PHILADELPHIA – Nick Castellanos homered, Trea Turner had three hits and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-3 on Sunday.
Bryce Harper had two hits, an RBI and reached base all four times to help the defending NL champion Phillies win the finale of the three-game series for their seventh victory in eight games.
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“This is the kind of baseball we knew we could play,” Turner said.
Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward went deep for the Dodgers, who have lost six of eight and dropped 3 1/2 games behind first-place Arizona in the NL West.
The Dodgers aren’t panicking.
“We’re a good team and we know it,” Freeman said.
A sellout crowd of 44,287 made their way to the ballpark in spite of the traffic woes caused by the collapse of I-95 North in Northeast Philadelphia. The site of the collapse is about 15 miles north of Citizens Bank Park, and the road is a major route for fans traveling to the stadium complex in South Philadelphia that is the home to the Phillies, 76ers, Flyers and Eagles.
Taijuan Walker (6-3) pitched five scoreless innings, allowing two hits with five strikeouts and two walks. It was the second straight strong start for Walker, who signed a four-year, $72 million in the offseason.
“I thought he was great,” manager Rob Thomson said.
The right-hander appeared visibly frustrated in the Phillies' dugout that he was not returning for the sixth inning after throwing just 83 pitches.
“Everything was feeling good,” he said.
Thomson wanted a lefty to face Freeman leading off the sixth.
“He didn't want to come out,” Thomson said. “That's what makes him great.”
Freeman responded with a towering solo shot off Gregory Soto to pull Los Angeles to 3-1.
The Phillies got the run back in the bottom of the inning on backup catcher Garrett Stubbs’ beautifully executed safety squeeze bunt that scored Bryson Stott. Heyward’s two-out solo shot to right in the seventh off Seranthony Dominguez made it a two-run game again.
The Phillies pulled away with three runs and five hits in the bottom of the seventh off rookie right-hander Nick Robertson.
The Dodgers used eight pitchers in a bullpen game that was necessitated because left-hander Julio Urías remained sidelined with a left hamstring strain. The Dodgers had targeted Sunday’s game for the return of Urías, who last pitched on May 18. But Urias didn’t feel comfortable following his last bullpen session.
Caleb Ferguson (3-3) was the opener and gave up a run and three hits in one inning.
Los Angeles loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth against José Alvarado. But the Dodgers managed just one run on Max Muncy’s groundout, as Alvarado struck out J.D. Martinez and pinch-hitter Chris Taylor to end the threat.
MAGNIFICENT MARSH
Philadelphia center fielder Brandon Marsh made a stellar, run-saving catch in front of the wall in left-center field on Muncy’s drive in the third inning. The Dodgers would have scored at least one run, and likely two, but Marsh ran a long way before leaping on the warning track for the final out of the inning.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: The Phillies activated 3B Alec Bohm prior to the game. Bohm had missed 11 contests with a left hamstring strain. He went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts and a double-play grounder. To make room for Bohm, Philadelphia optioned INF Drew Ellis to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
UP NEXT
Dodgers: After an off day, begin a three-game home series against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night. Los Angeles RHP Tony Gonsolin (3-1, 2.21) faces White Sox RHP Lance Lynn (4-6, 6.72).
Phillies: Open four-game series at Arizona on Monday night. LHP Tommy Henry (3-1, 4.37) starts for the Diamondbacks. The Phillies haven’t announced their starter.
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