Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Posted: 9:43 p.m.Updated: 11:53 p.m.
By Jim Salisbury
CSNPhilly.com
BOX SCORE
Charlie Manuels disgust in his teams offense showed twice on Tuesday afternoon.
First there was the lineup shuffle.
Then there was the tone of voice in explaining it.
Weve been hitting the ball soooooo hard, said Manuel, sarcasm dripping from his voice. We played 14 innings Sunday and scored a whopping one run. We tore the cover off it. I thought we might try something different.
MLB
Something different was actually something old. Jimmy Rollins moved back to his old leadoff spot for the first time this season, Shane Victorino slid to second and Placido Polanco hit in the No. 3 spot that Rollins had been occupying.
All three players came through with important contributions at the plate and Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez did damage, as well, leading the Phillies to a 4-1 victory over Jayson Werth and the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night. Cole Hamels pitched another gem on the mound, improving his season record to 4-1 and lowering his ERA to 2.66.
The win left the Phillies at 19-9, good for at least a share of the best record in the National League.
After watching his team score just three runs in its previous two games, one a 14-inning marathon, Manuel was thrilled to see his club get 12 hits, even if that proliferation didnt translate into a big number on the scoreboard, largely because the Phils were just 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position.
We left 12 men on base, but at least we had some guys on base, Manuel said.
No one felt better after the win than Ibanez. One of the most earnest men in the game, Ibanez had been tormented over the last week or so by a slump that grew to 0 for 35 after he grounded out in the second inning. Ibanez, who entered the game hitting .154, finally broke through with a hit, a ground-rule double, in the fourth inning. Later, he added an RBI double. Both balls were hard hit, and both resulted in big cheers from the sellout crowd.
It was definitely a relief, Ibanez said after the game. I cant really put it into words.
Washington shortstop Ian Desmond shared a word of encouragement with Ibanez after the fourth-inning double.
He said he looked the slump up today, Ibanez said good-naturedly. He said, If you can get out of that you can get out of anything.
Manuel was happy for Ibanez, who was wearing out his hands in the batting cage.
Youve got to grind it out, Manuel said. When the going gets tough, you stay tough with it. Swing, swing, swing. And do a lot of praying.
Ibanez was pragmatic after the game. Two doubles do not make a tear. He is still hitting .168.
I have to pretend the slump never happened and move forward, he said. It worked out today. I enjoyed the moment. But the moment is over now and youve got to move on.
Ibanez big night will likely keep him in the lineup against right-hander Jason Marquis on Wednesday night. One thing is for sure: Manuel will go with Rollins, Victorino and Polanco at the top of his lineup. The trio combined to reach base seven times and scored two runs. They also had a pair of steals and two RBIs.
The Phils will be without one major offensive contributor on Wednesday night. Hamels gets the day off after tossing his first complete game of the season. He also swung a big bat in the game with a triple and a single. His two-out triple off Livan Hernandez in the third set up the Phillies first run. The triple soared deep into the gap in right-center.
Hes going to hit a home run one of these days, Manuel said of Hamels.
Until that happens, Manuel will be happy with complete-game five-hitters like the one Hamels provided Tuesday night. The lefty threw 108 pitches.
He was never in trouble, Manuel said. He pitched a real good ballgame.
Hamels walked one and struck out six, his final strike out coming against his former teammate, Werth, in the ninth inning. Werth was hitless in three official at-bats.
Hamels has pitched brilliantly since being roughed upand booedin his first start of the season. His ERA in five starts since then is 1.42 and the Phils have won all of those games. He has picked up right where he left off in the second half of last season when his 2.23 ERA after the all-star break was the fifth-best in baseball.
Im just trying to simplify and make pitch after pitch, Hamels said. I feel fit and strong and feel like I have three or four pitches I can throw in any count.
E-mail Jim Salisbury at jsalisbury@comcastsportsnet.com
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