PHILADELPHIA — Nick Castellanos emerged as the hero with a grand slam, while Zack Wheeler delivered an impressive performance over six innings, paving the way for the Philadelphia Phillies to sweep the Toronto Blue Jays with an 11-4 triumph on Sunday.
Alec Bohm contributed to the offense with a home run, and Otto Kemp was standout at the plate, achieving four hits and adding two RBIs for Philadelphia, which has secured victory in five of its last six contests.
On the other side, Ernie Clement offered three hits for Toronto, while Will Robertson, in his major league debut, accounted for one of the team’s three RBIs.
Wheeler proved formidable, registering a 7-2 record by allowing just one earned run on four hits, striking out nine without issuing any walks. Dominant in the second and third innings, the Phillies’ top right-hander struck out the side.
The support for Wheeler started early, highlighted by Trea Turner doubling off the very first pitch and crossing the plate brought home by Kyle Schwarber’s single off Toronto’s pitcher José Berríos (2-3). Philadelphia managed to score six times off Berríos, scattering nine hits over his 4 2/3 innings of work. Prior to this outing, Berríos had excelled, surrendering merely one earned run over his past 18 2/3 innings.
The game widened decisively in Philadelphia’s favor during the sixth inning when Castellanos launched an 85-mph slider beyond the left-field walls, marking his seventh home run of the season and pushing the Phillies to a comfortable 10-2 lead.
A standout moment in the game involved Blue Jays’ left fielder Alan Roden. Displaying exceptional athleticism, Roden dashed headlong into the left-field wall to steal an extra-base opportunity from Castellanos in the fifth innings. As a testament to his grit, Roden stayed in the game after taking a brief pause on the field.
Statistics spotlight Philly’s Otto Kemp hit a remarkable .345 average over eight games, stepping up since being called to the roster on June 7, covering the gap for the injured Bryce Harper, who’s been sidelined with a wrist issue.
Looking forward, the Blue Jays will embark on a six-game homestand starting Tuesday, facing Arizona. Chris Bassitt (7-3, boasting a 3.70 ERA) will take the mound against Brandon Pfaadt (8-4, 5.50 ERA). Meanwhile, the Phillies are set to kick off a four-game series in Miami on Monday, with Mick Abel (1-0, 2.35 ERA) set to challenge Miami’s Sandy Alcantara (3-7, 7.14 ERA).