Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber injured as Phillies blow lead to Marlins
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 27: Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies reacts after an injury in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park on June 27, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Marlins defeated the Phillies 7-4. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
We have reached the halfway point of the 2024 season, and it was not a good night in South Philly. In fact, it was a nightmare.
The Phillies blew a 3-0 lead to the Marlins Thursday night and there were two very scary injuries thrown in as well.
Zack Wheeler started for the Phils, and he did not have his best stuff. But, in classic Wheeler fashion, he struggled his way through and was one strike away from making it through the seventh. However, that is when things went downhill.
With a 1-2 count, two out, and Ali Sanchez up to bat, home plate umpire Emil Jimenez missed a strike three on the outside corner that was pitch No. 109 for Wheeler. The call extended the at-bat five more pitches and ended with a single. As Wheeler walked off the mound to applause from 43,507 at Citizens Bank Park, he stared down Jimenez and said a few words.
Matt Strahm entered the game, and immediately things got ugly. He hit Jazz Chisholm Jr. to load the bases, then allowed a bases-clearing double to Bryan De La Cruz and an RBI double to Josh Bell. The Marlins took the lead, it was the first time Stahm has suffered multiple runs since Opening Day, and Wheeler had some words for blue.
The Phils tied it in the bottom of the frame, and Jeff Hoffman entered in the eighth. On his first pitch, Jake Burger turned on a hanger into the left field seats to retake the lead. Nick Gordon then hit a double to right and advanced to third on a wild pitch. With the infield in, Otto Lopez grounded to shortstop, but the ball went right under Edmundo Sosa‘s glove for another run.
Yunior Marte came in for the ninth, and Burger drove in another run with an RBI single.
The Phils could not come back from it and lost 7-4.
The loss stings and it is a brutal checkpoint. But what may be worse is the two injuries that were suffered in the middle of it all.
Kyle Schwarber left the game in the top of the ninth with left groin soreness. He felt his groin tighten on a play in left field in the eighth. Schwarber has only gotten a few starts in the field, including Thursday night.
The most notable one of the two was Bryce Harper to end the game. As the starting first baseman for the National League in this year’s All-Star Game ran up the baseline on a ground out to the second baseman, felt his hamstring grab, immediately grasped it, and started to limp. He went right into the clubhouse with a trainer.
There will be an update on both on Friday.
“I don’t know. I haven’t really felt something like this before. It hurts,” Harper said postgame. “We’re going to see what imaging looks like tomorrow and go from there.”
The Phillies’ injured list is really starting to pack up. Spencer Turnbull was just placed on the 15-day earlier Thursday, Taijuan Walker hit the IL last week, and J.T. Realmuto has been out for a period with a right knee injury.
So, through 81 games, the Phils are 53-28. They still have the best record in baseball, and have an eight-game lead in the National League East. But, this one hurts.
Use code PHILLYSPORTSREPORT for $20 off your first SeatGeek order
Click here to save 10% on any order at FOCO
1 thought on “Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber injured as Phillies blow lead to Marlins”