Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos each homered and Zack Wheeler allowed one run over seven innings to pace the visiting Philadelphia Phillies to a 5-1 victory over Milwaukee on Tuesday night, denying the Brewers a chance to clinch the National League Central.
Milwaukee (87-64) entered with a 10-game lead over the Chicago Cubs and a magic number of two. The Brewers would have clinched with a win and a loss by the Cubs, who lost 4-3 to the Oakland Athletics.
Philadelphia (91-60) moved two games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in the majors. Los Angeles lost to the Miami Marlins 11-9 on Tuesday. The Phillies’ magic number to clinch the NL East is four.
Wheeler (16-6) allowed four hits, striking out six and walking none to lower his ERA to 2.56. It was Wheeler’s NL-best 24th start of pitching at least six innings. In 23 of them, he has allowed two runs or fewer.
Matt Strahm and Jeff Hoffman each followed with a scoreless inning.
Frankie Montas (7-11) allowed three runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out 10 and walking two.
Harper put the Phillies up 3-1 with a two-run homer in the sixth. Kyle Schwarber singled on a dribbler to third to open the inning. After Trea Turner fanned, Harper sent a 1-1 pitch 394 feet to center for his 29th home run.
Philadelphia added a run in the seventh. Edmundo Sosa doubled to open. Pitcher Aaron Ashby deflected Schwarber’s comebacker through the right side for an RBI single.
Turner added an RBI single in the ninth.
Castellanos jumped on the first pitch of the second inning for his 21st homer, putting the Phillies up 1-0 with a 430-foot drive to center.
The Brewers tied it in the fourth when William Contreras singled with one out and Garrett Mitchell followed with a triple to center.
–Field Level Media
