PHILADELPHIA — Anthony DeSclafani gave his family and friends a performance to enjoy.
DeSclafani threw seven effective innings, Brandon Phillips had three hits and two RBIs and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-4 Thursday night to avoid a three-game sweep.
DeSclafani (4-4) allowed four runs and six hits to win his second straight start. The righty grew up an hour away in Freehold, New Jersey. He said between 25 and 30 family members and friends came to see him pitch.
“It means a lot,” DeSclafani said. “Not everybody gets to pitch in front of family and friends in the big leagues. I’m glad I pitched well.”
DeSclafani left with two runners on in the eighth and both scored. Aroldis Chapman, whose streak of 29 straight saves ended Wednesday night, tossed a perfect ninth for his 10th save in 11 tries.
Aaron Harang (4-6) had his worst start with the Phillies, allowing a season-high six runs — five earned — and six hits with five walks in 5 2-3 innings. Harang pitched at least six innings in each of his first 11 starts and gave up more than three earned runs once. His ERA rose from 2.02 to 2.45.
The Phillies rallied for walk-off wins Tuesday and Wednesday, but couldn’t pull off another comeback.
Phillips lined an RBI double to left to tie it at 2 in the fifth. The Reds then took a 3-2 lead on a major blunder by catcher Carlos Ruiz.
Todd Frazier hit a grounder to shortstop Freddy Galvis with one out and the bases loaded. Galvis threw home for the force, but Ruiz tagged DeSclafani rather than simply touching the plate. Cincinnati manager Bryan Price challenged and it was ruled Ruiz blocked the plate illegally.
“It’s a force play, but he was blocking the plate,” DeSclafani said. “I was just trying to get there. I’m slow.”
Ruiz wasn’t available for comment after the game.
“He was just caught off guard,” Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said.
Billy Hamilton hit a two-run single in the sixth to extend the lead to 5-2. Phillips followed with an RBI single to make it 6-2.
“He’s been great,” Price said of Phillips, batting leadoff after being a middle-of-the-lineup hitter previously. “He’s had a really good start. I asked him to be a leadoff man and he’s handled that well. I like the way the lineup is shaping out.”
Ben Revere hit an RBI double in the eighth and Chase Utley’s sacrifice fly got the Phillies to 6-4.
Frazier ripped an RBI double in the first after going hitless in 11 at-bats in the series.
Revere hit his NL-leading fifth triple in the first and scored on Jeff Francoeur’s groundout to tie it at 1. Utley hit a double and scored on Maikel Franco’s double for a 2-1 lead.
New position
Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco, a 2014 All-Star, will try to learn left field when he comes off the disabled list. He’s not expected to catch again this season because of a hip problem.
SLUMPING SHORTSTOP
Galvis is 0 for 26 since his last hit on May 26, dropping his average from .313 to .269. He is 7 for 65 (.108) since May 15, when he was batting .355.
Demoted
The Phillies sent lefty Jake Diekman to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He’s 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in 25 appearances. The team will replace him on the roster Friday.
“He has to work on some things,” Sandberg said.
Trainer’s room
Reds: LF Marlon Byrd, who broke his right wrist when hit by a pitch on Tuesday, will wear a soft brace for up to 10 days. It’s uncertain how long he’ll be sidelined.
Up next
Reds: RHP Raisel Iglesias (1-1, 5.11 ERA) pitches the opener of a three-game series against San Diego’s Tyson Ross (2-5, 3.76). Iglesias has allowed seven runs in 8 2-3 innings in his last two starts.
Phillies: RHP Jerome Williams (3-5, 5.49) starts the opener of a three-game series against the World Series champion Giants. Tim Lincecum (5-3, 3.00) goes for San Francisco.
Price picked
Cincinnati’s Bryan Price and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Don Mattingly and have been picked as All-Star coaches by NL manager Bruce Bochy of the World Series champion San Francisco Giants.
Houston’s A.J. Hinch and Seattle’s Lloyd McClendon were selected for the July 14 game in Cincinnati by AL manager Ned Yost of Kansas City, Major League Baseball said Thursday.
