The Philadelphia Phillies returned Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber from the injured list on Tuesday just in time for a matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
They didn’t need them.
With Trea Turner’s home run kicking off the game, the Phillies blew out Dodgers starter Bobby Miller for nine runs in four innings and took a 10-1 victory. In the first game of the season between the top two teams in the National League, the Phillies improved their best record in MLB (59-32) and sent a strong message to their potential future opponent in the postseason.
Harper (hamstring) and Schwarber (groin) had been sidelined since June 27. Both were Activated from the injured list and back to their usual spots in the lineup on Tuesday.
It was a slow night for Harper, who went 0-for-4 at the plate and didn’t score a run. His teammates more than made up for his lack of production.
Schwarber drove in two runs with a two-out single in the bottom of the second inning to extend the Phillies’ lead from 1-0 to 3-0.
He then walked in the fourth inning to set up Turner to lead off the game. With the bases loaded and no outs in a 4-0 game, Turner launched a Miller slider that hung over the middle of the plate into the left-field bleachers for a grand slam.
Three batters later, Bryson Stott sent a solo home run over the right-field wall to extend the lead to 9-0.
By the time the fourth inning ended, every Phillies batter had taken a turn at the plate. Philadelphia scored six runs in the inning and Miller’s night was over. He allowed nine earned runs on 10 hits, including two home runs and three walks. He recorded two strikeouts.
From there, the Dodgers managed to score on a solo home run by Cavan Biggio. That was all the damage they did to Phillies starter Zack Wheeler. Shortstop Kiké Hernández was on the mound in the seventh inning to save the Dodgers’ bullpen and the Phillies cruised to victory.
Turner finished the night 3-for-4 at the plate with a grand slam. His was one of three Phillies homers along with Stott’s solo shot and a solo homer by Brandon Marsh in the seventh.
The only bad news of the night for the Phillies came after Wheeler left the game. He left after six innings and a season-low 76 pitch count, apparently due to the explosive nature of the game. The Phillies revealed midway through the game that Wheeler experienced back stiffness on the mound.
His long-term status was not immediately clear, but his scheduled start for the end of Philadelphia’s first half against the Oakland Athletics on Sunday was certainly in jeopardy.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers are forced to regroup amid continued pitching issues that led them to place All-Star starter Tyler Glasnow on the injured list early Tuesday.
The Phillies and Dodgers are scheduled to play the second of their three-game series on Wednesday night.