SAN FRANCISCO — The Phillies got a fairly strong outing from pitcher David Buchanan but the bullpen fell apart in an 8-5 loss to the Giants on Saturday night.
That dropped the Phillies to 29-61, matching the franchise record for most losses before the All-Star break. That dubious feat was first accomplished by the 1997 team that was 24-61 before the Midsummer Classic.
Starting pitching report
Called up before the game after completing a rehab stint in the minors, Buchanan avoided becoming the first Phillies pitcher since 1972 to lose his first six starts of the season, but left without a decision. His numbers — five innings, eight hits, three strikeouts — were deceiving.
Buchanan pitched in and out of trouble all night and was fortunate to get out of the game with just one run allowed. He stranded seven runners in scoring position, twice striking out Hunter Pence to end potential threats.
San Francisco’s Ryan Vogelsong gave up two home runs for just the second time in his last 13 outings. The Phillies, who beat Vogelsong on June 7 at Citizens Bank Park, struck out five times but three of their five hits off the Giants' starter drove in runs.
Bullpen report
A complete meltdown.
MLB
Jake Diekman gave up hits to two of the three hitters he faced in the sixth, and Luis Garcia was even worse. Garcia — who had given up only two runs in his previous 14 outings — allowed a two-run double to Angel Pagan, a two-run triple to Matt Duffy and an RBI single to Buster Posey.
In the last three games, the Phillies' bullpen has given up 14 runs, including seven in Saturday’s loss.
San Francisco’s Josh Osich retired one batter — Domonic Brown on a flyout in the sixth — to earn his first win in the major leagues. Five other relievers combined to limit the Phillies to one run over the final three innings.
At the plate
Ryan Howard broke out of his funk in a big way with an RBI single in the first and a two-out, tie-breaking home run in the sixth. Howard had been 2 for 17 on the road trip before leading the Phillies' power surge.
Cody Asche added a two-run blast later in the same inning to chase Vogelsong. Asche hit his fifth home run of the season on a 3-2 pitch that landed in McCovey Cove, making him the first Phillies player to have a splash hit at the Giants’ waterfront ballpark.
Odubel Herrera had two hits and an RBI while Freddy Galvis doubled and tripled. Ben Revere grounded out to shortstop as a pinch-hitter in the ninth, ending his nine-game hitting streak.
Duffy came within a home run of hitting for the cycle. All-Star shortstop Brandon Crawford was hitless on the homestand before getting two singles and a triple. Buster Posey added three hits and an RBI.
In the field
Howard committed his eighth error of the season in the seventh inning. The Phillies also allowed a run to score in the same inning when they had Pagan trapped in a rundown.
The Phillies got a bit of a helping hand with their run in the first when Pagan bobbled Maikel Franco’s single to center, allowing Andres Blanco to easily go from first to third before scoring on Howard’s single.
San Francisco didn’t make any remarkable plays but was solid enough to get the job done. Reliever George Kontos made the rare unassisted pitcher putout when he snagged Franco’s slow comebacker in the seventh and outraced him to first base.
Up next
Chad Billingsley (1-2) received a warm welcome in his previous start when he returned to Los Angeles. Don’t expect the same thing in San Francisco when he goes to the mound for the series finale Sunday. The former Dodgers right-hander is 3-4 with a 3.13 ERA in 12 career starts at AT&T Park.
Giants rookie Chris Heston (8-5) makes his first career start against the Phillies and has given up three earned runs or fewer in each of his previous six appearances.