Instant Replay: Phillies 9, Cardinals 2

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Unusual sights at Citizens Bank Park propelled the Phillies to a 9-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday afternoon for just their sixth victory in the last 29 games.

Left-hander Adam Morgan pitched well in winning his major-league debut, while the Phillies finally brought out the lumber in scoring a season-high nine runs.

Morgan’s victory snapped a 25-game winless drought by Phillies starters, worst in franchise history.

The Phillies improved to 24-47. The Cardinals dropped to 45-24.

Starting pitching report
Morgan (1-0) was awfully impressive in his first taste of the big leagues considering he was 0-6 with a 4.74 ERA at Triple A and facing baseball’s best team known for working pitchers.

Morgan threw 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball and struck out six. He walked two and scattered six hits. The 25-year-old, who was lifted with two outs and two men aboard in the bottom of the sixth inning, received a standing ovation from fans.

A 2011 third-round draft pick of the Phillies, Morgan has overcome shoulder issues that stalled his development within the team’s farm system.

Cardinals starter Michael Wacha (9-3) came in with the second-most wins (nine) in the National League and the seventh-best ERA (2.48), but was touched up for five runs on eight hits in five innings.

At the plate
The Phillies, the majors’ lowest-scoring team at 3.01 runs per game, uncharacteristically struck for three in the second and two in the fifth before blowing it open with three more in the seventh.

The Phillies banged out 13 hits led by Maikel Franco, who went 3 for 5 with an RBI to raise his batting average to .294, and Ben Revere, who also went 3 for 4 with a walk and run scored.

Pinch-hitter Andres Blanco clubbed a three-run home run in the seventh to balloon a 6-1 lead into a 9-1 advantage.

Domonic Brown doubled, walked and scored two runs.

With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the second, Cesar Hernandez, starting at second base for Chase Utley, delivered a two-run single to make it 3-0.

Cody Asche and Ryan Howard also drove in a run apiece.

The Phillies, who entered Sunday 6 for their last 62 (.097) with runners in scoring position, went 7 for 12 in such situations.

Shortstop Jhonny Peralta and rightfielder Jason Heyward hit solo shots for the Cardinals. Peralta’s came off Morgan in the fourth and Heyward’s off Papelbon in the ninth.

Bullpen report
Luis Garcia stranded two of Morgan’s runners when he induced an inning-ending groundout in the sixth. He threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Ken Giles tossed a scoreless eighth. 

Papelbon closed it out despite Heyward’s homer.

In the field
With runners on the corners and no outs in the top of the second inning, the Phillies turned an unconventional 5-4-2-5 double play to help Morgan exit the frame unscathed.

Roster move
The Phillies optioned reliever Seth Rosin back to Triple A Lehigh Valley to make room for Morgan (see story).

Up next
The Phillies head to New York to take on the Yankees in a three-game series at Yankee Stadium. Here are the probable pitching matchups:

Monday night — RHP Kevin Correia (0-1, 1.69 ERA) vs. RHP Michael Pineda (8-3, 3.54 ERA)

Tuesday night — RHP Sean O’Sullivan (1-5, 4.79 ERA) vs. LHP C.C. Sabathia (3-7, 5.31 ERA)

Wednesday afternoon — LHP Cole Hamels (5-5, 2.96 ERA) vs. TBD

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