A Late Surge in Philadelphia
On August 16, 2026, the Philadelphia Phillies erased a five-run deficit in the eighth inning to beat the Minnesota Twins 7-5, securing their fifth victory in seven games and completing a three-game sweep of the series. The win was highlighted by clutch hitting from Bryan De La Cruz and Alec Bohm, who drove in key runs that turned the tide.
Minnesota had built a comfortable lead early, with Brooks Lee launching a grand slam in the first inning and Kody Clemens adding a solo homer later in the game. The Twins' offense was bolstered by those early blasts, but control problems from Philadelphia starter Andrew Painter allowed the Phillies to chip away.
Painter's first inning was marred by two singles and a walk, setting the stage for Minnesota's early dominance. Despite a 4-4 record, Painter's outing was cut short as the Phillies' bullpen took over, with Orion Kerkering (7-1) delivering a flawless 1-2-3 seventh inning to keep the momentum shifting.
The rally culminated when De La Cruz delivered a two-run single, followed by Bohm's three-run homer that put Philadelphia ahead. Reliever Jhoan Duran closed out the game with a scoreless ninth, earning his 26th save and sealing the victory.
The Phillies' sweep included earlier wins of 7-1 and 9-1, underscoring a dominant performance across the series. Philadelphia will open its next series on Monday against Miami's Janson Junk (6-7, 4.41 ERA), while Minnesota's upcoming schedule features RHP Bailey Ober (7-4, 4.64 ERA) facing Braves left-hander Martín Pérez (8-6, 2.96 ERA).