Ranger Suárez delivered a stellar outing, Bryce Harper broke out of a slump, and a late offensive surge with two outs in the eighth powered the Phillies to a 7-1 victory Saturday night in Cleveland, evening their series against the Guardians.
The Phillies exploded against lefty reliever Joey Cantillo in the eighth, stringing together seven consecutive baserunners to turn a tight 1-0 lead into a blowout. Harper ignited the rally with a two-run homer to right-center on an 89 mph fastball, his seventh long ball of the season.
That homer was set up by a clutch two-out single from Trea Turner, who’s been scorching hot at the plate. Over his last 19 games, Turner is hitting .402 (33-for-82) with 15 runs scored.
Turner and Harper also sparked the Phillies’ first run in the fourth inning—Turner singled, Harper doubled, and Kyle Schwarber followed with a bloop RBI single to give Philly a 1-0 lead they’d hold until the eighth.
Saturday marked Harper’s best performance since mid-April, going 3-for-5 and crushing three balls with exit velocities of 111, 107, and 103 mph. He and Turner combined for six of the seven hardest-hit balls of the game.
“I’m just happy we’re winning,” Harper said after the game. “It’s been a grind, but I’m putting in the work, trying to improve my approach and stay in the zone. It’s a long season, and I’m grateful my teammates have my back.”
Suárez, in just his second start back from a back injury, was dominant—tossing seven shutout innings on just 82 pitches while allowing only three singles and a walk.
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