MILWAUKEE -- The Phillies gave the NL Central-leading Brewers a taste of their own medicine Sunday, avoiding a second-half-opening sweep when Nick Williams belted his first career grand slam in a 5-2 victory at Miller Park.
Starting pitching report
Jeremy Hellickson (6-5) earned his first victory since May 19 by holding the Brewers to a pair of runs on four hits and a walk while striking out six over five innings of work.
He hadn't taken a decision in his last four starts, but including Sunday's effort, has a 3.28 ERA in his last 30 1/3 innings of work.
Save for an eight-run outburst in the second inning Friday night, Philadelphia's starters had a good series against Milwaukee, which began the second half with the fourth-most runs in the National League.
Bullpen report
Nothing to see here, just another scoreless outing from right-hander Pat Neshek, who hasn't allowed a run in 38 of his 40 outings this season, including his last five in a row.
He was one of four relievers to combine for four shutout innings against the Brewers, who made some noise by putting runners at the corners with two outs in the eighth against Luis Garcia, but he maintained the three-run lead by getting Travis Shaw on a fly out to left, ending the threat.
MLB
Hector Neris brought the tying run to the plate by putting two on to start the ninth but retired the next three in a row to lock down his eighth save of the year.
At the plate
Odubel Herrera moved into the leadoff spot after going 3 for 7 with two home runs and three RBIs in the first two games of the series.
He came up big again Sunday, picking up a pair of hits including an RBI ground-rule double in the fifth that gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead.
Williams also had two hits, highlighted by his go-ahead blast in the fourth inning — his second home run of the season and the third grand slam of the year by a Phillies' batter.
Up next
The Phillies travel to Miami where RHP Tom Koehler (1-4, 8.00 ERA) and the Marlins await for a three-game series. Right-hander Jerad Eickhoff (1-7, 4.63 ERA), who snapped a 14-start winless streak his last time out, gets the start for the Phillies.