Altherr Homers Twice To Lead Thompson, Phillies Past Braves
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Aaron Altherr homered twice and Jake Thompson pitched five scoreless innings in an emergency start to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 10-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Friday night.
Tommy Joseph and Cameron Rupp also homered and Freddy Galvis had three hits for the Phillies, who have scored 19 runs on seven homers and 14 extra-base hits while winning the last two.
Thompson (1-0) replaced Jeremy Hellickson, who was scratched an hour before the game. Hellickson is thought to be among the players the Phillies are likely to move before Monday's non-waiver trading deadline.
Thompson, who the Phillies acquired from Texas in the 2015 trade that sent Cole Hamels to the Rangers, gave up five hits while striking out five and walking two. He was making his fourth appearance this season but first start since last September.
Julio Teheran (7-9) allowed eight runs in 4 2/3 innings.
Kurt Suzuki and Sean Rodriguez homered for the Braves, who have lost five of six.
The Phillies scored seven runs on five hits, including three homers, in the fifth. Altherr and Rupp led off with back-to-back homers to give the Phillies a 3-0 lead. After pinch-hitter Ty Kelly walked, Galvis lined a shot to right field. Nick Markakis made a diving attempt, but the ball went all the way to the wall. Kelly scored easily and Galvis reached when Brandon Phillips' cutoff throw got past third baseman Freddie Freeman.
Later in the frame, Joseph busted the game open with a two-out, three-run homer to left.
The Braves got two runs back in the seventh off Hoby Milner on solo shots by Suzuki and Rodriguez.
Galvis' hustle gave the Phillies an early lead. He intentionally went the other way to beat the shift with an infield single, stole second and third and then scored when Suzuki's throw flew into left field.
With rain in the forecast, the game's starting time was moved up five minutes, to 7 p.m. The skies were clear until there were two outs in the fifth inning, when a steady drizzle started and continued for the remainder of the contest.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Braves: OF Matt Kemp strained his right hamstring as he rounded first base after a liner off the wall in left. Kemp was thrown out at second base and then removed from the game in between innings. He is day-to-day.
Phillies: OF Howie Kendrick (bruised left hand) was out of the lineup one game after getting hit by a pitch. He is day-to-day. ... Nick Williams was hit by a pitch on the left foot in the fifth inning but remained in the game.
UP NEXT
Braves: LHP Sean Newcomb (1-5, 4.81) faces the Phillies for the first time. Newcomb has struck out 44 in 43 innings but also allowed 43 hits.
Phillies: RHP Jerad Eickhoff (2-7, 4.71) takes the mound for Philadelphia.
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