Herrera’s shot leads offensive burst as Phillies avoid sweep

Aaron Nola struck out the side in the first inning after the Phillies were kept scoreless by Aníbal Sánchez.

The Phillies scored two runs in the second. Peter Bourjos snuck a grounder into right field to score Ryan Howard after an Andrés Blanco single put runners on the corners. Bourjos and Blanco stole second and home, respectively, in a perfectly-executed double steal to push across the second run.

In the third inning, Nola gave up his first hit of the day, a leadoff double to Mike Avilés. Jose Iglesias drove him in with a single that deflected off Nola, cutting the lead in half. 

The Phils padded the lead in the fourth as Blanco reached on an error by the shortstop Iglesias. Tyler Goeddel singled to left and got to second (Blanco went to third) when Steven Moya bobbled the ball in left field, the Tigers' second error of the inning. Peter Bourjos struck out, but Odubel Herrera snapped an 0-for-7 streak with a three-run blast to right (bat flip and all) to make it a 5-1 game. Thanks to Iglesias' error, those three runs went as unearned for Sánchez.

The Tigers got two on with one out in the fifth, as Iglesias reached on a ball Blanco rushed to pick up and bobbled (ruled a base hit). Cameron Maybin drove him in with a single to make it 5-2. J.D. Martínez snuck a ball past Franco to make it 5–3 with Miguel Cabrera batting. Cabrera popped out to Blanco in shallow center, but Víctor Martínez contributed another RBI single. Nola managed to get Nick Castellanos out with a curveball to end the inning.

Both pitchers got through the sixth quickly; thanks to a diving stop by Blanco, Nola needed only seven pitches to retire the Tigers 1-2-3.  

Sánchez pitched into the seventh for the first time in 2016. Bourjos greeted him with a leadoff homer to add some insurance for the Phillies. Acting Detroit manager Gene Lamont promptly removed Sánchez for Kyle Ryan, who got one out and allowed a hit to Freddy Galvis before being removed. Maikel Franco blooped a single off new pitcher Alex Wilson to put runners on the corners with one out. Tommy Joseph brought Galvis home from third on a sac fly as Maybin's throw home sailed wide. 

David Hernandez entered the game in the seventh in relief of Nola, who went six innings and gave up four runs. Along with Nola, Maikel Franco left the game after spraining his ankle on a slide into second. César Hernández entered at second as Blanco moved to play third.

A single and walk put two runners on with one out for Miguel Cabrera in the inning; Miggy, yet again, delivered, knocking an RBI single up the middle. Hernandez was taken out for Hector Neris, who struck out Víctor Martínez and Castellanos (who was arguably of quick-pitched on the called third strike).

Back-to-back doubles from Cameron Rupp and Blanco to lead off the eighth gave the Phillies another run to work with, pushing the lead to 8-5. Herrera was intentionally walked with two outs, but Freddy Galvis couldn't drive in another run.

Neris was back out for the eighth. Steven Moya led off the frame with a triple to right-center that Bourjos couldn't cut off. But he was stranded on third after James McCann struck out, Mike Aviles fouled out, and Iglesias grounded out on a close play that was reviewed.

Warwick Saupold, hailing from Perth, Australia, pitched a scoreless ninth for the Tigers with two strikeouts.

Jeanmar Gomez pitched a perfect ninth, allowing no runs and earning his NL-leading 17th save of the season. 

After a day off, Adam Morgan faces off against Jon Lester Friday at Wrigley Field as the Phillies start a three-game set with the MLB-best Cubs. All three games start at 2:20.

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