The Phillies blew a pair of four-run leads in a 10-9 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night.
The Mariners broke a 9-9 tie in the top of the ninth inning on an RBI double by Taylor Motter against Hector Neris. Motter's hit scored Jean Segura from second. Segura had stroked a one-out single against Neris and took second on a groundball to first by Ben Gamel.
Gamel had a huge game with four hits, including a three-run homer and game-tying double. He also gunned down the potential go-ahead run at the plate to end the bottom of the eighth.
Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco made a costly error in the sixth inning that led to two unearned runs.
The loss was the Phillies' ninth in the last 11 games as they fell to 13-18.
Starting pitching report
Jerad Eickhoff was knocked out of the game after just 3 2/3 innings, the shortest start of his career. He gave up eight hits and five runs, walked three and struck out two. He surrendered two home runs. Eickhoff was presented with a 4-0 lead in the first inning but could not hold it.
MLB
Over his last three starts, Eickhoff has been tagged for 14 earned runs in 15 innings. He has allowed 22 hits.
Seattle lefty Ariel Miranda gave up six hits, including two homers, and eight runs in 3 1/3 innings.
Bullpen report
The Phils' bullpen gave up five runs; two were unearned after an error by Franco.
At the plate
Odubel Herrera doubled home a run in the first inning for the Phillies and Michael Saunders and Tommy Joseph added home runs as the Phils went up 4-0.
The Phils scored five runs in the fourth inning to go up 9-5. Aaron Altherr keyed the rally with a second three-run homer in as many games.
Franco went 0 for 5 and is hitless in his last 14 at-bats.
The Mariners had 16 hits, including a two-run homer by Robinson Cano and a three-run shot by Gamel. Gamel drove in the tying run with a double in the seventh.
In the field
Gamel, the Mariners' rightfielder, gunned down Daniel Nava at the plate to end the bottom of the eighth and keep the game tied at 9-9.
The Phillies made two errors. Franco made a big one in the sixth and it led to two unearned runs as the Mariners cut the Phils' lead to a run.
News and notes
The Phillies acquired right-handed reliever Casey Fien in a cash deal with Seattle and sent him to Triple A.
Reliever Jeanmar Gomez went on the disabled list with an impingement in his right elbow. Utility man Ty Kelly was called up from Triple A, as the Phils went back to a seven-man bullpen.
Aaron Nola, recovering from a lower back strain, will make a rehab start for Lehigh Valley on Wednesday night (see story).
Up next
The two-game interleague series concludes Wednesday afternoon with a pair of right-handers, Zach Eflin (0-0, 2.42) and Yovani Gallardo (1-3, 4.46), on the mound.