Zack Wheeler was not sharp Tuesday afternoon to begin a doubleheader against the Nationals but Kyle Schwarber supplied more than enough power to boost the Phillies to a comeback win.
Schwarber hit a two-run home run in the third inning and a three-run blast in the fourth as the Phils took the series opener, 8-4.
His second home run nullified a decision by third base coach Dusty Wathan to hold Trea Turner on a one-out single by Jake Cave two batters earlier. Nine-hole hitter Johan Rojas had followed Cave by hitting a ground ball to third base that resulted in Turner being cut down at the plate, keeping the game tied with two outs. Within two pitches, it didn't matter because Schwarber sent a high hanger over the heart of the plate out 447 feet to right field to change the game. It came off his bat at over 114 mph.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
The multi-homer game left Schwarber with 30 on the season. He went back-to-back with Alec Bohm in the third inning. Both have 72 RBI and are on pace for 103.
Cave added a two-run shot into the bushes past center field in the sixth inning to provide breathing room and help save core relievers for the nightcap. Manager Rob Thomson used Matt Strahm in the seventh and Luis Ortiz — recalled from Triple A as the 27th man for the doubleheader — in the eighth and ninth.
The Phillies are 62-51, tied with the Giants for the top National League wild-card spot and three games ahead of the next-closest team, the 60-55 Reds.
Wheeler allowed a solo home run to catcher Keibert Ruiz in the top of the second, then gave up four hits in a span of five batters in the third. The damage came from CJ Abrams and Lane Thomas, who opened the inning with a double and a homer.
Philadelphia Phillies
Wheeler was able to bounce back with three scoreless innings for his sixth straight quality start. He is 9-5 with a 3.74 ERA through 23 starts.
The Nationals have played sneakily well of late, winning 11 of their last 16 games before Tuesday and going 8-1 over that span against teams with winning records (Brewers, Giants, Reds). Washington has also been one of baseball's best offenses against left-handed pitching, something to keep in mind as Ranger Suarez opposes Josiah Gray in Game 2.