The Summer of Simeon continues.

The Twins’ rookie right-hander has been a revelation since joining the team in mid-April and he posted one of his best starts of the season on Tuesday, quieting the Philadelphia Phillies at Target Field.

In the end, however, baseball’s best team found a way to win late, with Philadelphia earning its MLB-best 64th victory with a 3-0 victory in front of an announced crowd of 31,272.

Phillies All-Star first baseman Bryce Harper hit a one-out double off of Twins closer Jhoan Duran in the ninth inning of a scoreless game before scoring on Brandon Marsh’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly for the go-ahead run as the Phillies evened the three-game series.

Nick Castellanos followed with a double off Duran (5-5) to drive in Alex Bohm and J.T. Realmuto, who each walked, to break the game open.

It was a bitter end for a Twins’ team whose rookie starting pitcher went toe to toe with Phillies ace Zach Wheeler. Facing a team that started the night among the majors’ top six in batting average, walks, RBIs and home runs, Woods Richardson held the Phillies to three hits, all singles, in six scoreless innings.

He walked one, struck out five and lowered his ERA to 3.27 in 17 starts.

Neither team mounted any real threats until the starters left the game. The Twins loaded the bases in the eighth off of a pair of relievers but couldn’t score as Ryan Jeffers grounded into a fielder’s choice. The Phillies then broke it open against Duran (5-5).

Acquired with outfielder Austin Martin in the deadline trade that sent Jose Berrios to Toronto in 2021, Woods Richardson didn’t make the big league club out of camp but was promoted quickly, making his first start in a 4-1 victory at Detroit on April 13.

Woods Richardson, 23, made only one major league appearance in 2023, giving up five earned runs on seven hits and three walks in 4⅔ innings of 10-4 loss to the Nationals on April 22. At Class AAA St. Paul last season, he was 7-6 with a 4.91 ERA in 22 starts.

“I have to think that a lot of this improvement from Sim actually came from an offseason well spent. Mental adjustments and delivery adjustments,” manager Rocco Baldelli said before the game. “He showed up this year a completely new player, a totally different and improved pitcher for us. Some of it I really don’t have the explanation for.”

In his six innings Tuesday, Woods Richardson faced three batters over the minimum. He struck out leadoff hitter Kyle Schwarber twice, and retired Bryce Harper — who started the game hitting .297 with 23 home runs and 65 RBIs — on fly balls to left field.

Wheeler was just as good. He limited the Twins to three hits and two walks, and struck out seven, in seven scoreless innings. Outfielder Matt Wallner was the only player to get past first base on Wheeler, hitting a one-out double and advancing to third on a groundout by Martin in the fifth.

Otherwise, the Twins had virtually nothing going against Wheeler, who started the game with a 10-4 record, a 2.70 ERA and 126 strikeouts

Once Wheeler left, the Twins loaded the bases in the eighth off of two relievers. All-Star Jeff Hoffman walked Christian Vazquez to start the inning, and Byron Buxton pinch-ran for the catcher. After Willi Castro struck out swinging at a sinker, Buxton stole second.

Trevor Larnach drew a walk to put runners at first and second, but Carlos Santana struck out looking at a curveball. Philadelphia manager Rob Thompson brought in left-hander Gregory Soto (2-3) to pitch to Max Kepler, and Kepler drew a walk to load the bases.

Baldelli pinch hit right-hander Ryan Jeffers for Edouard Julien, and Jeffers coaxed a 3-1 count before grounding into a fielder’s choice.

Matt Strahm retired Brooks Lee, pinch-hitter Manny Margot and Austin Marin in the ninth for his first save.

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