Bryce Harper hit a two-run homer and Brandon Marsh collected four hits as the Philadelphia Phillies notched a 3-2 victory over the visiting San Diego Padres on Tuesday.
Philadelphia starter Aaron Nola allowed two runs and four hits in five innings, striking out eight without a walk. Four relievers, including Jose Alvarado (2-1), carried the Phillies to the finish line as they improved to 4-0 against the Padres this season.
Randy Vasquez gave up two runs and five hits in five innings for San Diego, which has lost seven of its last eight games. Gavin Sheets homered for the Padres, while Fernando Tatis Jr. chipped in with three hits.
Nola worked around a leadoff double by Tatis in the first inning and then retired San Diego in order in the second.
In the third, Tatis singled with two outs and Sheets followed with a home run to right to put the visitors ahead 2-0.
That lead lasted until the fourth, when Trea Turner led off with a single against Vasquez and came around to score on Harper’s 14th home run of the season, a 419-foot shot to center.
Vasquez pitched out of trouble in the fifth, when the Phillies had two men on with two outs, but Padres manager Craig Stammen went to his bullpen to start the sixth.
Harper opened the sixth with a walk against Jeremiah Estrada (2-2) before Marsh’s single put runners on the corners. Alec Bohm’s double-play grounder pushed across the go-ahead run before Estrada struck out Bryson Stott to end the frame.
Phillies reliever Orion Kerkering yielded a one-out walk and a single in the seventh but bounced back to strike out Sung-Mun Song and retire pinch hitter Ty France on a fielder’s choice.
Brad Keller escaped the eighth when third baseman Bohm faked a throw to first and then caught Tatis – who had singled earlier – in a rundown between second and third.
Jhoan Duran struck out the side in the ninth for his 13th save. Xander Bogaerts barely missed a tying home run, as his blast to left field sailed just left of the foul pole.
