Field Level Media
May 25, 2019
Jake Arrieta pitched eight innings to win his first start in nearly a month, and the Philadelphia Phillies moved a season-high 10 games over .500 with a 7-2 victory over the host Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.
The Phillies won their third straight and for the seventh time in nine games to improve to 31-21.
Andrew McCutchen and Cesar Hernandez hit early solo homers, while Rhys Hoskins and J.T. Realmuto hit back-to-back homers in the ninth as Philadelphia totaled 12 hits.
Hernandez also added an RBI single, and Jean Segura contributed a bases-loaded walk and extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a single in the ninth.
Mike Moustakas homered in the seventh for the Brewers, who lost for the fifth time in seven games since winning the final three games in a four-game set at Philadelphia last week.
Arrieta (5-4) matched his longest start of the season by holding the Brewers to two runs and five hits in eight innings, picking up his first win since April 27. He had been 0-2 with a 4.30 ERA in his previous four starts before dominating Milwaukee most of the game.
The right-hander struck out eight, walked one, and threw 62 of 100 pitches for strikes.
Arrieta allowed a single to Christian Yelich in the first but erased the major league home run leader on a double-play grounder by Ryan Braun. He allowed a single to Moustakas to open the second and walked Yasmani Grandal. But after walking Grandal, Arrieta retired the next 16 hitters, until Moustakas connected.
Arrieta encountered his biggest jam in the eighth, when Orlando Arcia doubled with one out to put runners at second and third. On the next pitch, Hernan Perez hit an RBI groundout to make it 4-2. Arrieta fell behind Lorenzo Cain but retired him on a groundout, prompting loud boos from some Milwaukee fans.
Philadelphia went ahead two pitches into the game when McCutchen hit a 1-0 fastball from Jhoulys Chacin (3-6) over the center field fence. After McCutchen's seventh career leadoff homer, the Phillies added a run apiece in the next two innings on a bases-loaded walk to Segura and a homer by Hernandez.
Hernandez's single in the fifth made it 4-0, and the Phillies padded the lead in the ninth.
Braun was ejected in the fourth by plate umpire Mike Estabrook after striking out. He struck out swinging but took issue with a called strike earlier in the at-bat. After the eighth, Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell was ejected by Estabrook for taking issue with the strike zone.
Chacin allowed four runs on seven hits in five innings. He struck out six, walked three and dropped his third straight start.
--Field Level Media