Harper's throw to plate saves Phillies' 4-3 win over O's

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bryce Harper threw out the tying run at the plate in the eighth inning and Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run home run to keep the Philadelphia Phillies pushing in the NL East race with a 4-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night.

The Phillies took two of three against the 104-loss Orioles and now finish the seven-game homestand with four against the 94-loss Pirates.

Philadelphia entered three games behind Atlanta for first in the division.

The Braves played Arizona on Wednesday night and finish a four-game series with the Diamondbacks on Thursday. The NL East could be decided when the Phillies play at Atlanta next week in a three-game set.

The Phillies can thank Harper's arm for saving the win.

The Orioles trimmed the lead to 4-3 with two outs in the eighth and had a runner on second when Pat Valaika singled to right field. Pedro Severino was waved home and Harper fired a strike in the air to catcher J.T. Realmuto to end the innng.

Harper jogged off the field to his increasing chants from Phillies fans of “MVP!”

Jose Alvarado (7-1) got the win. Ian Kennedy walked two in the ninth before he retired Ryan Mountcastle for his 25th save.

Yes, the Phillies won the series, but the offense was punchless in large stretches against a staff that entered with the worst ERA (5.87) in baseball. John Means pitched like an All-Star in a 2-0 win Monday and the Orioles had the first road shutout thrown by a 100-loss team since 2016. The Phillies had to score two runs in the 10th inning to win 3-2 on Tuesday.

Jean Segura hit the tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the seventh off Conner Greene (1-2) and Realmuto, who won Tuesday’s game with a two-run triple in the 10th, followed with an RBI single for a 4-2 lead.

McCutchen delivered in the clutch in the sixth with...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Harper-s-throw-to-plate-saves-Phillies-4-3-win-16480756.php