After laying two goose eggs in Milwaukee, the Philadelphia Phillies (39-33) returned to the roost and sired one of their own from the Miami Marlins (36-37), hatching a 7-0 victory on Monday night (I don’t know where babies come from).
Zack Wheeler gave up a hit and a walk to open the game but allowed just three additional baserunners across his six innings of work, permitting none to score and striking out nine.
The Phillies opened the scoring in the second inning against Fish starter, Ryan Gusto, as Gabriel Rincones, Jr. became the second Phil’s rookie to homer for their first major league hit this season.
Rincones picked up his second career RBI in the next inning via a ground out fielder’s choice following a double by Brandon Marsh and a walk by Bryson Stott. One pitch later, Justin Crawford brought Stott and Rincones home with a two-run single.
JT Realmuto hit his fifth home run of the season in the fifth inning, a two-run jack that scored Stott to extend the lead to five. It was the third home run of June for Realmuto after hitting just two in the two plus months prior.
The Phillies worked the bases loaded with no outs to start the bottom of the eighth on a pair of singles by Crawford and Edmundo Sosa and a walk by Kyle Schwarber, tacking on two more runs via sac flies from Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm.
Tim Mayza, Jonathan Bowlan and Chase Shugart all took an inning in relief and, despite each allowing runners to reach base, worked out of the jam and maintained the shutout incubated by Wheeler.
The middle game of the series will be a battle of the exes as Jesus Luzardo is scheduled to face Tyler Phillips tomorrow night.
