By BRENDAN McGAIR Associated Press<\/p>\n
Kyle Schwarber hit his major league-leading 18th home run, a two-run shot that broke a scoreless tie in the eighth inning, and the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Boston Red Sox 3-1 on Thursday night.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Schwarber has seven homers in his last seven games, the first Phillies player to hit at least that many in a similar span since current teammate Trea Turner in 2023. Schwarber’s towering shot in this one cleared the visiting bullpen in right field and traveled an estimated 417 feet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bryson Stott added an insurance run later in the eighth on an infield hit on which he was initially called out, but it was overturned after the Phillies challenged.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Brad Keller (2-1) struck out two in one relief inning for the win and Jhoan Duran fanned the side in the ninth for his seventh save.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Wilyer Abreu’s RBI single in the eighth accounted for Boston’s lone run. The Red Sox wrapped up a homestand during which they dropped two of three in series against Tampa Bay and Philadelphia.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Boston reliever Tyler Samaniego (0-1) hadn’t allowed a homer in his first 13 career MLB games, spanning 15 innings, before getting taken deep by Schwarber, who also struck out three times.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Neither starter factored in the decision. Boston’s Ranger Suarez went 5 1\/3 scoreless innings and struck out eight, while Philadelphia’s Jesus Luzardo fanned four in six scoreless innings. In his previous start, Luzardo was tagged for six runs in just three innings.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The start of the game was delayed by 22 minutes because of rain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Up next\u00a0<\/p>\n
Phillies: Travel to Pittsburgh for a three-game series that begins Friday night. Phillies RHP Aaron Nola (2-3, 5.14) is scheduled to oppose Pirates RHP Braxton Ashcraft (2-2, 2.77).\u00a0<\/p>\n
Red Sox: Open a three-game series in Atlanta on Friday with LHP Connelly Early (3-2, 3.16) facing Braves RHP Spencer Strider (1-0, 2.89).<\/p>\n