PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Vince Velasquez has found the right tempo to his delivery. And it couldn’t come at a better time for the Philadelphia Phillies
Velasquez allowed two hits over seven innings as the Phillies beat the San Diego Padres 5-0 Sunday night to earn a split in their doubleheader.
In the opener, Freddy Galvis had his second straight three-hit game back in Philadelphia and Tyson Ross ended a seven-start winless streak in the Padres’ 10-2 victory.
Philadelphia widened its NL East lead to one game over second-place Atlanta.
Velasquez (6-8) struck out seven and walked one, pitching no-hit ball until A.J. Ellis singled off the left-field wall starting the sixth. In his only previous start against the Padres, he struck out 16 and walked none in a three-hit shutout on April 14, 2016.
Once a pitcher who had trouble with high pitch counts that frequently eclipsed 100 pitches in five innings or fewer, Velasquez threw 87 pitches in seven innings against the Padres. He worked the ball in and out while keeping the game moving along, going at least six innings for the fifth time in his last six starts. The lone exception game on June 30 when he was forced to leave a game after being hit on the right forearm with a line drive after the second inning.
“I think that’s been what has been the big turnaround for me,” Velasquez said. “Finding that tempo and pretty much driving through the game and having the ability to go long distances in the game. I’m pretty much starting the game and controlling it.”
Odubel Herrera hit a solo homer in the fourth against Luis Perdomo (1-5). After a pair of batters reached against Perdomo in the seventh, Carlos Santana hit a bloop run-scoring single against Phil Maton and Rhys Hoskins added his second homer of the day and 16th this season, a three-run drive. Coming into Sunday, Hoskins had not homered since June 29
Nick Williams had three hits in the nightcap.
Galvis was 6 for 11 with four RBIs in the series. He spent six seasons with the Phillies before he was dealt to San Diego in December for right-hander Enyel De Los Santos.
Galvis had a two-run single in a three-run first inning in the opener. Ross (6-8) allowed two runs and five hits in five innings.
“It was a grind early on,” Ross said after Game 1. “I had to make some adjustments and I settled in. But the offense did a good job of putting up runs early. After that, I just felt like I had to protect the lead.”
Ross had been 0-5 in seven starts since beating Cincinnati on June 3, losing his previous three outings.
“He was searching for himself early, which was common for guys coming right out of the break with the longer layoff than usual,” San Diego manager Andy Green said. “As the game went on, I thought he looked like vintage Tyson and had his command get better and better.”
Travis Jankowski and Wil Myers each had two RBIs for the Padres, who outhit Philadelphia 15-6 and stopped the Phillies’ five-game home winning streak. Hunter Renfroe had three hits.
Myers hit a two-run homer in the ninth off Mark Leiter Jr. Statcast said the drive was 450 feet, the longest in Philadelphia this season.
“Any time you can get a lot of guys hitting, it becomes very contagious and it leads to success,” Myers said. “The more that we can get going, the more it will trickle down to everyone else.”
Philadelphia was hitless in 10 at-bats with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 runners in Game 1. Nick Pivetta (6-8) gave up six runs - four earned - and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out nine and walked none.
SENT DOWN:
After the second game, the Phillies optioned Aaron Altherr and Leiter Jr. to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The team said it would make a corresponding move on Monday.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: Reliever Edubray Ramos left Sunday’s first game in the sixth inning and was placed on the 10-day DL with a left patella tendon strain. Ramos was facing his third batter, pinch-hitter Franmil Reyes, when he grabbed his thigh area after releasing a pitch. … RHP Luis Garcia was activated from the DL.
UP NEXT
Padres: San Diego will start three left-handers in a three-game series at the New York Mets, opening with Eric Lauer (5-6, 4.87) on Monday.
Phillies: Los Angeles Dodgers 2B Chase Utley starts his final regular-season series at Philadelphia, where he helped the Phillies win the 2008 World Series. Zach Elfin (7-2, 3.15 ERA) will be on the mound for the Phillies on Monday.
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