Turner led off the game with a home run, added two more hits, and drove in a key insurance run in a three-run ninth inning that gave the Phillies a 4-3 win over the Athletics on Friday night at Sutter Health Stadium. The victory extended Philadelphia’s win streak to eight — and just barely.
A's rookie Nick Kurtz made sure of that, launching a three-run homer off Jordan Romano in the bottom of the ninth to suddenly make it a one-run game. But after that jolt, Tanner Banks came in and needed just three pitches to strike out Lawrence Butler and seal his first save of the season.
That meant Zack Wheeler’s work didn’t go to waste. The Phillies ace continued to deal, throwing 6 2/3 scoreless innings, scattering three hits, and striking out eight. He hasn't allowed a run over his previous three starts. He also improved to 6-1 and has now won four consecutive outings.
Wheeler walked two batters in the seventh — his only walks of the night — before yielding to Orion Kerkering, who struck out Luis Urías on four pitches to end the frame and the threat.
Johan Rojas might have made the most important play of the night. With the tying run on third and two outs in the eighth, he sprinted into dead center and made a full-speed, tumbling catch at the wall to rob Butler of extra bases and keep the Phillies in front.
The loss was the A's 10th straight. The last time the A’s dropped 11 in a row was last season.
They got a strong outing from left-hander Jacob Lopez, who was recalled earlier in the day amid a roster shuffle. He went seven innings, allowed just one run on three hits, and struck out eight. The only blemish? Turner’s leadoff homer.
The A’s also debuted top prospect Denzel Clarke, who started in center field and went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. Before the game, infielder Gio Urshela was placed on the injured list with a strained left hamstring.
Wheeler now has a 1.56 ERA over his last seven starts. And the Phillies? They’re 15 games over .500 — and it’s not even June.
