Phillies turn to Jesus Luzardo in bid for sweep of Red Sox

After two terrific outings from their starting pitchers to begin their series against the visiting Boston Red Sox, the Philadelphia Phillies will turn to Jesus Luzardo in hopes of completing a sweep on Wednesday.

Zack Wheeler allowed two runs in six innings in Monday's 3-2 victory and then Cristopher Sanchez raised the bar Tuesday with a complete game, allowing only four hits in a 4-1 triumph. The Phillies' two starters combined to strike out 22 batters without a walk.

"They just feed off each other," Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson said after Sanchez's 12-strikeout gem. "They want to be better than the last guy. It's a good competition."

Max Kepler and Kyle Schwarber hit solo homers on Tuesday as the Phillies won back-to-back games for the first time since July 5 and 6.

"This is a really good team that we have in here obviously," said Bryce Harper, who scored on a catcher's interference. "We've just got to keep playing our baseball and coming through when we need to."

Meanwhile in the visiting dugout, manager Alex Cora is challenging his team to step it up against All-Star caliber pitching. Boston's Roman Anthony is 1-for-9 with eight strikeouts in the series.

"Two of the best pitchers in the majors," Cora said of Wheeler and Sanchez. "That's the reason they're good. If we want to play in October, we have to find a way to hit those guys."

The Phillies hope to ride the momentum behind Luzardo (8-5, 4.29 ERA), who did not make it out of the fifth inning in his last start. The left-hander lasted only 4 2/3 innings Friday, allowing four runs and seven hits in a 6-5 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. He did not figure into the decision.

"Extremely frustrating, especially when the offense gives you four runs early," Luzardo said. "If you ask any starter in the league, if the offense gives you four runs, it should be a win for the team no matter what, so I feel like obviously this loss was on me."

Philadelphia has won just three of the last 10 games started by Luzardo, who will be facing Boston for the second time in his career. On June 29, 2023, he limited the Red Sox to three hits over six scoreless innings in a 2-0 win as a member of the Miami Marlins. He was not credited with a decision.

Boston will turn to Lucas Giolito (6-2, 3.59), who had a personal six-game winning streak halted in his most recent start. The right-hander gave up four runs in 5 1/3 innings against the Chicago Cubs on Friday en route to his first defeat since May 6 in the 4-1 game.

"It's a bad way to start the series and the second half," Giolito said. "I've got to be a tone-setter. I didn't do that. Two walks and a home run -- three runs in the first inning -- puts us on our heels, so I've got to be better than that."

Giolito is 2-2 with a 3.86 ERA in two lifetime starts against the Phillies, both of which came in 2023.

--Field Level Media