LDN - Sports

Hellickson keeps Marlins in check in Phillies' win

[July 21, 2016] PHILADELPHIA -- Jeremy Hellickson did not consider Wednesday night's start against the Miami Marlins an audition.

It might have been just that, however.

The Philadelphia right-hander pitched eight strong innings and Tyler Goeddel homered as the Phillies beat the Marlins 4-1.

"It could have been as well as he's pitched," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said.

Hellickson (7-7) allowed one run and five hits in his longest outing of the season. He struck out eight, matching his second highest total this year, and did not walk a batter. It was the first time in his career he has worked at least eight innings and fanned eight.

He continues to be the subject of trade speculation with the Aug. 1 non-waiver deadline approaching, and one of the teams reportedly interested in him is Miami, which is in the thick of the National League's wild-card race.

"If anybody has interest, I'm sure they were impressed," Mackanin said. "He looked very determined to have a good game. He was totally focused and he produced."

Hellickson, dealt each of the last two offseasons, said he's not the least bit distracted by the trade talk.

"It's out of my control," he said. "I can't really control or think about it, so I don't. ... Like I've said before, I want to be here. I want to win here. I really think we can. ... My focus is here right now."

Jeanmar Gomez picked up his 26th save of the season by working a perfect ninth as the Phillies snapped a three-game losing streak.

Chris Johnson homered for Miami, which lost for only the second time in nine games.

"The guy that's able to change speeds like that and kind of yo-yo us, we've had some issues with," manager Don Mattingly said of Hellickson, who registered six of his eight strikeouts with changeups and one with a curveball.

He surrendered Johnson's homer in the fifth but otherwise was in trouble only in the fourth, when the Marlins put two on with one out.

Hellickson, however, retired the Nos. 4 and 5 hitters in the Marlins' order, Giancarlo Stanton and Marcell Ozuna, to extinguish the threat.

"Not really thinking too much (in that situation)," said Hellickson, who also set down 10 of the last 11 hitters he faced. "Just trying to execute."

The Phillies began the night hitting a major league-worst .218 at home and had managed three runs and 10 hits in their three previous games, all losses. They had 12 hits Wednesday.

Goeddel, a rookie left fielder making his first start since July 10 and his 43rd overall, went 2-for-4 with a career-high three RBIs.

"It was fun to be back out there, and part of a win," he said. "I was a little concerned. I thought it would feel like the first day of spring training out there again, but I luckily got some pitches to hit and put some good swings on them, got some good results."

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Phillies starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson (58) pitches during the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Miami starter Wei-Yin Chen (5-4) lasted 5 1/3 innings and allowed four runs and 11 hits while striking out five. He did not walk a batter, and afterward Mattingly pronounced his starter's outing "OK."

"I tried to attack them and they did a good job," Chen said. "They made adjustments. I did not feel as well as my last time (a no-decision in St. Louis). Hopefully next time I will do better."

Philadelphia's Peter Bourjos singled to open the first and Goeddel hit Chen's 1-0 fastball into the seats in right for his fourth homer of the season and his first since June 1, 26 games earlier. Goeddel ended a string of 16 hitless at-bats as well as a 1-for-26 slump.

Goeddel added an RBI single in the second, giving the Phillies a 3-0 lead.

Johnson made it 3-1 in the fifth, lining Hellickson's 3-1 fastball into the left field seats. It was his fourth homer of the season.

The Phillies put runners at second and third to open the sixth on Freddy Galvis' single and Cesar Hernandez's double. Chen departed after retiring Hellickson, and Bourjos drove in a run with a sacrifice fly off reliever Nick Wittgren, giving Philadelphia a 4-1 cushion.

NOTES: Phillies LF Tyler Goeddel is the first rookie in to have a home run, three RBIs and a stolen base in a game since Houston's Carlos Correa did so on Oct. 2, 2015. ... Philadelphia RF Jimmy Paredes, starting for the first time since July 9, went 0-for-3. ... ESPN.com reported that San Francisco Giants scouts are evaluating Phillies RHPs Jeanmar Gomez and David Hernandez for possible trades. ... CSNPhilly.com reported that Hernandez was told by an opponent in June that he was tipping his pitches, but manager Pete Mackanin did not put much stock in that. ... Before the first two games of this series, the Marlins had not won back-to-back games in extra innings since June 8-9, 2013, when they beat the New York Mets.

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