, but umpires convened for several minutes and conferred after a Philadelphia challenge before ultimately ruling that De La Cruz could stay at second. Phillies coach Bobby Dickerson was ejected for arguing with third base umpire Lance Barrett.
Orion Kerkering loaded the bases on a walk to JJ Bleday but Jonathan Bowman replaced Kerkering and struck out Suarez swinging to end the Cincinnati threat.
Hill and Crawford joined Schwarber with two hits apiece for Philadelphia.
