Oswalt Blanks Mets, Phils Win 3-0

Behind Roy Oswalt’s first complete game in red pinstripes, the Phillies took the third game and the series from the New York Mets.

Scoring started in the first for the first place Phils, getting two on with nobody out before Chase Utley knocked in Shane Victorino. Jon Niese would let up two more runs on a Ryan Howard single (off a lefty!) that scored Placido Polanco and a Raul Ibanez solo shot, his 14th of the year and 230th of his career. The lineup didn’t exactly devour Niese in his seven innings; Howard, Werth, and Ibanez combined for seven strikeouts, but Roy didn’t need much — striking out six and walking one on his way to his eighth career complete game shutout. 15 ground ball outs to only 6 fly outs to boot.

Said Oswalt:

It just feels great to be back in a pennant race.

Oswalt is now 6-1 with the team and an ERA closing on two. Former Phillie Kyle Lohse leads the Cardinals into Atlanta against Tim Hudson in the Sunday night game.

(Sports Network) – The Philadelphia Phillies got their three-game series against the rival New York Mets off to a good start and will shoot for a fifth straight win this afternoon from Citi Field.

Philadelphia remained one game ahead of Atlanta for the National League East lead and posted an 8-4 win Friday night behind 7 2/3 solid innings from staff ace Roy Halladay. The right-hander did allow four runs and eight hits with five strikeouts, and benefited from a pair of home runs by Ryan Howard and Chase Utley. Halladay even knocked in a pair of runs, while Carlos Ruiz collected three hits and an RBI for the Phillies, who have won 12 of their last 15 games.

“It’s big,” Halladay said of his hit during a four-run fourth inning. “It seems like especially in this league, two outs, you get something going and the pitcher always comes up. To be able to kind of keep it going is nice.”

Halladay became the first Phillie to win 18 games since John Denny in 1983, while Howard kept up his solid pace by homering in his third straight game. Philadelphia entered the series having scored just seven runs in six games at Citi Field this season, and remained a game ahead of the Braves after they beat St. Louis Friday night.

Phils shortstop Jimmy Rollins missed the game with a hamstring injury and could return Sunday.

Scheduled to face the Mets today is Kyle Kendrick, who’s lost four of his previous six starts. In Sunday’s 6-2 setback versus Milwaukee, Kendrick lasted just four frames and allowed five runs and seven hits.

Kendrick dropped to 9-8 in 29 games (27 starts) this season for the Phillies to go along with a 4.89 ERA. The righty defeated the Mets in mid-August and is 3-2 with a 3.00 earned run average in seven career starts against the Mets.

Mets young pitching prospect Jenrry Mejia was tagged for nine hits and six runs in just four innings of his second career start last night. He is 0-4 this season.

“What I noticed tonight was they started laying off his breaking balls.” said New York catcher Josh Thole of Philadelphia’s offensive approach. “It kind of put us in spots where we were trying to throw breaking balls early in counts and it was putting us behind a little bit. When you do that against a lineup like that, it makes it even more difficult to pitch.”

Carlos Beltran gave the Mets a short-lived lead in the third inning with a two-run homer and Thole ended with three hits for the Mets, who had won two straight and three of four games.

New York is hoping Mike Pelfrey can get his act together when he takes the ball this afternoon. Pelfrey has lost two straight and three of five starts, including Monday’s 13-3 blowout loss at Washington.

Pelfrey was pounded by the Nationals for six runs in 3 2/3 innings, falling to 13-9 in 29 games (28 starts) this season with a 3.96 ERA. Pelfrey, who opened the 2010 campaign with such promise, seems to have lost his groove. Pelfrey is 8-3 in 15 home starts, but lost to Philadelphia on August 15 at Citi Field even though he tossed seven innings of three-run ball.

The right-hander is 5-4 with a 4.73 ERA in 12 career starts against the Phils.

Philadelphia took a 7-6 lead in the season series with Friday’s win and have won four of the last five meetings between the clubs.

Save for a Carlos Beltran home run in the third, the Phillies controlled the Mets today in the first of a three game set at Citi Field. In keeping with his past three outings, Roy Halladay was less than spectacular, but got the job done, going 7 2/3 surrendering 4 runs. The hitters were there to support him however; their fourth straight game scoring seven or more runs.

The Phils kicked off the scoring in the second on a Carlos Ruiz single that plated Jayson Werth. Another run came in on a ground ball by Wilson Valdez where Chooch smartly avoided the tag long enough for Raul Ibanez to score. With a two-run cushion, Roy Halladay handed the lead to the Mets an inning later after Jennry Mejia came around on a Jose Reyes double. Scuffling, Carlos Beltran deposited a misplaced cutter into the right field seats to give the Mets a one run lead.

Not to be denied, the Phils came out in the 4th and promptly tied the game on an opposite field solo shot, his 29th of the season. A few singles and a walk later, and Roy Halladay's ground ball found a hole, scoring both Jayson Werth and Carlos Ruiz. After a Shane Victorino continued his hot hitting with an opposite field single from the left side, the Phillies had a 6-3 lead that they would never relinquish.

Halladay settled down, retiring ten of eleven batters before an Ike Davis double and 116 pitches were enough for Charlie to yank him from the game. Chad Durbin would let the run in, closing the book on Roy's night. After Ryan Madson needlessly came in in a 4-run game to close it out, Halladay officially became the first pitcher in 27 years to win 18 games in a Phillies uniform. And considering the coma this lineup went into during summer's grueling stretch, it could very easily be 20 or more.

Chase Utley finished the scoring for the Phils with a home run to Utley's Corner, just his 13th of the year. With Howard and Utley hitting again, this lineup even without Jimmy Rollins, is coming together very nicely. Consider Carlos Ruiz's day: 3-3, one run, one RBI, two walks, bringing his average up to .296 and his OBP close to .400. His contributions from the catcher position are remarkable. Shane should be commended as well, having his fourth consecutive multi-hit game, raising his September batting average to over .400 and adding to his career-high in RBI's with 63. If he can keep that average up, his increased power will be very valuable to a team lacking Jimmy's production.

As of this writing, Atlanta holds an 8-6 lead on St. Louis in the 8th inning. Albert Pujols his due up third in the top of the 9th, so no lead is safe right now. Currently, the Phillies have a 1.5 game lead on the Braves in the East.

Kyle Kendrick and his tremendously short leash get the start tomorrow against BIG PELF and his fat 4.72 Post-ASG ERA at an odd 4:10 start time in the East.

22 games over .500 and counting...

It wouldn’t be a surprise in the past, but with only twelve home runs on the year, it is. Chase belted his thirteenth of the season over the right field ridge that had been christened “Utley’s Corner” by Mets announcers last season. Ryan Howard followed up with a rocket to straightaway center that leaves Mr. September on second base. Raul Valdes leaves the game after just one inning of work. Sean Green takes his place.

After a Chris Carpenter solo shot (his 3rd RBI of the day) and a Brian McCann single, the Braves and Cards stand at 4-2 in favor of St. Louis in the bottom of the 6th. Carpenter is still going strong, while Bobby Cox has already dipped into his bullpen.

A Werth laser up the middle, a Ruiz shot the same way, and a Wilson Valdez squib down the third base line and the bases were loaded with two outs for Roy Halladay. After Mejia got the best of Halladay last inning, Roy repaid the favor. Shooting a ground ball the other way just past a diving Luis Hernandez, Werth and Ruiz scored to make it a 5-3 ball game.

Next batter Shane Victorino continued his hot hitting from the left side, slicing a ball the opposite way to score Wilson Valdez from third. Going into the back end of the fourth, it’s a 6-3 lead for the Phils, and Mejia may be on his way out of the game having already allowed more runs tonight than he has in any game all season.

Still scoreboard watching in Atlanta, the Cardinals retake the lead on a 2-run shot by Matt Holliday, up 3-1 in the top of the 4th.

For his fifth career home run at Citi Field, Ryan Howard didn’t need more than one row of seats. Depositing it just over the left field wall, Howard adds to his home run total with his 29th on the season and sixth in the past 11 days. He’s closing in on his fifth consecutive 30 Home Run, 100 RBI season.

In Atlanta, the Bravos have tied it up one a Nate McLouth bomb, the only hit of the day off Chris Carpenter.

Jennry Mejia recorded his first major league hit, an ugly late swing on a fastball that gorked into right field, and was immediately rewarded by everybody’s least favorite player, Jose Reyes, doubling the opposite way to make it a 2-1 lead for the Phillies.

Halladay was cruising until this point and with Reyes on third, Carlos Beltran woke up from his sleepwalking season just long enough to yank a middle-in pitch to Utley’s Corner in right. It took him 24 pitches to get out of the inning. Roy hasn’t been sharp lately — giving up 13 runs and counting in his last 4 outings.

The Cardinals took an early lead on the Braves on another pitcher getting a hit, Chris Carpenter knocked home Matt Holliday after former-Phil Pedro Feliz singled him over.

After a misplayed ball in left off the bat of Raul Ibanez, Carlos Ruiz stepped up with runners on second and third and one out. Taking an off-speed pitch through the hole the opposite way, Chooch knocked in Jayson Werth to give the Phils a 1-0 lead off Mets rookie Jenrry Mejía. Ruiz tied his RBI total from last year with 43 — the most since his first full season when he had 54.

Wilson Valdez immediately followed up with his patented double play. Fortunately for the away team, Carlos Ruiz eluded the tag, allowing the run to score before the Mets applied the force out. In the second inning, Roy Halladay is working with a 2-run lead at Citi Field. Things are just getting under way in Atlanta, with Mike Minor taking the mound against Chris Carpenter and the Cardinals.