Tyler Cloyd delivered his best outing yet, and finally, the Phillies found themselves on the right side of the .500 mark (31-30) with a fifth straight win, a smooth 5-1 victory over the Brewers in Milwaukee.
Cloyd did not permit a run on four hits in 6 2/3 innings. He worked around five walks. The lone Milwaukee run scored on an RBI groundout in the eighth.
The Phillies, who had been as low as five games below .500 this season, scored two runs in the first and could have had more against Brewers starter Wily Peralta, loading the bases with no outs before plating runs on a sacrifice fly and wild pitch. John Mayberry continued to swing a warm bat with an RBI double as part of his three-hit night, and Delmon Young homered in the fifth to pad the lead.
Starting pitching report
Cloyd (2-2) took the loss in his last outing, also against the Brewers, when he allowed two earned runs in seven innings. This time around, he had the benefit of greater run support and fared even better to even his record. He worked unscathed through a jam in the sixth when the first two batters reached. He now has four quality starts in five tries.
Phillies hitters worked Peralta for 79 pitches through the first three innings and scored in four of the first five frames to take a 5-0 lead. Peralta finished allowing seven hits and four walks in five frames.
Bullpen report
Justin De Fratus entered the game with two outs in the seventh and induced an inning-ending chopper from one of Milwaukee’s best hitters, Jean Segura.
Mike Adams allowed two home runs to Jonathan Lucroy in last weekend’s series in Philadelphia against the Brewers, and though he did induce a groundout from Lucroy in the eighth Thursday, it plated the game’s lone run.
The Phillies have scored just one run in 14 2/3 innings against Brewers relievers this season.
At the plate
Michael Young, leading off for the first time since 2004, opened the game with an infield single and finished the game with three hits. In a more familiar setting playing third base, Young made a backhanded spear of Lucroy's liner down the line in the bottom of the first, saving at least one run and ending the inning.
Delmon Young homered for the third time in seven games with a blast off Peralta in the fifth.
Cloyd drew a one-out walk in the second and scored on Mayberry’s two-out double to give the Phillies a 3-0 lead.
On the basepaths
Domonic Brown's power binge has been well documented, but on Thursday he added speed to the equation. In the third, he stole both second and third base, which came in handy when Erik Kratz beat out a grounder to prevent a double play, giving Brown the chance to cross the plate. They were Brown's fifth and sixth stolen bases of the season.
Next up
Alfredo Figaro didn't start the game between the Phillies and Brewers last Sunday, but he did come in and deliver 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief after the Phillies torched starter Mike Fiers for seven runs in the first 1 2/3.
With Fiers now demoted, Figaro gets a chance to make his second start of the season. He allowed four runs in five innings in his first outing against Minnesota on May 28.
Cliff Lee looks to continue a personal five-game winning streak, and the Phillies haven't lost a Lee start since May 1.
Here are the pitching matchups for the rest of the series:
Friday: Cliff Lee (7-2, 2.45) vs. Alfredo Figaro (0-0, 3.67)
Saturday: Kyle Kendrick (6-3, 3.12) vs. Tom Gorzelanny (1-0, 2.01)
Sunday: Jonathan Pettibone (3-1, 3.64) vs. Kyle Lohse (1-6, 4.37)