The Philadelphia Phillies staged a dramatic comeback Wednesday night, erasing a one-run deficit in the eighth inning to defeat the Athletics 6-3 at Citizens Bank Park. Edmundo Sosa delivered the decisive blow, a two-run single that turned the game around and sent the home crowd into a frenzy.
Trailing 3-2 in the eighth, the Phillies capitalized on some shaky Athletics defense. After Kyle Schwarber drew a leadoff walk, a throwing error by second baseman Jeff McNeil on Bryce Harper's ground ball put runners in scoring position. Adolis García, who had already homered earlier, loaded the bases with a single, setting the stage for Sosa's heroics. Brandon Marsh added an RBI single, and Justin Crawford chipped in with a run-scoring groundout to cap the four-run frame.
The win was the Phillies' eighth in nine games under interim manager Don Mattingly, who has the team playing with renewed energy and confidence. Brad Keller locked down the save with a perfect ninth inning, while Orion Kerkering earned the win after recording the final out of the eighth.
For the Athletics, who still lead the AL West despite losing four of five, Tyler Soderstrom went deep and rookie Nick Kurtz extended his on-base streak to 30 games with an RBI single in the fifth. Kurtz, a Lancaster, Pennsylvania native who grew up rooting for the Phillies, gave Oakland a 2-0 lead with a two-out hit off Philadelphia starter Zack Wheeler.
Wheeler, making just his third start of the season after returning from thoracic outlet decompression surgery, showed flashes of his old form. He allowed three runs on five hits over 6 1/3 innings, striking out four and walking one in his first home start since last August. Athletics starter Jeffrey Springs was equally effective, surrendering two runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings in a 75-pitch outing that provided reassurance after his previous start was cut short by hip soreness.
The series finale is set for Thursday night, with Oakland's J.T. Ginn (0-1, 4.30 ERA) taking on Philadelphia's Andrew Painter (1-3, 5.28).