Grichuk, Cardinals beat Phils in 11 for 5th straight win

He was looking forward to it because he knows his relievers need some rest. “It’s not about making the flawless pitch, just making a quality one”.

With multiple starting pitchers either injured or chronically ineffective, the Phillies needed a quality outing from their veteran right-hander, who hadn’t started since August 10 due to reported back and oblique pain.

The Phillies are now 10-10 on both Saturdays and Sundays and are three games under.500 at home, 30-33 (.476).

“He wasn’t locating his secondary pitches, ” Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said.

On Saturday night, relief came in the form of a starting pitcher for once. He allowed three runs – including back-to-back solo homers – and five hits and struck out five while walking two.

“That was what the doctor ordered”, Mackanin said.

Hellickson said he was aware of the rotation’s 21-game stretch, but it wasn’t something he specifically took the mound with as motivation.

“I’m trying to figure it out, ” Velasquez said. It’s nothing we think about, we’ve had a few games where we’ve been cruising and something happens. “But it was good to save the bullpen a little tonight”.

Hellickson had two earned runs, seven hits, and eight strikeouts as he received his 10th win of the season. Hernandez, who leads all of baseball in triples, struck out in his fourth and final at-bat of the night in the seventh inning.

Maikel Franco had two hits, including a double and the winning RBI, and Aaron Altherr homered for the Phillies.

Then St. Louis’ Stephen Piscotty stepped up in the fifth and deposited another homer for a 5-0 lead.

But given what the Phillies bullpen and their manager have endured in the last 3 1/2 weeks, Hellickson’s performance may have been the most critical.

Hellickson skipped his last start because of back tightness.

SAN FRANCISCO – Yoenis Cespedes hit two long home runs and an RBI double in his second game back from the disabled list, boosting Bartolo Colon and NY over San Francisco.

Hellickson allowed just one more runner to reach scoring position after the third-inning home run.

The Cardinals got six extra-base hits to set a club record of 14 straight games with at least three extra-base hits.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Luke Weaver (62) throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Saturday, Aug. 20, 2016, in Philadelphia. Philadelphia 1B Ryan Howard is 2-for-13 with two homers and four RBIs versus his hometown team this season.3.

“I don’t know what he would say, but the tendency for a lot of younger pitchers is to pitch away from contact with their good stuff”, Mackanin said. “I had a meeting with him and Freddy early in the season and just told them to go do what they can do and have the best year that they can, not to worry about it, compete on a daily basis and let the cards fall where they may”.

Hellickson’s effort Saturday helped Mackanin return to his preferred end game, using Hector Neris for an effective eighth and allowing Jeanmar Gomez to collect his 33rd save after wasting a ninth-inning lead Friday.

Marlins 6, Pirates 5 – At Pittsburgh: Robert Andino hit a tiebreaking single in the top of the ninth inning, then Miami got Andrew McCutchen to ground into a game-ending double play with the bases loaded to hold off Pittsburgh in a matchup of NL wild-card contenders. “What a job both of those guys did”.