PHILADELPHIA —
Austin Hedges can, indeed, help the Padres win with his bat.
On his 27th birthday, starting for just the third time in 10 games, Hedges’ seventh-inning home run provided the difference in a 3-2 victory over the Phillies on a sticky, stifling and slow Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park.
With the lift from their new backup catcher, the Padres finally did not wilt in the heat, winning a road series for the first times in six tries since the All-Star break and taking the deciding game of a series for just the third time in 10 chances this season.