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Halladay Ks 14 As Phillies Sweep Padres In San Diego

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Halladay Ks 14 As Phillies Sweep Padres In San Diego

San Diego, CA (Sports Network) – Roy Halladay tied a career-high with 14 strikeouts and pitched into the ninth inning, as the Phillies eked out a 3-1 win over the San Diego Padres to cap a four-game sweep at Petco Park.

Halladay (3-1) was pulled after Will Venable hit his 130th pitch into center field for a run-scoring single with two outs in the ninth. Antonio Bastardo entered from the bullpen to face pinch-hitter Nick Hundley, who flied out to right field on the first pitch he saw to end the game.

Shane Victorino raced around for an inside-the-park homer, while John Mayberry and Ben Francisco each knocked in a run behind Halladay, who gave up just five hits and a walk in the team’s fifth straight win.

“Nothing surprises me about him,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said about Halladay. “I expect him to pitch good.”

Wade LeBlanc (0-1), recalled from Triple-A Tucson prior to the game, lasted eight innings and yielded three runs on nine hits and four walks for the Padres, who have lost 11 straight home games to the Phillies.

Both pitchers posted goose eggs in the run column until the Phillies opened the sixth with four consecutive hits. Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard each singled, and the former scored on Francisco’s base hit off the glove of a diving Ryan Ludwick in left.

Mayberry followed with a double to left for a 2-0 game, and though that was all the Phillies mustered that inning, they tacked on another run behind the speedy Victorino in the seventh.

The leadoff hitter poked a ball into right-center that Venable nearly caught with an out-stretched dive. But the ball hopped out of Venable’s glove as he hit the ground and caromed towards an unoccupied center field, and Victorino sped around the bases and slid in head first ahead of the relay throw.

“It was exciting. It’s something I’ll always remember,” said Victorino of his first career inside-the-parker.

Halladay struck out six straight at one point and was one inning away from his 20th career shutout. Cameron Maybin led off the ninth with a base hit to right and was erased on a fielder’s choice. Chase Headley brought the tying run to the plate with another single before Ludwick flied out to center.

Venable ended Halladay’s shutout bid with his hit, but Bastardo finished off the right-hander’s win with his first career save.

“[Halladay] was on today,” Padres manager Bud Black said. “We got to him, but it was a little too late.”

The Phillies outscored the Padres, 12-3, in the series, their first four-game sweep in San Diego since May 1979…LeBlanc’s outing was the longest of his career…The Padres optioned pitcher Pat Neshek to Tucson to make room for LeBlanc…Game time: 2:10.

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Ryan Howard's RBI Double In 11th Lifts Phillies Over Padres

After Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels pitched back to back scoreless gems, all eyes were on Joe Blanton to finally turn in a decent performance. In pitcher friendly Petco Park against the worst offense in baseball, he did just that. Blanton threw seven innings of two run ball where 13 of the 18 balls he allowed in play were grounders.

The night started out shaky for Blanton, who gave a single to the first batter he faced, then allowed a triple to Josh Bartlett for the Padres first run. He walked the third batter and it appeared like he may be headed for a very short night. However, country Joe bounced back first throwing out Josh Bartlett at home, then getting Jorge Cantu to line out before striking out Ryan Ludwick to end the threat.

Ben Francisco would get the run back in the top of the fourth when he tripled home Jimmy Rollins on a play where Padres outfield Cameron Maybin probably deserves an assist. Francisco hit a liner that sliced to right center that despite clearly having almost no shot at catching, Maybin dove for, taking himself out of the play in the process and allowing the ball to go all the way to the wall.

Unfortunately, the struggling Raul Ibanez would strike out to end the inning.

The only other run the Phillies would give up came in the bottom of the fifth when he gave up a leadoff single to Maybin. Blanton induced two straight groundouts afterward, but Maybin was able to advance each time, putting himself on third with Nick Hundley at the plate. Hundley singled to put the Padres up 2-1.

The Phils would even it up in the next half inning when Jimmy Rollins knocked in Pete Orr.

The bullpen would take over from that point as Danys Baez, Antonio Bastardo, Kyle Kendrick & Ryan Madson combined for four scoreless innings and just one hit. Bastardo was particularly electric, striking out the side in the bottom of the ninth.

In the top of the 11th Placido Polanco singled to lead off the inning and was able to advance to third with two outs. The Padres elected to walk the rather hot Jimmy Rollins who was 2-3 with a walk to face the ice cold Ryan Howard who had struck out in all four of his at bats. It was the second straight “golden sombrero” for Howard, who has been almost impossibly awful in this series.

So the logic in electing to pitch to Howard was sound, but the result certainly wasn’t what San Diego manager Bud Black was hoping for. Howard roped a 1-0 pitch off the left field wall to score Polanco and Rollins and put the Phils up 4-2. Howard would however be thrown out at home on the ensuing play.

Ryan Madson came on for his second save of the season.

The Phillies will send Roy Halladay to the hill tomorrow afternoon at 4:30 eastern as they go for the sweep. Given what the rest of the Phillies staff has done this weekend combined with pitcher friendly Petco and that terrible Padres lineup… we could be in for something pretty special from Mr Halladay.

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Hamels Dominates As Phillies Shut Out Padres For Second Straight Game

San Diego, CA (Sports Network) – Pitching well again in his hometown, Cole Hamels sparkled in eight scoreless innings to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 2-0 victory over San Diego.

The Padres have been shut out in each of the first two games of this four-game set and have been held scoreless in 21 straight innings.

Of course, they aren’t the only team having trouble scoring runs against the vaunted Phillies staff.

Hamels (2-1) yielded just four hits and three walks, striking out eight to pilot Philadelphia to its fifth shutout in 19 games — the first time since 1913 the team has done that.

He threw 82 of his 126 pitches for strikes, but was pulled for Ryan Madson after the eighth.

“When you start a game, you want to finish it. That’s always been my mind set. Unfortunately, the pitch counts get in the way,” said Hamels. “But at the same time, it does protect you through a long season and it’s still early.”

Madson threw a perfect ninth for his first save - aided by Jimmy Rollins’ in the-hole stab and strong throw to get Nick Hundley leading off — ending the game in just 2 hours and 17 minutes.

Ryan Howard provided the only offense the Phillies needed with a two-run triple in the third inning, and Philadelphia won its ninth straight game in San Diego.

The Padres, shut down by Roy Oswalt and three relievers in Thursday’s opener, only had four baserunners after loading the bases with two outs in the second inning.

Clayton Richard (1-1) took the loss in 7 1/3 good innings, giving up six hits and four walks with four strikeouts.

The Padres have lost five of their last six and fell to 2-12 in their last 14 games against Philadelphia.

The Phillies remained undefeated in San Diego since August 16, 2008.

Hamels, whose road to the majors began as a high school pitcher in San Diego, improved to 3-1 lifetime at Petco Park. He worked out of his only jam in the second inning, getting the pitcher Richard to line out with the bases loaded.

The Phillies took the lead in the third. Hamels led off with a single, but was caught in a rundown after being picked off at first base. Shane Victorino and Placido Polanco walked, and Howard scored both runners with a triple off the wall in right-center field.

Howard knocked his first triple of the season to a deep part of the big ballpark and beat the throw to third base with a head-first slide.

“Hitters like him, they’ll get their doubles, triples, home runs — they’ll get those things,” said Richard. “It’s minimizing the damage before that, not putting guys on.”

The Phillies won their third straight game despite being held to four runs or fewer for the 11th straight time. They are 32-13 in their last 45 games against the Padres and 13-1 in their last 14 games in San Diego.

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Oswalt Throws Six Scoreless Innings As Phillies Shut Out Padres 3-0

Four pitchers combined to shut out the Padres as the Phillies won 3-0 to improve to 12-6 on the season. It was the Phillies fifth shutout of the year and third on the road. Roy Oswalt got the win after he turned in what is quickly becoming a very typical Oswalt outing. He went six innings, giving up just one hit and struck out seven.

The Phillies got all the offensive they would need in the top of the second when Ben Francisco led off with a home run and Brian Schneider hit one out two batters later. The Phillies would add another run in the third when Chris Denorfia dropped a fly ball from Ben Francisco with the bases loaded.

The Padres really only threatened in the seventh inning. David Herndon came on in relief in of Oswalt and promptly got two outs. However he allowed a single to Nick Hundley and walked Cameron Maybin to put two on with two out. Charlie Manuel opted to bring on Antonio Bastardo, who then walked Will Venable to load the bases, but got Alberto Gonzalez to fly out to end the inning.

Bastardo stayed on for the 8th and struck out two for a scoreless inning. The lefty has yet to allow a run this year. Jose Contreras came on for the save.

Ryan Howard had a rough night, going 0-5 with four strikeouts and leaving six men on base. All told, the Phillies left a whopping 24 men on base.

Cole Hamels gets the start tomorrow in his home town.

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