Major League Baseball
Philadelphia 4, San Diego 2
When: 8:40 PM ET, Saturday, August 8, 2015
Where: Petco Park, San Diego, California
Temperature: 75°
Umpires: Home - Paul Nauert, 1B - Ryan Blakney, 2B - Dana DeMuth, 3B - Mike Estabrook
Attendance: 44567

SAN DIEGO -- The reshuffled top third of the Philadelphia Phillies' batting order produced all the needed offense and rookie left-hander Adam Morgan held San Diego to two runs in six innings on Saturday night as the hottest team in the major leagues defeated the Padres 4-2 at Petco Park.

Chase Utley, Cesar Hernandez and Odubel Herrera had two hits each and accounted for all four runs as Philadelphia ran its record to 15-5 since the All-Star break.

"We were in last place and we had the first pick and I screw it up for us," interim manager Pete Mackanin said after the Phillies posted their second straight win in San Diego.

"It's fun to watch these guys. They all are having a good time, playing aggressive and they are pulling for each other. It is contagious. And the top of the batting order was the whole game for us."

Utley hit in the leadoff spot and had two doubles in four at-bats and scored two runs in his second game back from the disabled list.

Hernandez was also 2-for-4 with a steal, an RBI triple and a run scored.

And Herrera was 2-for-4 with two steals and two RBIs in addition to scoring a run on a wild pitch. He also made two running catches and threw out a runner at third.

"Herrera plays like his hair is on fire," Mackanin said. "He works at it so hard. When he scored on that wild pitch, everyone on our bench is saying 'no, no' and he beat it. He's aware. He's playing like he belongs and wants to make an impression."

Morgan (3-3) allowed two runs (one earned), six hits and a walk with four strikeouts in six innings to outduel Tyson Ross (8-9). Right-hander Ken Giles picked up his fifth save for the Phillies.

Ross retired 14 straight after he allowed three runs, five hits and a walk in the first 2 1/3 innings. He finished with eight strikeouts.

Ross also popped out on a bunt attempt in the bottom of the seventh with runners on first and second with none out when the Padres were trailing 3-2.

The Phillies added a run in the eighth against Padres reliever Joaquin Benoit on Utley's second double and Hernandez's triple into the right-field corner.

The Phillies used their speed to build a 3-0 lead after three innings while Morgan retired the first nine Padres he faced.

Utley opened the game with a double and moved to third on Hernandez's groundout to right and scored on Herrera's single. Herrera then stole second, raced to third after Padres shortstop Alexi Amarista threw out Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco and scored on the wild pitch by Ross.

"I didn't come out and make pitches in the first and they are playing some hot, aggressive baseball," Ross said.

Padres manager Pat Murphy said the delayed start of the game might have adversely affected Ross.

Pregame ceremonies to induct former shortstop and captain Garry Templeton and former catcher Benito Santiago into the Padres' Hall of Fame delayed the start for 20 minutes. "I think Tyson was affected by the start time," Murphy said. "He sat through the delay after he warmed up."

The Phillies made it 3-0 in the third.

Hernandez singled with one out and stole second ahead of Herrera's second RBI single. Herrera stole second for the second time, although Ross got out of the inning by striking out Franco and first baseman Ryan Howard.

After going down in order in three straight innings, the Padres opened the fourth with three straight singles, although a base-running blunder by catcher Derek Norris possibly prevented a bigger inning.

Third baseman Yangervis Solarte led off the fourth with a single and raced to third on Norris' single to right center. Right fielder Matt Kemp followed with a single to center, driving in Solarte with the Padres' first run.

But when Herrera temporarily bobbled the hit in center, Norris tried to advance to third and was easily thrown out by Herrera's perfect one-hop throw. Instead of having runners at first and second and no one out, the Padres had a runner at first and one out.

Justin Upton drew a walk to put two runners on before Morgan retired second baseman Jedd Gyorko on a fly to the warning track to Herrera in center. Morgan then got first baseman Yonder Alonso on a grounder to second to end the threat.

The Padres narrowed the deficit with an unearned run against Morgan in the sixth. Upton singled with two outs and move to second when left fielder Cody Asche bobbled the hit for an error. Gyorko drove in Upton with a single off Utley's glove.

NOTES: The loss was the fifth straight for the Padres. ... Padres RHP Brandon Morrow will have surgery next week to remove an impingement and clean his right shoulder. Morrow has been on the disabled list since May 3. ... OF Will Venable rejoined the Padres from paternity leave and OF Alex Dickerson, who had his first major-league hit Friday night as a pinch hitter, was returned to Triple-A El Paso. ... The Padres placed RHP Marcos Mateo on the 15-day disabled list with a neck strain and recalled LHP Frank Garces from El Paso. ... The Padres claimed LHP Caleb Thielbar from the Minnesota Twins and optioned him to El Paso. ... Phillies 2B Chase Utley will get Sunday off after starting Friday and Saturday in his first two games back from the disabled list. He had been out since June 24 with right ankle inflammation.
Top Game Performances
Starting Pitchers
Philadelphia   San Diego
Adam Morgan Player Tyson Ross
Win W/L Loss
6.0 IP 7.0
4 Strikeouts 8
6 Hits 5
1.50 ERA 3.86
Hitting
Philadelphia   San Diego
Cesar Hernandez Player Matt Kemp
2 Hits 2
1 RBI 1
0 HR 0
4 TB 2
.500 Avg .500
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Hits HR TB Avg LOB K RBI BB SB Errors
Philadelphia 7 0 11 .219 8 10 3 2 3 1
San Diego 9 0 10 .265 13 6 2 1 0 0
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