Rhys Hoskins gave the Phillies all the runs Zach Eflin needed

Eflin continued to shine for Philadelphia with just four hits allowed over seven shutout innings Ugo Amadi Jersey , and Hoskins hit a three-run homer to help the Phillies beat the New York Yankees 3-0 on Wednesday night.

Eflin, acquired in the 2014 trade that sent fan favorite and former NL MVP Jimmy Rollins to the Los Angeles Dodgers, won his fifth straight start and kept the surprising Phillies in the thick of the NL East race.

”You can see why they’re kind of excited about him,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. ”I thought he threw the ball really well and really was in command. He kind of shut us down. We were pretty quiet. Even when we’re not scoring runs, we’re mounting things. We really didn’t mount that much against him.”

Eflin (6-2) became the first Phillies pitcher to win five starts in a month (he had a 1.76 ERA in June) since Cole Hamels went 5-0 in May 2012. Eflin has turned into a stopper of sorts for Philly: He won his fourth game this month following a Phillies loss. Eflin walked two, struck out six and helped the Phillies avoid a three-game sweep before beginning a key four-game series against the division rival Washington Nationals. The Phillies trail the Atlanta Braves by 2 1/2 games, and the Nationals are 3 1/2 back.

”Being able to be healthy and to focus on pitching alone is probably the biggest thing,” Eflin said. ”Going in with a great game plan and two catchers who know how to call a great game is extremely beneficial. And doing that and putting the puzzle pieces together has been awesome.”

Eflin, who did not allow a homer over 30 2/3 innings in June, also at last got most of the 42,028 fans at packed Citizens Bank Park to root, root, root for the home team. Yankees fans swarmed the stadium for all three games of the series, and ”Let’s go Yankees!” chants boomed at first pitch.

By the time Searanthony Dominguez struck out Gleyber Torres to wrap up his fifth save, over two scoreless innings, Phillies fans were on their feet as Yankees fans trudged toward the exits.

Manager Gabe Kapler implored Phillies fans to pack CBP for the Nationals series.

”You need exposure to that because we expect to be in the playoffs many times in the coming years Devin White Jersey ,” he said. ”These are young players that are going to be expected to perform under those conditions. It’s nice to have some exposure to that early in their careers.”

The Yankees, who have the best record in baseball at 52-26, sat slugging outfielder Aaron Judge for the series finale. Boone wanted to pair a day of rest with Thursday’s off day to keep Judge fresh when the team returns to the Bronx for a weekend set with Boston. The Yankees and Red Sox have been neck and neck atop the AL East, the only teams with a legitimate shot at the division title.

Luis Cessa (0-1) lasted only three innings in his first start for the Yankees since last Aug. 14 and was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after taking the loss. The Phillies had two runners on and two outs in the second inning when Hoskins connected on an opposite-field shot to left for his 12th homer of the season. He hit his sixth home run in 17 games this June, and he has given the Phillies a lead with 11 of his homers.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: RHP Masahiro Tanaka, on the 10-day DL since June 9 with strained left and right hamstrings, is set to throw again on Friday. The Yankees haven’t decided if Tanaka will make a rehab start or throw a simulated game.

Phillies: RHP Pat Neshek, out all season because of an injured right shoulder, is set to make his third rehab appearance on Friday. He’s pitched twice for Double-A Reading. … RHP Jerad Eickhoff (nerve) will throw a bullpen session on Thursday and head to Florida for more work. … RHP Luis Garcia (sore right wrist) will throw a bullpen session on Friday and could possibly be activated on Sunday. … RHP Edubray Ramos (right shoulder) will throw from flat ground on Thursday.

HOSKINS MILESTONES

Hoskins became the fastest Phillie to reach 30 career homers in games played (119), topping Chuck Klein (132) and Ryan Howard (134).

”My first thought was, `Wow.’ Any time you get mentioned in a sentence with either of those guys or anyone of their caliber is pretty humbling,” he said.

RELIEF ACE

Yankees reliever Giovanny Gallegos struck out a career-high six over three innings.

UP NEXT

Yankees: After a day off on Thursday, CC Sabathia (4-3, 3.18 ERA) takes the mound to open the three-game set against the Red Sox. Boone said Luis Severino, the majors’ first 12-game winner, will start on Sunday.

Phillies: RHP Aaron Nola (9-2 L.J. Collier Jersey , 2.58) opens the first of a four-game series against the Nationals.

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Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona thought the worst when Carlos Carrasco was struck on the right arm by a line drive.

”From where I was standing I thought it might have hit him in the face so there was a little bit of a sense of relief, but it caught him right kind of on that funny bone,” Francona said after the Indians’ 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Saturday. ”He was hurting.”

Carrasco grabbed his arm after being hit by Joe Mauer’s leadoff liner in the second inning and went to his knees on the infield grass.

Although the Indians announced Carrasco was diagnosed with a forearm contusion, Francona said the pitcher was struck on the elbow. During his postgame press conference, Francona said Carrasco was still being examined at a hospital. The team was expected to have an update Sunday.

The Twins got four hits from Eddie Rosario in their latest victory over the Indians. Rosario hit his 16th homer for the Twins, who have won five straight against the AL Central leaders to improve to 6-2 against Cleveland this season.

Rosario swung at the first pitch in all four of his hits. He also scored four times, drove in two runs and swiped a base. Rosario is batting .471 with six homers and 11 RBIs against Cleveland this season.

”Everything is going good,” he said. ”I like it. I feel more comfortable playing against the Indians.”

”Four pitches, four hits today,” Minnesota manager Paul Molitor said. ”Right now, he feels like he can hit just about anything.”

Minnesota scored four runs in the first off Carrasco (8-5). Eduardo Escobar and Max Kepler each hit a two-run double in the inning. Logan Morrison had three RBIs, including a two-run double in the sixth.

Matt Magill (2-1) got the win with three scoreless innings in relief of Fernando Romero.

Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez homered in the first for Cleveland, which has lost four of five.

Carrasco’s injury forced the Indians to use six relievers, including Adam Plutko, who was scheduled to start Sunday’s series finale. Plutko pitched the seventh and eighth.

Outfielder Brandon Guyer, making his first professional pitching appearance Johnathan Abram Jersey , retired the side in order in the ninth on eight pitches.

Carrasco was coming off one of his best starts of the season. He struck out 11 in seven shutout innings against the White Sox on Monday, but he struggled against the Twins. Carrasco threw 37 pitches in the first when he allowed four hits, walked a batter and hit another.

Mauer lined the second pitch of the second to the mound, striking Carrasco directly on the arm. He hopped off the mound and went to the ground before being visited by Francona and a team trainer. Carrasco then walked to the dugout with the trainer and was replaced by Oliver Perez.

”You don’t want to see anybody get hit with a line drive like that,” Molitor said. ”It kind of shakes everyone for a moment, even though you try not to let it.”

The ball that struck Carrasco rolled to first baseman Edwin Encarnacion, who stepped on the bag for the out.

Carrasco was hit in the face by a line drive in 2015, but made his next turn in the rotation. The right-hander broke his right hand after being hit by a line drive late in the 2016 season and missed the playoffs.

Mauer led off the game with a single, his first hit since being activated from the disabled list Friday. Rosario walked and both runners scored on Escobar’s double. Morrison was hit by a pitch. Robbie Grossman’s one-out single loaded the bases and Kepler doubled high off the wall in right, scoring two more runs.

Rosario hit an RBI single in the sixth and a solo homer in the eighth.

YOUR TURN

Guyer was told late in the game that he’d be pitching the ninth. He retired Taylor Motter on a groundout and Ryan LaMarre and Kepler on fly balls.

”I was a pretty good pitcher back in the day,” Guyer said. ”I had elbow surgery when I was 12 that ended the pitching days.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Twins: OF Byron Buxton (toe fracture) will begin a minor league rehab assignment at Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday.

Indians: LHP Andrew Miller (right knee inflammation) has thrown several bullpen sessions, but it hasn’t been decided when he’ll face hitters as part of his rehab process.

UP NEXT

Twins RHP Jake Odorizzi (3-3, 4.19 ERA) will start the series finale. RHP Shane Bieber (0-0, 6.35) will be called up from Triple-A Columbus to start for the Indians.

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