Ryan Howard smacked a two-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning to lift the Phillies to a 2-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday afternoon.
The victory snapped a season-high nine-game losing streak for baseball’s worst team.
The Phillies are 23-45.
Starting pitching report
Sean O’Sullivan bounced back nicely from a leadoff home run and pitched five innings of one-run ball. He struck out a career-high seven. It was not immediately clear why O’Sullivan was lifted after just 80 pitches.
Baltimore’s Bud Norris gave up two runs over six innings. He took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the sixth, but allowed a leadoff single to Ben Revere and a two-out homer to Howard as the Phillies took a 2-1 lead.
Bullpen report
Jake Diekman, Luis Garcia, Ken Giles and Jonathan Papelbon combined on four scoreless innings.
Garcia pitched around an error by Chase Utley and protected a one-run lead with a scoreless seventh inning. Garcia struck out Manny Machado and Travis Snider with runners on the corners for the second and third outs.
Papelbon nailed down his 13th save in just his second save opportunity since May 21.
At the plate
Howard’s homer was his 12th. He hit a 95-mph fastball.
Machado’s leadoff homer against O’Sullivan was Baltimore’s only run.
The Phils had just five hits. Baltimore had six.
Despite winning the finale of the four-game, home-and-home series, the Phils were outscored, 30-9, by the Orioles.
The Phillies were 1 for 4 with runners in scoring position. The Phils have not had more than one hit with a runner in scoring position over the last seven games. They are 4 for 48 (.083) in that span.
In the field
Howard made a nice diving play on a hard-hit ball from Ryan Flaherty with a runner on base to end the top of the eighth.
Hamels scratched
Cole Hamels has been scratched from Friday night’s start with a mild hamstring strain (see story). Phillippe Aumont will take his place. Hamels may only miss one start.
Up next
The Phillies open a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night. The Cardinals have the majors’ best record. Here are the pitching matchups:
Friday night — RHP Phillippe Aumont vs. LHP Tyler Lyons (1-0, 5.00)
Saturday night — RHP Aaron Harang (4-8, 3.24) vs. RHP John Lackey (5-4, 3.59)
Sunday afternoon — The Phillies have not announced who will face RHP Michael Wacha (9-2, 2.48)