Eickhoff strong as Phillies blank Blue Jays for 30th win of season

Matt Rappa

June 13 2016

By: Matt Rappa, managing editor

Final: Phillies 7, Blue Jays 0 ❖ Attendance: 35,678

TORONTO — The first of a four-game home-and-home series against the Toronto Blue Jays (35-31) ended in favor of the Philadelphia Phillies (30-34) and right-hander Jerad Eickhoff Monday evening at the Rogers Centre.

Thanks to solo home runs by center fielder Odubel Herrera in the third and designated hitter Ryan Howard in the seventh, as well as six shutout innings on the mound by Eickhoff, the Phillies were able to secure the series opener victory — their 30th win of the season.

The win against knuckleballer R.A. Dickey snapped the Phillies' 13-game losing streak during Monday games, dating back to July 20 of last season. It was also their third shutout victory in franchise history over the Blue Jays out of 48 total meetings.

Following the game, right-hander Luis Garcia was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to make room for right-hander Zach Eflin on the 25-man roster. Eflin will look to secure the Phillies' third series sweep of the season Tuesday afternoon as he makes his Major League debut as the replacement to injured RHP Vince Velasquez (right biceps strain) in the starting rotation.

WP: Jerad Eickhoff (4-8, 3.40 ERA) ❖ LP: R.A. Dickey (4-7, 4.16 ERA)

Hub: Game Summary ❖ Starting Pitchers ❖ At the Plate ❖ Bullpen ❖ What's Next

Game Summary

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
PHI	0	0	1	0	0	0	3	0	3	7	9	0
TOR	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	0

Eickhoff has now recorded 16 quality starts through his first 21 career games. He has a 1.37 ERA in the month of June with 17 strikeouts (3 ER, 19 2/3 innings).
Howard hit his 10th home run of the season and the 367th of his career, pulling him into sole possession of 80th place on the all-time MLB home runs list. It was his fifth career home run batting in the designated hitter position.
Right fielder Peter Bourjos and Herrera added two insurance runs after Howard's home run in the seventh. Bourjos hit a two-out ground-rule RBI-double to center, his ninth double and 10th RBI of the season. Herrera's single to left was his second of three RBIs on the night.
Third baseman Andres Blanco completed a 5-3 double play (ruling confirmed upon review) in the 8th that helped Hector Neris escape trouble after allowing the first two Blue Jays runners to reach. Blanco started at the hot corner as Maikel Franco is day-to-day with a mild right knee sprain.
The Phillies added three more insurance runs in the 8th against left-hander Scott Diamond in his season debut and first MLB appearance since Sept. 29, 2013, with the Minnesota Twins: second baseman Cesar Hernandez RBI-double to right, Bourjos RBI-single to left and fielder's choice RBI groundout by Herrera to second.