DENVER — The Phillies ran their winning streak to six games in a 4-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Monday night.
The winning streak is the Phillies’ longest since September 2012 when they won seven straight.
Cole Hamels pitched a gem. He has won three straight starts for the first time since July.
The Phillies backed Hamels with a run in the first inning and three in the sixth. The three-run rally in the sixth started with two outs.
Hamels is 11-0 in 17 starts since the start of 2014 in games in which his mates have scored at least three runs.
The win was just the Phillies’ fifth in 18 road games this season.
Starting pitching report
Hamels gave up just one run over 7 1/3 innings. He scattered six hits, walked one and struck out seven. Hamels is 4-3 with a 3.24 ERA. He has allowed just three runs in 21 1/3 innings over his last three starts.
Colorado’s Jordan Lyles (2-4) gave up four runs over six innings.
Bullpen report
The bullpen bent but did not break. Luis Garcia allowed a run in the eighth, but managed to get a two-run lead to Jonathan Papelbon for the ninth. Papelbon gave up a run but converted his 10th save. Manager Ryne Sandberg wanted to give eighth-inning man Ken Giles the night off after he'd pitched Saturday and Sunday.
At the plate
Ryan Howard singled home Ben Revere as the Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
Maikel Franco started a three-run rally with a two-out single in the sixth. Chase Utley walked and both men scored on a double to right by Odubel Herrera. Carlos Ruiz then blooped a single to right to score Herrera.
Utley batted sixth for the third time. He doubled, walked and scored a run. He has three doubles in his three games in the six spot.
Revere had his second straight three-hit game.
The Rockies struck out 11 times. They have struck out 10 or more times in six straight games, a team record.
In the field
Third baseman Franco made one of the defensive plays of the game, a diving stab and strong throw to first to get Troy Tulowitzki to end the fifth inning. Colorado rightfielder Carlos Gonzalez made a diving grab on Ruiz’s sinking liner in the ninth.
Up next
Aaron Harang (4-3, 2.03) opposes Colorado right-hander Chad Bettis (0-0, 7.20) on Tuesday night.
Severino Gonzalez will come up from Lehigh Valley to pitch against Colorado’s Eddie Butler (2-4, 4.24) on Wednesday night. Gonzalez takes the place of Chad Billingsley, who went on the disabled list with a lat strain Sunday. The Phillies lost another pitcher Sunday when David Buchanan suffered a severely sprained right ankle while pitching for Lehigh Valley (see story).