Major League Baseball

Ibanez powers Phillies over Nats

Published May. 16, 2009 9:52 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

Playing a doubleheader following a 12-inning game the night before, the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals both needed some solid starting pitching.

The Phillies got it. The Nationals didn't come close.

Brett Myers cranked out seven innings, Raul Ibanez hit a pair of home runs, and the Phillies battered the National League's worst pitching staff again Saturday in an 8-5 victory in the opener of the day-night doubleheader.

Ibanez finished with three hits, three runs and four RBIs, and Jayson Werth also homered for the Phillies, whose 10-4 road record is the best in the majors.

After using eight pitchers in Friday night's 10-6 extra-inning loss, Nationals manager Manny Acta was asked early Saturday what he expected from starter Scott Olsen. He replied, "Eight innings," but only got only five.

Olsen (1-4) allowed nine hits, six runs (five earned) and needed 94 pitches.

The Phillies used seven pitchers Friday night, including J.A. Happ, the expected starter for Saturday's Game 2. Andrew Carpenter was therefore called up from Triple-A to start the second game, and Myers (3-2) helped eased the load on the bullpen in Game 1 by matching his longest outing of season while striking out a season-high eight.

Ryan Madson allowed three runs in the eighth, and Brad Lidge earned his sixth save.

Ibanez hit a solo homer in the first to straightaway center, and Werth hit a solo shot just left of center in the second. Ibanez followed with a three-run launch that hit the facade above right-center field in the third, his 12th homer of the season. He is 17 for 30 with five homers and 13 RBIs against the Nationals this season.

Ryan Zimmerman hit a solo homer and had a late RBI single for Washington. Although his 30-game hitting streak ended a few days earlier, the third baseman still has a run of 33 straight games in which he has reached base safely. He's barely more than halfway to George Van Haltern's National League record of 60.

Notes

Nationals CF Elijah Dukes, who strained his left hamstring in Friday's game, struck out as a pinch hitter in the ninth. .. Philadelphia 2B Chase Utley, who was hit by pitches twice Friday night, also sat out. Utley is in an 0 for 18 slump. ... The Phillies got an unearned run in the fifth after 1B Nick Johnson booted an easy grounder, the majors-worst 36th error of the season for Washington. ... Phillies 1B Ryan Howard, with the infield shifted, hit into an unusual 4-5-3 double play in the seventh. ... The first game was a makeup for an April 15 rainout.

share

Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Major League Baseball