Phillies End 6-Game Skid With 8-0 Win Over Reds
CINCINNATI (AP) — Left-hander Cole Hamels pitched into the eighth inning as he stayed unbeaten against Cincinnati, and Jimmy Rollins moved closer to the Phillies' hit record with a solo homer, leading Philadelphia to an 8-0 victory Friday night.
The Phillies ended their longest losing streak of the season at six games. Cincinnati dropped its third straight.
Hamels (2-3) improved to 10-0 in 13 career appearances against the Reds, holding them to three runs or less each time. The Phillies have won all of his 13 starts against Cincinnati, including his five-hit shutout during the 2010 playoffs.
The left-hander allowed five hits and struck out seven in 7 2-3 innings, throwing 125 pitches.
Rollins hit his seventh homer off Johnny Cueto (5-5), who lasted only five innings for his shortest start of the season. The solo homer left Rollins six hits shy of the club record. Rollins has 2,228 hits with the Phillies, trailing only Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt's mark of 2,234.
Domonic Brown had a two-run double and a sacrifice fly, and John Mayberry Jr. singled home a run off Cueto, who matched his season high by giving up six hits. Cueto's ERA jumped from a league-leading 1.68 to 1.97.
Cincinnati's offense remained in a deep slump.
The Reds lost to the Giants 6-1 on Thursday, with the last 19 batters going down in order. The streak reached 25 in a row before Zack Cozart singled in the third inning.
Their scoreless streak is at 17 innings and counting.
Ryan Ludwick had a chance to break the streak, but was thrown out at home in the seventh inning as he tried to score from third base on a ball that bounced away from Carlos Ruiz. The catcher recovered quickly and threw to Hamels, who tagged the sliding Ludwick.
Jonathan Papelbon pitched the ninth to get in some work. His next save will make him the 26th pitcher to reach 300, leaving him tied on the career list with Bruce Sutter and Jason Isringhausen.
The closer for the Red Sox and Phillies was the fastest to his 200th save, getting it in his 359th game. If he gets No. 300 in his next appearance, he will tie Trevor Hoffman (552 games) for second-fastest. Mariano Rivera got No. 300 in his 537th game.
Chase Utley had three hits and a sacrifice fly for the Phillies. He was hit by a pitch and was picked off first base by Cueto, who needed 92 pitches to make it through five innings. Cueto uncharacteristically hit two batters in the same inning and gave up his first homer in five starts.
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