PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Kyle Kendrick may have to pitch a shutout to snap this losing streak.
Jose Reyes hit a leadoff homer, J.A. Happ tossed three-hit ball over five innings and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-0 on Monday night.
Kendrick (0-3) lost his eighth straight decision, dating to last season. He gave up three runs and seven hits in seven innings.
“The record is kind of out of your control sometimes,” Kendrick said. “You just want to go out there, take the ball every fifth day, give your team a chance to win, make your starts and be healthy. That’s the main thing. Obviously you want to win the game, that’s why you play, but, some of those as a starting pitcher are out of your control. So keep battling, stay after it.”
Kendrick has a decent 3.58 ERA, but isn’t getting the run support to help him end his losing skid.
“He’s pitched better than his record shows,” Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. “He hung in there and gave us a chance.”
The Phillies failed to go two games above .500 for the first time since Oct. 1, 2012. They are 0-4 in those situations this season.
A video review in the eighth inning cost Marlon Byrd an infield single after replay officials overturned a close call at first. Reyes charged the slow roller, barehanded it and his one-hop throw was in time to get Byrd.
Reyes hit his 19th career leadoff homer to give the Blue Jays the lead. Melky Cabrera followed with a single and scored on Juan Francisco’s bloop single to left with two outs.
Josh Thole’s RBI double to left-center made it 3-0 in the second.
“First couple of innings obviously the command wasn’t good,” Kendrick said. “I was falling behind hitters, ball was up. I was just trying to get into a groove, get the ball down and down and I was able to do that. I got out of some jams.”
Byrd greeted reliever Esmil Rogers with a triple to start Philadelphia’s sixth. But Byrd was thrown out by right fielder Jose Bautista trying to score on Ryan Howard’s fly out. A video review confirmed the call.
“It was a perfect throw,” Sandberg said.
Side-winding lefty Aaron Loup struck out three batters in the seventh, including Chase Utley to strand two runners. Brett Cecil worked the ninth for his second save.
Jimmy Rollins wasn’t in Philadelphia’s starting lineup because he tweaked his right groin in Sunday’s 1-0 win over Washington. Freddy Galvis filled in for him and snapped an 0-for-24 slump with a line-drive single to right in the third. Rollins popped out as a pinch-hitter in the ninth.
Facing his former team, Happ (1-0) walked four and pitched out of trouble often in his first start of the season. The left-hander was filling in for injured righty Brendan Morrow. Four relievers finished off the seven-hitter.
“Happ pitched one heck of a game,” Phillies leadoff man Ben Revere said. “Hit his spots. Got runners in scoring position, but couldn’t really do much. It’s one of those games where you put the ball in play but it didn’t go our way too well.”
NOTES: Reyes has more hits (181) against the Phillies than any current major leaguer. … Phillies LHP Jake Diekman caught an infield popup in the eighth inning, calling off SS Galvis and C Carlos Ruiz. … Galvis’ hitless streak was the longest by a Phillies position player since Ruiz went 0 for 26 in 2011. … LHP Cole Hamels (0-2, 6.75) makes his third start of the season on Tuesday night against Toronto RHP Drew Hutchison (1-2, 3.82). Hamels was pushed back two days because of the flu.
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