Cristopher Sanchez went six strong innings, Edmundo Sosa homered and drove in three runs and the visiting Philadelphia Phillies maintained their hold on the top spot in the National League with a 6-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday. Kyle Schwarber hit a go-ahead RBI single in the fifth inning and a solo home run in the ninth for Philadelphia. Sanchez (8-7) gave up one run on five hits to end a three-start losing streak. He struck out two and walked one. The Phillies entered with losses in seven of their past eight games as their lead in the NL was cut to a half-game over the Dodgers following a defeat at Los Angeles on Monday. The teams will play the decisive game of the three-game series on Wednesday. In his third start since returning from offseason shoulder surgery, Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw (0-2) opened with four scoreless innings and wound up lasting a season-best 4 2/3 innings. He allowed one run on five hits with no walks and five strikeouts in 81 pitches. Teoscar Hernandez homered, doubled and scored twice for the Dodgers, who saw a three-game winning streak come to an end. Dodgers right-hander Brusdar Graterol, recovered from a shoulder injury, made his season debut in the sixth inning. However, he left after eight pitches due to a right hamstring strain. In the fifth inning, the Phillies got a one-out double from Austin Hays, and Brandon Marsh was then hit by a pitch. Kershaw struck out Sosa before Schwarber fought off an 88 mph slider, singling to center to bring home Hays. After Graterol departed with one on and one out in the sixth inning, J.T. Realmuto walked against Brent Honeywell before the Phillies' Nick Castellanos delivered an RBI single for a 2-0 Philadelphia lead. Honeywell walked Marsh to load the bases, and Sosa punched a two-run single to right field. The Dodgers scored their first run in the sixth inning when Will Smith's groundout brought home Hernandez. In the eighth, Hernandez hit a home run to center field, his 25th, to make it 4-2. Sosa and Schwarber hit back-to-back home runs in the ninth, their sixth and 24th, respectively. Freddie Freeman doubled for the Dodgers in the first inning, the 500th two-bagger of his career. --Field Level Media
Aug 6, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez (61) delivers to the plate in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports