PHILADELPHIA -- Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper didn’t just change the game in the third inning Saturday — they flipped the tone of an entire weekend.
After falling behind early, the Phillies rode back-to-back home runs from Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper to a 4-3 win over the Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park, snapping a three-game losing streak and restoring some needed rhythm to a lineup that had gone quiet.
The game turned in a matter of pitches.
With two runners on and one out in the third, Schwarber jumped on a changeup from Brandon Pfaadt and sent it into the right-field seats for his fourth homer of the season — his first in more than a week — giving the Phillies a 3-2 lead. Two pitches later, Harper followed with a no-doubt, 419-foot drive to center, marking the club’s first set of back-to-back home runs this season and pushing the lead to 4-2.
It was a needed jolt after an all-too-familiar start.
Taijuan Walker again labored early, allowing a leadoff home run to Ketel Marte just three pitches into the game. The Diamondbacks added another run later in the inning on an RBI single from Adrian Del Castillo, continuing a troubling trend for Walker, who has been hit hard in first innings this season.
But this time, he steadied himself.
Walker regrouped to deliver five innings, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out six. After the rocky first, he limited Arizona to just two hits the rest of the way, giving the Phillies exactly what they needed — a chance to let the offense respond.
They did.
The bullpen, which has quietly become a strength, nearly made it hold without drama. Brad Keller recorded two quick outs in the eighth before issuing a walk that opened the door. Del Castillo, who finished with three hits, followed with another single, and rookie Jose Fernandez delivered an RBI knock to cut the lead to one.
Keller escaped by striking out Nolan Arenado with the tying run at third.
From there, it was clean.
Jhoan Duran worked a perfect ninth inning for his fifth save, preserving a win that underscored the bullpen’s recent dominance — just two earned runs allowed over its last 26 1/3 innings.
The Phillies also got a boost from rookie Justin Crawford, who collected two hits and continues to impress, now batting .350.
For Arizona, the loss came with added concern. Catcher Gabriel Moreno was unavailable after leaving Friday’s game with lower back tightness and is expected to miss time.
The Phillies will look to carry the momentum into Sunday, when top prospect Andrew Painter is scheduled to face Zac Gallen as they try to secure a series win.
For one afternoon, at least, the formula was simple — a couple of swings, a reset on the mound, and a reminder of what this lineup can look like when it clicks.
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