Bryce Harper hit a grand slam, Cristopher Sanchez pitched seven strong innings and the red-hot Philadelphia Phillies routed the Toronto Blue Jays 10-1 on Tuesday night.
Kody Clemens homered, tripled and drove in four runs for the Phillies, who have won seven straight games, 11 in a row at home and 18 of 21 overall. Philadelphia is leading baseball with 26 victories.
“Just really good all around,” Harper said.
Danny Jansen and Alejandro Kirk each doubled for Toronto. The Blue Jays have lost six of seven.
Sanchez (2-3) gave up one run on six hits with five strikeouts and two walks.
“Our starting pitching has been lights out,” Harper said.
Harper, who had three hits, chased Jose Berrios (4-3) with a bases-loaded drive to right with two outs in the fourth on a 2-0, 84 mph curveball to give the two-time NL MVP home runs in three consecutive contests.
“He’s a guy who can carry a club,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said.
Harper’s ninth home run of the season just cleared the wall.
“I thought I hit it well enough,” he said. “Wasn’t sure. Was nice to see.”
Berrios entered play leading the majors with a 1.44 ERA and ended the night with a 2.85 mark after allowing eight runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings.
“They made him work,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “He’s arguably one of the best pitchers in the game. They made him work.”
He surrendered more runs against the Phillies than the seven runs in seven starts over 43 2/3 innings before Tuesday.
“Thought we had a really good plan,” Harper said.
Harper battled the Blue Jays star right-hander in the first inning, working out of an 0-2 hole to single after an eight-pitch at-bat. Nick Castellanos followed with a double to score Harper and put Philadelphia ahead 1-0.
“Just trying to battle and lay off stuff outside of the zone,” Harper said.
Clemens, who was called up after shortstop Trea Turner was shelved for at least six weeks on Saturday with a left hamstring strain and in the lineup at third base following the end of Alec Bohm’s 18-game hitting streak on Monday, hit a two-run shot in the second and an RBI triple in the fourth.
“That’s awesome,” Thomson said. “I’m so happy for him, I really am.”
In three games, Clemens is 4 for 9 with a double, triple, two homers and seven RBIs.
“He’s a stud, man,” Harper said. “It’s fun to watch.”
Schneider wasn’t around to see the end after getting ejected by home plate umpire Andy Fletcher in the fourth when he removed Berrios for Trevor Richards.
The Phillies can tie the franchise record for consecutive home victories when they go for their fourth straight home series sweep on Wednesday. They won 12 in a row at home from July 8 to Aug. 6, 2010.
Philadelphia has had more victories through 37 games just twice before, in 1976 and 1993 when they started 27-10 in both seasons.
Relief needed
Reliever Yimi García was in dominating form over the first month of the season but a sore back has forced him to watch the action from the bullpen of late.
With fellow high-leverage option Chad Green (shoulder) and long reliever Bowden Francis (forearm) on the injured list, Blue Jays manager John Schneider has had limited relief options in recent days.
Starter Yariel Rodríguez (back) is also on the IL, dealing another blow to a pitching staff that has yet to find its footing.
Relievers Erik Swanson, Tim Mayza and Génesis Cabrera have been largely ineffective, putting added strain on a bullpen that has the worst earned-run average in the major leagues at 5.31.
Quiet bats
The Blue Jays made changes in the off-season to try to get their offence going after a so-so year in 2023.
Chief among them was giving bench coach Don Mattingly the additional title of offensive co-ordinator. His early efforts have yet to bear fruit.
Toronto was in the bottom third among the 30 MLB teams in several offensive categories, including batting average (.226), homers (30), slugging percentage (.362) and hits (255).
Scuffling stars
The big names in the heart of Toronto’s batting order – with the exception of cleanup hitter Justin Turner – have simply not delivered at the plate so far this season.
The offensive statistics for slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., usual sparkplug Bo Bichette and leadoff man George Springer are well down from previous years.
Bichette, in particular, is really having difficulty getting on track. A career .294 hitter, he’s batting just .195 with one homer and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of .530.
The 39-year-old Turner, who signed a one-year deal with the Blue Jays in the off-season, is hitting .283 with four homers, 16 RBIs and an .833 OPS.
More of the same
Right-hander Alek Manoah made his big-league season debut over the weekend and looked much like the pitcher who couldn’t find his consistency in 2023.
Manoah appeared primed to be an ace for the Blue Jays in 2022 when he was a finalist for the American League Cy Young Award.
However, his game fell off last year and he was demoted to the minor leagues on two occasions. Manoah dealt with a shoulder issue at spring training and built up with Triple-A Buffalo before getting a start with the Blue Jays on Sunday in an 11-8 loss to Washington.
Manoah allowed six earned runs and four walks over the four-inning appearance. He had six strikeouts.
Bright lights
There are some reasons for optimism despite the Blue Jays’ early struggles.
In addition to Turner’s solid play, right-hander José Berríos posted a 1.44 ERA over seven starts, outfielder Daulton Varsho has shown some pop at the plate (six homers, 16 RBIs) and utility man Davis Schneider (.270 average, 12 RBIs) looks like more than just a flash in the pan.
Even though it’s still early, the American League East looks as if it will be tough once again this year. The New York Yankees and the division-leading Baltimore Orioles have a share of the AL lead in victories with 23.
At 25.9 per cent, the Blue Jays have the fifth-worst odds of making the post-season among AL teams, per FanGraphs.