Phillies, waiting on Bryce Harper, try to avoid sweep by Brewers

Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper remains a question mark for the series finale against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday after missing the previous four games with a bruised right elbow.

Harper was hit on his throwing elbow by a 95 mph fastball from Spencer Strider of the Atlanta Braves last Tuesday.

The two-time National League MVP was hitting .308 with an .864 OPS in May when he went down.

“It’s really bruised (on Saturday), the bruising has started to come,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “The swelling is down a little bit.”

The Phillies are trying to avoid putting Harper on the injured list. He was scheduled to swing the bat in the indoor cages on Saturday afternoon and make throws on the infield.

Philadelphia is also trying to avoid getting swept in a three-game series for just the second time this season.

The Brewers won the series opener 6-2 on Friday night before exploding for 23 hits and going 11-for-15 with runners in scoring position in a 17-7 win on Saturday.

Ranger Suarez is scheduled to take the mound for Philadelphia in the series finale.

Suarez (4-0, 2.97 ERA) did not make his season debut until May 4 because of a sore back.

After a rough debut, he has been exceptional, winning his past four starts and blanking the opponent in three of those outings.

He most recently threw six shutout innings in a 2-0 win against the Braves last Tuesday and brings a 13-inning scoreless streak into Sunday.

Suarez has made four starts against Milwaukee in his career and is 0-1 with a 3.48 ERA in 20 2/3 innings.

The Brewers have won a season-high six in a row, which also matches their longest winning streak from all of last season.

Several players have put up astronomical offensive numbers in the series.

Jackson Chourio is 6-for-10 with five runs scored and five RBIs; Christian Yelich is 7-for-11 with three runs scored and five RBIs; William Contreras is 6-for-9; and Rhys Hoskins has a pair of three-run homers.

“That’s what this team can do,” Hoskins said. “We saw Yelly was the hero (Friday) night. Pretty much pick anybody out of a hat (Saturday), but when we’re rolling, anybody can beat you and that’s a great thing as a team.”

Milwaukee has helped itself by jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Friday night and a 4-0 lead in the first on Saturday.

“We’ve been grinding a little bit as an offense. We know it’s in there, but to get some early results is great,” Hoskins said. “Especially with young pitchers, it gives them some confidence to go out there and attack these guys, and they’ve done a great job of that.”

The Brewers on Sunday afternoon will turn to left-hander Jose Quintana, who was reinstated from the 15-day injured list earlier in the day to start the series finale.

Quintana was placed on the injured list with a shoulder impingement on May 14. He last pitched on May 9, allowing three runs (one earned) and five hits in 5 1/3 innings of a 4-3 road loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Brewers signed Quintana as a free agent on March 5, and he’s delivered for them. He’s 4-1 with a 2.65 ERA in six starts and has given up 12 runs (10 earned) in 34 innings.

Quintana, 36, has made 12 starts against the Phillies in his career and is 1-2 with a 3.53 ERA in 66 1/3 innings.

Also on Sunday, the Brewers designated left-hander Tyler Alexander for assignment.

–Field Level Media