Mackanin Remains Positive After Phillies Routed By Arizona
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Phillies manager Pete Mackanin is trying to keep his players' spirits up after yet another lopsided loss.
Peter O'Brien and Yasmany Tomas each hit two of Arizona's team-record six home runs to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 10-2 victory over slumping Philadelphia on Friday night.
The Phillies struggled in every phase of the game.
Cameron Rupp had a two-run triple for the Phillies, who dropped their fourth straight and 21st in the last 27 to fall a season-worst eight games under .500. Philadelphia (30-38) has been outscored 41-9 during its losing streak.
"I'm going to continue to encourage them and keep their heads on straight," Mackanin said.
The Phillies committed three more errors on Friday after making four in Thursday's 13-2 loss to Toronto that prompted a postgame team meeting by Mackanin.
"So much for my team meeting," he joked.
Phillies pitchers have allowed 17 home runs in the last four games to set a franchise record over that span. Philadelphia has given up 56 hits, including eight doubles and a triple, over the stretch.
"We're just making a lot of bad pitches and these teams are capitalizing," Mackanin said.
Paul Goldschmidt and Welington Castillo also went deep for Arizona, which opened a 10-game trip by tying the club record for home runs in a game. Goldschmidt also singled and doubled while extending his hitting streak to 11 games.
Every starter had a hit for the Diamondbacks, who finished with 16.
Robbie Ray (4-5) allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings with seven strikeouts and one walk.
Arizona tied the game at 2 in the second inning on two unearned runs after two fielding errors by second baseman Cesar Hernandez.
The Diamondbacks didn't need any help from Philadelphia fielders from that point.
Tomas led off the fourth with the first of his two homers off Adam Morgan (1-6) to make it 3-2.
O'Brien launched a three-run homer to right in the fifth and Tomas followed with a solo shot to deep left.
Tomas finished 2 for 5 and is 10 for 20 with four homers and five RBIs in his career against the Phillies.
Castillo and O'Brien hit consecutive homers in the seventh off Elvis Araujo, and Goldschmidt ended the long ball barrage with a solo homer in the eighth off Araujo.
Goldschmidt is batting .409 (18 for 44) over the streak.
Morgan served up three home runs while allowing seven runs (four earned) and 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings. The left-hander is 0-6 with a 7.61 ERA in his last seven starts.
"I'm going through a rough patch," Morgan said. "You just have to keep going, believe in your stuff, which I do. You can't quit."
ERRORS OF THEIR WAYS
Mackanin didn't dwell on Hernandez's miscues.
"I'm not going to criticize guys for making physical errors," he said. "Mental errors are different."
In addition to Philadelphia's four errors on Thursday, Phillies centerfielder Odubel Herrera lost track of the outs in the eighth inning after catching a fly ball.
"Of course, they're getting in their own heads," Mackanin said.
HOMER HAPPY
O'Brien, who drove in four runs, has homered for all three of his hits this season. He was called up from Triple-A on June 10 and is 3 for 20.
ROAD WARRIORS
Arizona improved to 17-14 on the road. The Diamondbacks are 13-25 at home.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Diamondbacks: INF/OF Chris Owings received a cortisone shot in his left foot. Owings has been on the DL since June 6 with plantar fasciitis.
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks RHP Zach Greinke (9-3, 3.75) opposes Philadelphia RHP Jerad Eickhoff (4-8, 3.40) on Saturday afternoon. Greinke is 6-0 with a 2.05 ERA in his last six starts.
(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
