PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Rhys Hoskins didn’t homer, but he found a way to help the Phillies continue their dominance of the Braves.
Hoskins ended his homer streak but did drive in the go-ahead run with a sixth-inning double, Aaron Nola pitched seven strong innings and Philadelphia beat Atlanta 6-1 on Monday night.
Cameron Rupp homered for the Phillies, who have connected in 10 straight games and totaled 21 homers over that stretch. The Phillies have won 12 of 14 games against the Braves this season and all eight in Philadelphia.
“I wish we played them every night,” Rupp said.
Rookie slugger Hoskins didn’t go deep after homering in five straight games while becoming the fastest ever to reach 11 home runs, doing it in 18 games and 64 at-bats. His double just inside the left-field line scored Nick Williams to put the Phillies ahead 2-1.
“I wasn’t mad at him,” Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. “A double was OK.”
That was enough for Nola (10-9), who rebounded from two straight subpar outings by allowing one run and five hits with six strikeouts and no walks.
“I tried to throw those two outings away,” said Nola, who was 0-2 with a 9.53 ERA in his previous two starts.
Mackanin said Nola was successful because he was able to spot his pitches.
“It sounds like a broken record, but location, location, location; that’s what it’s all about,” he said.
Braves infielder Brandon Phillips had two hits to reach 1,999 in his career.
Nola’s only blemish was Phillips’ RBI single in the sixth. Phillips held his bat in the air after the hit, perhaps thinking he had reached the milestone. Phillips, who extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a fourth-inning single, had a chance to reach 2,000 but grounded out in the eighth.
“It was good to see Nola back on track,” Mackanin said. “He really dominated. I expect a good outing every time.”
After Hoskins’ double in the sixth, Maikel Franco gave the Phillies a two-run lead with a single to center. And Rupp led off the seventh with his 14th homer of the season to help Philadelphia continue its mastery of the Braves.
“Sometimes that happens and other times, there’s just teams you can’t seem to beat,” Mackanin said. “I can’t figure it out.”
RHYS ON A TEAR
Hoskins also singled in the eighth and is batting .309 with 25 RBIs in 19 games since his call-up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Aug. 10. He has a 10-game hitting streak.
SIMS’ START
Rookie Lucas Sims (2-4), making his sixth career start, allowed four runs and eight hits with seven strikeouts and one walk in 6 1/3 innings.
“Overall, pretty good,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “He never quits and his fastball was good tonight.”
WEB GEMS
Nola also got some help from his defense, as Williams robbed Freddie Freeman of a hit with a diving catch in right field in the sixth.
“That was huge,” Nola said.
Franco ranged far to his right at third to backhand Tyler Flowers’ grounder and threw him out at first from well into foul territory.
HELPING HIMSELF
Nola was 1 for his last 36 before a third-inning single up the middle resulted in the Phillies’ first run.
“That felt pretty good,” he said.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Braves: LHP Ian Krol (left oblique strain) and RHP Luke Jackson (right shoulder strain) will take another step toward their return as both will pitch Wednesday in rehab outings. Each could come off the DL on Friday. Krol has been on the DL since Aug. 4 and Jackson since Aug. 19. … Johan Camargo (right knee bone bruise) flew to Florida to begin taking live batting practice. Camargo has been out since Aug. 9.
Phillies: Pedro Florimon fouled a pitch off his left foot in the third inning. He limped around the batter’s box for a few minutes, but then drilled the next pitch into right-center for a triple.
UP NEXT
Phillies RHP Mark Leiter Jr. (2-3, 3.86) opposes Braves RHP R.A. Dickey (8-8, 4.06) in the second contest of the three-game set on Tuesday night.
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