Rain interrupted the Phillies’ afternoon twice Sunday. It never interrupted their offense.
Philadelphia scored in four consecutive innings, received another strong performance from its pitching staff and left Camden Yards with an 8-0 victory over the Orioles in a game called before Baltimore batted in the bottom of the sixth.
For a team that spent much of the past two weeks searching for anything resembling momentum, the abbreviated afternoon still counted as meaningful progress. The Phillies won the final two games of the series, both by shutout, and captured their first series since the All-Star break. They improved to 59-53 after winning for only the third time in their last 11 games.
The weather made Sunday strange. Rain fell steadily from the opening pitch, but the teams continued until the field became unmanageable after the top of the third. By then, Bryan De La Cruz had supplied the first decisive swing.
With Justin Crawford aboard, De La Cruz drove a two-run homer to center against Kyle Bradish, giving the Phillies a 2-0 lead moments before the grounds crew pulled the tarp onto the field.
The delay lasted one hour and 49 minutes. It ended the afternoon for both starters.
That was especially unfortunate for Zack Wheeler, who needed a reassuring performance after allowing five runs in three innings Monday in Miami. Wheeler looked sharper against Baltimore, surrendering one single and striking out three across two scoreless innings. His four-seam fastball averaged 94.8 mph, much closer to his season norm after a noticeable velocity dip in Miami.
“I felt good,” Wheeler told MLB.com. “I felt better than the other day.”
Once play resumed, the Phillies did not allow the disruption to slow them. Anthony Nunez replaced Bradish and immediately encountered trouble in the fourth. Alec Bohm and Brandon Marsh singled, J.T. Realmuto walked, and Bryson Stott drew a four-pitch walk with the bases loaded. Crawford followed with a run-scoring groundout, stretching the lead to 4-0.
Bryce Harper added a solo homer in the fifth, continuing an encouraging week at the plate. Harper has begun to look more selective and dangerous after acknowledging during the Miami series that he had not performed to his standard over the previous month.
The Phillies continued piling on in the sixth. Crawford delivered an RBI single before De La Cruz and Kyle Schwarber followed with sacrifice flies, pushing the margin to eight runs.
The rain returned before Baltimore could bat in the inning. After a second delay, the game was called.
Kyle Backhus covered one scoreless inning after Wheeler departed, and Tim Mayza worked the final two, allowing Philadelphia to complete consecutive shutouts. Orioles hitters managed only four singles Sunday and did not record an extra-base hit in either of the final two games of the series.
De La Cruz drove in three runs, Crawford collected two hits, scored twice and drove in two, and Bohm added two hits. Their production was notable with Monday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline approaching and Dave Dombrowski still evaluating how much offensive help the Phillies require.
The win does not erase the club’s ugly July or solve the flaws that have become increasingly obvious. Philadelphia has won only three of its last 11 games, and its roster still appears to need reinforcement.
But after weeks of wasted opportunities, quiet bats and late collapses, the Phillies finally handled a series the way a contender should.
The rain shortened Sunday’s game. It did not diminish the importance of leaving Baltimore with two wins.
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