Behind a three-run double by Alec Bohm in the first inning and home runs by Edmundo Sosa and Trea Turner in the second, the Phillies jumped ahead early to beat he San Diego Padres 9-7 on Monday in the opener of a three-game series at Petco Park.
Kyle Schwarber clubbed his 40th homer for the Phillies, who are 9-4 over the past 13 games. Bryson Stott also collected four hits in the win, while Trea Turner extended his hit streak to 15 games.
Taijuan Walker collected the win, despite allowing four runs on five hits over five innings of work.
Tonight's Starters
Michael Lorenzen (8-8. 3.73) has had an up-and-down start to his career with the Phillies. He tossed eight stellar innings in his debut and followed that up with a no-hitter, but then was hit around quite a bit by the Nationals and the Giants in his next two outings. He collected a win in his last appearance, tossing six frames against the Angels while surrendering three earned runs on eight hits.
Lorenzen has surrendered 15 runs (13 earned) on 24 hits and six walks with ten strikeouts over 15 innings during his previous three starts. He's also yielded five home runs while pitching to a 7.80 ERA and a 2.00 WHIP.
Right-hander Pedro Avila (0-2, 2.67) will start for the Padres, hoping to save a San Diego bullpen after Monday's starter Rich Hill lasted just 1 1/3 innings while surrendering six runs on seven hits. Avila had been piggybacking with Hill, but injuries to Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove precipitated a move to rotation for the 26-year-old.
Wildcard Standings
The Phillies enter play on Tuesday with a solid grasp of a wildcard spot, holding the first of three positions with a 5 1/2 game lead. The Cubs hold the second spot while the Diamondbacks have the third, though Arizona and the Reds share a .514 winning percentage. The Padres, meanwhile, sit 6 1/2 games from the final wildcard spot despite a +60 run differential, the fifth best in the National League.
