Braves rally past Phillies with three-run eighth

(TSX / STATS) -- ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Braves have long been eliminated from playoff consideration. But it hasn't stopped the club from continuing to weave its late-inning magic.

On Saturday, the Braves collected their league-leading 20th win in their last at-bat. And it was the rookies who came through to produce the win.

Rookie Johan Camargo delivered a pinch-hit double with two outs in the eighth inning to drive in two runs and give the Braves a 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night at SunTrust Park.

"It's important for me to put in the work ethic day in and day out," Camargo said. "The other thing is I try to stay as healthy as I can and be consistent."

The Braves rallied to score three times in the eighth against reliever Luis Garcia. Matt Adams opened with a one-out single and rookie pinch-runner Micah Johnson stole second and scored on rookie Dansby Swanson's single, tying the score at 2.

Swanson went to second on the throw and rookie Rio Ruiz was intentionally walked. Both advanced on a wild pitch and scored easily when Camargo lined a 1-2 pitch in the gap in right.

The winning pitcher was left-hander Rex Brothers (4-3), who worked a scoreless eighth inning. Arodys Vizcaino pitched the ninth and struck out the side for his 13th save.

Atlanta has won four consecutive games over the Phillies after starting the season 12-2 against Philadelphia.

Garcia (2-5) had not allowed a run in his last 12 1/3 innings and gave up multiple runs in one inning for the first time since Aug. 3.

"Luis got behind on the hitters and didn't throw quality strikes," Philadelphia manager Pete Mackanin said. "He's had some good moments and some bad moments like tonight. When you're pitching in a clutch situation like that, you can't fall behind hitters. You've got to get ahead of hitters."

Phillies starter Henderson Alvarez pitched five shutout innings but failed to pick up his first victory in three years when the bullpen was unable to hold the lead. Alvarez was seeking his first major league win since Sept. 23, 2014, when he beat the Philadelphia Phillies while a member of the Miami Marlins.

"Alvarez pitched through five innings, got through it," Mackanin said. "Didn't give up a run. Ball had some movement on it, he changed speeds."

The veteran right-hander pitched five shutout innings in his second start since being recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He gave up five runs and walked three (one intentionally) and struck out two.

"That's the way baseball is sometimes," Alvarez said. "There are some things you cannot control. Just go out there and try your best."

Atlanta starter Julio Teheran received no decision. He pitched seven innings and allowed two runs (one earned), seven hits and one walk with five strikeouts. In his last six starts, Teheran has not allowed more than three runs.

"I think it was huge to be able to get out of that (seventh) inning," he said. "I wanted to try my best. I gave up one run early, but I was trying to keep the score low. I knew the guys would get some runs later."

The Braves got their first run when Ruiz hit his fourth homer in the sixth inning off Kevin Siegrist.

The Phillies got a run in the first inning. Nick Williams had a two-out single and came around to score when Rhys Hoskins doubled off the fence in center field.

Philadelphia added a run in the fifth without hitting the ball out of the infield. Maikel Franco reached on an infield single and J.P. Crawford walked. Both advanced on an infield out and Franco scored a passed ball.

The Braves had the bases loaded in the fourth inning and runners on the corners in the fifth but failed to score.

NOTES: Philadelphia broke a club record by allowing its 215th home run. The previous record was set in 2004. Kevin Siegrist allowed the tiebreaker, which was hit by Atlanta's Rio Ruiz. ... Atlanta CF Ender Inciarte had a double and needs five more hits to reach 200. ... Atlanta 1B Freddie Freeman was sick with a stomach virus and out of the lineup on Saturday. ... Atlanta signed C Kurt Suzuki to a one-year, $3.5 million contract for 2018. The club has a $4 million option on C Tyler Flowers, which the club expected to exercise. .. Atlanta signed Korean SS Jihwan Bae. He was at SunTrust Park and met with fellow countryman Hyn Soo Kim of the Phillies before the game. Bae is likened to a left-handed Trea Turner. ... Sunday will be the final game of the season at SunTrust Park. The Braves are 37-43 in their new home.

Nationals storm back to beat Phillies

(TSX / STATS) -- WASHINGTON -- The Washington Nationals arrived back home around 3 a.m. Thursday after a three-game series in Miami.

And with Hurricane Irma bearing down on their native state, two young Nationals from Florida were able to put the storm on the back burner for a few hours Thursday night.

Trea Turner had a go-ahead, two-run single in the last of the sixth inning and Michael A. Taylor made a home run-saving catch in the top of the seventh as the Nationals came back for a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

"He threw two tough pitches the first two," Turner said of reliever Adam Morgan. "I felt like I had some pitches to hit (early in the game) and didn't capitalize. I put a decent swing on it."

Taylor made a leaping catch on the warning track on a ball hit by Andres Blanco to lead off the seventh that could have tied the score. Washington reliever Brandon Kintzler, who had just entered the game, tipped his cap toward Taylor after the catch.

"Michael Taylor saved the game on that home run he took away," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said.

The Phillies played the Nationals tough in the spring, going 5-7 in the first four series of the year between the teams. But Washington trimmed its magic number to four as the Marlins lost 6-5 in Atlanta to the Braves.

"We had opportunities to add on, but we didn't cash in," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said.

The first-place Nationals (86-54) posted their fourth win in a row. The Phillies (53-87) are 2-5 in Washington this year.

Matt Wieters hit an RBI double to chase Phillies starter Aaron Nola in the sixth and cut the Nationals' deficit to 3-2. Three batters later, Turner hit a two-run single up the middle off Morgan (3-2) with the bases loaded to give Washington the lead.

"He pitched well enough to win," Mackanin said of Nola. "We just didn't score enough runs. He was not at his best; we have seen him a lot better. He did OK."

Roark (12-9) allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings with six strikeouts and one walk. Kintzler and Ryan Madson each pitched a scoreless inning in relief before Sean Doolittle worked a perfect ninth for his 16th save with the Nationals.

Adam Lind was 2-for-3 for Washington, as was Philadelphia's Odubel Herrera.

Nola gave up three runs (two earned) with eight strikeouts and two walks in 5 1/3 innings. Morgan allowed two hits and one run in 1 2/3 innings.

The Nationals took a 1-0 lead in the second on an RBI single by Alejandro De Aza.

The Phillies responded in the third as catcher Jorge Alfaro led off with a solo homer to make it 1-1. It was just the second homer in 75 career at-bats for Alfaro, who was hitting in the No. 8 hole in front of Nola.

"We were on the same page pretty much the whole time. It's always good to throw with multiple catchers to let them see how you work," Nola said of throwing to Alfaro for the first time.

Tommy Joseph hit another solo homer for the Phillies, giving his team a 2-1 lead in the fourth as his 21st long ball down the left field line was just fair and about two rows deep.

"A towering home run. I think it was higher than it was far," Mackanin said.

Freddy Galvis gave Philadelphia a 3-1 edge with an RBI single in the fifth.

Nola got out a jam in the fifth when Ryan Zimmerman grounded into a double play to end the threat.

Herrera extended his hitting streak to 20 games with a double in the third that Lind, normally a first baseman, nearly caught. It is the longest hitting streak in the majors this year.

But the Nationals inched closer to the division title.

"We got in at 3, 4 in the morning. You have to play the game hard and take it one day at a time," Roark said.

NOTES: The Nationals called up top prospect and OF Victor Robles from Double-A Harrisburg and he flied out in his first major league at-bat in the seventh inning. Washington also recalled OFs Andrew Stevenson and Rafael Bautista from Triple-A Syracuse. The Nationals moved RHP Erick Fedde (right forearm flexor strain) to the 60-day disabled list. ... Phillies RHP Jake Thompson (1-1, 4.50) is slated to face Washington RHP Max Scherzer (13-5, 2.19) on Friday. ... Philadelphia INF J.P. Crawford played in his third major league game, again at third base. Phillies 3B Maikel Franco was not in the starting lineup, but manager Pete Mackanin said he expects Franco will start Saturday. Franco struck out as a pinch hitter Thursday.

Nationals begin long homestand with four vs. Phillies

Stats, LLC

(TSX / STATS) -- WASHINGTON -- The first-place Washington Nationals begin their longest homestand of the season Thursday when the Philadelphia Phillies come to town for a four-game series.

The Nationals (85-54), who are a season-high 31 games above .500, will also host the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers while playing 10 games in the next 11 days.

There is a good chance Washington will clinch its fourth division title since 2012 during the homestand. The Nationals are 18 games ahead of the second-place Marlins after an 8-1 victory Wednesday in Miami. The magic number for the Nationals is six to clinch the National League East after first baseman Ryan Zimmerman hit his 31st homer in the victory.

"Just being on the field all year has been fun," Zimmerman, who played in only 210 games in the previous two seasons, told MASN television after the win.

A pair of right-handers are slated to start in the series opener Thursday. Washington's Tanner Roark (11-9, 4.48 ERA) opposes Aaron Nola (10-10, 3.72).

Roark is 5-5 with a 3.47 ERA in 15 games (13 starts) in his career against the Phillies (53-86), who lost 6-3 in a rain-shortened game Wednesday night against the Mets in New York.

Nola is 1-3 with a 4.85 ERA in eight career starts against the Nationals. He is 1-2 with a 6.87 ERA in his past three starts, though he struck out 20 in those games.

In his most recent outing, Nola allowed six runs and 10 hits in five innings in a loss at Miami on Saturday. He has given up five runs or more in three of his past four starts.

"I was consistent at one point during the season, and I want to get back to that," Nola said. "I definitely don't want to have starts like this."

Several Washington hitters have extensive experience against Nola.

Second baseman Daniel Murphy is hitting .389 in 18 at-bats against Nola with one homer. Third baseman Anthony Rendon is hitting .235 in 17 at-bats with a homer against the righty.

Roark pitched well but was the loser in a 1-0 decision on Friday at Milwaukee. He gave up one run in seven innings and struck out 10.

"Very rarely does it happen," Roark said of losing a 1-0 game. "It was a pitchers' duel tonight, and they came out on top. I have the utmost confidence in these guys in here to score runs. It's just one of those games. It happens."

The Washington right-hander does not have a decision in three starts this year against the Phillies even though he has a 3.06 ERA in those outings while allowing only 12 hits in 17 2/3 innings.

Roark was 3-0 with an 0.79 ERA in five starts against the Phillies in 2016, but last year he didn't have to face rookie phenom Rhys Hoskins, who has 12 homers in his first 27 major league games.

Hoskins' pace is slowing though. The 24-year-old California has just one homer in nine game after hitting 11 in his first 18 games. In the just concluded series against the Mets, he went 2-for-9 with no RBIs.

Mets top Phillies in rain-shortened game

(TSX / STATS) -- NEW YORK -- Nothing this season has gone according to plan for the New York Mets. Finally, on Wednesday night, they benefited from the unexpected.

Travis d'Arnaud hit a two-run homer during a three-run first inning, and Robert Gsellman, pitching hours after being recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas, was credited with his first complete game as the Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-3 in a game shortened to 5 1/2 innings by rain at Citi Field.

Such a result was hard to conceive earlier in the night for Mets manager Terry Collins, who got a foreboding weather forecast when he visited the umpires just before first pitch.

"They said at home plate that the rain was coming, they thought, about 8:30," Collins said. "We have not played the fastest games, so I thought we were going to have a tough time getting five in."

Instead, Gsellman rewarded the Mets for staking him to the early lead by offering up the kind of efficiency New York expected but rarely received from him or the rest of the ballyhooed rotation.

New York's starting staff, which consists entirely of 20-somethings, entered the season with high expectations, but injuries and ineffectiveness have befallen every projected starter except ace Jacob deGrom. Mets starters have a 5.17 ERA, which would be the second worst in franchise history behind the expansion 1962 team, whose rotation posted a 5.18 ERA for a 120-loss club.

Gsellman, who helped the Mets reach the National League wild-card game last season by going 4-2 with a 2.42 ERA in eight games (seven starts), has fit right in this year by going 6-6 with a 5.34 ERA, spending a month on the disabled list with a hamstring injury and enduring two demotions to Las Vegas.

"Every time you get sent down, it's very eye-opening," Gsellman said. "You learn a lot and you just come back a little hungrier."

Gsellman carried a three-hit shutout into the sixth, when an inning-opening error by third baseman Asdrubal Cabrera helped create the Phillies' three-run rally. The 24-year-old right-hander, who was charged with three runs (two earned), allowed five hits and one walk while striking out four.

Most impressive of all, Gsellman threw a first-pitch strike to the first 13 batters he faced Wednesday and 19 out of 24 overall. He allowed hits on the first two pitches of the game but wriggled out of the jam and retired 13 of 14 batters between the first and fifth.

"When I talked to him this afternoon about pitching today, he said, 'I was hoping I was going to get the chance,'" Collins said, "I think he has come back with a little different frame of mind, that I've got to work myself into the rotation somehow."

Cabrera had three hits, including an RBI single immediately before d'Arnaud's homer in the first for the Mets (60-79), who won the three-game series for their first series victory since taking two of three from the Phillies Aug. 11-13. Gsellman added an RBI single in the second, and Brandon Nimmo lofted sacrifice flies in the third and fifth.

Cesar Hernandez had three hits for the Phillies, including an RBI double in the sixth. Nick Williams hit a one-out, two-run homer later in the inning for Philadelphia, whose comeback hopes were squelched when the teams were pulled off the field at 9:03 p.m. EDT with one out in the bottom of the sixth and a heavy rain falling.

"It's a shame we got banged, because we started mounting a comeback," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "But it is what it is."

The game was officially called after a 58-minute delay.

"I know early this morning, obviously, the percentages were a little different," d'Arnaud said, referring to the weather forecast. "Gsellman did a great job of getting ahead of every single hitter and working really fast, and we were able to get this game in."

Phillies right-hander Nick Pivetta (5-10) took the loss after allowing six runs on 10 hits and no walks over five innings. He struck out five.

"Threw strikes, but not quality strikes," Mackanin said of Pivetta. "Too many bad pitches."

NOTES: The rain-shortened game was the first for both teams since the Mets beat the Phillies 5-4 in seven innings on Sept. 21, 2013. ... Mets RHP Matt Harvey, who was scheduled to start on three days' rest Wednesday before being scratched late Tuesday night due to the weather forecast, will start the series opener against the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday. ... Mets OF Michael Conforto (left shoulder) underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a torn posterior capsule. He is expected to need six months to recover. ... The Phillies traded RHP Juan Nicasio to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for minor league INF Eliezer Alvarez. ... Phillies CF Odubel Herrera, who has a 19-game hitting streak, did not play.

Stanton hits major league-leading 47th homer as Marlins rally past Phillies

(TSX / STATS) -- PHILADELPHIA -- In the thick of the wild-card chase, the Miami Marlins couldn't afford a four-game split with the MLB-worst Philadelphia Phillies.

And staring down a five-run deficit after four innings on the road, the Marlins' offense woke up at the right time to keep them in the chase.

Giancarlo Stanton hit his major league-leading 47th homer as the Miami Marlins rallied from a five-run deficit and reached the .500 mark with a 9-8 victory over the Phillies on Thursday.

"The boys hung in today," said Marlins skipper Don Mattingly, whose team swept a doubleheader Tuesday before getting drilled 8-0 on Wednesday. "I think it changes our trip, honestly. You're in a position that you can't afford, we sweep a doubleheader, get a little momentum, and then get beat up last night.

"If it happened again today, that kind of takes the wind out of your sails a little bit, but the fact that we were able to win a series, the last two, we go home, get a chance to do it, hopefully we set the tone tomorrow in the first game."

Prior to Thursday, the Marlins (63-63) hadn't been .500 for the first time since April 27. Getting back there also puts them right back in the wild-card hunt.

With 36 games to play, Miami is exactly 5 1/2 games back of Colorado (69-58) for the final playoff spot in the National League. Milwaukee (66-62) and St. Louis (64-62) are also in the way.

"We need all the wins we can get right now, that was a big one for us," said center fielder Christian Yelich, who went 3-for-4 with three runs scored. "Credit to the guys for battling the whole game and grinding it out. That was a good team win, team effort from everybody. It was a good way to cap the road trip."

Stanton hit his latest homer in the third inning off Jake Thompson before the Phillies took an 8-3 lead.

A.J. Ellis started the comeback with a two-run homer in the fifth, Yelich hit a solo homer in the sixth and J.T. Realmuto hit a two-run inside-the-park homer to tie the game in the sixth.

Realmuto's homer hit off the angled center-field wall and rolled away from two Philadelphia outfielders.

After hitting his second career inside-the-park homer, Realmuto drove in the tiebreaking run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth off Luis Garcia (1-4).

"(The inside-the-park home run) was nice," Mattingly said. "And actually the next one he hit, the line drive to score the run, if that ball gets by, that might have been another one right there."

Miami's bullpen was strong in relief of Vance Worley, who gave up eight runs in four innings of work. Five different relievers threw an inning each, limiting the Phillies offense to three hits and no runs.

Jarlin Garcia (1-2) threw a perfect seventh inning, striking out two, for his first major league win. Brad Ziegler pitched the ninth for his eighth save of the season, all of which have come this month.

Rookie Rhys Hopkins drove in three runs and hit his eighth homer for the Phillies. Tommy Joseph also homered and drove in three runs while rookie Nick Williams drove in the other two runs for Philadelphia.

"Great to see the guys swinging the bats and score runs the way they did, but pitching's the name of the game, we didn't see good pitching today," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said.

Thompson allowed five runs and seven hits in five innings after being recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley before the game. He was sent back down immediately afterwards.

The Marlins took a 1-0 lead when Stanton scored on a ground-rule double by Marcell Ozuna after Williams lost the ball in center field. That was the second issue Williams had in the frame, after allowing Stanton's pop-up to drop in front of him.

"The first one he misplayed, the second one, he got lost in the sun," Mackanin said. "They scored a run, it happens."

Stanton put the Marlins up 2-1 when he homered to center field. The Marlins went up 3-1 on an RBI single by Derek Dietrich.

NOTES: To make room for RHP Jake Thompson on the roster, the Phillies optioned RHP Ricardo Pinto to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. ... Phillies LF Rhys Hoskins hit his eighth home run, tying him for the MLB record amongst all players in their first 15 games. ... The Phillies next welcome the defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs to town for a three-game series Friday. Philadelphia RHP Jerad Eickhoff (3-7, 4.46 ERA) will face Chicago LHP Jose Quintana (8-10, 4.27) in the series opener. ... The Marlins will head home for a three-game series against the San Diego Padres on Friday night has Miami LHP Adam Conley (6-5, 4.93) against San Diego LHP Travis Wood (3-4, 5.81).

Hoskins, Leiter lead Phillies' rout of Marlins

(TSX / STATS) -- PHILADELPHIA -- Coming up to bat in a one-run game with runners on first and second and nobody out, Philadelphia left fielder Rhys Hoskins had a curious question for Phillies manager Pete Mackanin.

Move the runners over or drive them in?

"He kind of just laughed at me," Hoskins said. "Rightfully so, I guess."

"I said, 'We're paying you to drive runs in, that's what we're paying you for,'" Mackanin quipped.

The rookie slugger listened.

Hoskins' three-run homer punctuated a five-run third inning as the Phillies backed a terrific outing by Mark Leiter Jr. with a well-rounded offensive performance en route to an 8-0 win over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday night.

Leiter Jr. carried a no-hitter through five innings -- a second-inning walk to Marcell Ozuna his only blemish until Miguel Rojas doubled to lead off the sixth.

The son of 11-year major league veteran Mark Leiter still finished what was the best of five major league starts thus far, going seven innings for the first time while giving up one hit and two walks. He struck out five.

"He kept us off-balanced, we never really got anything going," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "Used both sides of the plate, knew how to pitch, a lot like his dad."

Leiter (2-3) lowered his ERA from 4.38 to 3.86.

"Just trying to command the strike zone, get ahead early," he said. "They've got a great lineup over there, so the key is getting ahead and just trying to keep guys off balance as much as you can and I think just executing that was the game plan."

The Phillies (46-79) chased Marlins starter Justin Nicolino with one out in the third inning, batting around while opening a 6-0 lead.

Hoskins, quickly becoming a sensation in a town starved for some positive results on the diamond, lit up the crowd of 19,161 with a three-run shot that hit the first row of the second deck in left field. He tacked on a two-run double in the sixth inning to extend the lead to 8-0.

That gave Hoskins seven home runs and 16 RBIs in his first 14 games -- numbers no Phillies hitter had achieved in the first 130-plus years of the franchise.

"You try to keep everything in check and not get too excited," Mackanin said, "but as I've said, what I saw in the spring is what I'm seeing now: quality at-bats."

The 24-year-old Hoskins, a fifth-round selection in 2014, was rated the No. 4 prospect in the organization by Baseball America and has already impressed with his power and overall approach at the plate. His homer, which came on a full count after he was down 0-2, was just the latest example.

"The thing about Hoskins is he knows the strike zone," Mackanin said. "He looks like a professional hitter. He's not afraid to get behind in the count. ... He's not afraid to go the other way."

Hoskins finished 2-for-3 to raise his average to .271, leading a Phillies offense that collected 11 hits.

Nicolino (2-2) was tagged for six runs and eight hits in 2 1/3 innings.

"That second time through (the lineup) it seemed like (Nicolino) had a lot of trouble," Mattingly said. "They weren't missing."

The loss snapped a run of three straight victories for the Marlins (62-63). Miami had rallied from nine games below .500 on July 19 to move within 5 1/2 games of Colorado for the second National League wild-card spot entering Wednesday night.

NOTES: The Marlins swept a doubleheader to open the four-game series on Tuesday, winning the first game 12-8 and the second 4-7. They will go for the series win on Thursday afternoon. Miami RHP Vance Worley (2-3, 4.82 ERA) takes the mound against RHP Jake Thompson (1-1, 4.20), expected to be called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. ... The Phillies called up RHP Drew Anderson from Lehigh Valley and optioned OF Cam Perkins to the Triple-A club. ... The Marlins still lead the season series 6-5.

Marlins complete doubleheader sweep of Phillies

(TSX / STATS) -- PHILADELPHIA -- Behind a five-RBI day from Christian Yelich, the Miami Marlins swept the Philadelphia Phillies in a doubleheader Tuesday night.

After taking the opener 12-8, Miami staved off a benign Phillies comeback to hang on for a 7-4 victory in Game 2.

"It's hard to win two," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "Obviously, the first game went good for us. We were able to kind of keep (relievers Brad) Ziegler and (Kyle Barraclough) and those guys out of the game early, which allowed us to use 'Clough for two (innings) tonight.

"We scored early, that was good, too. We got some momentum, but those guys just kept coming back. It was one of those games you didn't feel good about because they seemed like they were going to keep scoring and it looked like we were done."

Yelich's four RBIs were just enough for Miami starter Jose Urena (12-5) in the second game. Urena threw five innings of three-run ball.

Yelich knocked in Dee Gordon in the top of the first inning for the second time in one day to give the Marlins a 1-0 lead. Marcel Ozuna mashed a two-run homer just a few pitches later to boost the edge to 3-0. The center fielder also took a home run away from Philadelphia's Nick Williams in the fifth inning, preserving the lead with a catch at the wall in right-center.

"It's the first one I've ever robbed," Yelich said. "I've been robbed a few times, so I know that feeling on the other end. It sucks, it's a terrible feeling. It's cool to rob one and keep some runs off the board. It helped us out there."

Phillies starter Nick Pivetta (4-9) labored through a 46-pitch first inning that featured a mound visit and some action in the bullpen.

Pivetta didn't fare any better in the top of the second. He served up a meatball to Yelich, who crushed a three-run homer to right-center field for a 6-0 Marlins lead.

After just 1 1/3 innings, Phillies manager Pete Mackanin turned to his bullpen for answers.

Edubray Ramos relieved Pivetta and got out of the second inning, and settled things down into the fourth inning.

Pivetta exited after surrendering six runs and seven hits while throwing 64 pitches. He walked one and struck out two.

"Just wasn't locating my pitches and they took advantage of it," Pivetta said. "I failed the team, failed myself. I'll learn from my failures."

Williams popped a solo home run off of Urena to lead off the fourth, and Andres Blanco followed later in the inning with a two-run homer to bring the Phillies back within 6-3.

Blanco battled Urena before homering on the 14th pitch of the at-bat after seven consecutive foul balls to stay alive.

Tommy Joseph hit his second home run of the day in the bottom of the sixth inning to pull Philadelphia within two, but the Marlins bullpen wouldn't allow the Phillies to get any closer.

Urena threw 101 pitches while striking out five Phillies, walking two and leaving with a 6-3 lead.

Earlier in the evening, just two months shy of his 44th birthday, Ichiro Suzuki led the power surge for Miami in the opener.

Suzuki stepped to the plate in the top of the seventh, pinch-hitting for starter Dan Straily (7-8), and took a 3-1 pitch from Phillies starter Aaron Nola (9-9) deep into right-center field for a three-run homer to give Miami and 6-3 lead.

"They have a tough lineup," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "If you don't pitch well, you're gonna get burned."

Straily struck out 10 in six innings. He gave up three runs on two hits and two walks. Nola was touched for seven runs on nine hits in 6 1/3 innings.

NOTES: The Marlins swept a doubleheader for the first time since Oct. 3, 2015, when they also swept the Phillies behind eight hits from Christian Yelich. ... Phillies RHP Vince Velasquez (finger) was transferred to the 60-day disabled list and will miss the remainder of the 2017 season. ... Phillies RHP Zach Eflin was placed on the 10-day DL (retroactive to Aug. 19) with a right shoulder strain. ... Marlins OF Ichiro Suzuki now has two career pinch-hit home runs, both against the Phillies.

Ichiro's pinch-hit blast sparks Marlins past Phillies

(TSX / STATS) -- PHILADELPHIA -- Just two months shy of his 44th birthday, it was Ichiro Suzuki who led the power surge for the Miami Marlins in game one of their doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Ichiro stepped to the plate in the top of the seventh, pinch-hitting for starter Dan Straily (7-8, 3.83 ERA), and took a 3-1 pitch from Phillies starter Aaron Nola (9-9, 3.58 ERA) deep into right-center field for a three-run homer to give Miami and 6-3 lead before they eventually knocked off the Phillies 12-8.

But the surge didn't stop there. The game featured a whopping nine home runs between the two teams.

Two batters after Ichiro, Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton continued his torrid pace since the All-Star break by taking Nola deep over the right field fence and knocking him out of the game. It was Stanton's league-leading 46th home run and his 99th RBI (second of the game).

Phillies reliever Jensen Therrien couldn't stop the bleeding, though. Miami outfielder Marcel Ozuna hit a two-run home run that got out in a hurry over the left field fence and the Marlins were up 9-3 in the blink of an eye.

Miami catcher J.T. Realmuto put the cherry on top with a three-run bomb to right field in the top of the ninth to push the Marlins' advantage to 12-5.

The lone bright spot for Philadelphia was Rhys Hoskins. The rookie continues to mash big league pitching after finding his swing on the team's recent road trip.

The Phillies left fielder smashed his sixth home run in eight games when he took Marlins starter Dan Straily deep to center for a two-run blast in the bottom of the first inning. Initially ruled a double, umpires overturned the call and correctly awarded Hoskins a home run as Philadelphia took a 2-1 lead.

Miami answered in the top of the second inning when shortstop Miguel Rojas grounded out to score Derek Dietrich from third, squeezing out a second early run off Phillies ace Aaron Nola.

Stanton smoked a double to left center off Nola, scoring Rojas in the top of the fifth inning to give Miami a 3-2 lead.

But the lead didn't last long.

Cameron Rupp led off the bottom of the fifth with a line drive home run over the left field wall, his 13th homer of the season, to knot the game back up at three apiece.

Phillies second baseman Cesar Hernandez hit his eighth home run of the season off Dustin McGowan in the bottom of the eighth inning to make it 9-5. A pinch-hit two run homer from Andres Blanco in the bottom of the ninth to bring the Phillies within four kept things interesting, but the comeback fell short at 12-8.

Straily (8-8) went six innings and surrendered just two hits while striking out 10 to earn the win for Miami. He battled the Phillies lineup, throwing 107 pitches in hot and humid weather with temperatures north of 90 degrees.

Nola took the loss after struggling in his second consecutive outing. The righty conceded seven earned runs in 6 1/3 innings, including four earned in the top of the seventh when the wheels fell off.

NOTES: Phillies RHP Vince Velasquez was transferred to the 60-day DL and will miss the remainder of the 2017 season (finger). ... Phillies RHP Zach Eflin was placed on the 10-day DL (retroactive to August 19) with a right shoulder strain. ... Marlins OF Ichiro Suzuki now has two career pinch-hit home runs, both against the Phillies (Tuesday and September 6, 2016). ... Giancarlo Stanton continues to add to his league-leading home run total. He now has 46 homers, including a club-record 20 after All-Star Break.

Giants build big early lead in rout of Phillies

(TSX / STATS) -- SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco Giants left-hander Matt Moore claimed he experienced some bad luck Friday night.

It was the kind of good fortune most pitchers would take any night.

Moore lost a potential shutout in the eighth inning on a near double play and a bloop hit, but had done plenty enough before that to assure the Giants a 10-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Hunter Pence and Brandon Crawford hit early home runs, and Jarrett Parker highlighted a three-run first inning with a two-RBI double, sending the Giants to their second straight win over the Phillies in the four-game series.

"We just want to play better ball," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said after his team improved to 16-18 since the All-Star break. "We owe it to the ownership and to the fans."

Freddy Galvis had a two-run single for the Phillies, who lost their sixth in a row.

"We got four hits," Philadelphia manager Pete Mackanin noted. "The bats just ain't there right now."

Staked to a 6-0 lead by the end of the third, Moore coasted through seven innings, allowing only one hit.

He gave up a leadoff single to Jorge Alfaro and a one-out walk to pinch-hitter Pedro Florimon in the eighth before turning the ball over to the Giants bullpen.

"I thought I did," Moore responded when asked if he felt he had enough to finish what would have been a second career shutout. "It was one of those nights when I felt I could do it myself."

Moore was denied a 13th career combined shutout when right-hander Cory Gearrin surrendered consecutive hits, the second of which was Galvis' bases-loaded single that closed the gap to 6-2.

That was the unlucky part, Moore insisted. The first hit off Gearrin -- a hard grounder by Cesar Hernandez -- barely missed going right at Giants second baseman Kelby Tomlinson for a sure inning-ending, shutout-saving double play.

Galvis' hit was a bloop that Giants left fielder Parker came within inches of catching with a dive near the left field line.

"He (Gearrin) was a bit unlucky," observed Moore, assuring there were no hard feelings. "The outfield and infield had been running all over the place all night. A couple of balls were bound to fall in."

Left-hander Josh Osich and righty Hunter Strickland got out of the inning without further damage.

Right-hander Kyle Crick pitched the ninth after San Francisco had tacked on four runs in the bottom of the eighth to increase their advantage to 10-2.

In winning for the first time since June 20, Moore (4-12) was charged with two runs on two hits. He walked four and struck out four.

"He got into a good rhythm tonight," Bochy said of Moore, whose home win was his first since May 13 against the Cincinnati Reds. "It looked like he was playing catch with (catcher) Buster (Posey)."

Pence, whose homer was his 11th of the season, and Crawford (his 10th) had two hits apiece for the Giants, who improved to 9-1 in their last 10 games against the Phillies.

Denard Span had three hits and Pablo Sandoval two in the Giants' 12-hit attack.

Alfaro had two hits for the Phillies, who fell to 0-5 on their seven-game Western trip.

Right-hander Zach Eflin (1-5), Philadelphia's starter, took the loss, after which he cited tightness in his pitching shoulder.

"They were hitting me pretty hard," he observed. "I made a lot of good pitches and a lot of bad pitches. It had nothing to do with (the shoulder issue)."

It took the Giants just eight pitches to grab a 2-0 lead, with Parker's two-run double following a single by Span and double by Pence.

Sandoval made it 3-0 one out later with a single.

Pence's homer increased the lead to 4-0 in the third, and Crawford's two-run shot put the Giants on top 6-0 in the third.

Eflin was pulled after five innings, having allowed six runs and seven hits. He walked two and struck out two.

"He really just didn't pitch well," Mackanin admitted. "We've seen him much better."

NOTES: Giants RHP Matt Moore's only career shutout came July 22, 2013 on a two-hitter for the Tampa Bay Rays against the Boston Red Sox. ... Giants C Buster Posey's fifth-inning double gave him a 20-game hitting streak against the Phillies that dates back to the 2014 season. ... The Phillies placed CF Odubel Herrera (strained left hamstring) on the 10-day disabled list before the game, retroactive to Tuesday. They made no corresponding roster addition, and played the game with just 24 available players. ... Giants RHP Johnny Cueto (blisters) threw a 50-pitch bullpen session before the game. Unless the blister issue resurfaces in the next two days, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Cueto likely would be sent to the minors to make an injury rehab start on Monday. ... Upon further review: The Giants' win Thursday night was the 11,000th in franchise history. The Giants, formerly of New York, are the first Major League Baseball franchise to reach the milestone.

Phillies, Giants begin series between NL bottom feeders

Stats, LLC

(TSX / STATS) -- SAN FRANCISCO -- The two losingest teams in baseball with little but 2018 draft order at stake begin a four-game series Thursday night when the Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants meet at AT&T Park.

Two guys pitching their best ball of the season will square off in the series opener, with the Phillies sending right-hander Aaron Nola against Giants righty Jeff Samardzija.

The Phillies (43-75) are coming off a 3-0 loss at San Diego on Wednesday that capped a three-game sweep. The defeat was the Phillies' 10th in 14 games, further distancing them from the Giants (48-74) in the duel for last place in the National League.

The Phillies won two of three when the clubs met in Philadelphia in June. Neither Nola nor Samardzija pitched in that series.

The No. 7 overall pick of the 2014 draft, Nola (9-7, 3.02 ERA) has faced the Giants just once in his career, and it did not go well. He was bombed for five runs and 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings, yet got no decision, at AT&T Park last season.

Nola has allowed just 13 earned runs in his past 10 starts, a stretch during which he limited all 10 opponents to two earned runs or fewer.

He has been even better since the All-Star break, accumulating the NL's third-best ERA (1.85) in six starts.

Nola will duel new Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval for the first time.

Waived by the Boston Red Sox in July, signed to a minor league deal by the Giants three days later and promoted to the majors earlier this month, Sandoval has hits in eight of his 10 games in his return to the team that he helped win 2010, 2012 and 2014 World Series championships.

He was the only Giant to play in all six games on their just completed trip.

"With Buster (Posey) out, I wanted to keep him in the lineup," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said about Sandoval's start Wednesday at Miami. "His thing is, 'Hey, I've had enough days off this year.'"

Sandoval went 1-for-3 with a walk in San Francisco's 8-1 loss to the Marlins.

Samardzija (7-12, 4.74 ERA) will take the mound Thursday on a nice roll, but with no history of success against the Phillies.

He opened the Giants' 2-4 trip with a 3-1 loss at Washington, which ended his personal three-game winning streak. He has compiled a 3.29 ERA in those four games.

Samardzija has never gone head-to-head with a current member of the Phillies. He has a 1-4 record and a 8.67 ERA in 10 games, including four starts, in his career against Philadelphia.

Like Nola, Samardzija should expect to see an unfamiliar opponent on Thursday night. The Phillies demoted their Wednesday starting pitcher, Nick Pivetta, to Triple-A Lehigh Valley after the loss in San Diego, seeking to create a roster spot for an outfielder for the series against the Giants.

The Phillies are expected to make the promotion announcement before the Thursday game.

Outfield help is needed with Odubel Herrera sidelined due to a hamstring injury.

"I don't have a definite answer for that," manager Pete Mackanin responded when asked if Herrera, who sat out the Phillies' past two games, might be ready by the weekend. "In the meantime, we need a position player."

Padres' Richard authors complete-game gem vs. Phillies

(TSX / STATS) -- SAN DIEGO -- Moments after throwing his first complete-game shutout in five seasons, San Diego Padres left-hander Clayton Richard was sharing credit.

"I pitch to contact," Richard said. "A sinkerball pitcher isn't an island. I depend on my defense. It's not all me. And my defense was stellar today, starting with Austin Hedges calling the game behind the plate."

Richard held the Philadelphia Phillies to three hits and a walk with six strikeouts Wednesday afternoon as the Padres completed a three-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies with a 3-0 win at Petco Park.

Richard's shutout, however, was only one of three notable achievements Wednesday.

--First baseman Wil Myers became the first Padre to steal three bases in an inning. He stole second, third and home (on the back-end of a double steal).

--Phillies right-handed starter Nick Privetta struck out eight of the first nine Padres he faced and didn't allow a ball to be put into play until Manuel Margot lined out to center to end the third. He finished with a career-high 11 strikeouts.

Richard (6-12) entered the game tied for the most losses in the National League and led the league with 188 hits allowed while ranking second in runs (90) and earned runs (83) allowed. He was credited with his first win since June 13 in his second complete game of the season.

It was his first complete-game shutout since Aug. 8, 2012, and the third of his career. The sinkerball specialist got 18 ground balls outs and threw 113 pitches with 72 strikes.

"That was fun," he said later. "This is what we play for . . . to win and be out there the entire game. There was a new rush of adrenaline in the ninth."

"It was fun to watch him go out in the ninth," Padres manager Andy Green said. "We celebrated for a really good person. His sink was really good today . . . down and away, down and away."

Meanwhile, Pivetta stumbled after a great start to fall to 4-8. In fact, he struggled as soon as the Padres had a baserunner. Carlos Asuaje doubled to right-center to open the fourth. With two outs, Asuaje scored on Myers' single to left.

Then it got interesting. With Hedges at-bat, Myers stole second and then third as Hedges walked. Then Hedges broke from first and got in a rundown as Myers stole home on the front end of what became a double steal to make it 2-0.

"Stealing second was because (Pivetta) was slow to the plate," Myers said. "Taking third was on a 3-and-2 count and he wasn't looking at me. Home was a botched play on his part."

"I'm not happy with all the stolen bases (five)," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "That's embarrassing to me. We didn't execute the double steal, which we should have. All in all, it was a bad series ... a very disappointing series. We couldn't get the job done.

"We had a bad series swinging the bats as a group, but Richard pitched well today. I give him credit. He mixed it up. Pitched inside, outside, changed speeds. He did a good job."

Pivetta called the five steals against him "frustrating."

"I wasn't really mixing up my holds enough," Pivetta said. "They ran a little bit extra today and that was kind of the difference in the game."

The Padres widened their lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth.

Cory Spangenberg opened the inning with a bunt single to extend his career-high-tying hitting streak to eight straight games. Myers then drew his second walk from Pivetta, ending the rookie right-hander's afternoon.

Spangenberg advanced to third when right-handed reliever Edubray Ramos got Hedges to ground into a double play. But Hunter Renfroe doubled into the left-field corner, driving home Spangenberg.

Pivetta allowed three runs on five hits and three walks in five innings.

NOTES: Padres RHP Jered Weaver announced his retirement Wednesday morning. Weaver, 34, was 0-5 with a 7.44 earned run average in nine starts with the Padres this season after going 150-93 in 11 seasons with the Angels. Weaver had been on the Padres' disabled list since May 19 . . . Phillies 2B Cesar Hernandez was 0-for-4 Wednesday to end a five-game hitting streak . . . Phillies CF Odubel Herrara, who tweaked his left hamstring Monday night, missed a second straight game Wednesday although manager Pete Mackanin said he was available to pinch-hit. ... The Padres are 10-5 at home since the All-Star break and 24-13 over the last 37 games at Petco Park.

Phillies might limit Pivetta's repertoire for start vs. Padres

Stats, LLC

(TSX / STATS) -- SAN DIEGO -- There is no question that the Phillies' Nick Pivetta has a tantalizing assortment of pitches. They may be on display when Philadelphia caps its three-game series with the San Diego Padres on Wednesday afternoon.

Still, Phillies manager Pete Mackanin might like to see Pivetta (4-7, 6.29 ERA) dial down his repertoire in a bid to get him back on track.

"Maybe he can use less clubs in his bag," said Mackanin, as the Phillies look to salvage the finale of the series.

At times Pivetta looks like an ace. Then there are other occasions, like his last two times out, in which the right-hander has struggled.

Against the New York Mets on Friday, Pivetta pitched 4 2/3 innings and allowed six runs (five earned) and seven hits. Versus the Colorado Rockies on Aug. 5, he worked 2 2/3 innings and was blistered for eight runs on eight hits.

Pivetta was unable to place the ball where he wanted, and that is his biggest issue, Mackanin said. Not that he is walking a ton of people -- three free passes in the two games combined -- but his aim is just a tad off.

"It's as simple as he is not commanding his pitches," Mackanin said. "He has a real nice fastball with good life, but he is just not hitting his spots. That is step one to learn how to locate that pitch. If you command that pitch, it sets everything else up."

That leads back to Pivetta's recent bullpen session with pitching coach Bob McClure.

"I think McClure might take one of his breaking balls away from him," Mackanin said. "We like his curveball; we might take his slider away from him. But it is not etched in stone, and I don't know if that is exactly what we are going to do, but it has been talked about."

There is no way to talk about the Phillies' offense without bringing up Odubel Herrera. The center fielder extended his career-high, 17-game hitting streak in the series opener Monday, but he tweaked his left hamstring in that game and didn't play Tuesday.

He is unlikely to start Wednesday when the Phillies face left-hander Clayton Richard (5-12, 5.14 ERA).

"I want to be careful with him," Mackanin said.

Richard has lost his past five decisions and is coming off consecutive no-decisions. He has never defeated the Phillies, going 0-4 with a 3.41 ERA in eight appearances, including four starts. In his lone start against Philadelphia this year, he allowed one run on five hits in six innings but did not get a decision on July 7.

Richard went six innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers in his last outing, yielding three runs on eight hits Friday. It was a back-and-forth game in which the Padres prevailed 4-3.

"These games are the fun ones, where it's close, it's back-and-forth," Richard said after the game. "They test you a little bit, make sure you're resilient through adversity."

Richard knows all about resilience, last finding the winner's circle on June 13 against the Cincinnati Reds.

Pivetta did show well against the Padres in his only career outing against them, when he opposed Richard on July 7. He went seven innings and was charged with three runs on five hits. He didn't walk a batter and struck out nine in the Phillies' 4-3 loss, with neither starter involved in the decision.

"I think he has a chance to be pretty good because he has such a lively fastball," Mackanin said of Pivetta.

Padres' Spangenberg drives in four in win over Phillies

(TSX / STATS) -- SAN DIEGO -- Cory Spangenberg was not a happy camper when he failed to make the San Diego Padres' Opening Day roster.

However, the 26-year-old third baseman has been making up for lost time ever since he rejoined the Padres from Triple-A 22 games into the season.

Spangenberg continued the hottest run of his professional career Tuesday night with a double and a homer for four RBIs as the Padres defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 8-4 at Petco Park.

Spangenberg is 12-for-27 (.444) during a seven-game hitting streak with two doubles, a triple, four home runs, 10 RBIs and eight runs to boost his batting average from .265 to .280. And that is only part of the equation. He has stolen two bases during the streak and has taken extra bases on throws from the outfield.

"If I'm a fan, Spangenberg is a fun player to watch," Padres manager Andy Green said after the Padres opened a seven-game homestand with two straight wins over the Phillies. "He plays the game hard."

Spangenberg shared the spotlight Tuesday night with the battery of rookie right-hander Dinelson Lamet and veteran catcher Hector Sanchez.

Lamet (7-4) didn't allow a hit until there were two outs in the fifth. He finished with a line of two runs allowed (on the first career homer by catcher Jorge Alfaro) on three hits over seven innings.

In addition to catching Lamet, Sanchez hit a two-run homer to cap the Padres' scoring.

"Sanchez pairs up well with Lamet," said Green of the Venezuela catcher and Dominican pitcher.

"Because we both speak Spanish, we have good communication," Sanchez said. "And he's very good. Tonight, he threw his slider in any situation."

Green said, "The first couple of innings, (Lamet's) fastball command was as good as I've seen."

Lamet, 25, won his fourth straight decision. He issued one walk and hit a batter (in front of Alfaro's homer) while striking out seven.

Phillies starter Mark Leiter Jr. (1-3) allowed eight runs (four earned) on seven hits and three walks with a strikeout in five innings. However, defensive lapses played a role in seven of the Padres' eight runs.

"Our defense let us down tonight," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "Leiter scuffled at the beginning, but there was a misplayed line drive in left and a couple of errors. We normally play better defense than that, and defense hurt us today."

The Padres took advantage of some uncustomary wildness by Leiter and a line drive that was misplayed by left fielder Rhys Hoskins to take a 3-0 lead in the first.

Leiter issued the first of his two walks in the inning to Carlos Asuaje with one out. After Jose Pirela lined out to right, Yangervis Solarte hit a drive to left that sailed over the reach of Hoskins for a run-scoring double.

Wil Myers then drew the second walk, and Spangenberg followed with a two-run double to right-center.

Spangenberg expanded the Padres' lead to 4-0 with his 12th homer of the season -- and fourth in three games -- in the fourth. The 404-foot drive to center was also Spangenberg's fifth straight hit in two consecutive Padres wins over the Phillies.

After Alfaro halved the Padres' lead in the top of the fifth, an error by Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco led to four unearned runs in the bottom of the inning.

Asuaje singled to open the inning, and Solarte drew a one-out walk. Myers then hit a roller toward the third base bag. Franco tried to field the ball while simultaneously stretching for a force at the bag, but he had the ball bounce off his glove for an error that loaded the bases.

"I think he was getting too anxious to turn a double play and got ahead of himself," Mackanin said of Franco's play.

Asuaje scored when Spangenberg grounded out to second. Solarte then scored from third after Spangenberg stole second and Alfaro's throw bounced off the runner. Sanchez followed with his eighth homer, a 381-foot drive to right.

The Phillies scored in the ninth when Hoskins hit a two-run homer off left-hander Kyle McGrath. It was the third homer in two games for Hoskins, who had never hit a major league homer before Monday.

NOTES: Phillies CF Odubel Herrera, who is riding a career-long 17-game hitting streak, tweaked his left hamstring Monday night while trying to make a shoestring catch. He is day-to-day. He didn't play Tuesday night and probably won't play Wednesday afternoon. ... Hyun Soo Kim made his first start in right field Tuesday night for the Phillies, and he went 0-for-2 with a walk. ... Padres LHP Christian Friedrich, who didn't make a start this season due to a series of setbacks, will have surgery soon to cleanse his pitching elbow. He should be ready for spring training. ... Padres SS Erick Aybar is rehabbing his fractured left foot with hopes of returning for the final two weeks of the season.

Spangenberg homers in Padres' win over Phillies

(TSX / STATS) -- SAN DIEGO -- Cory Spangenberg was among the reasons the San Diego Padres beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-4 on Monday night.

Most would point to Spangenberg's three hits, one of which was his career-high 11th home run, as the reasons why he shined.

However, manager Andy Green was more impressed with something else. He noted that Spangenberg's hustle allowed him to reach second safely on a fielder's choice, which helped fuel the Padres' four-run sixth inning.

"Probably the biggest thing he did was to fly into second base," Green said. "That kept that inning extended and let us score all of those runs."

Austin Hedges and Jose Pirela each had two RBIs for San Diego.

Spangenberg, who scored a career-high three runs and extended his hitting streak to six games, stroked his homer in the seventh for a 7-4 margin. It was his third home run in two games, and this one went to the opposite field.

"I'm just trying to see my pitch, sit in a specific zone and not go outside that," Spangenberg said. "I'm just trying to hit the ball where it is pitched and try to drive it to all fields."

In his past six games, Spangenberg is hitting .435 (10-for-23).

Thanks to the sixth-inning rally in which they batted around, the Padres won for just the second time in six games.

The Phillies, losers of four of their past five, squandered rookie Rhys Hoskins' first two major league homers.

"It's something that you obviously dream about," said Hoskins, a California native who had about 40 family and friends cheering for him. "You dream about getting here, then you dream about hitting a home run here."

Phillies manager Pete Mackanin was impressed.

"I don't think anybody's hit two home runs in the same game for us this year, and it was nice to see him do that," Mackanin said. "Hope to see more."

Both starters, Philadelphia's Jerad Eickhoff and San Diego's Travis Wood, pitched five innings, but neither figured into the decision. Eickhoff gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits, while Wood yielded two runs on six hits.

Jose Torres (7-3), who got one out in the sixth, earned the win. Brad Hand worked the ninth for his 10th save.

Ricardo Pinto (1-1) absorbed the loss after allowing five runs in two innings.

The Phillies seized a 3-2 lead in the sixth when Spangenberg made an error at third on Cesar Hernandez's grounder, scoring Tommy Joseph. The inning included singles by Joseph and Nick Williams.

"It was a play that I should have made," Spangenberg said of mishandling Hernandez's ball to his backhand side. "But then you have to move on to the next play. You can't think about it."

Hedges' run-scoring single tied the score in the bottom of the sixth. Carlos Asuaje's sacrifice fly pushed the Padres ahead, and Pirela's two-run single made it a 6-3 game.

Hoskins' second homer in the seventh pulled Philadelphia within 6-4.

With San Diego trailing 2-1, Spangenberg opened the fourth inning with a single. He advanced on Hedges' single, stole third base and scored on Maikel Franco's bad throw on Manuel Margot's grounder. That tied the game 2-2.

The Phillies went ahead 2-1 when Hoskins smacked his first career homer in the top of the fourth. He redirected Wood's 89 mph fastball 402 feet as the solo blast bounced off the scoreboard above the left field seats.

Odubel Herrera's third-inning double stretched his hitting streak to a career-high 17 games and brought in Hernandez, who had reached on a walk, to tie the score 1-1. Freddy Galvis was cut down at home on a relay from center fielder Margot to second baseman Asuaje to catcher Hedges.

The Padres struck first, taking a 1-0 lead in the second on Hedges' run-scoring fly ball. Eickhoff was able to limit the damage after the Padres loaded the bases with no outs, with two reaching on walks.

NOTES: Phillies prospect Rhys Hoskins was called up last week as a first baseman, but he started again in left field and homered twice. ... Padres manager Andy Green had his contract extended through 2021. ... RHP Kirby Yates was reinstated from the family leave list and pitched a perfect eighth inning. ... RHP Jose Valdez was optioned to Triple-A El Paso. Valdez was up with the Padres for three days as a replacement for Yates, and he pitched two innings of one-run ball Sunday at Dodger Stadium. He has no decisions and a 6.92 ERA in a combined nine relief appearances for the Los Angeles Angels and San Diego this year.

Conforto, Granderson lead Mets past Phillies

(TSX / STATS) -- PHILADELPHIA -- Phillies manager Pete Mackanin has a pretty simple motto when it comes to the curveball.

"You hang it, they bang it," Mackanin said.

Phillies starter Zach Eflin learned that the hard way Sunday.

Michael Conforto and Curtis Granderson each hit home runs on misplaced curveballs and the New York Mets topped the Philadelphia Phillies 6-2 at Citizens Bank Park.

The Mets (53-62) took three of four from the Phillies (43-72).

Conforto's two-run shot in the first inning opened the scoring and upped his career-high total to 26 for the year. It was his 12th homer since the All-Star break and 30 is right around the corner.

"I've still got to get there, but it's exciting," Conforto said.

"Two years ago, we thought he could hit 30 home runs," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "We saw the power. What you're seeing this year is the swing is so consistent. You can look at a guy who has a chance to hit 30 homers who wasn't even in the lineup in April."

Granderson was 3-for-5 on the day with the home run, a double, a run and three RBIs.

"We needed him today to step up and he did," Collins said.

Mets starter Chris Flexen (2-1) earned the win despite not having his best command. Flexen lasted five innings and allowed two runs on six hits. He walked four batters and struck out five.

Eflin (1-4) was handed the loss. The righty surrendered seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. He allowed four runs, all coming on the pair of two-run shots from Conforto and Granderson, and struck out five.

"I threw the ball really well, had command of all five of my pitches," Eflin said. "It's unfortunate it's one of those days that you get beat by two bad pitches."

With the Mets ahead 2-1 in the fifth, Eflin sandwiched a Jose Reyes double with a pair of strikeouts to bring Granderson to the plate with two outs. On a 1-1 count, Eflin's curveball got too much of the plate and Granderson sent the offering to right field for a three-run lead.

"Basically those pitches, if you hang them you're going to get hurt," Mackanin said. "If you make the pitch nobody says a word if you keep it down where it's supposed to be."

After the Phillies cut the deficit to 4-2, Granderson tallied a run-scoring single in the seventh to make it 5-2. He then scored on a Wilmer Flores RBI single.

The Phillies, who left nine runners on base on the day, loaded the bases in the bottom of the first inning with no outs but only scraped across one run on a Rhys Hoskins RBI groundout, the first RBI of his career.

They loaded them again in the fifth with no outs. Nick Williams sent a fly ball to shallow center field that Conforto corralled and fired toward home. Freddy Galvis, on third base, did not run, but, inexplicably, Odubel Herrera -- whose mental mistakes have become common -- ran from second to an occupied third base and was tagged out. The double play allowed Flexen to get out of the inning without much trouble, though Galvis did cross the plate on a wild pitch.

"The mistake he made was he assumed that Freddy was going to go," Mackanin said of Herrera's blunder. "He saw him take off but then he put his head down. The only thing he did is he didn't keep his head up. He just put his head down and ran to third."

The Phillies tallied just one hit the rest of the way and were outhit 12-7.

NOTES: Philadelphia OF Odubel Herrera extended his career-long hit streak to 16 games with a single in the first inning. The streak is the longest by a Phillies player since 2014. ... After trading INF Neil Walker on Saturday night, the Mets selected the contract of RHP Kevin McGowan from Triple-A Las Vegas prior to the game Sunday to take Walker's roster spot. ... The Phillies embark on a seven-game road trip to California starting Monday in San Diego. ... The Mets begin a four-game set with the Yankees (each team hosts two games) on Monday in the Bronx.

Nola pitches Phillies past Mets

(TSX / STATS) -- PHILADELPHIA -- Aaron Nola has been one of the hottest pitchers in baseball the last few months. Saturday night against the New York Mets was not any different.

Nola and the Philadelphia Phillies clawed their way to a 3-1 victory over the Mets behind two RBI singles and a sacrifice fly.

Nola (9-7, 3.02 ERA) stifled the Mets for seven innings, allowing one earned run and two hits while striking out eight batters in the Phillies' come-from-behind victory.

"I'm really not trying to do too much and I'm really just trying to get ahead and execute all of my pitches," Nola said.

The right-hander has posted a 1.71 ERA in his last 10 starts, mastering command of his curveball in the process.

"It's night-and-day difference," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "It gives him an extra place to go when he's in trouble. Let's say on a given night he doesn't have his changeup, he can go to his curve to get hitters out."

Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes crushed the only bad pitch from Nola, a 2-1 curveball, deep over the left field fence to give New York a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning.

Cespedes continues to swing a hot bat in Philadelphia. His 10 home runs in 18 games at Citizens Bank Park are the most he has in any visiting ballpark.

But the Phillies answered in the bottom of the fifth inning when Cesar Hernandez singled home Nick Williams to tie the score 1-1. Freddy Galvis followed with an RBI single, scoring Maikel Franco, to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead.

Tommy Joseph hit a sacrifice fly to score Galvis in the bottom of the eighth to provide the Phillies' bullpen some insurance with a 3-1 lead.

Luis Garcia picked up his second save of the season for the Phillies, pitching two-thirds of an inning in the ninth.

After giving up a home run to Cespedes earlier in the game, Nola threw inside to the star outfielder before striking him out with a changeup in the seventh inning, something Nola's manager likes to see.

"We like to see our guys come in on hitters," Mackanin said. "One of the things that Matz did well there was use both sides of the plate. ... I was happy to see Nola do that and I want to see more of that to keep those hitters honest."

The Mets threatened to get on the board first in the top of the third inning. Amed Rosario doubled to the gap in right-center field for the first hit of the ballgame. Rosario later advanced to third on a passed ball by Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp, but the rookie was caught while attempting to steal home on a double steal to end the inning.

"Command of his stuff, moved the fastball around, pitched inside, good breaking ball, he pitched very well," Mets manager Terry Collins said of Nola's performance.

Williams went 1-for-1 with an infield single, two walks and a run scored for the Phillies. He was also hit by a pitch, reaching base all four times he stepped into the batter's box.

Steven Matz (2-6, 5.54 ERA) tossed 5 2/3 innings for New York, striking out one and surrendering two runs, both earned, in the bottom of the fifth inning.

"Much, much better," Collins said of Matz's performance. "Secondary stuff was much better, spin on his breaking ball was better. He's worked hard on it and I thought he pitched well."

Mets second baseman Neil Walker was traded before the start of the game to the Milwaukee Brewers. Infielder Jose Reyes started in his place at second base and batted second, going 0-for-4.

NOTES: As a Met, 3B Asdrubal Cabrera is hitting .366 (41-for-112) with eight home runs against the Phillies. ... Mets RHP Matt Harvey made a rehab start for Class A Brooklyn. ... Phillies rookie LF Rhys Hoskins struggled in his second start since being called up to the big leagues, going 0-for-4 and he remains hitless since being called up. ... Phillies OF Odubel Herrera has hit safely in 15 consecutive games after a single in the bottom of the eighth inning. ... In the rubber match of the series on Sunday, Phillies RHP Zach Eflin (1-3, 5.67 ERA) will face Mets RHP Chris Flexen (1-1, 8.49).

Mets belt 4 HRs in 10-0 romp over Phillies

(TSX / STATS) -- PHILADELPHIA -- A trip to Citizens Bank Park was just what the slumping New York Mets needed.

The Mets slugged four home runs among 13 hits in a 10-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night. New York is 4-0 this season in Philadelphia, hitting 14 homers in those contests.

Wilmer Flores and Michael Conforto both hit three-run homers, while Neil Walker and Curtis Granderson also went deep.

"I don't know what it is. We come here a lot," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "It's a great, great place to hit. It's a great ballpark to play in. Our guys are comfortable here."

The homers provided plenty of offense for a nearly unhittable Jacob deGrom, who threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings before taking a line drive off his right triceps. DeGrom left the game after the play, but he doesn't expect to miss his next start.

"When it first hit me, it didn't feel good," he said, "but I was fortunate enough that it didn't hit me in the elbow, it was above it."

The Mets had already built a 7-0 by the time deGrom exited. The offensive outburst was a welcome sign after the team scored only 10 runs in its previous five games and was shut out in two of those games.

Flores made sure that would not happen with a towering, three-run homer to straightaway center field off Phillies starter Vince Velasquez in the first inning. It was Flores' 14th home run of the season and part of a 3-for-5 night that also featured a double.

"Wilmer had a nice night," Collins said. "Big home run in the first inning. It kind of kick-started everything, and after that, we had everyone chip in."

Velasquez came out of the game after the 32-pitch first inning because of numbness in his right middle finger. His fastball velocity sat below its normal 94 mph during his brief outing.

"He's mentioned it before, but he felt like he could go out there," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said of Velasquez's injury. "I don't know what it is exactly, but we'll know more (Friday)."

Walker made it 4-0, lining the first pitch of the third inning from Mark Leiter Jr. over the right field fence for his 10th homer of the season.

Conforto broke the game open in the seventh. With two on and two outs, the left-handed-hitting All-Star hit a slicing line drive off the left field foul pole. The home run against Phillies reliever Jesen Therrien was Conforto's 24th of the season and his third in five days.

He was penciled into the cleanup spot for the first time this season the day after the Mets traded Jay Bruce to the Cleveland Indians.

"I was kind of thinking just fight it off because it was a good pitch," Conforto said. "I ended up getting the barrel there. I was on time there, and it was a pretty good swing. Luckily, it stayed fair. I snuck it in there."

Granderson capped the long-ball display with a two-run shot in the ninth inning against Luis Garcia.

DeGrom (13-5) struck out nine and did not walk a batter. The right-hander struck out seven of the first 10 batters he faced and allowed only four hits.

"I was able to locate pretty well," deGrom said. "I had a little more 3-2 counts than I wanted to, but I had a pretty good feel for my slider and changeup, so I was getting ahead strike one and going from there."

On deGrom's 100th pitch, Nick Williams shot a line drive up the middle that caught the pitcher in the arm and forced him out of the game.

It was the first scoreless outing for deGrom since May 19, and it marked the 10th time in 23 starts this season that he recorded at least nine strikeouts.

"He mixed up his pitches well," Collins said. "I thought he threw the ball great tonight."

Leiter struck out seven batters in five innings while allowing one run on four hits and no walks.

"The most positive thing I can think of is that Leiter again saved our bullpen. He did a great job," Mackanin said.

Maikel Franco's double in the second inning was the only extra-base hit for the Phillies, who were shut out for the eighth time this season.

NOTES: Phillies LF Rhys Hoskins went 0-for-2 with a strikeout and a walk in his major league debut. ... The Phillies honored Darren Daulton with a video tribute and a moment of silence before the game. It was the team's first home game since Daulton died of brain cancer at 55 on Sunday night. Daulton spent nearly all of his 14-year major league career, and the catcher is part of the Phillies Wall of Fame. ... The Mets have 51 home runs in their past 23 games at Citizens Bank Park.

Phillies continue mastery of Braves on Eickhoff effort

(TSX / STATS) -- ATLANTA -- Neither the Philadelphia players nor the coaches have an explanation of how the Phillies have managed to dominate the Atlanta Braves this season.

"No idea. I'm just happy it's happened," Philadelphia manager Pete Mackanin said after the Phillies beat the Braves 3-2 on Wednesday to improve their record against Atlanta to 11-2.

Jerad Eickhoff pitched 6 2/3 strong innings and Odubel Herrera provided the offense with a pair of triples to help the Philadelphia Phillies sweep a two-game series at SunTrust Park.

"It just comes down to not being able to put a finger on it," Eickhoff said. "I don't know if our pitching is matching up well with their hitters or our hitters are matching up well with their pitchers. It's just one of those weird things."

Eickhoff (3-7) allowed two runs on nine hits and struck out six without issuing a walk. The right-hander is now 3-0 with 38 strikeouts in his past seven starts. He improved to 3-2 with a 2.06 ERA against the Braves in 13 career starts.

"The one thing he did extremely well, he threw a ton of curveballs, and they couldn't stop that," Mackanin said. "All in all, an outstanding performance against a pretty good lineup."

Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said of the Braves' struggles with the Phillies, "You can't explain it. We just can't do anything with them, not for lack of trying.

The Phillies used four relievers to close the game. Hector Neris pitched around a walk in the ninth inning to earn his 13th save.

Herrera was 2-for-4, scored one run and drove in a run. He is hitting .434 (23-for-53) in 13 games against the Braves this season and has a 16-game hitting streak against Atlanta.

Atlanta rookie Sean Newcomb (1-7) gave up three runs, two earned, in six innings. Newcomb allowed five hits, struck out six and walked one.

Snitker said of Newcomb's effort, "Real encouraging. I like the fact they went to work and made improvement over the last start. ... He probably could have gone back out for the seventh. His stuff was good. He was turning it loose real good. It was a very encouraging outing."

Down 3-0, the Braves rallied to score twice against Eikhoff in the seventh inning.

Nick Markakis singled and went to third when Ozzie Albies hit a line drive to right that handcuffed Nick Williams and turned into a double. Pinch hitter Danny Santana delivered a two-out single to drive in both runs and cut the lead to 3-2.

However, left-hander Adam Morgan came on in relief to strike out Ender Inciarte and end the threat.

"I thought (Eickhoff) got tired in that seventh inning, a couple line drives and one lost in the lights that hurt, and he hung a curveball with two strikes to Santana," Mackanin said. "But good effort from our bullpen."

The Phillies got on the board with two runs in the third inning. Freddy Galvis reached on a one-out single and scored on Herrera's triple. Herrera then scored when the relay throw from second baseman Albies bounced past third baseman Brandon Phillips and into the stands.

Philadelphia added a run in the fifth inning on back-to-back doubles by Cesar Hernandez and Galvis.

Atlanta had baserunners in each of the first four innings but failed to score. The best early opportunity for the Braves came in the second when Markakis led off the inning with a double, only to be stranded there.

The Braves had a two-out rally in the sixth but failed to score. Freddie Freeman singled and got caught in a rundown between third and home after a Markakis double.

Philadelphia (42-69) has the worst record in the National League, but the Phillies have won six straight against the Braves (51-61).

"It's just kind of the way we've been against these guys," Snitker said. "Everybody pitches like they're Bob Gibson against us, regardless of their history."

NOTES: Atlanta recalled SS Dansby Swanson from Triple-A Gwinnett to replace SS Johan Camargo, who was placed on the 10-day disabled list after sustaining a bone bruise on his right knee when falling prior to Tuesday's game. Swanson started and went 0-for-4.... Philadelphia CF Odubel Herrera extended his hitting streak to 12 games. He has hit in 16 consecutive games against the Braves. Herrera had two triples, one shy of the team record set by Harry Wolverton in 1900 against Pittsburgh. ... Phillies 2B Cesar Hernandez doubled in the fifth to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. He has reached base in 20 of his past 21 games. ... Atlanta LHP Sean Newcomb got his first major league hit in the third inning.

Former All-Star catcher Darren Daulton dies at 55

By ROB MAADDI
Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Darren Daulton, the All-Star catcher who was the leader of the Philadelphia Phillies’ NL championship team in 1993, has died. He was 55.

Daulton had battled brain cancer since 2013. He had two tumors removed during brain surgery on July 1, 2013, but nine days later was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer that also took the lives of his former teammate Tug McGraw and former coach John Vukovich.

“Darren was a true leader of men,” Phillies chairman emeritus Bill Giles said. “In addition to being an outstanding clubhouse leader, he was also a fighter. He battled through five knee operations to become an All-Star. I really enjoyed watching him for 14 years in uniform. Darren was a super human being. His teammates loved him, I loved him like he was one of my own.”

Daulton played 14 1/2 of his 15 major league seasons with Philadelphia and finished his career with the 1997 World Series champion Florida Marlins, batting .389 (7 for 18) with two doubles and one homer in a seven-game series against Cleveland.

The left-handed hitting Daulton batted .245 with 137 homers and 588 RBIs in 1,161 games. He went to three All-Star games and led the NL with 109 RBIs in 1992.

The long-haired Daulton, nicknamed “Dutch,” was beloved by Phillies fans and respected by teammates. He policed a wild clubhouse in ’93 that included Lenny Dykstra, John Kruk, Dave Hollins, Pete Incaviglia, Mitch Williams and Curt Schilling.

“From the day that we drafted him until today, he constantly earned our respect and admiration as both a player and person,” said Phillies chairman David Montgomery. “Darren was the face of our franchise in the early 1990′s.”

Daulton is survived by his parents, Carol and Dave; brother, Dave Jr.; wife, Amanda; and his four children: Zachary, Summer, Savannah and Darren Jr.

Rupp's two-run double lifts Phillies over Rockies

(TSX / STATS) -- DENVER -- Staring at a sixth straight loss, and the most heartbreaking yet on the current road trip, the Philadelphia Phillies rallied in the ninth inning Sunday.

Cameron Rupp's two-run double against Colorado Rockies closer Greg Holland lifted Philadelphia to a 3-2 win.

The hit gave Rupp a measure of revenge after he was thrown out at the plate in the eighth. The Phillies also had a runner thrown out at home in the ninth, and a missed call by the plate umpire on a pitch changed an at-bat in the seventh that resulted in a go-ahead hit for the Rockies.

Holland (2-2) took the mound in the ninth with a 1.56 ERA in 42 games and had converted 34 of 35 save opportunities.

Odubel Herrera led off with a hit that he hustled into a double.

"He's been criticized for lack of hustle," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said, "but for him to take the extra base was outstanding and good to see."

Herrera moved to third on Maikel Franco's single. Hyun Soo Kim hit a grounder to shortstop Trevor Story, who threw out Herrera at the plate. Herrera hesitated before heading home.

"First and third, you're on third base, you have to go," Mackanin said, "because if they get a double play, you don't want to be standing at third with two outs. He hesitated for the simple reason that he didn't know if the pitcher was going to catch it."

Rupp then drove Holland's first-pitch slider into the gap in left-center field, scoring Franco and Kim.

"It was a quick at-bat," Rupp said. "He hung a slider, left it out over the plate, I drove it to the gap."

Holland said, "The pitch to the leadoff batter was a pretty good pitch. It could have been better, but the two-run double was a pitch where I thought he was looking to swing early in the count. My thought was to throw a borderline pitch and see if he would chase. It was a little too good."

Colorado took a 2-1 lead in the seventh on a two-out RBI double by Charlie Blackmon, his third double of the game. With the count 0-1 on Blackmon, pinch hitter Raimel Tapia, who had walked, stole second base. Blackmon stepped out of the batter's box to call time, which plate umpire Carlos Torres didn't grant.

The pitch to Tapia was down the middle, but Torres called it a ball, meaning Phillies starter Aaron Nola had a 1-1 count rather than 0-2 on Blackmon, much to the disbelief of Rupp, who was catching.

"After I threw the ball (back) and I looked at the scoreboard and it said 1-1, I said, 'You called that a ball?'" Rupp said. "He goes, 'Yeah.' I said, 'How, it was right down the middle?' I guess when I came up to throw, I blocked his vision."

With the count 3-1 to Blackmon, Nola threw a changeup that Blackmon drove into the gap in left-center field to put the Rockies ahead.

Colorado had scored a run in the first when Blackmon doubled and came home on Nolan Arenado's broken-bat flare to short right. The Phillies tied the score at 1 on Franco's 17th homer in the second.

Rupp led off the eighth with an infield hit. Pinch hitter Andres Blanco sliced a double into the left field corner off former Phillies reliever Pat Neshek. The ball hit the side wall and bounced around, and Rupp tried to score. However, left fielder Gerardo Parra threw the ball to Story, whose relay got to catcher Ryan Hanigan well ahead of Rupp's headfirst slide.

Blanco took third on the throw. Left-hander Mike Dunn came in to face Cesar Hernandez with the infield drawn in, and Hernandez walked. Dunn struck out Freddy Galvis but then walked Daniel Nava to load the bases. Nick Williams took a first-pitch slider for a strike and then grounded to second.

After the Phillies went on top in the top of the ninth, Story led off the bottom of the inning with a bunt single against closer Hector Neris, who replaced Edubray Ramos (1-7). Alexi Amarista flied to right. Pinch hitter Pat Valaika took a third strike.

Story stole second with pinch hitter Jonathan Lucroy in the process of drawing a walk. Neris got Blackmon to ground to first to end the game and post his 11th save.

Both starters worked seven innings, with Nola giving up two runs, six hits and two walks while striking out seven. Colorado's Jeff Hoffman allowed one run, four hits and one walk, and he fanned eight.

The Phillies improved to a major-league-worst 15-28 in one-run games and 4-18 in such games on the road. The Rockies are 14-7 in one-run games and 8-3 at Coors Field.

"When you're in a 2-1 game in the eighth or ninth inning, it could go either way with a big hit," Rockies manager Bud Black said. "These are good ones to win and tough ones to lose. We've won our share of these this year."

NOTES: Rockies 2B DJ LeMahieu was scratched from the lineup with a left triceps contusion, the result of getting hit with a pitch Saturday night. ... Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela will start Wednesday at Cleveland, taking the turn of LHP Kyle Freeland (left groin strain). ... Rockies LHP Jake McGee (mid-back strain) was reinstated from the disabled list, and RHP Shane Carle was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque. ... Phillies C Andrew Knapp caught a bullpen session. He is recovering from a right hand contusion, the result of getting hit on the hand with a foul tip Thursday.