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Phillies' six-game win streak ends in L.A.

Their bats fell silent after an early two-run lead. Freddy Galvis extended his hitting streak to 10 games.

LOS ANGELES - Jerad Eickhoff saved his career three summers ago when an old pitching coach urged him to throw a curveball. The breaking pitch became the righthander's dominant offering, one Eickhoff throws with command and precision.

But when the curveball does not comply - like it did on Friday night in a 5-3 loss to the Dodgers - Eickhoff can be in trouble. The loss snapped the Phillies' six-game winning streak as they start a seven-game road trip against the Dodgers and the Cubs, two of the National League's heavyweights.The righthander allowed five earned runs, two of which scored after he was removed with two outs in the sixth.

"It just comes down to the curveball," Eickhoff said. "I had it in the first inning there and I just couldn't find that release point. I struggled with it. I kept them off balance with the slider and located fastballs. I mean, they had seven, eight singles or something like that. The ball just kind of fell where it did today. It's kind of frustrating. But yeah, just the curveball. I couldn't put them away."

Eickhoff allowed three runs or less in each of his four starts this season before Friday night. He last allowed more than four runs on July 21 of last season. Nights like Friday seem to be outliers. With a working curveball, he is one of the team's most reliable pitchers.

"He just wasn't himself," manager Pete Mackanin said. "He's allowed to have a bad game once in awhile."

The Phillies spotted Eickhoff a two-run lead but then went quiet. Michael Saunders struck out with a runner on third in the eighth to end a short-lived rally. Freddy Galvis drove in two runs with a double in the third and then scored in the eighth after reaching on a bunt single. His hitting streak reached 10 games and he was the only player with more than one hit.

Dodgers second baseman Chase Utley, who entered the game batting just .088, raised his batting average over .100 for the first time since April 7 by going 1 for 4 with a single.

Tommy Joseph and Cameron Rupp continued to slump. Joseph went 0 for 4 as his batting average sunk to .190. Rupp singled to go 1 for 3 with a walk as his average moved to .180. The Phillies left eight runners on base. Dodgers starter Kenta Maeda struck out eight batters in seven innings, shutting down the Phillies after the two runs in the third.

"A two run lead is really nothing when you think about it," Mackanin said. "It's nice to get a lead but you don't want to hang on for nine innings with a two run lead. You need to add on and we couldn't. Maeda pitched well. He mixed it up. We just couldn't zero in on him and get a big inning going."

Four of Eickhoff's five runs scored with two outs. He gave allowed nine baserunners to reach with two outs. His first run scored in the third when his curveball skipped into the dirt before reaching home plate. It was that kind of night.

"It was either coming out early or I was adjusting to it, I'd grip it a little tighter and I'd spike it," Eickhoff said. "There was no in between. Then I'd get it over in the zone and it got put in play."