Tyler Phillips, a diehard Phillies fan and a Bishop Eustace graduate, threw a four-hit shutout in just his third big league start, leading the Phillies to an 8-0 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park.
Phillips, who grew up rooting for the team, delivered the 21st complete game of the majors this season and the 12th individual shutout. He walked one and struck out four, needing only 105 pitches to dispatch the Guardians.
The Phillies’ offense exploded in a seven-run fourth inning, with Bryce Harper, Brandon Marsh, and Kyle Schwarber all homering. Nick Castellanos added a solo shot in the sixth.
The night also saw the Phillies acquire closer Carlos Estévez, a 2023 All-Star, just hours after placing All-Star lefty Ranger Suárez on the 15-day injured list with lower back soreness.
Phillips, now 3-0, became the first Phillies rookie to toss a shutout since Zach Eflin in 2016.
Austin Hays, the 2023 All-Star outfielder acquired a day earlier from Baltimore, received a standing ovation in his first at-bat with the Phillies and responded with a single up the middle.
The loudest cheers of the night were reserved for the fourth inning, as the Phillies, who had lost seven of their last ten games, showcased some power. Harper’s 24th homer of the season and 100th at Citizens Bank Park was a two-run shot off Guardians starter Carlos Carrasco (3-9), giving the Phillies a 2-0 lead. Marsh added a two-run homer, and Schwarber connected off reliever Nick Sandlin, extending the lead to 7-0.
All-Star third baseman Alec Bohm went 0 for 2 with a walk before he left in the seventh inning with a brusied left ankle.
The two clubs will close out their series on Sunday. Lefty Koby Allard will start for the Phillies, while the Guardians have not yet named a starter.
Suarez to IL
All-Star left-hander Ranger Suárez was placed on the 15-day injured list by the Phillies on Saturday due to soreness in his lower back.
Suárez, 28, started the season 9-1 and earned his first National League All-Star selection. He is 10-5 with a 2.87 ERA in 20 starts, despite a recent summer slide. He has thrown 119 1/3 innings this season and is on pace to surpass his 125 innings from last year and his career high of 155 1/3 innings set in 2022.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson expressed hope that Suárez could return during the Aug. 8-11 series at Arizona. Thomson noted that Suárez woke up on Friday with back tightness, though it was in a different area than the injury that caused him to miss the All-Star Game.