By Sam Bush
Aledmys Diaz hit a solo home run and Michael Wacha pitched six strong innings as the St. Louis Cardinals snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the Phillies.
Seung Hwan Oh pitched the ninth, earning his 14th save in 16 chances. He gave up a leadoff double to Odubel Herrera, who went to third on a ground out. But Oh got a strikeout and left fielder Tommy Pham made a diving catch on a line drive by Freddy Galvis to pick up the save.
Jeremy Hellickson (5-4) took the loss. He pitched six innings, allowing 10 hits but just three runs. It was the 14th start of six innings or longer this season for the Phillies.
“Hellickson dodged bullets all night,” manager Pete Mackanin said. “He gave up a lot of hits but beared down when he had to. He pitched well enough to win and he pitched well enough to lose. We just couldn’t score.”
Diaz gave the Cardinals a 3-2 lead when he hit a two-out homer in the fifth inning.
The Phillies scored two in the second with two outs. Howie Kendrick doubled and scored on a single by Tommy Joseph (above). Aaron Altherr then tripled off the wall in right.
The Cardinals answered with two runs in the third to tie.
“We had a couple of chances with a guy on third and less than two outs and we didn’t get it done,” Mackanin said.
