Kyle Schwarber homered on the first pitch of the game — then added another solo shot in the fifth inning — and Zack Wheeler won his eighth straight decision Tuesday night, leading the Philadelphia Phillies to a 4-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox .
Wheeler (8-3) hasn’t lost in 10 starts since April 14. He allowed one run on three hits in seven innings, striking out four and walking one to help Philadelphia improve to a season-high 10 games for the six-inning stretch. time defending NL East champion Atlanta Braves.
Phillies pitchers retired 14 batters in a row before David Hamilton singled with one out in the ninth, but José Alvarado retired the next two batters for his 12th save.
Bryson Stott also had two hits for the Phillies, who scored a pair of unearned runs when Boston first baseman Dominic Smith dropped an easy toss that should have ended the fourth inning.
It was Philadelphia’s first game back in the U.S. after splitting its two-game London Series with the New York Mets last weekend. The Phillies flew directly to Boston on Sunday, arriving just after midnight, and had Monday off to reacclimate.
Schwarber was ready to go.
The designated hitter, a member of the 2021 Red Sox team that went to the AL Championship Series, hit the first pitch from Kutter Crawford (2-6) 450 feet to right-center field. It was the 37th leadoff home run of Schwarber’s career and his sixth this season.
After striking out in the third, Schwarber led off the fifth and sent a 1-0 pitch 450 feet to right to make it 4-1.
Crawford allowed a total of four runs, two earned, on six hits, striking out eight and walking one in six innings.
With the score tied at 1-all, two outs in the fourth and runners on second and third base, David Dahl hit one off the end of his bat to the right side of the infield. Red Sox second baseman Enmanuel Valdéz fielded the ball and made the soft throw to first base, but Smith let the ball deflect off the edge of his glove.
Bryce Harper, who led off with a walk, scored easily, and Stott took off for home and scored without a throw. Garrett Stubbs singled Dahl to third before Crawford got Johan Rojas on a groundout to end the inning.
Red Sox center fielder Rob Refsnyder also made an error, misplaying Stott’s second-inning single for an extra base. But Crawford retired the next three batters to end the inning.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: Placed three-time All-Star catcher JT Realmuto on the 10-day injured list and said he will need about a month to recover from surgery on the cartilage in his right knee. Stubbs was lined up as catcher in the series opener, and the Phillies recalled catcher Rafael Marchán from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to fill Realmuto’s spot on the roster.
Red Sox: Outfielder Masataka Yoshida was back in the lineup for the first time since April 28 when he pinched his right thumb. 1B/OF Garrett Cooper was designated for assignment to make room on the roster.
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Boston RHP Nick Pivetta (3-4) takes on Phillies LHP Christopher Sanchez (3-3) in the second game of the three-game series.
