Herrera’s eighth-inning triple beats Pirates
PHILADELPHIA » Odubel Herrera hit a goahead triple in the eighth inning to lift the Philadelphia Phillies to a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night.
Herrera, Cesar Hernandez, Carlos Santana and Maikel Franco each had two hits for the Phillies, who have won nine of 11 overall while improving to 7-1 at home. It is Philadelphia’s best start at home since it won seven of eight to begin the 1981 season.
Luis Garcia (2-1) pitched a scoreless eighth inning, and Hector Neris blanked Pittsburgh in the ninth to earn his third save in four tries.
After Hernandez led off the eighth with a double and Santana grounded out, Herrera lined an 86-mph cutter from George Kontos (1-2) on a 1-2 count just inside the firstbase bag to score Hernandez and give the Phillies a 2-1 lead.
Rhys Hoskins walked to put runners on first and third with one out before as bizarre a double play as you’ll see ended the inning. Kontos had Hoskins picked off, but first baseman Josh Bell threw home to get Herrera, who broke for the plate on the play. Hoskins then lost track of where he was and also was out on a caught stealing double play that was scored 1-3-4-2-5-8-7.
The Pirates threatened in the ninth when Jordy Mercer doubled with one out, but David Freese popped out in the infield and Adam Frazier grounded out.
After a promising 11-3 start, Pittsburgh has dropped four of five.
The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the sixth. Francisco Cervelli was hit by a pitch, went to third on Colin Moran’s double and scored on Mercer’s sacrifice fly to right.
Philadelphia tied it in the bottom half when Santana scored on Hoskins’ fielder’s choice grounder to third. Santana reached third on Herrera’s single to right, and Herrera tied a career high on the hit by reaching base safely in 21 straight games.
Ben Lively had his best outing in his fourth start for Philadelphia, allowing a run on five hits with four strikeouts and three walks in six innings.
Pirates starter Ivan Nova had similar numbers, giving up a run on five hits in six innings. Nova struck out three and walked none, and has fanned 21 batters against one walk in his last four starts.
*** Phillies reliever Victor Arano arrived for work Friday with a gaudy streak.
The righthander had retired 32 straight batters, the most by a Phillies’ pitcher since Rick Wise in 1971, according to Elias Sports.
Arano has retired all 25 batters he’s faced this year with a slider, a fastball and a high leg kick that manager Gabe Kapler enjoys.
“I think he had some success early, got some outs early and all of the sudden he’s feeling really good about himself,” Kapler said. “There’s a lot of confidence coming when he comes in from the bullpen. And very directly, he’s executing his pitches. There’s some deception in the weird thing that he does with his delivery where he picks his knee up real high. I think it upsets the timing of the hitter. I don’t know how much weight I’d put on that. But I would say the sliders are landing for strikes consistently. And it’s a pretty good slider. And a fastball that plays pretty good at this level.”
Steven Geltz is the last MLB player to retire 32 in a row, that run coming in 2015.
Arano and Scott Eyre, in 2009, are the only Phillies to start a season with seven perfect appearances since at least 1908. One more perfect appearance would tie the MLB record set by Scott Aldred of Tampa Bay in to begin the 1999 season.
With 31-year-old reliever Tommy Hunter testing the hamstring that’s sidelined him this season with a rehab assignment at Reading, which may be little more than a formality, the Phils’ bullpen could get crowded.
Righthander Yacksel Rio could be vulnerable or possibly lefty Hoby Milner when the Phillies activate Hunter from the disabled list.
Arano obviously is sticking around. Kapler is unconcerned about Arano’s arsenal of only two pitches, as the 6-2, 200-pounder has 10 strikeouts and a 0.00 ERA in 8.1 innings.
Kapler says there are relievers who have one pitch.
“Arano and (Edubray) Ramos both have really high punch rates,” Kapler said. “And both are demonstrating that they might be dangerous.”
Ramos has 11 strikeouts and a 1.04 ERA in 8.2 innings this season.
Kapler applauded staff ace Jake Arrieta to begin the print media availability Friday.
Arrieta got 14 swings and misses Thursday, his most with the Phillies.
“I think he had the secondmost swings and misses on sliders that he had in his career,” Kapler said. “That was kind of cool. And worth noting.”
Arrieta struck out 10 in seven innings to beat the Pirates.
The Phillies 4.22 pitches per plate appearance are the most of any MLB club.
Cesar Hernandez, Rhys Hoskins. Carlos Santana, Scott Kingery and Odubel Herrera rank in the top 25 in pitches per plate appearance.
*** Saturday at 4:05 p.m., Phillies and Aaron Nola (1-1, 2.22) take on Pirates and lefty Steven Brault (2-1, 4.74).
Nick Pivetta (1-0, 2.49) and right-hander Trevor Williams (3-0, 1.56) pitch Sunday at 1:35 p.m.
Sunday is Tastykake Odubel Herrera Emoji Cap
The Phillies are off Monday.