MILWAUKEE – Roberto Hernandez pitched a gem and Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins both hit home runs to lead the Phillies to a 4-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night.
The Phillies opened this 10-game trip with five losses in the first six games, but have beaten the struggling Brewers three straight nights.
The Phils can make it a four-game sweep and a .500 trip with a win Thursday afternoon.
The Brewers, who entered the game with the NL’s best record, are 1-7 in July.
The game was played in an old-fashioned two hours, 15 minutes.
The victory was the Phillies’ 40th of the season. They are the last team in the NL East to get to 40 wins. They are 11 games under .500.
MLB
Starting pitching report
Hernandez (4-8) went eight innings and allowed just three singles and one run. He walked two and struck out three. He needed just 84 pitches to get through eight innings and got 12 groundball outs.
Milwaukee’s Kyle Lohse (9-4) allowed four runs over eight innings. Three of the runs came on a pair of home runs. Lohse walked none and struck out eight. At one point, he retired 13 straight batters.
Bullpen report
Jonathan Papelbon pitched a 1-2-3 ninth and registered his third save in as many nights. He has 22 on the season.
At the plate
All four of the Phillies’ runs came with two outs.
Rollins ended an 0-for-20 skid with his two-run homer with two outs in the sixth. Catcher Cameron Rupp was on base with a leadoff single. Rupp singled home a run with two outs in the seventh to give the Phils a 4-1 lead.
Chase Utley homered with two outs in the first, his second homer of the series.
Ryan Howard went 0 for 4. He is 2 for 26 on the trip.
Lyle Overbay drove in the Brewers’ only run with a single in the second inning.
Transaction
The Phillies activated reliever Jeff Manship from the disabled list. He replaced reliever B.J. Rosenberg, who was sent back to Triple A. Manager Ryne Sandberg said Rosenberg’s velocity was down from the mid-90s stuff he showed in September. The Phillies want Rosenberg to try to get more movement on his fastball by throwing a sinker and a cutter. He will work on the pitches at Triple A.
Health check
Cliff Lee (elbow) pitched four innings for Clearwater on Wednesday night. He projects to return after one more rehab start (see story).
Up next
The Phillies and Brewers wrap up the four-game series on Thursday afternoon. David Buchanan (4-5, 4.82) and Matt Garza (6-5, 3.78) are the pitchers.