ATLANTA -- Aaron Nola pitched a beauty and Odubel Herrera continued to get big hits in the Phillies' 3-1 win over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night.
The resurgent Phillies have won four in a row after losing 26 of 32.
Nola became the Phillies' first starting pitcher to go more than seven innings this season. That's good news because it happened, bad news because it took 56 games to happen.
The Phillies still have the worst record in the majors at 21-35.
Starting pitching report
Nola went eight innings and allowed just one run and that came in the first inning. He scattered five hits, walked one and struck out six. His pitch economy was excellent -- he threw just 97.
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The eight innings were the longest that Nola has gone since his seventh big-league start back on August 25, 2015.
Nola (3-3) had allowed nine runs in nine innings over his previous two starts and took an ERA of 5.06 into the game.
Atlanta lefty Jaime Garcia (2-4) allowed eight hits and three runs over 7 2/3 walk-free innings. He struck out four. Garcia did not allow a hit through the first 3 2/3 innings. He allowed a homer in the fourth and back-to-back doubles in the sixth. He also balked in a run.
Bullpen report
Hector Neris got the first shot to protect a two-run lead in the ninth. He gave up a pair of one-out singles and was pulled for Pat Neshek. Neshek finished off the Braves for his first save of the season. He has pitched 22 innings and given up just two runs on the season.
At the plate
The Phillies were held hitless through 3 2/3 innings. Howie Kendrick smacked a solo homer in the fourth to tie the game at 1-1. The Phils scored two runs in the top of sixth to take the lead. Cesar Hernandez and Herrera had back-to-back doubles to score one run. Herrera took third on a single by Kendrick and scored when Garcia balked.
Herrera has nine extra-base hits the last four games; seven of them are doubles.
Kendrick had three hits, scored a run and stole a base.
The Braves took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Brandon Phillips doubled with one out and Nick Markakis followed with an RBI single.
Up next
Jerad Eickhoff (0-6, 5.13) looks to get things turned around Wednesday night against Atlanta right-hander Mike Foltynewicz (3-5, 3.90).
