Morgan strong until 7th as Phillies fall to Red Sox 7-5

BOSTON (AP) -- The Phillies own the majors' worst record, so Philadelphia manager Pete Mackanin knows there's room to experiment.

Philadelphia Phillies' Aaron Altherr follows through on a double, his third hit of the game during the ninth inning (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

Mackanin sent starter Adam Morgan out for the seventh inning, and then the Boston Red Sox scored four runs and ran away with a 7-5 win on Friday night in a matchup of last-place teams.

"He needs to be pushed a little bit," Mackanin said. "We're not playing for a division - we're playing for next year and beyond, and all these things from my point of view. That's my job, to find out as much as we can."

Morgan (5-5) gave up six runs - three in the seventh - on eight hits in 6 1-3 innings.

"It's all about having a short memory," he said. "Just damage control - try not to let things get out of hand."

Odubel Herrera had a two-run homer and three hits for Philadelphia, which rallied for three runs off Jean Machi in the ninth.

Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a solo homer and David Ortiz an RBI double in Boston's four-run seventh inning as Joe Kelly won his seventh straight start.

"I felt good going into the seventh," Morgan said. "That one to Bradley I left right over the middle of the plate, but I felt good going out there."

Mookie Betts added an RBI double for Boston, which entered the weekend 10-1-2 in its last 13 series against the Phillies.

Kelly (9-6) gave up two runs on five hits in six innings. He's the first Red Sox pitcher since Josh Beckett in 2007 to win seven consecutive starts.

Robbie Ross Jr. struck out Ryan Howard for the final out of his first career save.

Leading 3-2, Boston broke it open in the seventh. Bradley Jr. homered into the center field bleachers. Xander Bogaerts' fielder's choice grounder scored a run, making it 5-2.

With Morgan pulled, Ortiz barely missed his 496th career homer when he doubled home Bogaerts with a drive high off the center field wall against reliever Jeanmar Gomez. Big Papi rumbled home from third when first baseman Darin Ruf mishandled a cutoff throw on Travis Shaw's single.

The Red Sox had regained the lead with two runs in the fifth. Betts' RBI double into the right-center field gap tied it. Brock Holt followed with a sacrifice fly.

The Phillies scored both runs off Kelly in the fourth, taking a 2-1 edge. Darnell Sweeney's grounder plated the first before Ruf had an RBI single.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Phillies: RF Dominic Brown is sidelined with a concussion he sustained flipping over a wall in Wednesday's loss to the New York Mets.

Red Sox: 3B Pablo Sandoval was scratched after his back tightened up during BP. ... Hanley Ramirez was out for the seventh straight game with a sore right shoulder.

THAT WAS FUN

The 25-year-old Morgan enjoyed his first career start in Fenway Park.

"There's so much history here," he said. "It was an honor to be on that mound, on the mound where all the greats have played."

STRANGE FIRST SB

Ruf had his first career stolen base after he was picked off second. Catcher Ryan Hanigan fired to second with Ruf way off the bag. As he ran toward third, second baseman Holt looked at the runner at first, and Ruf made it safely.

UP NEXT:

Phillies: RHP Alec Asher (0-1) is scheduled to make his second major league start on Saturday.

Red Sox: LHP Wade Miley (10-10) is set to start Saturday. He's 0-1 in his last two starts, giving up 22 hits in 12 2-3 innings.

Filed Under: Philadelphia Phillies