In their 57th game of the season, the weak-hitting Phillies finally scored more than three runs in an inning. They actually scored five times in the fifth inning Sunday afternoon en route to an 8-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.
The teams split the four-game series.
The Phillies have still lost 10 of the last 13 games with the mighty Chicago Cubs on their way to town.
Starting pitching report
Aaron Nola was really good once again. He scattered eight hits over six shutout innings. He walked two and struck out nine. Six of his strikeouts came with two men on base.
Nola is 5-4 with a 2.65 ERA in 12 starts. He has a 1.68 ERA in his last nine starts. The Phillies are 7-2 in those games.
The Phillies tagged Brewers’ righty Wily Peralta for seven hits and six runs in 4⅓ innings.
Bullpen report
Colton Murray, Elvis Araujo and David Hernandez closed it out for the Phillies.
Milwaukee’s Neil Ramirez faced four batters. Two of them hit home runs.
At the plate
Maikel Franco, Jimmy Paredes and Cameron Rupp homered for the Phillies. Paredes had a three-run shot in the fifth and Rupp followed with a solo blow.
Tommy Joseph drove in the first run in the Phillies’ five-run fifth with a double off the top of the rightfield wall. Joseph also singled in the game. He is 7 for 20 with a double, a homer and two RBIs in the last five games, all starts in place of Ryan Howard. He will likely start again Monday as the Cubs are using a lefty starter. Howard could return to the starting lineup Tuesday.
Odubel Herrera had his second four-hit game of the season. He is hitting .317.
ICYMI
A fan threw a beer bottle at Howard on Saturday. Howard is seething. The Phillies have turned the matter over to the police (see full story).
Up next
The Phillies open a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs on Monday night. The Cubs have the best record in the majors. They swept the Phillies in a three-game series at Wrigley Field last week, outscoring the Phils, 17-5. The pitching matchups:
Monday night – LHP Adam Morgan (1-4, 7.07) vs. LHP Jon Lester (6-3, 2.29)
Tuesday night – RHP Jerad Eickhoff (2-8, 3.93) vs. RHP Kyle Hendricks (4-4, 2.84)
Wednesday afternoon – RHP Vince Velasquez (5-2, 3.67) vs. RHP John Lackey (6-2, 2.88)