SAN DIEGO — The Phillies completed their third series sweep since the All-Star break in a 5-3 win over the San Diego Padres on Sunday afternoon.
Jerome Williams pitched his best game of the season and Odubel Herrera continued to swing a hot bat in the win.
The victory improved the Phillies to 16-5 since the All-Star break, the best mark in the majors since then. The Phils led the majors with 62 losses before the break.
The Padres have lost six in a row. They entered the game ranked 14th in the National League with a .239 batting average.
Phillies pitching feasted in the series. The starting pitchers (Aaron Nola, Adam Morgan and Williams) gave up just five earned runs in 19 innings. The Phils’ bullpen gave up just two runs in 11 innings and one of the runs came after a ball was misplayed into a hit in the outfield.
The Phillies are 30-10 in Petco Park since it opened in 2004.
Starting pitching report
Williams gave up just one run — on a solo homer to Justin Upton — in seven innings of work. He did not walk a batter and struck out three. Williams has allowed just two earned runs over 12 innings in his last two starts, lowering his ERA from 6.36 to 5.73.
Padres’ right-hander Andrew Cashner gave up eight hits and three runs over 6 1/3 innings.
Bullpen report
Hector Neris and Ken Giles closed it out. Giles saved all three games in the series and has six on the season.
At the plate
Herrera had two hits to improve his hitting streak to 12 games. His single in the first inning helped set up an early run. Ryan Howard drove in that run with a double. Herrera also smacked a 425-foot solo homer in the sixth.
Herrera is hitting .385 (42 for 109) in his last 31 games.
Leadoff man Cesar Hernandez singled twice, scored a run and drove one in.
Chase Utley came off the bench and smacked a two-run pinch-hit double down the right-field line in the top of the eighth as the Phils built their lead to four runs. Utley has three doubles in his last five at-bats.
Upton’s homer was his 19th.
In the field
Leftfielder Cody Asche robbed Derek Norris of a home run for the second out of the bottom of the seventh inning. The catch prevented the Padres from pulling to within a run.
An inning later, Asche and the centerfielder Herrera got their signals crossed on a fly ball. It fell in for a double which led to a run.
Up next
The Phillies move on to Arizona for the next three games. Here are the pitching matchups in the series against the Diamondbacks:
Monday night — RHP Aaron Harang (5-12, 4.11) vs. RHP Rubby De La Rosa (9-5, 4.56)
Tuesday night — RHP David Buchanan (2-6, 7.23) vs. RHP Jeremy Hellickson (7-7, 4.95)
Wednesday afternoon — RHP Aaron Nola (2-1, 3.65) vs. LHP Robbie Ray (3-6, 3.01)