Jonathan Papelbon pitched a perfect ninth inning against the Dodgers to earn his 21st save of the season on Tuesday.
Paps also struck out a batter to preserve a 3-2 lead. The veteran seems well on his way to reversing a troubling trend in July. In his first month as a Phillie, Papelbon posted a sparkling 0.90 ERA. In May, that number spiked to 3.38 and in June he imploded to the tune of a 5.00 ERA. Papelbon allowed six runs over five outings between June 17-July 5, but he’s since turned in four straight scoreless appearances. His job is obviously not in jeopardy.