PHILADELPHIA -- The ninth inning at Citizens Bank Park turned into a chaotic tightrope for Toronto reliever Tyler Rogers, but he somehow held on to give the Blue Jays a 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night. Rogers, who entered with a one-run lead, immediately found himself in trouble. He walked two batters, and Kyle Schwarber reached on catcher's interference, loading the bases with no outs. Trea Turner then grounded into a forceout, scoring a run to make it 5-3. Bryce Harper followed with an RBI single, pulling the Phillies within one. Another walk reloaded the bases. Alec Bohm swung at the first pitch and hit a short chopper that forced Turner out at home. With two outs and the bases still jammed, Brandon Marsh grounded to second base, and Rogers exhaled as his fourth save was secured.

The Blue Jays set the stage for this tense finish by striking early against Phillies ace Zack Wheeler. Andrés Giménez and Josh Smith each homered, giving Toronto a 3-2 lead by the fifth inning. Wheeler, who had pitched a combined five innings over his last two starts, struggled with command and efficiency. He threw 116 pitches, his highest total since a May 6, 2021 shutout against Milwaukee, and was pulled with one out and the bases loaded in the sixth. A sacrifice fly extended the Blue Jays' lead to 4-2. Wheeler (10-3) allowed four runs on seven hits and five walks.

The Phillies' offense, meanwhile, missed multiple opportunities. In the fifth inning, they put runners on second and third with no outs against Blue Jays starter José Soriano. But Schwarber, Turner, and Harper all struck out -- the last two against left-handed reliever Mason Fluharty -- drawing boos from the crowd of 43,641. In the seventh, with the bases loaded and two outs, trade-deadline acquisition Luis Arráez, a three-time batting champion, popped out to shallow center against Brandon Little. The Phillies managed only five hits all night, and their star sluggers came up small in the clutch.

Earlier, the game featured an unusual moment when the Blue Jays questioned Wheeler's delivery. Home plate umpire John Tumpane and Toronto hitting coach David Popkins got into a heated argument, which led to Popkins' ejection. Wheeler then shouted a profanity toward the Blue Jays' dugout. The incident added tension to an already charged atmosphere, as the Phillies were celebrating Chase Utley's induction into the team's Wall of Fame. The former second baseman's ceremony preceded the game, but the home team failed to give him a victory.

Lazaro Estrada (1-0) earned his first career win by walking two in 1 1/3 scoreless innings. The Blue Jays now look ahead to Saturday's matchup, with right-hander Max Scherzer (1-4, 7.92 ERA) facing Phillies righty Aaron Nola (3-9, 5.55). For the Phillies, the loss stings as they let a winnable game slip away against a division rival. Rogers' escape act, while thrilling for Toronto, exposed the razor-thin margins that can decide a ballgame.