Slumping Phils Beat Diamondbacks 8-5
PHOENIX (AP) -- Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel didn't think much of Hunter Pence's power display during batting practice on Tuesday. His power during the game, though, was a different story.
Pence hit a two-run homer, snapping an 0-for-16 slump, and the Phillies went on to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-5 on Tuesday night.
"What it meant was he had outstanding batting practice and excellent distance of batting practice," Manuel said of Pence, who missed Monday's game with a sore left shoulder. "But that don't put no runs on the board for us. I like the one he hit in the game much better."
Pence wasn't expected to be in the Phillies lineup two days after hurting his shoulder Sunday attempting a diving catch. When his teammates last saw Pence on Monday, the right fielder couldn't lift his arm.
That changed when Pence arrived at Chase Field and started testing his range of motion.
"It felt okay so I decided to take some swings and see how it felt then," Pence said. "If I'm able to play, I'm going to play. In this game you put up with a lot."
Laynce Nix and Shane Victorino also homered and Vance Worley scattered five hits over six innings for the Phillies, who ended a three-game losing streak.
The Phillies' eight runs were their most since an 8-2 win April 15 against the New York Mets. Philadelphia entered the game next-to-last in the majors with 48 runs scored.
Worley (2-1) walked one and struck out six for his second straight win and Jonathan Papelbon pitched the ninth for his sixth save.
"They made him pitch," Manuel said. "He was gutty but at the same time his stuff was good. It just shows how good he is and how determined he is."
Josh Collmenter (0-2) lost for the second consecutive outing, allowing a season-high six runs on nine hits over six-plus innings. He struck out six.
"Any pitch that I made that didn't go where I wanted ended up where they wanted it," Collmenter said.
Jason Kubel hit his third home run in four games and Cody Ransom also homered for the Diamondbacks, who had won two straight after dropping five in a row.
The Phillies scored four in the fourth inning to take control early. Pence homered with one out just over the right-field fence, Ty Wiggington doubled and Nix followed with a long home run to right to give Worley a 4-0 lead with which to work.
"I think we needed a game where we got a good lead and were able to sustain it the whole game," Nix said. "We're confident as a group we can get the job done. It was nice to come out and do it."
Ransom led off the fifth with a solo home run to left, his first of the season, to pull Arizona within 4-1. Then the offenses really got moving.
Nix and Brian Schneider singled to lead off the seventh, ending Collmenter's night. After a sacrifice bunt, Juan Pierre looped a fly ball to left off Brian Shaw and Kubel attempted a sliding catch. Second base umpire Angel Hernandez said Kubel had trapped the ball, loading the bases, though it appeared on replay that Kubel had made the catch and Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson briefly argued in vain.
Orr tripled into the right-field corner, clearing the bases to give the Phillies a 7-1 lead.
"I thought he caught it. That's what I saw," Gibson said. "I went out there and asked Angel and he said he saw it hit the ground. That is what he saw. What am I going to say. He is not trying to blow the call. He missed it. He went out there and called what he saw. We have to overcome that and we were unable to do it."
But the Diamondbacks answered against Jose Contreras.
Willie Bloomquist singled and scored on a pinch-hit double by Ryan Roberts, who snapped an 0-for-15 streak. Parra doubled to the right-center field gap, scoring Roberts, stole third uncontested and came home on a grounder to short by Justin Upton to make it
7-1.
Diamondbacks left-hander Mike Zagurski, who was called up from Triple A Reno earlier Tuesday, came on in the eighth and promptly surrendered Victorino's leadoff home run. Kubel homered in the bottom of the inning against Chad Qualls.
"A lot of stuff really didn't go my way tonight," said Kubel, who was called out on strikes three straight times before his home run.
NOTES: Kubel has homered in consecutive games for the 12th time in his career. . After the game, the Phillies placed RHP Michael Stutes on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation and recalled RHP Michael Schwimer from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Schwimer, 1-0 with a 1.04 ERA and two saves in seven appearances, is expected to arrive before Wednesday's game. . Wiggington extended his hitting streak to 10 games. ... The Diamondbacks have homered in 17 consecutive home games against the Phillies.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
