ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) Zack Wheeler struck out seven and allowed three hits, Edmundo Sosa homered, and the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Texas Rangers 4-2 on Sunday to sweep the three-game series.
Wheeler (10-5) had six or more strikeouts for the 19th straight start this season, with his last outing with less than six coming on April 13 when he had three against St. Louis.
Trailing 2-0 early, the Phillies answered in the fourth with an RBI double from Bryce Harper. They tied it in the fifth on Sosa’s solo homer, and took the lead for good with Weston Wilson’s RBI single two batters later.
Brandon Marsh added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly that scored Harrison Bader in the ninth inning, and a strong Phillies bullpen performance was capped off by Jhoan Duran’s 20th save of the season to secure the win. Duran, acquired from Minnesota on July 30, has allowed just one baserunner in four appearances for Philadelphia.
Joc Pederson hit a first-inning two-run homer to give the Rangers the lead. Patrick Corbin (6-8) threw 4 1/3 innings and allowed four hits and three runs.
After the Phillies went ahead 3-2 in top of the fifth, center fielder Harrison Bader protected that lead in the bottom of the inning with a leaping catch to take a home run away from Corey Seager. Bader was reaching above the 6-foot wall in front of the Texas bullpen in right-center when he made the play.
The Phillies are now 49-2 when leading after six innings, and 57-2 when leading after seven, both MLB-best marks.
The Phillies continue their 10-game road trip in Cincinnati on Monday, where RHP Taijuan Walker (4-5, 3.53 ERA) starts opposite Reds LHP Andrew Abbott (8-2, 2.34). The Rangers have one more series against the Diamondbacks in their homestand, with Texas RHP Nathan Eovaldi (10-3, 1.38) facing Arizona RHP Ryne Nelson (6-3, 3.20) on Monday.
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