Kyle Kendrick pitched eight strong innings, allowing just four hits in the longest start of his career, to help the Philadelphia Phillies end a season-long six-game losing streak with a 4-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday night.
Chase Utley, batting second for the first time this season, snapped out of a slump with a 4-for-5 performance as the first-place Phillies finally gained ground in the NL East for the first time in nearly two weeks.
Chris Coste drove in a pair of runs for the Phillies and Pedro Feliz and Pat Burrell each had an RBI.
Kendrick (7-3) didn't allow a hit until Jack Hannahan's ground-rule double in the fifth.
The right-hander retired 13 of the first 14 batters; 11 in a row after walking Jack Cust in the first inning. He walked one and struck out four. J.C. Romero pitched the ninth to preserve the win for Kendrick, who gave up a season-high six runs in three innings in his last start and had allowed six of his 11 home runs in his previous four starts.
Greg Smith (4-6) pitched 5 2-3 innings, giving up four runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out three, while receiving support of a run or less for the eighth time in 15 starts.
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel shook up the lineup, batting Jimmy Rollins third, Ryan Howard fifth and Shane Victorino seventh for the first time this season. Eric Brunlett made his first career start, and just his second ever appearance, at first base. While with the Houston Astros, he replaced Lance Berkman late in the game on Aug. 20, 2005.
Utley had one hit in his previous 29 at-bats entering play. He came within a home run of the cycle.
Burrell's sacrifice fly in the first put the Phillies on top. Feliz tripled home a run and scored on Coste's sacrifice fly in the fourth to make it 3-0.
With two outs in the sixth, Victorino bunted safely and then raced around to score on Coste's short fly that fell just in front of Carlos Gonzalez for a single.
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