Since July 1, no Phillies hitter has been better than Cesar Hernandez. The same second baseman manager Pete Mackanin sent a message to in May by lowering him in the batting order.
Now, it’s going to be pretty hard to get him out of the leadoff spot.
Hernandez, who was out of the lineup the last two games (right foot) went 3-for-4, scored twice and helped the Phillies earn a 4-2 win over St. Louis Saturday night.
The Phillies were also aided by a strong start from Jeremy Hellickson. The 21-game streak without a starting pitcher lasting a complete seven innings is finally over.
The righty went seven innings, allowing two runs on on seven hits. He struck out eight and walked one.
Aaron Altherr’s sixth-inning home run extended a 3-2 Phillies lead to 4-2.
Philadelphia Phillies
Complete coverage of the Fightin' Phils and their MLB rivals from NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Jeanmar Gomez, a night after blowing a save, allowed a one-out single before getting Jedd Gyorko, Friday night's ninth-inning hero, to ground into a game-ending double play.
Starting pitching report
Hellickson, who was making his first start since leaving his last (Aug. 10) with back tightness, gave the Phillies a much-needed lengthy start after an 11-inning game Friday night.
He struck out the side in the first inning, working around a one-out double from Stephen Piscotty.
Hellickson ran into a bit of trouble in the third. A leadoff single by opposing pitcher Luke Weaver was followed by a game-tying, two-run home run off the bat of Jeremy Hazelbaker. He allowed a double by Matt Carpenter in the same inning but worked out of trouble.
In the top of the sixth, with a runner on base, Hellickson blew a 3-2 fastball by Jhonny Peralta to end the inning.
He struck out his final batter, Greg Garcia, to end the seventh.
Hellickson improved to 10-7 on the year. In three starts since the Phillies decided to keep him at the trade deadline, Hellickson has allowed six earned runs in 18 2/3 innings pitched (2.89 ERA) with 18 strikeouts against three walks.
Bullpen report
Hector Neris, who pitched a clean and quick eighth inning Friday night, struck out the side in the eighth while giving up a single.
That set the stage for Gomez, who didn’t disappoint.
At the plate
Hernandez greeted the 22-year old Weaver - making his second career start - with a leadoff homer for a quick, 1-0 Phillies lead.
In the same inning, Tommy Joseph worked an 11-pitch at-bat that ended with a strikeout and the second out of the inning. But Weaver was being forced to work, and a Maikel Franco double off the glove of a diving Hazelbaker led to a RBI single from Cameron Rupp.
Altherr’s hard liner to end the inning came on Weaver’s 31st pitch.
Franco gave the Phillies a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth with a two-out, RBI single after Hernandez led off the inning with a double.
An inning later, Altherr became the first Phillies hitter to homer off Jonathan Broxton since the memorable blast from Matt Stairs in the 2008 NLCS.
Needing a triple for the cycle, Hernandez struck out to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning.
The Phillies collected 11 hits. Everyone in the starting lineup was credited with a hit.
Franco was the only Phillie other than Hernandez to have a multi-hit night.
In the field
Hellickson was the recipient of good defense behind him. Two 6-4-3 double plays got him out of jams in both the second and fifth innings.
Up next
The series concludes Sunday afternoon (1:35 EST) with St. Louis RHP Mike Leake (8-9, 4.78 ERA) facing off with RHP Vince Velasquez (8-5, 4.14) in the finale.
The Phillies are off Monday before starting a two-game series in Chicago vs. the White Sox Tuesday night.
