Young, Ruiz Helps Phils Beat Giants To Snap Skid
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Carlos Ruiz and Michael Young hit two-run homers to back John Lannan, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the San Francisco Giants 7-3 Tuesday night to snap an eight-game losing streak.
The Phillies beat the New York Mets 13-8 in their first game after the All-Star break, but scored a total of 14 in the next eight losses to drop out of contention.
The defending World Series champion Giants have lost five in a row and eight of nine. They came off a 3-7 homestand that left them in last place in the NL West.
Lannan (3-4) allowed three runs and seven hits in seven innings.
Barry Zito (4-8) gave up four runs and five hits in 3 1-3 innings. The 2002 AL Cy Young Award winner is 0-7 with a 9.97 ERA on the road.
With Wednesday's non-waiver trade deadline approaching and neither team going anywhere, several players could be changing uniforms before the next pitch.
The possibility that Philadelphia deals Young increased when the team called up third baseman Cody Asche from Triple-A. Manager Charlie Manuel said Asche will be in the lineup on Wednesday, so Young will either play first base or move to a contender if he waives his no-trade clause.
"My family is a massive consideration in the decision-making process," Young said when asked were he'd like to go. "I'll just leave it at that."
Young almost certainly would welcome a return to the Rangers, where he spent his entire career before coming to the Phillies this season. His family still lives in Texas.
"Those things are between me and the Phillies," he said.
Asked if he expected to be traded, Young said: "I really don't know."
Ruiz, All-Star lefty Cliff Lee and closer Jonathan Papelbon also could be traded by the Phillies.
The Giants might consider moving two-time All-Star outfielder Hunter Pence and lefty Javier Lopez. Pence was traded from Houston to Philadelphia on July 29, 2011. The Phillies sent him to the Giants last July 31.
Ruiz gave the Phillies a 4-2 lead in the fourth when he lined a shot just over the left field wall. Ruiz, an All-Star last year, had not homered in 176 at-bats since last Sept. 25 against Washington. He began the year with a 25-game suspension for using a banned amphetamine.
Young connected off Guillermo Moscoso in the seventh to make it 6-2.
Pablo Sandoval drove in San Francisco's first two runs. He had a sacrifice fly in the first inning and his bloop single to right with two outs in the third drove in a run to tie it at 2.
Zito struggled through a 45-pitch first inning, allowing two runs. Delmon Young singled in a run with two outs and John Mayberry Jr. walked with the bases loaded.
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