Phillies end season-worst skid with win over Brewers
PHILADELPHIA -- Andres Blanco hit a three-run homer and Cameron Rupp added a solo shot as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-3 on Friday night, snapping a season-worst seven-game losing streak.
The Phillies' 167 runs entering the game were the second-lowest total in the majors, and they managed just 12 during their skid. Friday's output was their greatest since their last victory, an 8-5 defeat of Detroit on May 25.
Andrew Bailey (3-0) earned the victory by pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings in relief of an ineffective Vince Velasquez.
Jeanmar Gomez, the last of five Philadelphia pitchers, worked a perfect ninth for his 18th save.
Jonathan Villar homered for Milwaukee, which saw an eight-game winning streak in Philadelphia end. The Brewers also lost for the first time in five road games.
Brewers starter Jimmy Nelson (5-4) lasted just four innings, his shortest outing of the season, and surrendered six runs and seven hits while striking out one and walking three.
Velasquez needed 94 pitches (57 strikes) to slog through 4 1/3 innings, allowing two runs and four hits while striking out six and walking three. Friday's game came on the heels of a road loss to the Chicago Cubs in which he surrendered seven runs and nine hits over 4 2/3 innings.
Rupp, leading off the third, lined Nelson's 2-0 fastball into the seats in right field, his third homer of the season. Maikel Franco and Jimmy Paredes added RBI singles later in the inning, making it 3-0.
Blanco then followed a double by Rupp and a walk to Odubel Herrera in the fourth with his second homer of the season, putting Philadelphia ahead 6-0.
The Brewers loaded the bases with none out in the fifth, then pushed across a run on Jonathan Villar's sacrifice fly. After Velasquez walked Scooter Gennett to re-load the bases, he was lifted in favor of Andrew Bailey.
Bailey allowed a run on Ryan Braun's infield bouncer, making it 6-2, but avoided further trouble.
Villar, a former Phillies farmhand, lofted a fly ball off the left-field foul pole in the seventh for his fourth homer of the season, and his second in as many nights.
NOTES: RHP Jacob Barnes made his major league debut for the Brewers, working a perfect inning in relief. ... Phillies manager Pete Mackanin rested Freddy Galvis and started Andres Blanco at shortstop. "I'm trying to keep him sharp," Mackanin said of Blanco, a good pinch hitter. ... In light of the Phillies' offensive struggles, Mackanin was asked before the game about promising minor leaguers like OF Nick Williams (.274 at Triple-A Lehigh Valley entering Friday), OF Dylan Cozens (.284, 14 homers, 44 RBIs at Double-A Reading) and OF Roman Quinn (.281, 24 steals at Reading). "We don't want to rush them," Mackanin said. "Because we're starving for offense we don't want to just throw these guys into the fire. We've got to just hold down the fort." ... Milwaukee LF Ryan Braun entered the game needing two hits to reach 1,500 for his career. ... The teams wore 1970s retro uniforms.