Cole Hamels combined with the bullpen tandem of Ken Giles and Jonathan Papelbon in lifting the Phillies to a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday night.
Papelbon closed out the game to become the Phillies’ all-time saves leader with 113, one more than Jose Mesa. Papelbon is in his fourth season with the Phillies.
The record-setting save was dramatic as the game ended with rightfielder Jeff Francoeur gunning down the potential tying run at the plate to complete a double play.
The win snapped a four-game losing streak and was just the Phils’ 12th of the season against 23 defeats. They entered the day with the worst record in the majors.
The Phillies entered the game averaging less than three runs per game, worst in the majors. They put three on the board and that was enough for Hamels, Giles and Papelbon. It was just the third time that the Phillies had scored three runs behind Hamels in his eight starts this season. He is 10-0 in 16 starts in which the Phils have scored three or more runs since the start of last season.
Starting pitching report
Hamels (3-3, 3.53) went seven innings and allowed just two runs. He scattered five hits, walked one and struck out nine.
The left-hander ran a high pitch count early in the game. He was at 108 pitches after six innings. Ryne Sandberg struck with his ace and Hamels threw just seven pitches in registering a 1-2-3 seventh inning before turning it over to the bullpen.
Pirates lefty Francisco Liriano (1-3) was tough. He allowed just seven hits and three runs over seven innings.
Bullpen report
Papelbon is 7 for 7 in save chances this season.
At the plate
The Phillies did all their scoring in the fifth inning as they came back from a 2-0 deficit. Francoeur and Cesar Hernandez both singled to open the frame and Carlos Ruiz followed with an RBI double. The second run scored on an infield groundout and Freddy Galvis put the Phils ahead, 3-2, with a base hit just inside the right-field line.
Andrew McCutchen drove in both the Pirates’ runs with a hard single up the middle off Hamels in the top of the fifth.
Minor matters
The Single A Clearwater Threshers had a tough day Wednesday. They were swept in a doubleheader (seven-inning games) by Charlotte. Clearwater was no-hit in the first game and one-hit in the second game.
In Lehigh Valley, the countdown to Maikel Franco’s promotion is on. He could arrive in Philadelphia as early as Friday (see story).
Up next
The series concludes Thursday afternoon with Aaron Harang (3-3, 2.38) opposing former Phillie Vance Worley (2-2, 4.63).