Harper has 3 hits, Phils win 3rd straight over Rockies, 7-3
PHILADELPHIA - Byrce Harper had a triple among his three hits, Odubel Herrera homered and drove in two runs, and the Philadelphia Phillies won their third straight over the Colorado Rockies, 7-3 on Wednesday night.
Didi Gregorius added a double, single and two RBIs for Philadelphia, which has outscored Colorado 25-8 in the series.
The Phillies earned their first series win since taking two of three from Oakland to open the season and will go for the four-game sweep on Thursday.
C.J. Cron homered and Jose Iglesias had four singles for the Rockies.
Harper, last year's NL MVP, started at designated hitter due to a strained right elbow that has kept him out of right field since April 16.
After going deep in Tuesday’s 10-3 win over Colorado, Herrera greeted Ryan Feltner (0-1) with his fifth career leadoff homer, a drive to the second deck in right.
The game was tied 2-2 when the Phillies went in front for good in the third. Harper tripled to left-center and scored on Nick Castellanos’ groundout. Gregorius made it 4-2 with a two-out RBI double off the wall in right.
Cron’s two-out, line-drive homer to left off Ranger Suarez (2-0) pulled Colorado within 4-3.
Philadelphia got the run back in the bottom of the frame when Garrett Stubbs, in the lineup at catcher with J.T. Realmuto getting a day off to rest, tripled to right field to score Gregorius.
Feltner, making his first start of the season and third of his career, recovered from a rocky first inning in which he threw 36 pitches. The 25-year-old right-hander ended up lasting five innings, allowing four runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.
Suarez surrendered three runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and a walk in six innings.
Corey Knebel pitched a scoreless ninth for his fourth save in as many tries.
After committing five errors that led to seven unearned runs in the first two games of the series, Colorado’s defense played error-free on Wednesday. But a passed ball by catcher Elias Diaz in the seventh helped the Phillies load the bases. Philadelphia then scored twice, on Alec Bohm’s infield chopper to third and Gregorius’ sacrifice fly, to go in front 7-3.
The Rockies made several strong plays in the field, including shortstop Iglesias’ putout from deep short in the fourth, second baseman Alan Trejo’s over-the-head catch in the sixth and Connor Joe’s running catch in left to end the seventh.
Harper and Castellanos converted a double steal in the first, giving the Phillies seven stolen bases in as many chances. They are the lone MLB club not to be caught on a steal attempt this season.
Since returning to the lineup on Tuesday after a five-game absence due to a bruised left hand, Gregorius is 4 for 6 with a double, three RBIs and four runs scored.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rockies: OF Kris Bryant (back soreness) was sidelined for the second straight game. INF Brendan Rodgers (back) was a late scratch.
Phillies: In addition to Realmuto, INF Jean Segura was out of the lineup for rest.
UP NEXT
The teams conclude the series on Thursday when Phillies RHP Zack Wheeler (0-3, 8.53 ERA) opposes LHP Austin Gomber (1-1, 4.20).