LOS ANGELES—Kyle Schwarber blasted three home runs and tied his career high with seven RBIs, helping the Philadelphia Phillies rally to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 9–4 on Wednesday night.
The Dodgers, who were swept three games in Philadelphia last month, lost two of three in the latest series between the National League’s top two teams, cutting their National League West lead to three games over both Arizona and San Diego—their smallest margin since late April.
“It’s good to finally win a series,” Phillies Manager Rob Thomson said. “As of late, we’ve been playing really good baseball, and played a really good club over there.”
Schwarber’s three-run homer capped a five-run sixth inning during which the East-leading Phillies tied the game and then took the lead. Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts was ejected by third base umpire Hunter Wendelstedt after a rare call on Los Angeles shortstop Miguel Rojas during the Phillies’ outburst.
With Philadelphia down 4–3, Alec Bohm doubled to left and Brandon Marsh bunted into a fielder’s choice. Third baseman Kiké Hernández handled the bunt to his left side and threw to Rojas covering third base. Bohm slid and was called safe by Wendelstedt, who ruled obstruction by Rojas.
“He was in front of the bag without the ball, and that’s the new obstruction rule,” crew chief Marvin Hudson told a pool reporter. “Plus, he was running in front of him to third. He was in front of third without the ball, so he obstructed the runner. The runner didn’t have a lane to get to the bag.”
Rojas was charged with an error. He became incensed and jawed with Wendelstedt as Roberts came out of the dugout.
Wendelstedt put up his hands indicating that Roberts should stop. He didn’t, and Wendelstedt turned his back on Roberts before tossing him. It was Roberts’ 12th career ejection, and first this season.
“He went out there to argue the play,” Hudson said. “And once you go down that road to argue the play, then you’re ejected because you can’t argue that play.”
Bohm scored on J.T. Realmuto’s RBI groundout to third against Joe Kelly, tying it at 4–4.
Kelly walked Nick Castellanos and Johan Rojas to load the bases. Marsh scored on Kelly’s wild pitch to make it 5–4. Schwarber’s 426-foot blast to right-center extended the lead to 8–4.
Schwarber hit his 27th homer leading off the ninth against Michael Grove.
“The biggest thing is just being able to come through for the team,” Schwarber said. “There were a lot of other cool things that were done by guys today.”
The Phillies closed within 4–3 in the fifth on Schwarber’s two-run double into the right-field corner that chased Gavin Stone.
Stone gave up a two-strike homer to Schwarber leading off the game.
Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia (2–4) took the loss.
After Gavin Lux’s single in the third, the Phillies’ staff retired 12 in a row.
Grove hit Nick Castellanos with a pitch in the eighth, and Matt Strahm drilled Lux in the bottom of the inning.
Freddie Freeman drove in three of the Dodgers’ four runs, staking them to a 4–1 lead.
Both of Freeman’s run-producing singles came on first pitches from Phillies starter Tyler Phillips (4–1). Teoscar Hernández doubled, Phillips hit Kevin Kiermaier, and Freeman singled up the middle, scoring Hernández to tie the game 1–1. Freeman scored on a single by Miguel Rojas, who was playing his first game since July 21.
In the second, Freeman’s two-run single to left extended the Los Angeles lead to 4–1.
Trainer’s Room
Phillies: Left fielder Austin Hays left the game in the third inning with left-hamstring tightness.Up Next
Phillies: Left-hander Kolby Allard (0–0, 4.50 earned-run average) is set to start Thursday’s series opener at Arizona.Dodgers: Right-hander Jack Flaherty (8–5, 2.80) is scheduled to make his second start since being acquired by Los Angeles from Detroit, when the Dodgers open a series Friday against visiting Pittsburgh. Flaherty pitched six shutout innings in a 10–0 win at Oakland last weekend.
