Pivetta didn't surrender a hit until the fifth inning and looked masterful at times, exiting in the seventh having given up three runs on five hits. He struck out seven.
The win was particularly important for Pivetta because of his struggles over his last two starts, producing an ERA of 16.59 over a combined 4 1/3 innings.
"He needed it for him and for his confidence levels," manager Gabe Kapler told reporters afterward. "We needed it as a team because we didn't want to go to our 'pen -- and we had used our 'pen quite a bit. He did a great job of establishing that he could go deep into the game."
The victory pushes the Phillies lead over Atlanta in the NL East to a half-game.
Offensively, Jorge Alfaro led the charge for the Phillies with three hits, including a solo shot in the fifth. Cesar Hernandez and Scott Kingery also each finished the evening with three hits.
Up Next
The Phillies head to Miami for a weekend series with the Marlins with Jake Arrieta toeing the rubber in the opener on Friday. The Marlins will counter with Wei-Yin Chen.
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Follow Patrick on Twitter: @PGordonPBR
