PHILADELPHIA -- Manager Pete Mackanin of the Philadelphia Phillies recalled a conversation he had last year with pitching coach Bob McClure. The subject was starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson and his use of changeups against right-handed batters.

Mackanin was against it, but deferred to McClure, who was convinced Hellickson needed to stay throwing the off-speed pitch.

Hellickson's changeup continued to confuse Miami Marlins' hitters and his Phillies came away with a 3-2 win at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday afternoon.

Hellickson (4-0) outdueled Edinson Volquez (0-3) to stay undefeated. The righty lasted six innings. He allowed one run on seven hits and struck out just one batter against zero walks, lowering his ERA to 1.80 and his WHIP to 0.80 in the process.

Hellickson has been dominant against the Marlins since becoming a member of the Phillies prior to the 2016 season. In six starts he's now 4-1 with a 1.95 ERA in 46 1/3 innings pitched.

"That's my go-to pitch against everybody," Hellickson said of the changeup. "I'm just locating it well right now."

Said Mackanin: "If you've got that good of arm action on your changeup that deceives hitters, and the movement on his changeup, like he does, that deceives hitters, you can get anybody out with it."

The Marlins couldn't come up with an answer for Hellickson.

"He really controls the changeup and throws it in any count," said third baseman Martin Prado. "He threw the ball very well today."

The Phillies (11-9) won their sixth game in a row, and it's the first time Philadelphia has won six straight against divisional opponents since 2015.

Hector Neris -- one of five relievers the Phillies used -- notched his third save with a 1-2-3 ninth to preserve Hellickson's win.

Hellickson cruised through the Miami order easily the first time around.

But with the Phillies up 2-0, Hellickson needed to get out of trouble in the fourth to keep his team ahead. Facing the meat of the Marlins order with runners at first and third and no outs, Hellickson struck out Giancarlo Stanton with a well-placed changeup and retired Marcell Ozuna on a popup to shortstop and J.T. Realmuto on a lineout to shortstop Freddy Galvis.

Hellickson couldn't escape trouble in the sixth, though. After Stanton hit a one-out double, Realmuto smacked an RBI single to left to cut the score to 2-1.

The Phillies got insurance in the bottom half.

With Michael Saunders on first after a single, first baseman Brock Stassi roped a ball to the corner in right. The Marlins, with a perfect relay, beat Saunders to the plate with the throw, but the outfielder snuck his hand by Realmuto's glove and was called safe by home plate umpire Angel Hernandez.

Stassi's triple ended Volquez's night. The veteran righty allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits. He struck out two and walked four.

"I just left that changeup right down the middle," Volquez said. "He was sitting on it maybe because I threw one behind in the count.

Philadelphia's insurance run off Volquez was needed.

With Hellickson done after six, the Phillies turned to their bullpen for the last nine outs. Edubray Ramos entered first and was greeted with an Adeiny Hechavarria liner off his right elbow. Ramos was removed for lefty Joely Rodriguez, who promptly hit Derek Dietrich with his first pitch.

Gordon then bounced into a fielder's choice to short and the Marlins had runners at first and third again, this time with one out.

Mackanin summoned Pat Neshek, who got Prado to pop out before allowing a Christian Yelich RBI-single to bring up Stanton. With two runners on, Stanton was again fooled by a changeup and the Phillies escaped the seventh still ahead 3-2.

"That was huge," Mackanin said. "You know what Stanton is capable of."

Joaquin Benoit pitched a clean eighth to set up Neris for the save opportunity.

The Phillies tallied a run in the first thanks to a Gordon throwing error. They scored again in the third on an Odubel Herrera RBI groundout to take a 2-0 lead.

The Marlins outhit the Phillies, 9-7.

NOTES: Phillies RHP Jeremy Hellickson surpassed the 1,000-inning mark for his career Thursday. He was one inning shy entering the game. ... Phillies SS Freddy Galvis extended his hitting streak to nine games with a 2-for-4 outing Thursday. ... Hall of Fame announcer Felo Ramirez, 93, the Spanish-language radio voice of the Marlins, was hospitalized with head injuries suffered after a fall from the team bus in Philadelphia Wednesday, according to the Miami Herald... Miami finished an 11-day road trip Thursday and heads home to begin a five-game homestand Friday with the beginning of a three-game series against Pittsburgh. ... The Phillies head west and begin a three-game series in Los Angeles Friday against the Dodgers before playing four in Chicago against the defending champion Cubs.