Juan Soto homers twice as Mets defeat Phillies

Schwarber turned this game on its head with his grand slam. In what was meant to be a pitcher’s duel between Hunter Brown and Cristopher Sánchez, the Phillies trailed 6-4 after four innings. Then they rallied off reliever Bryan King before he was pulled and AJ Blubaugh walked in a run before Schwarber golfed a sweeper off the facing of the second deck in right field to give the Phillies a five-run lead. It looked more like a beer league softball swing where Schwarber followed through with just one hand, but his power is truly effortless. His 44 home runs lead baseball as he looks to close the season on a hot streak. Also, it was Schwarber’s fifth start at first base over the last 29 games, giving him eligibility at that spot in certain leagues.

The Astros really got around on Sánchez here. In total, he allowed nine hard-hit balls, three doubles, and two home runs – both of which traveled at least 400 feet. Most of that damage came against his sinker which he left over the middle of the plate far more often than usual and he paid for those mistakes. It was the fifth time this where Sánchez has given up at least 10 hits in a single outing and his six earned runs are the most he’s allowed at home in two years. He’s lined up for a two-start week coming up against the Nationals and Mets with both starts coming on the road.

Paredes punished a 3-0 slider from Cristopher Sánchez that was at his letters for a two-run shot during the Astros’ four-run third inning. He chipped in an RBI single in the seventh as well and now has 19 home runs, 82 RBI, a .260 batting average, and .787 OPS in what’s been another strong season.

This was a frustrating start by Brown. As far as the first three earned runs he gave up, they all came in the third inning and it was a lot of timely hitting and well-placed knocks by the Phillies with an error mixed in by right fielder Cam Smith. Then, Trea Turner took him deep in the fifth. That was his last frame and reliever Bryan King immediately blew the game in the sixth after Brown left with a lead. Regardless, he struggled to command his breaking balls consistently as has been a trend lately. Turner’s home run came on a hanging slider as did an RBI single from Luis Arraez. That’s been a huge hindrance in Brown trying to find his groove over the last month and will likely keep less reliable than we’d hope start-by-start to close the season. Next up, he’s scheduled for a two-start week against the Royals and Braves with both coming at home.

Warren was on point here in his return to the rotation after a brief hiatus as a reliever last weekend. His eight strikeouts were his most in a single start since June 20th and he forced 12 total swings-and-misses with all six of his pitches accounting for at least one. A key development for Warren, his changeup was a weapon against the Rockies left-handed batters. He spiked a few, but commanded most well off the low and outside corner as his key put-away pitch against them. Finding more consistency with that pitch has held him back as a starter, so this is an encouraging development late in the season. He’s scheduled for a two-start week coming up against the Twins and Diamondbacks both on the road unless the Yankees alter his role again.

Lombard delivered the big blow in this game with a grand slam off Rockies’ starter Tomoyuki Sugano in the third inning. Apart from being the first grand slam of Lombard’s young career, it was the Yankees’ first grand slam this season. It was his third total home run, but his first since his fourth game as his bat has gone cold lately. Hopefully this can help to get him going before the playoffs.

Norby’s solo home run accounted for the Rockies’ lone run in this contest and his double was their only other extra-base hit. A bright spot lately, Norby has a .280/.372/.463 slash line with three home runs and two stolen bases in 26 games since being acquired at the trade deadline.

There’s a lot that Sugano did well in this start. Firstly, his splitter was on fire forcing seven swings-and-misses working as his primary pitch. He also forced at least one whiff with six different pitches and his 15 total were just two shy of his career-high. Yet, George Lombard Jr. smacked a hanging slider for a grand slam in the third inning which spoiled Sugano’s outing. He’s scheduled for a two-start week coming up against the Padres and Mariners with both in Coors Field.

The unexpected move to put Beavers in the leadoff spot tonight worked out great. His big hit was just a little 150-foot fly to the left side, but it dropped in over a drawn-in infield and played a big role in the Orioles’ eight-run third inning. He knocked in three for the second time this season.

Tanner Bibee, the qualified starter with the second worst run support in the league, couldn’t deal with a big early lead against the Orioles on Tuesday and was left with a no-decision. Baz, the qualified starter with the worst run support in the league, also had some issues tonight, but he managed to hang on after being backed by an eight-run third inning. The win makes him 6-15 with a 4.05 ERA. He’ll likely face the Mets on Tuesday.