The Philadelphia Phillies are coming around at the plate, and left-hander Jesus Luzardo keeps silencing the opposition during his first season with the team.
The Phillies would love to see more of the same on both fronts Thursday as they vie for a three-game series sweep of the host Tampa Bay Rays.
Philadelphia has scored 31 runs over the past four games and 63 while posting an 8-2 record over the past 10 contests.
“It just feels like everybody’s doing something, which is always nice,” shortstop Trea Turner said, per NBC Sports Philadelphia. “Moving runners, but we’re also driving the ball again. Just the total package.”
Turner belted a solo homer in the third inning and had an RBI single during a five-run fourth as Philadelphia cruised to a 7-0 victory over Tampa Bay on Wednesday. He has eight multi-hit performances in his past 16 games.
Kyle Schwarber followed up a three-hit effort in the Phillies’ 8-4 victory in the series opener on Tuesday with two more hits on Wednesday. He has reached base all 36 of Philadelphia’s games this season.
Luzardo (3-0, 1.94 ERA) has paid dividends since being acquired from the Miami Marlins in a December trade.
The 27-year-old Peru native has allowed two runs or fewer in six of seven starts this season. He hit that number on the nose despite laboring through 5 1/.3 innings in a no-decision against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday.
“That’s key for me, just maturing throughout my career,” Luzardo said, per The Athletic. “I feel like a couple of years back, I go out there, I probably would’ve just gone three or four max. And given up a lot more runs. Throughout this season in general, even when I’m not my best, I feel we’re able to kind of weather the storm.”
Schwarber credited Luzardo’s resolve.
“There’s just not many things that faze the kid,” Schwarber said, per The Athletic. “He’s just out there, and when he’s on the mound, it’s just him and the catcher and the hitter. There’s nobody else in his world, it looks like.”
Luzardo has struggled against the Rays, though, going 0-3 with a 6.20 ERA in four career starts.
While Philadelphia is ascending, Tampa Bay has lost six of its past eight games overall and six in a row at home. The Rays mustered just two hits and struck out 12 times on Wednesday en route to being shut out for the sixth time this season.
“You always want to win at home,” Rays infielder Brandon Lowe said, according to the Tampa Bay Times. “This is where we’re comfortable. We’re at our house, sleeping in our beds, we have our family … and it’s supposed to be comfortable.”
Rays right-hander Ryan Pepiot (2-4, 4.23 ERA) will get the nod on Thursday.
Tampa Bay’s Opening Day starter, Pepiot fell for the third time in his past four outings on Friday, when he allowed two runs on five hits in 4 1/3 innings during a 3-0 setback to the New York Yankees.
Pepiot, 27, has yet to face the Phillies in his four major league seasons.
–Field Level Media
