PHILADELPHIA – Kyle Schwarber set an MLB record with his 14th leadoff homer of the season before leaving due to injury, and pinch-hitter Cal Stevenson hit a tiebreaking two-run double in the eighth inning as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Tampa Bay Rays 9-4 on Tuesday night.
Trea Turner hit two, two-run homers and Bryce Harper added four hits as the Phillies (87-58) moved 29 games over .500, matching a season high.
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Schwarber set the single-season leadoff homer record on the second pitch he saw from Taj Bradley, sending the ball 437 feet to center field for a 1-0 lead and moving past Alfonso Soriano, who had 13 leadoff homers with the New York Yankees in 2003. The Phillies' designated hitter left the game in the fourth inning due to a hyperextended left elbow after reaching on a walk in the third and appearing to get hurt diving back into first base on a pickoff try.
“I didn’t feel pain or nothing,” Schwarber said. “I kind of extended it and it was weird. I went down (to the batting cage) and took a swing and it didn’t feel good.”
Schwarber received treatment and was feeling a little better after the game. He said there was no structural damage and that as long as he felt like he could withstand the discomfort, he could possibly be back in the lineup on Wednesday when the Phillies go for a series sweep.
Schwarber’s 35th homer of the season was the 45th leadoff homer of his career, with 32 coming since joining the Phillies in 2022.
The little-used Stevenson, who was recalled from the minors earlier this month to replace the injured Austin Hays, hit in place of Johan Rojas with two men on in the bottom of the eighth. He drove a 2-2 changeup from Tampa reliever Edwin Uceta down the right field line, scoring two runs.
“You’re just trying to calm down and stay in the moment,” Stevenson said. “That’s probably the biggest at-bat I’ve had in my career. So, I was just trying to slow the game down and stick to a plan.”
The Phillies piled on from there, with an RBI single by Buddy Kennedy and Turner’s second homer of the game.
After Harper doubled, Uceta hit Nick Castellanos on the hip with a pitch, causing both benches and bullpens to empty and the players to gather on the infield grass. Uceta was ejected from the game.
“I had an overwhelming sense that I was about to get drilled,” Castellanos said. “We all just got a sense of what it was — he was just (ticked) off that he got hit around and his ERA shot through the roof.”
Uceta said he did not hit Castellanos on purpose. He also said that he hit him with a changeup, but according to MLB’s StatCast, the pitch was a 96 mph sinker.
“You’re frustrated and you’re going to throw at somebody,” Castellanos said. “That’s like my 2-year-old throwing a fit because I took away his dessert before he was finished.”
Harper, who has not homered since Aug. 9 and has a homerless streak at Citizens Bank Park dating to July 27, appeared to have had a homer in the fifth inning. But the play was overturned upon replay review because of fan interference after a young fan reached over the railing atop the right field wall and caught the ball.
Harper was given a double and was left stranded as Castellanos flew out and Bryson Stott grounded out to end the inning. Harper had three doubles in a game for the third time in his career and the first time since Aug. 2021.
The third double came just before Castellanos was plunked. Harper didn’t take kindly to Uceta hitting his teammate and briskly marched toward the mound shouting at the Rays' pitcher.
Harper stopped himself from a physical altercation because Uceta never turned around to look at him.
“I didn’t want to be a loser and come up behind him,” Harper said. “If he’s going to turn around, then alright, let’s go."
Turner also homered off Bradley in the third inning and had his 17th career multi-homer game, and third this season.
Jose Alvarado (2-5) pitched a perfect eighth inning with two strikeouts and earned the victory.
The Rays nickel-and-dimed Phillies starter Ranger Suarez for four runs on 12 hits in the first six innings.
Junior Caminero had three hits and an RBI, and Yandy Diaz and Jose Caballero each had an RBI single for the Rays. Christopher Morel had an RBI triple off the top of the wall in center field, the deepest part of the ballpark.
Richard Lovelady (3-6) was tagged with the loss. He gave up two runs on two hits in two-thirds of an inning in relief.
UP NEXT
The Phillies and Rays wrap up a three-game series on Wednesday. RHP Zack Wheeler (14-6, 2.59 ERA) will pitch for Philadelphia. The Rays will turn to RHP Shane Baz (2-3, 3.27).
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb