EditorsNote: minor edits thruout
Bryce Harper hit a two-run homer to lead the Philadelphia Phillies past the host Toronto Blue Jays 7-0 in the first game of a doubleheader on Friday.
Andrew Knapp added a two-run triple and Didi Gregorius had three hits for the Phillies, who were the road team for the doubleheader opener while moving back to .500 at 25-25. Phil Gosselin and Alec Bohm contributed two hits apiece.
Phillies starter Zach Eflin (3-2) tossed a four-hitter with nine strikeouts and only two walks. It was the fifth career complete game and third career shutout for Eflin.
Cavan Biggio had two hits for the struggling Blue Jays, who dropped their fourth in a row and fell to 26-24.
Blue Jays starter Robbie Ray lasted 4 1/3 innings and allowed five hits and five runs. Ray (2-5) struck out six and walked four.
Gregorius lined a double off the right field wall to score Harper for a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
The Blue Jays managed just one hit through the first three innings --a single by Biggio.
Gregorius and Gosselin had the two hits for the Phillies through the first four innings yet they still led 1-0.
Toronto's Teoscar Hernandez walked with one out in the fourth, but Randal Grichuk grounded into a 6-4-3 double play on the next pitch.
In the fifth, Andrew McCutchen walked and Harper launched a two-run homer through heavy wind and just inside the foul pole in right for a 3-0 Phillies' advantage. It was Harper's third home run in two games.
Thomas Hatch replaced Ray and Gosselin responded with an RBI single to left for a 4-0 lead. Knapp added a two-run triple to extend the advantage to 6-0.
Bohm hit an RBI single to right for a 7-0 lead in the sixth.
In Toronto's final at-bat, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. singled and Hernandez struck out. Grichuk then singled to place runners at first and second. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grounded out to third and Travis Shaw struck out swinging to end the game.
--Field Level Media
