PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Jake Thompson didn’t have time for nerves or negative thoughts.
Thompson pitched five scoreless innings in an emergency start and Aaron Altherr homered twice to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 10-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Friday night.
Tommy Joseph and Cameron Rupp also homered and Freddy Galvis had three hits for the Phillies, who have scored 19 runs on seven homers and 14 extra-base hits while winning the last two.
Thompson (1-0) replaced Jeremy Hellickson, who was scratched an hour before the game. Hellickson is thought to be among the players the Phillies are likely to move before Monday’s non-waiver trading deadline.
“Usually when you have a start, you’re thinking about it for hours,” Thompson said. “I didn’t have time to actually think about it. Thankfully, I had enough time to get ready.
“I was just kind of hanging out in my chair and then they told me and I had to put on my cleats pretty quick. I really didn’t have time for much. I just grabbed my stuff and went out there and got ready.”
The Phillies did make a trade on Friday, dealing veteran infielder/outfielder Howie Kendrick to the Washington Nationals for a minor league pitcher.
Thompson, who the Phillies acquired from Texas in the 2015 trade that sent Cole Hamels to the Rangers, gave up five hits while striking out five and walking two. He was making his fourth appearance this season but first start since last September.
“He just threw good strikes,” Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. “He rose to the occasion and did a great job.”
Julio Teheran (7-9) allowed eight runs in 4 2/3 innings.
Kurt Suzuki and Sean Rodriguez homered for the Braves, who have lost five of six.
The Braves had no answers for Thompson.
“He did a good job on short notice like that. Tip your hat to him,” manager Brian Snitker said. “I don’t know if it was we hadn’t seen him that much. He was keeping us off balance because we weren’t swinging at him real good, I know that.”
The Phillies scored seven runs on five hits, including three homers, in the fifth. Altherr and Rupp led off with back-to-back homers to give the Phillies a 3-0 lead. After pinch-hitter Ty Kelly walked, Galvis lined a shot to right field. Nick Markakis made a diving attempt, but the ball went all the way to the wall. Kelly scored easily and Galvis reached when Brandon Phillips’ cutoff throw got past third baseman Freddie Freeman.
Later in the frame, Joseph busted the game open with a two-out, three-run homer to left.
The Braves got two runs back in the seventh off Hoby Milner on solo shots by Suzuki and Rodriguez.
Galvis’ hustle gave the Phillies an early lead. He intentionally went the other way to beat the shift with an infield single, stole second and third and then scored when Suzuki’s throw flew into left field.
KENRICK TRADE
In return for Kendrick, the Phillies acquired minor league pitcher McKenzie Mills.
As part of the deal, the Phillies will send cash to the Nationals to cover part of the $3.55 million remaining in Kendrick’s $10 million salary.
The 34-year-old Kendrick is hitting .340 with two homers and 16 RBIs this season, but he has been limited to 39 games due to injuries. Kendrick has appeared in 24 games in left field, 10 games at second base and one at first.
Mills, a 21-year-old left-hander, is 12-2 with a 3.01 ERA in 18 starts with Class A Hagerstown and was a South Atlantic League All-Star. He was an 18th-round draft pick in 2014.
EARLY START
With rain in the forecast, the game’s starting time was moved up five minutes, to 7 p.m. The skies were clear until there were two outs in the fifth inning, when a steady drizzle started and continued for the remainder of the contest.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Braves: OF Matt Kemp strained his right hamstring as he rounded first base after a liner off the wall in left. Kemp was thrown out at second base and then removed from the game in between innings. He is day-to-day.
Phillies: Kendrick (bruised left hand) was out of the lineup one game after getting hit by a pitch. He is day-to-day. … Nick Williams was hit by a pitch on the left foot in the fifth inning but remained in the game.
UP NEXT
Braves: LHP Sean Newcomb (1-5, 4.81) faces the Phillies for the first time. Newcomb has struck out 44 in 43 innings but also allowed 43 hits.
Phillies: RHP Jerad Eickhoff (2-7, 4.71) takes the mound for Philadelphia.
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