DETROIT — The Phillies opened what figures to be a very challenging six-game road trip with a 5-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers in interleague play on Monday night.
The Tigers belted four home runs in the game, three off starter Vince Velasquez.
Tommy Joseph tied the game at 4-4 with a homer in the sixth. The Tigers pulled ahead with a run in the seventh.
The Phillies are 0-6 on Mondays. They are 25-20 overall. Detroit is 22-22.
The Phils play two more in Detroit before heading to Chicago for three against the Cubs, owners of baseball’s best record.
Starting pitching report
For his second straight start, Velasquez ran up a high pitch count and was out of the game early.
Velasquez took a 3-1 lead to the mound in the bottom of the fifth and promptly gave up a pair of homers and was gone.
In all, Velasquez gave up nine hits in four-plus innings. Three of the hits were homers, accounting for all of the Tigers’ scoring against him.
Velasquez’s command was poor once again. He threw 103 pitches in five innings in his previous start. This time, he threw 95 and failed to get an out in the fifth inning.
Detroit right-hander Mike Pelfrey gave up 11 hits and four runs over six innings. Two of the runs came on homers. He did not walk a batter and struck out three.
Bullpen report
Colton Murray took the loss. He gave up a run in the fifth and a run in the seventh.
Justin Wilson got the win in relief. Mark Lowe got a big out to end the top of the eighth. He struck out Tyler Goeddel with the potential tying run at second.
Francisco Rodriguez got the save.
At the plate
Odubel Herrera opened the game by working Pelfrey for 14 pitches and a base hit. Herrera singled home the Phillies’ first run in the third inning. The Phillies went up, 3-1, on a homer by Maikel Franco and a sacrifice fly by Cesar Hernandez.
Detroit hit three homers in the fifth to take a 4-3 lead. Joseph tied the game with a solo homer with one out in the sixth. Joseph hit a liner into the left-field seats. It was his second homer in seven games since coming up.
Joseph also had a double. Meanwhile, Ryan Howard continued to struggle. He went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts to fall to .156 on the season. He is 4 for 48 (.083) in the month of May.
The Tigers smacked four home runs, including three in the fifth inning. Miguel Cabrera belted two homers and smacked his 500th career double in the seventh inning. He then scored the go-ahead run on a hit by Victor Martinez.
In the field
Herrera had an interesting night in center field. He started a nice 8-6-2 relay to cut down a run at the plate to end the third inning. Shortstop Freddy Galvis made a nice play at the middle of the relay. An inning later, Herrera made his fifth error of the season, a throwing miscue, to put runners on second and third with no outs. Velasquez ended up pitching out of that jam.
Herrera left the game in the seventh inning. Afterward, Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said Herrera was taken out for a lack of hustle (see story).
Joseph started at first base. In addition to his double and homer, he made a nice stop in the field in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Franco ended the sixth with a diving stop at third.
Transaction
The Phillies signed an outfielder from Cuba to provide some organizational depth (see story).
Up next
Jeremy Hellickson (4-2, 3.99) opposes Detroit right-hander Justin Verlander (3-4, 4.58) on Tuesday night.
Instant Replay: Tigers 5, Phillies 4
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