Arrieta Strong as Phillies Slug Season-High 4 Home Runs in Series Win

By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor

Retiring 16 straight opposing batters for the first time since 2017, RHP Jake Arrieta (W, 5-4, 3.60 ERA) threw eight strong innings Saturday afternoon, as the Philadelphia Phillies (31-21) topped the Milwaukee Brewers (29-24) at Miller Park, 7-2. With the win, the Phillies clinched their 10th series victory of the season (10-4-3), and Arrieta improved to 4-1 with a 2.76 ERA through seven career starts at the venue. While slugging a season-high four home runs, the Phillies also improved to a season-high 10 games over .500.

The Phillies grabbed an early 3-0 advantage through three frames — scoring one run in each opposite Brewers starter RHP Jhoulys Chacin (L, 3-6, 4.88 ERA). Andrew McCutchen hit a leadoff home run in the first — off the bottom of the center field scoreboard — extending his hitting streak to seven games; in the second, Jean Segura walked with the bases loaded, preceding Cesar Hernandez's two-out home run an inning later — his fifth.

Hernandez helped the Phillies to a four-run lead in the fifth with a two-out RBI single to right, scoring Rhys Hoskins from third who stole the bag earlier in the frame. Hoskins is now 8-for-12 (67 percent) in career stolen base attempts.

The Brewers' two runs scored came via a two-out solo home run by third baseman Mike Moustakas in the seventh, his 13th of the season, and a RBI groundout by second baseman Hernan Perez in the eighth.

Segura extended his MLB-best hitting streak to 16 with a leadoff single in the ninth, setting up Hoskins' two-run home run two batters later, his 13th.

J.T. Realmuto went back-to-back with his own home run, his first hit of the afternoon and eighth home run of the season.

Arrieta matched his season high for innings pitched and strikeouts (both eight), allowing just two runs on five hits and one walk; he threw 100 pitches and 62 strikes. Phillies southpaw Jose Alvarez recorded the final three outs in the ninth, 1-2-3.

Game Notes:

• The Phillies outhit the Brewers, 12-5, slugging a season-high four home runs. Two of the home runs came in the ninth (Hoskins, Realmuto), while one came two pitches into the game (McCutchen).
• The Phillies offense has recorded double-digits in hits in four straight games.
• Of their 18 innings played so far this series, the Phillies have scored in 11 of them (one run in 10 of the innings, three runs in the other).
• The Phillies are now 12-11 in the 23 games Bryce Harper has been held hitless, NBC Sports Philadelphia's Corey Seidman notes.
• McCutchen's blast, his eighth, came on just the second pitch of the game; it was his 14th career leadoff home run.
• After striking out swinging in the top of the fourth, six-time Brewers All-Star outfielder Ryan Braun was ejected by the home plate umpire for arguing balls and strikes. Entering the game, Braun was a career 9-for-33 hitter against Arrieta with three home runs, 11 RBI and 3 walks. Brewers manager Craig Counsell was similarly ejected after the eighth.

• Chacin — in his 10th career appearance against the Phillies — lasted just five innings; spanning 107 pitches and 67 strikes, he allowed four runs (all earned) on seven hits, three walks and six strikeouts.
• Arrieta struck out the side in the fifth; at that point, he retired 11 consecutive Brewers batters, allowing only two singles and one walk, while striking out six overall on 64 pitches and 41 strikes. Arrieta would go on to retire five more Brewers batters in order, marking a game-best 16 in a row.

What's Next:

• Sunday, May 26, 2019: at Milwaukee Brewers, 2:10 p.m.
  • Miller Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  • RHP Zach Eflin (5-4, 2.76 ERA) vs. RHP Brandon Woodruff (6-1, 3.51 ERA)
  • TV: NBCSP; Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP