Kyle Schwarber Comes Home To Lift His Adoptive Phillies To A Win

 

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Dateline: 1,209 Kilometers from the Gulf of Mexico

Kyle Schwarber hit a deciding home run with two outs in the eighth inning to turn a 1-0 loss into a 4-1 win for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Andrew Abbott held off the Phillies after the Reds opened with a run in the first inning.

TJ Friedl doubled against Taijuan Walker to open the game. A two-out infield single extended the inning. Gavin Lux singled past Bryce Harper at first base to plate the go ahead run.

"We needed to put some more runs on the board," Lux said. "We needed to make it a little easier for Abbott. He shoved for eight innings."

Abbott retired the first 12 Phillies batters in order before J.T Realmuto doubled to open the fifth innings. Ke'Bryan Hayes robbed Realmuto of another double with a diving stop leading off the second inning. 

Edmundo Sosa led off the sixth inning with a single and Harper led off the seventh with a double.

A ground ball got Harper to third with one out but Noelvi Marte threw Harper out at the plate on Nick Castellanos fly to right.

"At the time it could have been a game-saving play," Terry Francona said. "It was fun to watch."

The Phillies scored three runs off Abbott with two outs in the eighth. Abbott struck out Harrison Bader and Otto Kemp. Soto singled with two outs.

"I felt good. I executed the pitch. He put a good swing on it," Abbott said. "Wilson just got it down the line. It wasn't a bad pitch."

Weston Wilson doubled over Hayes' head into the left field corner to tie the game. Trea Turner singled to give the Phillies the lead. 

"I had no thoughts of not sending him back out. He struck out the first two hitters, so he had something in the tank," Francona said.

Tony Santillan relieved Abbott. Middletown, Ohio native, Schwarber, hit his 42nd home run to extend the lead to 4-1.