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Phillies’ Padilla shuts down Pirates

3 min read

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Vicente Padilla, in danger of being bumped from Philadelphia’s rotation with another poor start, pitched six shutout innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates’ leaky defense helped three runs score in the Phillies’ 5-0 victory Wednesday night. Mike Lieberthal doubled and scored on Jason Michaels’ pop-fly single that fell among three Pirates in the third inning, then drove in the first run of a four-run seventh with a sacrifice fly.

First baseman Daryle Ward’s throwing error to the plate on Michaels’ grounder and reliever Rick White’s wild pitch scored two other runs, and Tomas Perez added an RBI double. Perez started only because shortstop Jimmy Rollins was a late scratch with a sore left hand.

Padilla (4-8) ended a three-game losing streak and won for the first time in five road starts by limiting Pittsburgh to four hits over six scoreless but adventuresome innings. Mark Redman (4-8) lost his fourth in a row despite giving up only three hits in six-plus innings.

Ryan Madson, Ugueth Urbina and Billy Wagner followed Padilla with a scoreless inning each to complete the five-hitter, Philadelphia’s third shutout this season.

With Padilla making his best start since shutting out the Reds for six innings in a 4-3 victory May 15, Philadelphia won only its fifth in 17 games. After taking two of three so far in Pittsburgh, the Phillies are in position to win their first series in their last seven.

The Pirates lost their seventh in nine games and are 6-17 since reaching .500 by beating Tampa Bay 18-2 on June 11. Redman’s loss was the eighth by a Pittsburgh starting pitcher in nine decisions, with the only win coming on Kip Wells’ four-hit shutout Tuesday night.

Redman appeared to get out of the third without allowing a run when he got Michaels to hit a short fly, but the ball somehow fell within a glove’s length of right fielder Matt Lawton, second baseman Jose Castillo and first baseman Ward.

That proved to be the only run Padilla and three relievers needed, a day after manager Charlie Manuel warned pitching-staff changes might come during the All-Star break. Padilla was the likely candidate to be dropped from the rotation after giving up 12 runs and 25 hits in 12 1-3 innings in his three consecutive losses.

Padilla pitched out of jams in each of his final three innings, stranding a combined six runners. The right-hander got Ward to pop out to second baseman Chase Utley on an excellent running catch to end the fourth, and Tike Redman on a fly ball with runners on second and third in the fifth. David Ross struck out to end the sixth with runners on first and third.

Notes: Sam Holbrook, scheduled to be the second base umpire, left for a family emergency and was replaced by Dusty Dellinger. … Redman has allowed 21 runs in 24 innings during his four consecutive losses. … Redman lost for the first time in four career decisions against Philadelphia. … The Pirates have not won consecutive games since June 10-11.

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