Thursday, May 5, 2011
Posted: 10:03 p.m.Updated: 11:52 p.m.
By Jim Salisbury
CSNPhilly.com
BOX SCORE
Raul Ibanez was standing in front of his locker answering a reporters question in his typically thoughtful way when he stopped in mid-sentence.
Joseph Contreras, the five-year-old son of teammate Jose Contreras, had weaved his way through a crowd of reporters and was standing by Ibanez hip.
Hey! said Ibanez, looking down at the smiling little boy.
Joseph raised his right hand, looking for a high-five. Ibanez delivered the high-five then wrapped the little tyke up in a big hug.
MLB
What a difference a few days makes. When Ibanez reported for work Tuesday, he was mired in an 0 for 34 slump and no one wanted to give him a high five. But after going 8 for 12 and driving in five runs in three wins over the Washington Nationals he was the toast of the clubhouse.
Ibanez singled, doubled and homered into the second deck above rightfield on Thursday night as the Phils capped a three-game sweep of the Nationals with a 7-3 win at Citizens Bank Park.
You hate to see a guy like Ibanez hitting .150 or something like that because you know hes going to get hot and he was hot in this series, Washingtons Jerry Hairston Jr. said.
The win improved the Phillies to 21-9. They share the best record in the majors with the Cleveland Indians.
Ibanez and Roy Halladay led the victory and that wasnt surprising given the opponent. Ibanez is hitting .333 (61 for 183) with a 14 homers and 41 RBIs in his career against Washington. Eleven of those hits have come in 20 at-bats against Washington lefty John Lannan, who took the loss Thursday night. Ibanez drove in three runs in the game, two on a third-inning double. Shane Victorino had a two-run homer in that six-run inning as the Phillies jumped out to a 6-0 lead.
Halladay allowed two runs in the fourth, but that didnt derail him. He went seven innings, did not walk a batter and struck out 10. Halladay is 5-1 for the season and 10-1 in his career against Washington. He is 5-0 with an 0.92 ERA in five starts against them as a Phillie.
After the game, Washingtons Hairston had high praise for Halladay.
Ill tell you what, hes the best pitcher Ive ever faced, said Hairston, in his 14th big-league season. And Ive faced a lot of guys. As a hitter, you hate to give a guy credit like that. But you dont what hes going to throw.
Halladay does not throw as hard as he did when he was a youngster in Toronto. But he can make his fastball dance in two different directions.
When he threw harder the ball was straighter, Hairston said. Now he doesnt throw anything straight. I know a couple of years ago, Mariano Rivera helped him with his cutter at the All-Star Game, and I really dont appreciate that because hes tough enough.
The RiveraAll-Star Game story is well-known. Only hitch is, Halladay says Rivera never helped him. He and the Yankees closer were just comparing grips on the pitch when a television camera caught them talking in the dugout.
Halladay is an amazing 18-1 with a 1.56 ERA against National League East teams as a Phillie.
Besides the three wins, the best thing that happened to the Phillies in this series was that they add a couple of bats to their lineup. Jimmy Rollins sparked the top of the lineup with three multi-hit games, and Ibanez swing and confidence seem to be restored. The Phillies hope he can continue to produce.
His swing is shorter. His bat is quicker. Hes staying on the ball. And hes relaxed, manager Charlie Manuel said of Ibanez.
Relaxing at the plate might be the most important thing that Ibanez has done.
Im trying to do less, just trying to put an easy stroke on it, Ibanez said. Sometimes hitting can be counterintuitive. Sometimes you think you have to swing harder when in reality you need to do just the opposite.
E-mail Jim Salisbury at jsalisbury@comcastsportsnet.com.
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