The Sports Xchange
Jun 3, 2017
PHILADELPHIA -- Making his major league debut, Philadelphia starter Ben Lively gave his team every chance to win, and once the offense finally got to opposing pitcher Johnny Cueto, the Phillies did just that.
Tommy Joseph homered, Lively gave up one run in seven innings and the Phillies held off the San Francisco Giants 5-3 on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park.
Joseph's homer tied the score at 1 in the bottom of the sixth inning.
The Phillies (18-35) took the lead in the seventh.
Back-to-back singles from Maikel Franco and Andrew Knapp put runners on the corners with no outs and ended Cueto's day.
In relief, Hunter Strickland allowed an RBI single by Freddy Galvis and later was done in by a bases-clearing, three-run double by Odubel Herrera.
The Phillies needed the insurance. Hector Neris allowed two runs in the ninth and was replaced by Jeanmar Gomez with two outs and runners at the corners. Gomez got Nick Hundley to ground out to the shortstop on one pitch.
Lively (1-0) did not have a strikeout, but he allowed just four hits and walked three. Eight groundouts were a big reason for success.
For a while, his counterpart was dominant. Cueto (5-5) confused Phillies hitters much of the day. He struck out nine in six innings and was charged with three runs.
The homer Cueto allowed to Joseph in the sixth came on a full count with two outs. Cueto's changeup got too much of the plate and Joseph belted his ninth homer of the season.
With the Giants (23-34) ahead 1-0 in the fifth, Lively's two-out single put runners at first and second and sent leadoff batter Cesar Hernandez to the plate. But Cueto got Hernandez to flail at a changeup to get out of the inning.
It was the second consecutive inning the Phillies had a runner in scoring position.
The lone run that Lively surrendered came on a sacrifice fly in the top of the second inning by Orlando Calixte.
NOTES: The Phillies placed RHP Joaquin Benoit on the 10-day disabled list (retroactive to June 1) with a left knee sprain. The Phillies gave no timetable on his return. To take his place on the 25-man roster, the Phillies recalled LHP Adam Morgan from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. ... San Francisco C Buster Posey extended his hitting streak against the Phillies to 17 games. ... The Giants send LHP Matt Moore (2-6, 4.98 ERA) to the mound Sunday against Phillies RHP Jeremy Hellickson (5-3, 4.45).