PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Phillies manager Pete Mackanin was pleasantly surprised by his team’s power display on Sunday.
“I normally don’t bring notes with me,” Mackanin said at the podium after the game, “but I got to try to remember all those home runs we hit. That was really something.”
Freddy Galvis hit two of his team’s six home runs, Jerad Eickhoff threw five shutout innings, and the Phillies topped the San Diego Padres 7-1 to break their five-game slide.
Rookie outfielder Nick Williams began the run of homers with his first in the majors during the second inning.
Cameron Rupp followed two batters later with another solo homer and Galvis hit a two-run shot in the third inning.
Odubel Herrera and Aaron Altherr added solo home runs in sixth and seventh innings respectively and Galvis went back-to-back after Altherr’s for his second of the game.
Galvis’ first home run was a tape measure shot. He jokingly credited the wind, adding that he “saw the ball pretty good today.” He is the fourth Phillie to reach 10 homers.
Eickhoff (1-7) returned from the disabled list with a strong start for the Phillies. He tied a season high with eight strikeouts and held the Padres to just five hits and a walk. He threw 71 pitches in his first start since June 17.
Eickhoff earned his first win since Sept. 21, 2016. He said he had a consistent curveball and was also happy with his slider.
“The season tests you a little bit,” Eickhoff said. “You never know when that first win is gonna come. Sometimes it’s later than you’d like or than you’d want.”
The previous time the Phillies hit six home runs in a game was Aug. 11, 2004, against Colorado. They snapped a five-game losing streak, but enter the All-Star break with baseball’s worst record at 29-58. Still, Mackanin remained positive about the team’s outlook.
“A lot of good things have come up in this first half,” he said. “It’s not all doom and gloom. These are things we’ve got to take hold of and run with and try to keep improving.”
The Padres failed to pick up their first road sweep of the season. They avoided being shutout for the sixth time by scoring off Hector Neris in the ninth inning.
Trevor Cahill (3-3) struggled while striking out eight in five innings. He allowed three home runs after giving up just three in his first eight starts. The previous time he allowed three homers in one game was June 30, 2013.
“He had eight strikeouts, but he made some mistakes,” Padres manager Andy Green said. “The worst one was a hanging slider to Rupp.”
The Padres put runners on base against Eickhoff, but went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position against the righty. Erick Aybar scored on Hector Sanchez’s ninth-inning sacrifice fly.
“We’re making strides,” Green said, “but we still have a long way to go to be the team we want to be.”
SETTING THE ROTATION
The Padres plan to go with Clayton Richard, Jhoulys Chacin and Cahill against the Giants in their first series after the All-Star break. Young starters Luis Perdomo and Dinelson Lamet will follow in Colorado.
Philadelphia plans to use Nick Pivetta, Aaron Nola and Jeremy Hellickson to open the second half in Milwaukee.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: OF Hunter Renfroe (stiff neck) sat out after leaving in the ninth inning Saturday. The club is hopeful 3B Yangervis Solarte (oblique) can begin a rehab assignment later in the week.
UP NEXT
Padres: Richard (5-8, 4.66) is 0-1 with a 4.76 ERA in two starts against the Giants this year.
Phillies: Pivetta (2-4, 4.73) has allowed seven home runs in his past four starts. Brewers RHP Zach Davies (10-4, 4.90) will oppose him Friday for the Brewers.
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