Given that Dave Dombrowski once built the Red Sox into a championship caliber team, the ties between the Red Sox and the Phillies are numerous.
Perhaps the strongest of them all is the man that took the mound for the Red Sox today, Ranger Suarez.
While the Phillies were not able to pay Suarez, they did extend Jesus Luzardo, and the pair engaged in an epic duel.
Suarez threw 5.1 scoreless innings, 8 K and 1 BB. Luzardo matched him, throwing 6.0 scoreless, 4 K and 1 BB in a Phillies win.
The offense once again struggled to get things going, remaining hitless until to top of the 5th inning and only getting one runner on base via a Bryce Harper walk in the top of the 4th.
Though they started getting to Suarez in the 5th, it was all for naught. Bohm split the gap between third and short, extending his hitting streak another game. After a Brandon Marsh strikeout, JT Realmuto singled to right and advanced Bohm to second. Felix Reyes followed that up with another single to right, loading the bases with just a single out.
Bases loaded has been a death knell for the Phillies, and that continued as both Edmundo Sosa and Trea Turner could not muster any contact, both striking out to end the threat.
The Red Sox did not fair much better. Carlos Narvaez doubled in the first at bat in the bottom of the 3rd, but smart defense from Luzardo on a sacrifice bunt, a strike out and ground out ended the inning.
The Red Sox were able to threaten again in the bottom of the 4th when Wilyer Abreu hit a grounder perfectly between Alec Bohm and Turner, but Luzardo picked him off at first. Without the pickoff, Abreu would have likely scored when Willson Contreras doubled during the very next at bat. Luzardo managed to get out of the 4th unscathed yet again.
Luzardo’s impressive ability to get himself out of jams today continued in the bottom of the 5th, albeit a jam created entirely on his own. After a Trevor Story strikeout and a Narvaez ground out, Luzardo hit Caleb Durbin and walked Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Typically, walking the 8 and 9-hole hitters is not a recipe for success, but Jarren Duran flied out, keeping the game scoreless.
Despite some individual hits, neither team was able to put together scoring offense until the top of the 8th. The bullpens kept the lineups in check until Kyle Scwharber’s hard hitting streak continued immediately following a Turner single, giving the Phillies a 2-0 lead they would not surrender.
The Phillies continued the scoring following some poor Red Sox defense, loading the bases with two outs. Bryson Stott hit a weak ball and was originally called out at first. However, a Don Mattingly challenge overturned the call and increased the Phillies lead to three.
To keep the game in hand, the Phillies deployed Jose Alvardo in the bottom of the 8th. Though his past few appearances have been reminiscent of last season’s pre-suspension Alvarado, he looked a bit leaky tonight. Andruw Monasterio doubled to deep left center, and Abreu got him home on a single to center, shrinking the Phillies lead to two. But after the Phillies 1-3 hitters went down in order in the top of the 9th, Jhoan Duran secured the save striking out Mickey Gasper, Marcelo Mayer and Jarren Duran.
The 3-1 win secured the Phillies’ 5th straight series win since Mattingly took over manager responsibilities. They will look to continue the streak starting tomorrow against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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