Harper Homers 377th, Duran Strikes Out Side in Phillies' Narrow Victory Over Padres

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — In a thrilling matchup on Tuesday night, Bryce Harper achieved his 377th career home run while Jhoan Duran capped off the game with a flawless ninth inning, securing his 13th save and leading the Philadelphia Phillies to a 3-2 victory against the San Diego Padres.

Alec Bohm contributed to the Phillies' success in the sixth inning, hitting into a double play against Jeremiah Estrada (2-2) that allowed a run to score, putting Philadelphia ahead 3-2. The eighth inning saw a crucial mistake from Fernando Tatis, who, after recording his third hit of the night, was caught in a rundown and tagged out following a deceptive fake throw from Bohm, ending the inning.

Harper's pivotal moment came in the fourth inning with a two-run homer that tied the game at 2-2, clearing the 374 sign in left-center off Padres starter Randy Vásquez. This marked Harper's 14th home run of the season and allowed him to surpass Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk on the all-time home run leaderboard, with Matt Williams and Paul Goldschmidt next on the list at 378.

Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola struck out eight batters and allowed only a two-run homer to Gavin Sheets over five innings, achieving a rare feat by going his third consecutive start without issuing a walk. This achievement marks the fourth time in his career he has accomplished this, the first instance since 2024.

In a bright spot for the Padres, Jase Bowen, a left fielder who was drafted by the Pirates in 2019, celebrated his first career hit with a single in the seventh inning, bringing joy to his family and friends in attendance.

Looking ahead, Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sánchez (6-2, 1.47) will take the mound on Wednesday, aiming to extend his franchise-record streak of 44 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings. Should he successfully pitch three more scoreless innings, he would surpass legends like Sal Maglie and Bob Gibson on the all-time scoreless streak list.