After splitting a doubleheader on Tuesday, the Philadelphia Phillies will look to regain a series lead when they host the Washington Nationals on Wednesday evening.
The Phillies recorded an 8-4 win in the opener Tuesday before dropping a 5-4 decision in the nightcap.
Philadelphia began its 10-game homestand by winning two of three against the Kansas City Royals.
In Tuesday’s doubleheader opener, Kyle Schwarber hit two home runs while Alec Bohm and Jake Cave also went deep.
Schwarber has reached 30 home runs for the third straight season.
Bryce Harper ripped a two-run shot in the second game, marking his second homer in the last four contests.
“His swing really looks good right now,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “He looks like he’s on everything. … I think his swing looks in midseason form right now.”
The Phillies will hand the ball to right-hander Michael Lorenzen (6-7, 3.48 ERA) on Wednesday.
Lorenzen, a former All-Star, was acquired by the Phillies before the trade deadline. In his debut with his new team, Lorenzen allowed two runs on six hits in eight innings in a 4-2 victory over the Miami Marlins on Thursday.
“It’s fun, the guys are great,” Lorenzen said after the outing. “It’s a good group. Everyone’s really close. I see why they did what they did last year (reach the World Series). It’d be fun to make another run.”
Lorenzen is 0-1 with a 5.87 ERA in 13 career games (two starts) against the Nationals, who have won five of their last six games.
Lane Thomas and Keibert Ruiz each homered in the doubleheader opener and Joey Meneses went deep on two occasions in the nightcap for his second career multi-homer game.
Meneses’ second homer came against Phillies closer Craig Kimbrel with one out in the ninth.
“I made one bad pitch,” Kimbrel said.
“I went looking for his curveball,” Meneses said in a postgame interview on MASN. “My best swing.”
Meneses acknowledged that he had been scuffling offensively, but he never stopped looking to improve.
“I’ve been working and I’ve been feeling better in the cage working with the hitting coach,” said Meneses, who has 11 homers this season. “Trying to figure out mechanics. I’ve been working, and that’s why I’m feeling better now.”
Nationals manager Dave Martinez credited his team’s determination after it rallied to overcome a two-run deficit in the second game.
“This team just keeps battling,” Martinez said. “We played hard for 27 outs.”
Left-hander MacKenzie Gore (6-8, 4.34) is expected to start for the Nationals.
In Gore’s last start, he gave up two runs on three hits in six innings in a no-decision against the Milwaukee Brewers last Wednesday.
“Really good. Really good,” Martinez said of Gore. “That sixth inning he just aired it out, and that was a big moment of the game, kept us in the game.”
Gore is 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA in four career games (three starts) against the Phillies.
–Field Level Media
