PHILADELPHIA – Aaron Nola struck out 10 in another dominant performance, Scott Kingery hit a three-run homer and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Colorado Rockies 5-4 on Tuesday night.
Nola (8-2) allowed one run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings, lowering his ERA to 2.27. He has given up three runs or less in 13 of his 14 starts.
Seranthony Dominguez escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the ninth for his third save.
Nola left after striking out Ian Desmond with runners on first and third. Edubray Ramos entered and gave up a bloop RBI single to Tom Murphy before recording the third out. Tommy Hunter tossed a scoreless eighth. But Luis Garcia allowed four consecutive singles to start the ninth. He departed after Murphy’s RBI single cut it to 5-2.
Dominguez entered and gave up an RBI single to pinch-hitter Chris Iannetta. DJ LeMahieu’s sacrifice fly cut it to 5-4. But right fielder Aaron Altherr ran down Charlie Blackmon’s hard liner for the second out and Dominguez struck out Nolan Arenado to end it.
Kingery drove a 1-2 pitch from Jon Gray (6-7) out to left-center to give the Phillies a 3-0 lead in the first. He added a sacrifice fly in the third.
Gray surrendered four runs on only three hits in six innings. He also fanned 10.
Jesmuel Valentin’s pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth extended Philadelphia’s lead to 5-1.
The Phillies have won two in a row for the first time since a three-game winning streak May 13-17.
The Rockies have lost five consecutive and nine of 11.
After starting at five positions, Kingery has taken over as Philadelphia’s regular shortstop despite batting only .215. J.P. Crawford has moved to third base since returning from the disabled list and has started five consecutive games instead of Maikel Franco.
RHP Nick Pivetta (4-5, 3.76 ERA) starts for the Phillies while LHP Tyler Anderson (3-1, 4.81) goes for the Rockies in the middle game Wednesday night.
