Phillies turn to Jesus Luzardo in bid for sweep of Red Sox
Zack Wheeler allowed two runs in six innings in Monday's 3-2 victory and then Cristopher Sanchez raised the bar Tuesday with a complete game, allowing only four hits in a 4-1 triumph. The Phillies' two starters combined to strike out 22 batters without a walk.
"They just feed off each other," Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson said after Sanchez's 12-strikeout gem. "They want to be better than the last guy. It's a good competition."
Max Kepler and Kyle Schwarber hit solo homers on Tuesday as the Phillies won back-to-back games for the first time since July 5 and 6.
"This is a really good team that we have in here obviously," said Bryce Harper, who scored on a catcher's interference. "We've just got to keep playing our baseball and coming through when we need to."
Meanwhile in the visiting dugout, manager Alex Cora is challenging his team to step it up against All-Star caliber pitching. Boston's Roman Anthony is 1-for-9 with eight strikeouts in the series.
"Two of the best pitchers in the majors," Cora said of Wheeler and Sanchez. "That's the reason they're good. If we want to play in October, we have to find a way to hit those guys."
The Phillies hope to ride the momentum behind Luzardo (8-5, 4.29 ERA), who did not make it out of the fifth inning in his last start. The left-hander lasted only 4 2/3 innings Friday, allowing four runs and seven hits in a 6-5 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. He did not figure into the decision.
"Extremely frustrating, especially when the offense gives you four runs early," Luzardo said. "If you ask any starter in the league, if the offense gives you four runs, it should be a win for the team no matter what, so I feel like obviously this loss was on me."
Philadelphia has won just three of the last 10 games started by Luzardo, who will be facing Boston for the second time in his career. On June 29, 2023, he limited the Red Sox to three hits over six scoreless innings in a 2-0 win as a member of the Miami Marlins. He was not credited with a decision.
Boston will turn to Lucas Giolito (6-2, 3.59), who had a personal six-game winning streak halted in his most recent start. The right-hander gave up four runs in 5 1/3 innings against the Chicago Cubs on Friday en route to his first defeat since May 6 in the 4-1 game.
"It's a bad way to start the series and the second half," Giolito said. "I've got to be a tone-setter. I didn't do that. Two walks and a home run -- three runs in the first inning -- puts us on our heels, so I've got to be better than that."
Giolito is 2-2 with a 3.86 ERA in two lifetime starts against the Phillies, both of which came in 2023.
--Field Level Media
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
4 minutes ago
- The Independent
Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg has died after battling cancer
Ryne Sandberg, a Hall of Fame second baseman who became one of baseball's best all-around players while starring for the Chicago Cubs, has died. He was 65. Sandberg was surrounded by his family when he died at his home on Monday, according to the team. Sandberg announced in January 2024 that he had been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. He had chemotherapy and radiation treatments, and then said in August 2024 that he was cancer-free. But he posted on Instagram on Dec. 10 that his cancer had returned and spread to other organs. He announced this month that he was still fighting, while 'looking forward to making the most of every day with my loving family and friends.' Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said Sandberg 'will be remembered as one of the all-time greats in nearly 150 years of this historic franchise.' 'His dedication to and respect for the game, along with his unrelenting integrity, grit, hustle, and competitive fire were hallmarks of his career," Ricketts said in the team's statement. Sandberg was born and raised in Spokane, Washington. He was selected out of high school by Philadelphia in the 20th round of the 1978 amateur draft. He made his major league debut in 1981 and went 1 for 6 in 13 games with the Phillies. In January 1982, he was traded to Chicago along with Larry Bowa for veteran infielder Ivan De Jesus. It turned into one of the most lopsided deals in baseball history. Sandberg hit .285 with 282 homers, 1,061 RBIs and 344 steals in 15 years with Chicago. He made 10 All-Star teams — winning the Home Run Derby in 1990 — and took home nine Gold Gloves. 'Ryne Sandberg was a legend of the Chicago Cubs franchise and a beloved figure throughout Major League Baseball," MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said. 'He was a five-tool player who excelled in every facet of the game thanks to his power, speed and work ethic.' Even with Sandberg's stellar play, the Cubs made just two postseason appearances while he was in Chicago. He was the NL MVP in 1984, batting .314 with 19 homers, 84 RBIs, 32 steals, 19 triples and 114 runs scored. Chicago won the NL East and Sandberg hit .368 (7 for 19) in the playoffs, but the Cubs were eliminated by San Diego after winning the first two games of the National League Championship Series at Wrigley Field. The 1984 season featured what Cubs fans still call 'The Sandberg Game,' when he homered twice and drove in seven runs in a 12-11 victory over St. Louis in 11 innings on June 23. Chicago paid tribute to Sandberg and that game when it unveiled a statue of the infielder outside Wrigley Field on that date in 2024. 'He was a superhero in this city,' Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said during a TV broadcast of the team's game on July 20. 'You think about (Michael) Jordan, Walter Payton and Ryne Sandberg all here at the same time, and I can't imagine a person handling their fame better, their responsibility for a city better than he did.' Sandberg led Chicago back to the playoffs in 1989, hitting .290 with 30 homers as the Cubs won the NL East. He batted .400 (8 for 20) in the NLCS, but Chicago lost to San Francisco in five games. Sandberg set a career high with an NL-best 40 homers in 1990 and drove in a career-best 100 runs in 1990 and 1991, but he never made it back to the postseason. He retired after the 1997 season. 'When you examine the offense and defense, you'll find some years where he was the best player you've ever seen in your life,' former Cubs first baseman Mark Grace said. Sandberg was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005, receiving 76.2% of the vote by the Baseball Writers' Association of America in his third try on the ballot. The Cubs retired his No. 23 that same year. 'Ryne Sandberg had a relentless work ethic and an unshakable positive outlook," Hall of Fame chair Jane Forbes Clark said. 'With it, he inspired all those who knew him.' Sandberg also managed Philadelphia from August 2013 to June 2015, going 119-159. He got the interim job when Charlie Manuel was fired, and he resigned with the Phillies in the middle of a difficult 2015 season. ___
Reuters
5 minutes ago
- Reuters
Orioles tag Blue Jays for 16 hits in series-opening win
July 29 - Cedric Mullins and Coby Mayo belted back-to-back home runs and Adley Rutschman had a big game at the plate in his first game off the injured list as the Baltimore Orioles rapped the visiting Toronto Blue Jays 11-4 on Monday night. Ramon Laureano and Colton Cowser also homered and Jordan Westburg joined Rutschman and Mayo with three hits. Baltimore had 16 hits in the first of four meetings between the teams across three days. Corbin Martin (1-0) was the winning pitcher with 1 2/3 innings of shutout relief. It marked his second victory in the major leagues, and his first since 2019. Bo Bichette had four hits, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Nathan Lukes each hit home runs for the Blue Jays, who've lost two games in a row for the first time since the All-Star break. The Orioles, who've won four of their last five games, tagged Toronto starter Chris Bassitt (11-5) for six runs in 2 1/3 innings. He had gone 4-0 in his first four starts in July. Baltimore starter Zach Eflin lasted 4 1/3 innings, surrendering four runs on eight hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Lukes and Guerrero Jr. both hit their home runs in the third inning. Rutschman's two-run double in the bottom of the third inning broke a tie to put Baltimore up 5-3. Laureano singled in the next run. Laureano's 15th homer of the season was a two-run shot in the fifth for a 9-4 advantage. Mullins also has 15 long balls this year. Ryan O'Hearn and Mullins also had two hits. Baltimore relievers blanked the Blue Jays across the last five innings. The series pits the AL East Division-leading Blue Jays against the last-place Orioles. The teams meet in a day-night doubleheader on Tuesday. --Field Level Media
Reuters
35 minutes ago
- Reuters
Dusty Baker to manage Nicaragua at 2026 World Baseball Classic
July 29 - Former MLB manager Dusty Baker is reportedly set to manage Nicaragua during the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Baker, 76, retired from the major leagues two years ago after winning a World Series with the Houston Astros in 2022 and being named National League Manager of the Year three times. Baker is the eighth-winningest manager in major league history. Baker also played in the majors for 19 seasons. "I'm excited," Baker told USA Today, "... I know baseball is trying to get going in Nicaragua, and I want to help." Nicaragua finished 19th in the 2023 WBC but secured a 3-0 record in qualifying for the 2026 tournament and will play in Pool D against Venezuela, Israel, the Netherlands and the Dominican Republic. --Field Level Media
