PHILADELPHIA -- Second-year center fielder Odubel Herrera is the player most likely to represent the Philadelphia Phillies in the All-Star Game later this month, but the Venezuelan native said through an interpreter Friday that he doesn't dwell on such things.

Then he was asked if he believes he deserves a berth.

"For sure," he said in English.

Herrera added to his resume and lifted his average to .306 by going 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs in Friday's 4-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals, Philadelphia's fourth straight victory.

Jeremy Hellickson (6-6) won his second straight start and the Phillies, who had been struggling offensively at home, generated 12 hits. Cameron Rupp went 3-for-4 and Maikel Franco went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

"It's good to win, good to bring the sticks into our ballpark," manager Pete Mackanin said.

The Phillies, who snapped a seven-game losing streak in Citizens Bank Park, entered the game hitting .258 and averaging 4.2 runs on the road, as opposed to norms of .213 and 2.7 at home. They had, however, batted at a .326 clip and scored 57 times while going 5-4 on a road trip that wrapped up Wednesday.

Herrera made sure that carried over, hitting a 1-0 fastball from Ian Kennedy (6-7) into the center field seats to open the bottom of the first. It was Herrera's ninth homer of the season, one more than he had in 147 games last year, and the first leadoff shot of his career. It was also the third leadoff homer surrendered by the Royals this season.

"It doesn't really matter to me if the ball leaves the park, or if it's a single," said Herrera, who added an RBI single in the sixth. "I just want to put the ball in play."

Herrera, a Rule 5 selection from the Texas Rangers in December 2014, typically sprays the ball around.

"He doesn't try to hit home runs," Mackanin said, "but if you make a mistake to him he can do it. It's just a matter of more playing time, more experience."

Kendrys Morales hit a two-run homer for Kansas City, which lost for just the second time in six games.

Hellickson, who ended a personal four-game losing streak by beating the San Francisco Giants his last time out, snapped a nine-game skid against American League opponents. He went six innings and allowed one run and five hits while striking out six and walking one.

Edubray Ramos pitched a scoreless inning in relief, but David Hernandez allowed Morales' two-run homer in the eighth, cutting the Phillies' lead to 4-3.

Jeanmar Gomez worked a perfect ninth for his 22nd save.

Kennedy pitched five innings and allowed three runs on six hits while striking out eight and walking three.

"I felt I wasn't getting on top of the ball," he said. "It was a constant grind."

Asked what contributed to Herrera's leadoff homer in the first, Kennedy said, "The ballpark here is what it is," a reference to Citizens Bank Park's hitter-friendly dimensions.

The Royals knotted it in the second, when with two outs Alcides Escobar doubled and Cheslor Cuthbert followed with an RBI single. Escobar has now hit safely in 12 straight games, matching his career long.

In the Philadelphia third, however, Kennedy walked Herrera, who moved to third on a steal and a throwing error by catcher Salvador Perez. Cody Asche walked with two outs to put runners at the corners, but was called out by umpire Dan Bellino on Perez's pickoff throw to first baseman Eric Hosmer.

The Phillies challenged the call and it was overturned, allowing the inning to continue. Franco singled to drive Herrera home, giving Philadelphia a 2-1 lead.

Asche made it 3-1 with an RBI double in the fifth. He drove in Peter Bourjos, who legged out an infield single.

The Phillies added a run off reliever Chien-Ming Wang in the sixth, when Cesar Hernandez singled, stole second and rode home on Herrera's single.

Morales' homer was his 12th of the season and extended his hitting streak to seven games. His streak of multi-hit games ended at six, however.

NOTES: Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said the start by slumping RHP Aaron Nola on Saturday against the Royals is "very important" for the 23-year-old's confidence. Nola is 0-3 with a 15.23 ERA over his last four starts, and has not lasted longer than 3 2/3 innings in any of them. Mackanin said location has been the issue, that Nola has been unable to get the ball down in the strike zone as regularly as he did earlier in the season. ... Kansas City RF Kendrys Morales was named Royals Majestic Player of the Month for June, a month in which he hit .402 to raise his average from .193 to .262. He also had five homers and 18 RBIs in the month, and ended it with six straight multi-hit games. ? Phillies RF Peter Bourgos extended his hitting streak to 10 games, while C Cameron Rupp has hit safely in his last seven.