CLEVELAND — In a thrilling display of power and precision, Bryce Harper smashed a home run during a dramatic six-run eighth inning, helping lift the Philadelphia Phillies to a 7-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday night. Ranger Suárez was masterful on the mound, conceding only three hits over seven shutout innings.
Harper led the charge with his first three-hit game of the season, advancing the Phillies to a 4-1 record on their current road trip. His monumental two-run blast to center field, coming off Jakob Junis, extended the Phillies’ lead to 3-0 and was part of an impressive sequence where eight consecutive batters successfully reached base. In that dynamic inning, 11 Phillies came up to bat, amassing seven hits.
Remarkably, Harper is nearing a significant milestone in his career, standing just two RBIs short of becoming the 14th player in MLB history to collect 1,000 RBIs, 1,000 runs, and 1,000 walks before turning 33.
Nick Castellanos also played a pivotal role in the eighth inning with a clutch two-run double. Meanwhile, pitcher Suárez (1-0) rebounded impressively after a rough outing the previous Sunday, in which he gave up a career-high seven earned runs in just 3 2/3 innings against Arizona. Recovering well, the left-hander, who missed the first five weeks due to a back ailment, struck out five and issued only one walk.
Suárez kept Cleveland at bay, notably by retiring 11 consecutive batters during one stretch, and only one Guardians player managed to reach second base in the initial eight innings. Cleveland ultimately avoided the shutout when Carlos Santana’s sacrifice fly brought in Gabriel Arias in the ninth inning.
This RBI was a milestone for Santana, marking the 1,100th of his career and placing him as the sixth active player to achieve that goal.
A key moment in the game occurred when Cleveland’s starting pitcher Tanner Bibee (3-3) initially dominated by retiring Philadelphia’s first 10 hitters. However, Trea Turner disrupted Bibee’s rhythm with a crucial single in the fourth, advancing to third on Harper’s double and finally scoring through Kyle Schwarber’s soft hit.
Significantly, Schwarber continued his consistent performance by reaching base safely in 45 consecutive games, tying him with Odubel Herrera for the fourth-longest streak in the Phillies’ history. The longest streak is held by Mike Schmidt, with 56 straight games.
Looking ahead, the Phillies will start RHP Zack Wheeler (3-1, 3.35 ERA) in the series finale scheduled for Sunday night, where they aim to build on their success. The Guardians will counter with RHP Luis Ortiz (2-3, 5.30).