After striking out in each of his first four at-bats, Ryan Howard delivered a two-run double in the 11th inning and the visiting Phillies beat the Padres, 4-2.
Phillies Vs. Padres: Ryan Howard’s 11th-Inning Drive Decisive
With Joe Blanton starting for the Phillies, this was supposed to be the Padres' "easy" game in a series that had already seen them dominated by Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels (with Roy Halladay looming Sunday).
And the Padres did fare somewhat better Saturday night. After getting shut out in the first games of the series -- with Oswalt and Hamels combining for 14 shutout innings -- San Diego did touch Blanton for a couple of runs.
In the bottom of the first inning, Cameron Maybin singled and trotted home when Jason Bartlett tripled (unfortunately, Bartlett was later nailed at the plate trying to score on a grounder, and that lone run was all they would get).
Maybin started another rally in the fifth inning. He led off with a single, and after advancing to third on a couple of ground-outs, scored on Nick Hundley's double.
After both San Diego runs, the Phillies would even things up against Padres starter Tim Stauffer. In the fourth, Jimmy Rollins scored on Ben Francisco's two-out triple. And in the sixth, Pete Orr doubled and scored moments later on Rollns' infield single.
Stauffer went six innings, Blanton seven, and then the bullpens took over and pitched brilliantly. San Diego’s relievers were perfect from the seventh through 10th innings; Philadelphia’s were perfect from the eighth through the 10th.
Placido Polanco finally broke the ice with a leadoff single in the 11th, was sacrificed to second, and moved to third on Orr's ground-out. After Jimmy Rollins was intentionally walked, Bud Black summoned left-hander Cory Luebke from the bullpen to face Ryan Howard.
Howard lifted a high drive to deep left field, where Ryan Ludwick never really looked comfortable heading back to the warning track, and the ball fell just past his glove. Polanco and Rollins both scored. Howard was cut down at the plate trying to score on Francisco's single, but more than enough damage had been done.
Ryan Madson pitched the bottom of the 11th and, despite a two-out scare when Brad Hawpe's drive carried to the warning track in left, earned his second save.
And Sunday, the Padres -- who have now scored two runs in their last 32 innings -- have to face the National League’s reigning Cy Young Award winner.
For more on the Phillies and Padres, please visit The Good Phight and Gaslamp Ball.
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