By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Final: Cardinals 9, Phillies 0 ❖ Attendance: 20,127
PHILADELPHIA — Former Philadelphia Phillies (58-67) outfielder Brandon Moss — who hit .275/.368/.509 with 31 doubles, 23 home runs and 80 RBIs with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in 2011 — along with opposing starter RHP Mike Leake, right fielder Stephen Piscotty, second baseman Jedd Gyorko and pinch hitter Jeremy Hazelbaker supplied all of the offense Sunday afternoon, as the St. Louis Cardinals (66-57) captured the series victory over RHP Vince Velasquez and the Phillies.
With the loss, the Phillies failed to secure their first series win against the Cardinals since August 22-24, 2014. Velasquez has now lost each of his last three starts, with 19 earned runs and eight home runs surrended in 16 1/3 innings.
The first three Cardinals batters, shortstop Greg Garcia (1B), Piscotty (BB) and first baseman Matt Carpenter (BB), all reached base on 16 combined pitches against Velasquez to start the game. Moss, the next batter, hit a sacrifice fly RBI to center on a leaping catch by center fielder Odubel Herrera to score Garcia from third.
Velasquez was able to escape further damage, but threw 28 pitches in the opening frame. He retired the Cardinals in order in the second and third innings on 22 combined pitches, which raised his total to 50.
In the fourth, however, Velasquez allowed a leadoff home run to Moss, his 23rd of the season. Following a single by third baseman Jhonny Peralta and a double by second baseman Jedd Gyorko, Leake helped his own cause with a two-out, two-RBI single to center. To lead off the fifth inning, Piscotty launched his 18th home run, which gave the Cardinals a 5-0 lead.
Velasquez's outing was complete after six innings. He allowed five earned runs on seven hits, two walks and seven strikeouts.
The Cardinals added more insurance runs in the eighth via a two-run home run by Gyorko off of RHP Frank Herrmann.
Two batters later, Hazelbaker hit another two-run blast, his 11th home run of the season.
Game Notes:
- The Cardinals broke a 57-year-old franchise record with 14 consecutive games with at least three extra-base hits.
- In nine series against National League Central opponents this season, the Phillies are 2-6-1 with 19 losses in 29 games (.345).
- The Phillies are now 10-10 on both Saturdays and Sundays and are three games under .500 at home, 30-33 (.476).
The Phillies will have off on Monday as they travel to Chicago to prepare for a two-game series against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. It will be just their fourth and fifth games played all-time at the venue and their first in 12 years: June 8-9, 2004 and August 30, 2004. Rookie RHP Jake Thompson will make his fourth big league start agaisnt southpaw Carlos Rodon. (Time: 8:10 p.m.; TV: CSN; Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP).
