PHILADELPHIA — A pair of Kyle Schwarber home runs weren’t enough to power the Phillies past Cleveland in the series finale on Sunday.

While the Guardians totaled nine hits, a solo home run off of José Alvarado in the seventh inning proved to be the difference-maker, and lifted Cleveland to a 4-3 win.

Schwarber entered Saturday batting .336 against left-handed pitching, ranked first in the National League. He continued that dominance against Cleveland lefty Joey Cantillo, welcoming the rookie to the big leagues with a leadoff homer and then a two-run shot in the third inning. But that was the extent of the Phillies’ scoring — they finished 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left eight on base.

Brandon Marsh, playing center field, started against a non-opener left-handed pitcher for the first time since May 16. He made some solid contact against Cantillo with a single in the fourth inning.

Kolby Allard made his Phillies debut after being called up from triple-A on Saturday to take over for Ranger Suárez (back soreness) in the rotation. Allard, pitching in a major league game for the first time since July 2023, allowed six hits in four innings. He recorded one strikeout and zero walks.

Cleveland rookie Jhonkensy Noel got ahold of Allard’s fastball in the fourth inning, sending it over the center field wall to plate three and tie the game.

After a day off for the bullpen thanks to Tyler Phillips’ complete game shutout, Gregory Soto, Orion Kerkering, Alvarado, Jeff Hoffman, and Matt Strahm each got an inning on Sunday.

Kerkering entered the game in the sixth. The 23-year-old has struggled with his command recently, though he worked a scoreless ninth inning in the series opener against Cleveland. Kerkering gave up a single and a double on Sunday, but escaped trouble when Tyler Freeman hit into a fielder’s choice.

Steven Kwan’s solo home run off Alvarado in the seventh inning gave Cleveland a lead they wouldn’t surrender. A strikeout by Garrett Stubbs and groundouts by Schwarber and Trea Turner in the bottom of the ninth sealed the loss.

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