Instant Replay: Red Sox 7, Phillies 5

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BOSTON – The Phillies hung with the Boston Red Sox for a while Friday night then got sloppy at the plate and in the field on their way to a 7-5 loss in an interleague game at Fenway Park.

The Phils trailed by five runs entering the ninth inning. They rallied for three runs with two outs, but came up short. Ryan Howard, the potential tying run, struck out on three pitches to end the game.

The Phillies, who lost 2 of 3 to the Red Sox to open the season, are now 1-3 against Boston on the season.

With the loss, the Phillies fell to 53-82, guaranteeing the inevitable – a losing season.

Starting pitching report
Rookie lefty Adam Morgan gave up six runs in 6 1/3 innings. He gave up just three runs through the first six innings then allowed a leadoff homer in the bottom of the seventh and a walk that became a run. Boston blew the game open with four runs, one unearned, in that inning.

Morgan had not walked a batter in his previous four starts and ran his walk-free streak to 28 2/3 innings before issuing a walk in the fifth inning. Both of the walks Morgan allowed turned into Boston runs.

Morgan is 5-5 with a 4.42 ERA.

Boston right-hander Joe Kelly held the Phillies to five hits and two runs over six innings. He handed a 3-2 lead over to the bullpen in the seventh.

Kelly (9-6) has won seven straight starts.

Bullpen report
Rookie Colton Murray pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and hit 95 mph on the gun.

Boston's Jean Machi entered a 7-2 game in the ninth and gave up a two-run homer and an RBI double before exiting.

All those runs came with two outs. Lefty Robbie Ross Jr. then struck out Howard on three pitches to end the game. Ross earned his first save.

At the plate
Odubel Herrera lined a two-run homer to right with two outs in the ninth to make it a 7-4 game. He had three hits for the Phillies and his average is up to .298.

Aaron Altherr smacked a two-run double off the Green Monster with two outs in the ninth to make it 7-5 game.

Phillies hitters struck out 11 times.

The Phillies blew a good opportunity in the top of the seventh. Down a run, they got a leadoff double from Cody Asche and Cameron Rupp was hit by a pitch. Freddy Galvis was then asked to bunt, but he couldn’t get it down and popped to third on a two-strike attempt. The next two batters, Herrera and Cesar Hernandez, struck out to end the threat. That was pretty much the ballgame.

The Phils were just 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position in the first eight innings.

Boston’s Mookie Betts led off the bottom of the first with his first of two doubles and scored on a hit by Xander Bogaerts. Betts added an RBI double and scored another run in the seventh. Jackie Bradley Jr. homered to dead center off Morgan with one out in the seventh. David Ortiz doubled off the top of the centerfield wall against Jeanmar Gomez to score a run.

Health check
Domonic Brown was diagnosed with a concussion. There’s a chance he is done for the season (see story).

With Brown out, the Phillies added outfield depth by bringing up Brian Bogusevic from Triple A. Pitcher Elvis Araujo (groin strain) was transferred to the 60-day disabled list to make room for Bogusevic.

Maikel Franco will have his broken left wrist examined by a doctor again on Tuesday. It is unclear whether he will play again this season. He was still feeling discomfort when he hit balls on Wednesday.

Up next
Alec Asher (0-1, 6.35) makes his second big-league start Saturday afternoon against Boston’s Wade Miley (10-10, 4.57). First pitch is 4:05 p.m.

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