Hellickson wins what could be his last game with Phillies
ATLANTA -- If Philadelphia is really going to trade pitcher Jeremy Hellickson before Monday's deadline, he'll be leaving the Phillies on a high note.
The right-hander (8-7) allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings and drove in two runs in Philadelphia's 9-5 win over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday night at Turner Field.
Hellickson, rumored to be on the trading block, worked around nine hits and one walk and struck out two. He has allowed only four runs in his last three starts, a span of 19 2/3 innings. His two-run double in the fifth inning put the Phillies ahead to stay.
The losing pitcher was Julio Teheran (3-9), who was making his first start since a sore back caused him to take extra days off between appearances. Teheran had his streak of scoreless innings stopped at 15 and allowed three runs, five hits and walk with four strikeouts in five innings.
The Phillies added two important runs against left-hander Eric O'Flaherty in the sixth. Freddy Galvis drove home two with a bases-loaded single to increase the lead to 5-2.
Atlanta tried to get back in the game in the sixth. A two-out single by Anthony Recker drove in a run and chased Hellickson. Eubray Ramos struck out pinch-hitter Brandon Snyder to end the threat. Ramos struck out three in 1 1/3 innings.
The Phillies put the game away by scoring four times in eighth against relievers Hunter Cervenka and Ryan Weber during a rally that included a bases-loaded walk and two errors. Philadelphia sent nine men to the play without a base hit.
Philadelphia's Severino Gonzalez allowed two runs in the eighth on Erick Aybar's sacrifice fly and Recker's double.
Closer Jeanmar Gomez pitched a scoreless ninth to give the Phillies their sixth win in their last seven meetings with the Braves.
Atlanta had 14 hits, including three each by Jace Peterson and Freddie Freeman.
Matt Marksberry, Atlanta's sixth reliever of the night, left the game with an injury with two outs in the ninth. Marksberry pointed to his left side when the Atlanta trainer approached the mound, indicating a possible oblique injury.
The Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the second inning as Ryan Howard doubled and scored on Cameron Rupp's single.
The Braves scored twice in the third to go ahead 2-1. Nick Markakis and Adonis Garcia each produced an RBI single with two outs to give Atlanta the lead.
Philadelphia regained the lead with two runs in the fifth. Hellickson doubled down the left-field line and the ball wedged under the padding on the wall, allowing Rupp and Cody Asche to score.
It was the first extra-base hit this season for Hellickson and only the second extra-base hit with men on base recorded by the Phillies during the first nine games of their current road trip.
NOTES: The Braves traded 3B Hector Olivera to San Diego for OF Matt Kemp. Olivera, a Cuban defector obtained from the Dodgers a year ago, is just finishing an 82-game suspension for violation of the league's domestic-abuse policy. ... C Tyler Flowers, on the disabled list because of a broken hand, hit balls off the tee and said he felt fine. He is expected to be out two more weeks. ... The Phillies will send RHP Jerad Eickhoff (6-12, 3.83) to the mound for Sunday's series finale. The Braves were still deciding who would start the game in place of RHP Lucas Harrell, who was traded to Texas earlier this week.