Edmundo Sosa hit a go-ahead, two-run double with two outs in the seventh inning and Kyle Schwarber followed with a two-run homer as the Philadelphia Phillies celebrated their home opener with a 6-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on Monday.
Max Kepler and Nick Castellanos added back-to-back homers in the eighth inning for the Phillies, who recorded seven of their 11 hits in the seventh and eighth innings. Kepler finished with three hits and Sosa doubled twice.
Bryson Stott began the Phillies’ seventh-inning rally with a two-out double against Scott Alexander (0-1). After pinch hitter Trea Turner walked, Victor Vodnik replaced Alexander and gave up Sosa’s two-run double.
Schwarber then added to the lead with a two-run homer to center field. The 434-foot blast was his third homer this season.
Relievers Joe Ross (1-0), Jose Alvarado and Jordan Romano each pitched a scoreless inning for Philadelphia.
Hunter Goodman homered and Brenton Doyle had three hits from the leadoff spot for Colorado, which has lost three of its first four games this season.
The game’s early innings featured a pitchers’ duel between the Rockies’ German Marquez and Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sanchez.
Marquez pitched well after being limited to a total of five starts over the past two seasons while battling elbow injuries. He gave up four hits with no walks and four strikeouts over six scoreless innings.
Colorado broke a scoreless tie with one out in the sixth inning against Sanchez on Goodman’s solo homer.
Goodman deposited Sanchez’s 3-2 slider into the right-centerfield seats for his first homer this season.
Sanchez allowed one run on four hits over 5 1/3 innings. He had two walks and seven strikeouts while throwing 93 pitches.
Philadelphia added to its lead with back-to-back homers with two outs in the eighth inning against Bradley Blalock. After Kepler homered on a 3-2 pitch to right field, Castellanos went deep to center for his first homer this season.
The Rockies were outhit 11-6 and left nine runners on base. Colorado had runners on second and third with two outs in the third inning, but Sanchez escaped the jam by striking out Ryan McMahon on three pitches.
–Field Level Media
