PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — Zack Wheeler pitched seven strong innings and the Philadelphia Phillies scored three runs in the seventh inning to break a tie and beat the San Diego Padres 6-4 on Thursday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park.

Wheeler allowed two runs on two hits while striking out eight, improving to 5-1 on the season. The right-hander threw 99 pitches in his outing, his third straight start of at least six innings. He retired 12 of the first 13 batters he faced and did not allow a hit until the sixth inning.

Lucas Giolito took the loss for San Diego, dropping to 2-1. He allowed two runs on six hits over four innings with five strikeouts. The Padres fell to 32-29 while the Phillies improved to 33-29, moving one game above .500 for the first time since late May.

The game was scoreless through three innings as Wheeler and Giolito traded zeros. Philadelphia broke through in the fourth. Bryson Stott singled to left field, driving in Bryce Harper from second base to put the Phillies ahead 1-0.

Philadelphia added two runs in the fifth. Adolis García led off with a home run to left-center field, his fifth of the season, tying the game at 1-1. Justin Crawford followed with a double, and after a walk to Kyle Schwarber and a force out, Brandon Marsh drew a bases-loaded walk to force in Crawford, making it 2-1.

San Diego’s offense, which managed just one hit through six innings, finally struck in the seventh. Gavin Sheets drew a one-out walk before Manny Machado crushed a 1-2 pitch from Wheeler to left-center field for a two-run homer, his 11th of the year, giving the Padres a 3-2 lead.

The lead lasted only a half-inning. In the bottom of the seventh, Philadelphia’s bats erupted. Justin Crawford walked and scored on a single by Trea Turner that tied the game 3-3. Bryce Harper followed with a single off the glove of reliever Adrian Morejon, moving Turner to third. Brandon Marsh then reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring Turner, and Alec Bohm singled to center field, driving in Harper to push the lead to 5-3. Marsh later scored on a groundout by Stott to make it 6-3.

San Diego mounted a final threat in the ninth. Ty France drew a leadoff walk against reliever Orion Kerkering. Jackson Merrill then homered to right-center field, his sixth of the season, cutting the deficit to 6-4. But Kerkering retired the next three batters, striking out Jase Bowen to end the game.

Merrill finished 1-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs. Machado went 1-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs. For Philadelphia, Stott had two hits and an RBI, and García homered. The Phillies outhit San Diego 10-4.

San Diego relievers Wandy Peralta, Ron Marinaccio and Yuki Matsui combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out five. But the damage done in the seventh was too much to overcome.

The game was the third straight win for the Phillies over the Padres, following 3-2 victories on Tuesday and Wednesday. San Diego has lost four of its last five games.

The attendance was 37,812 and the game lasted 2 hours, 45 minutes.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Philadelphia Phillies 5, San Diego Padres 3. Interstat’s ELO system projected Philadelphia with a 55.30 percent probability to win. Philadelphia was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1 1/2. The total score of 10 went under the over/under line of 8.