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Zach Eflin and the Phillies are on a roll.
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Eflin pitched seven strong innings for his sixth straight victory John Cominsky Jersey , Andrew Knapp had the winning hit for the second straight game and Philadelphia beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 on Tuesday night for its 11th win in 16 games.
Rhys Hoskins had a two-run double, rookie Seranthony Dominguez pitched four outs for his eighth save and Maikel Franco made a game-saving defensive play for the Phillies, who pulled within 2 1/2 games of the Braves for first place in the NL East.
”It was a great team win,” Eflin said.
Eflin (7-2) allowed two runs and five hits with six strikeouts and no walks to become the first Phillies pitcher since Cliff Lee in 2011 to record six consecutive wins. The right-hander has a 1.91 ERA while striking out 34 and walking six in 37 2/3 innings over that stretch.
”More aggressive and trusting my pitches,” Eflin said.
The Phillies bullpen preserved the win, but it got interesting.
Tommy Hunter got the first two outs of the eighth before manager Gabe Kapler went to Dominguez with Orioles star Manny Machado up.
”One of the best hitters in the game, you try to neutralize him with your best bullet,” Kapler said.
Dominguez walked Machado and Mark Trumbo to load the bases for Chris Davis. Franco made a stellar diving play to his right at third base to snare Davis’ ground ball before throwing him out at first to keep the Phillies ahead 3-2. The out was upheld after an Orioles challenge.
”Play of the game,” Kapler said. ”Got us the win.”
Franco, who has been in and out of the lineup this season Qadree Ollison Jersey , cherished the out.
”I just tried to make a good play and make a good throw,” he said. ”I wanted that play so bad.”
Trumbo homered for Baltimore, which has dropped eight of nine.
”The effort was there,” Trumbo said. ”The frustration, it’s as much as you make of it.”
The game was delayed 1 hour, 25 minutes due to rain and played mostly under a persistent drizzle.
Philadelphia took a one-run lead in the fourth on Knapp’s two-out triple to right off Alex Cobb (2-10) that scored Nick Williams. Knapp, Philadelphia’s backup catcher, started two days after his game-ending homer in the 13th lifted the Phillies over the Nationals 4-3.
Cobb gave up three runs on four hits with five strikeouts and three walks in 6 2/3 innings.
Trumbo staked Baltimore to a 1-0 lead by crushing Eflin’s 94 mph fastball into the seats in left in the second.
Philadelphia went in front 2-1 in the third on Hoskins’ two-out double off the wall in left that scored Franco and Cesar Hernandez.
CHEERS FOR MANNY
Machado, speculated to be a target of the Phillies either via trade or free agency, was loudly cheered when he was introduced by PA announcer Dan Baker prior to the contest.
EFLIN’S BLISTER
Eflin was pulled after just 82 pitches Ed Oliver Jersey , and Kapler said that was partly because of a blister on Eflin’s right middle finger. Eflin said he was ready and able to continue if asked. Eflin was hampered consistently by blisters last season, but Tuesday was his first time dealing with one this year.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: OF Colby Rasmus has been placed on the restricted list after informing the club that he was leaving the team. Rasmus has struggled with a left hip injury for two seasons. He was hitting .133 with one homer in 18 games this season after signing a one-year, $3 million deal in the offseason. … INF Steve Wilkerson (left oblique) was placed on the 10-day DL. Wilkerson, who is 4 for 17 since making his debut June 20, was injured in Sunday’s 8-2 win over the Angels.
Phillies: RHP Jerad Eickhoff (right lat strain) will throw live batting practice Wednesday. He has been out all season. … Reliever Edubray Ramos (right shoulder impingement), who has been on the DL since June 25, threw a bullpen Tuesday and could be activated on Friday.
UP NEXT
Baltimore rookie RHP Yefry Ramirez (0-1, 2.89) will make his second start and third appearance with the Orioles against Phillies RHP Aaron Nola (10-2, 2.48) on Wednesday afternoon.
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CINCINNATI (AP) — A.J. Green ran a deep route along the left sideline and caught Andy Dalton’s pass in stride, a sight the Bengals desperately missed during their last-place season.Green has fully recovered from surgery on his right big toe Cody Ford Jersey , the most promising development in an offseason of regrouping. He was limited in the first day of mandatory minicamp Tuesday, but only because the new coaching staff didn’t want to push him too hard.“A.J.’s been cleared to do everything,” first-year coach Zac Taylor said. “But we’re just going to put him out in individual (drills) and let him run around a little bit and not do any of the team stuff. I know what to expect from A.J., so it will be good just to see him catch balls from the quarterbacks. But we’re not going to give him too much work.”Green missed nearly half of last season with a torn ligament in the toe . He finished with 46 catches for 694 yards — both career lows — and six touchdowns. The Bengals also lost Dalton for the last five games with a turn thumb ligament.A last-place finish in the AFC North prompted the Bengals to fire coach Marvin Lewis and hire Taylor from the Rams . The offense finished last in the league in 2017 and near the bottom again last season.The main focus for the offense in minicamp is learning yet another new system. Brian Callahan is the Bengals’ third offensive coordinator in the last three years, a dizzying rate of change that has contributed to the poor showings.Although Green hasn’t been able to fully participate in offseason workouts, Dalton thinks their eight seasons together will compensate for the missed time.“I understand how A.J. runs routes,” Dalton said. “There’s obviously going to be some new stuff that we’re doing now, but it’s easier with guys like that. It’s easier with guys I’ve thrown to and I know how they work.”Tight end Tyler Eifert was held out of practice as he recovers from a broken ankle that sidelined him for the last 12 games. He signed another one-year deal. Eifert has been limited to 14 games over the last three years because of injuries to his back and ankle.TOP PICK LIMITEDLeft tackle Jonah Williams wore a jersey but didn’t participate in the afternoon practice. Taylor said Williams, the 11th overall pick in the draft, got “a little dinged-up” during practice last week. It’s unclear how long he’ll be held out of practice.NEW GUYGuard John Jerry signed a day before minicamp Devin Singletary Jersey , replacing second-year guard Rod Taylor, who was waived. Jerry has been with the Dolphins and Giants during his eight-year career, sitting out last season.COACHESFormer Bengals linebacker Brandon Johnson and cornerback Cortland Finnegan are this year’s coaching interns as part of the Bill Walsh NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship program. Johnson was with the Bengals from 2008-11 and is currently the head coach at Betty Fairfax High School in suburban Phoenix. Finnegan spent 11 seasons with the Titans, Rams, Dolphins and Panthers.