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The Phillies played 82 games from the start of the season to the end of June, going 51-31. In those 82 games, they were eighth in the NL in runs scored. After June, the Phils played 80 games, going 51-29. They led the league in runs scored in those 80 games.

Here’s a look back at what the offense did by position, breaking the season down into two halves — the 82 games through the end of June and the 80 games after the start of July.

Catcher:

Ruiz served as the primary catcher for the Phils in both the first and second half of the season. He was simply much better during the second half (after the end of June) than he was in the first.

Ruiz played a little more in the second half and showed more power, but mostly just got a lot more hits, hitting .317 in the second half after hitting .243 in the first. He actually walked a little less regularly in the second half, about 9.2% of his plate appearances compared to about 11.3% in the first half, but his on-base percentage was a whole lot better thanks to the much better batting average.

First base:

At first, Howard fared about as well after the end of June as he had in the first 82 games of the year:

Very similar numbers for Howard in both halves. He walked more regularly in the first half, but hit for nearly the same average with about the same power.

The Phils did see a benefit at the position in the second half of the year thanks to John Mayberry. Mayberry started just ten games at first the whole year, but nine of those starts came after the end of June. Mayberry crushed the ball in 2011 while playing first for the Phillies — in his 45 plate appearances while playing first he put up a monster 409/422/682 line.

Second:

Second base was an offensive disaster for the Phils in the early part of the season. Chase Utley returned at the end of May and hit .222 in 27 May at-bats, but followed that up with a fantastic June in which he hit 297/387/470. He was even better in July as he hit 293/369/550. From August 1 to the end of the regular season he hit a meager 227/305/343. Here’s what his numbers first and second half look like:

Utley was simply not good after the end of June, hitting just .250 and on-basing .328. As uninspired as those numbers are, they still were a significant improvement for a team that struggled to find offense from the position while Utley was out.

Here’s the numbers of games started at second base for the Phils in the first and second halves of the year:

So Utley started about 38% of the games at second through the end of June and about 86% of the games after June. And even though he wasn’t hitting particularly Utley-like, that’s still important. Cause even a sluggish Utley is a whole lot better offensively than those other guys. Here’s what the four guys who started games for the Phillies at second did offensively while playing that position in 2011:

Even an Utley way off his game was way better than the rest of those guys, most notably out on-basing the second-best on-base percentage in the group (Valdez) by more than fifty points.

After Utley returned to the Phillies on May 23, the Phils led the NL in runs scored the rest of the way. That was despite the fact that the offense wasn’t good at all in June, though, as the Phils finished eleventh in the NL that month. Because the offense was so terrible in June (despite a monster 297/387/470 line for Utley for the month) it’s hard for me to see his return as the turnaround point for the offense. The offense was best in the NL after that date because 1) they were fantastic in July, better than any other NL team, and very strong in August and September and 2) in the nine games from May 23 to the end of May, the Phils played nine games and scored 51 runs or 5.67 runs per game.

Third base:

Polanco, you may have noticed, was atrocious in 2011. He didn’t start out that way, though. He hit nearly .400 in April, putting up a 398/447/524 line over 114 plate appearances. After that he hit 243/304/287 the rest of the way.

He played a lot less in the second half of the season, and without the huge April his numbers were a lot worse:

When he did play in the second half, Polanco’s walk rate rose a little (8.7% of plate appearances compared to 7.6% in the first half), but his average was way off and his power nearly gone altogether. He had four extra-base hits from July 1 to the end of the year.

Here’s who started at third for the Phils through the end of June and after the start of July:

Polanco got more than 90% of the starts in the first 82 games of the year for the Phils. After the start of July, Valdez, Martinez and Orr combined to start more often at third than he did.

Here’s what the guys did offensively while playing third for the Phils this year:

Unlike second base, there was not a huge improvement at the position when the Phils got their starter on the field. For the year, Valdez and Martinez both offered significantly more power from the position while getting on base a little less. Not to be forgotten is that Polanco hit 243/304/287 for the year after the end of April — both Martinez and Valdez gave the Phils more offense at third when they played than Polanco did after his strong April.

Short:

At shortstop, Jimmy Rollins was a much better offensive player in the second half of the year than he was in the first.

More hits and more power for Rollins in the second half of the season than the first. His walk rate was down, but just a tiny bit, and thanks to all the hits his on-base percentage was up to .351. From June 26 through August 20, Rollins hit 298/372/461 over 215 plate appearances.

He didn’t play nearly as much in the second half as he did the first. Valdez made 20 starts at short on the season and 15 of them came after the start of July. Valdez had solid numbers while playing short for the Phils in 2011, though, posting a 278/338/414 line over 81 plate appearances. That’s very similar to the 272/340/417 line that Rollins put up while playing short in 2011.

While playing short for the Phils in 2011, Valdez posted a 278/338/414 line over 81 plate appearances. He got 219 plate appearances as something other than a shortstop. In those plate appearances he hit 239/277/313.

Left field:

Ibanez didn’t play as much in left field in the second half of the season, but when he did he was a little better:

He was still terrible at getting on base, but Ibanez did show a bit more power in the second half of the year.

Ibanez started in left in 72 of the first 82 (87.8%) games of the season for the Phils. After the start of July the Phils played 80 games and he started just 59 (73.7%). The other 21 second-half starts were made by Mayberry (12) and Francisco (nine).

Both of those guys were fantastic in the second half. Here’s what the two did after the start of July (at all positions, not just left field):

Mayberry was absolutely fantastic in the second half, hitting 12 home runs in 179 plate appearances while on-basing .358. That’s a lot of home runs — at that pace he would hit about 37 over a season of 550 plate appearances. For the season, he actually hit 15 over 296 plate appearances, which would have him at about 25 over 550 plate appearances.

Francisco hardly played at all after the start of July, but when he did he hit .322. That’s more than a hundred points higher than the .220 he hit in 228 plate appearances in the first 82 games of the season when he had a chance to cement his status as an everyday player. Just a tiny number of chances for Francisco in the second half, but I do think it’s curious that he seemingly forgot all about try to walk and hit .322. In the first 82 games of the season he walked in 12.7% of his plate appearances and in the last 80 he got just 65 plate appearances but walked in only 6.2% of them.

As bad as Francisco was with the Phils in 2011, he on-based .340 for the season, which was a career high. I think there’s a good chance that the Phils are going to regret having given him away.

Center Field:

Victorino played about as much in center the first and second halves of the season with about the same results.

More hits in the first half, more walks in the second with about the same power all season long. Victorino started 63 of the 82 first half games (76.8%) and 63 of the 80 second-half games (78.5%). He really only had one month of the season where he wasn’t an outstanding offensive player in 2011 and that was September. After going 2-for-4 with a walk against the Fish on September 2, Victorino was hitting a silly 308/384/542 for the season. He would hit 163/237/288 in 115 plate appearances the rest of the way. Curiously the Phils kept playing him and playing him down the stretch, even after they clinched and he continued to slump. Victorino got 125 plate appearances in September, which led the team and was also the most he had in any month in 2011.

There were 34 games for the Phils in 2011 when Victorino didn’t start at center. Mayberry started 26 of them and Martinez eight. Martinez was predictably terrible, going 5-for-39 with five singles and no walks (128/128/128).

Overall for the year, Mayberry didn’t get on base a whole lot in his 115 plate appearances as a center fielder, but he did show a ton of power. He posted a 236/296/472 line in center for the season.

In his 13 starts in center field in the first half of the year, Mayberry was wretched. In those 13 games he hit 191/255/277. In the second half he started 13 games as well, but with much different results, posting a 291/328/673. In 13 second-half starts in center, Mayberry went 16-for-55 with 12 of the 16 hits going for extra-bases — seven doubles, a triple and four home runs. Four home over 13 starts is impressive, but so is seven doubles. At that pace, over 162 starts you would tally about 50 home runs and 87 doubles.

Right field:

Hunter Pence was traded from the Astros in late July and played his first game with the Phils on July 30. He was great in August (340/413/600) and almost as great in September (317/385/550).

For the 2011 season, Pence hit 325/396/563 in 235 plate appearances as the right field fielder for the Phillies.

This is what the guys for the Phils other than Pence who played right field for the Phils did in 2011 while playing right field:

Mayberry had some nifty numbers in 26 plate appearances and Gload went 3-for-10, but those guys were bad overall. Most notably, Brown and Francisco combined to get 413 plate appearances in which they hit a meager 236/333/379 combined.

To summarize:

• In right, Pence arrived at the end of July and was not just good but great, hitting 324/394/560 over 236 plate appearances with the Phils.
• At second, the first half production was miserable. Utley returned on May 23 and gave the Phils an enormous boost, replacing at-bats by Valdez, Orr and Martinez with Utley at-bats. He didn’t have a Chase Utley-like performance after the start of July, hitting just 250/328/414 from the start July to the end of the season, but it was still enough to give the Phils a huge boost at the position.
• At catcher, Ruiz was a better hitter after the start of July. Getting about the same playing time in both halves, Ruiz hit 243/348/333 before the start of July and 317/391/425 from the start of July to the end of the regular season.
• At short, Rollins, like Ruiz, was just better at offensively during the second half, hitting 286/351/437 after the start of July having ended June with a 254/327/368 line.
• In left, Ibanez was bad both halves, but did get better in the second half and showed more power. He also played less in the second half as Francisco and Mayberry combined to make 21 starts in left. Francisco was good in limited time in the second half and Mayberry was great, hitting 301/358/607.
• In center, Victorino had similar numbers both halves with a little drop off after July. Mayberry started the same number of games in center in the first and second halves (13), but had much better numbers in his 13 starts in center after July than before it. In 13 starts in center before the end of June he hit 191/255/277. In his 13 starts in center after the start of July he hit 291/328/673.
• At first base, Ryan Howard had similar numbers in both halves. The Phils got a small bump at the position from Mayberry at the second half when Mayberry started nine of the ten games he started at first for the season. For the year, Mayberry hit a silly 409/422/682 as a 1B.
• At third, Polanco, awful with the bat in 2011, did see less time at third during the second half of the year, but his fantastic April plus the fact that the guys who replaced him at third when he didn’t play in the second half didn’t do much of anything to help the Phillies.

Again, the Phils got a huge boost from Mayberry in the last 80 games, helping out in left, center and at first base.

A big question about the second-half surge seems to be whether Utley’s return or Pence’s arrival was a bigger factor. My thinking is that Pence was a bigger factor from July to the end of the year, but Utley’s return was likely a bigger factor for the year. More on that soon.

The comments close two weeks after a post is published, which is why we could not continue the discussion from the previous about whether or not David Wright is coming to the Phils. He’s not. Or at least a lot of people are going to be real surprised if he is.

The Phils scored just five runs in their double-header with the Marlins yesterday, but thanks to some outstanding work from their starting pitchers it was enough to get a sweep. Kendrick threw five strong innings in the day game in his first start since August 24. Lee was brilliant in the night game, but lost his complete-game shutout when Jose Lopez tied the game with a homer on an 0-2 pitch with two outs in the ninth. The Phils won it in the tenth.

The Phils also got four shutout innings from the pen in Kendrick’s game, although the relievers didn’t pitch particularly well, allowing six hits and three walks over four frames.

It’s going to take some good pitching to get the Phils some wins these days — they have scored a total of 14 runs over their last seven games.

The night game of the double-header saw the return of Chase Utley to the starting lineup. He and Rollins started the same game for the first time since August 21.

The Phils won the day game of the double-header 3-1. RBI-doubles by Pence and Ibanez put them up 2-0 in the bottom of the first. Kendrick gave up a solo homer to Logan Morrison in the top of the fifth, the first hit he had allowed, cutting the lead to 2-1. Polanco walked with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh to extend the lead to 3-1. The Fish loaded the bases in the eighth and put their first two runners on in the ninth, but Lidge and Madson kept them off the board.

Bastardo had yet another worrisome outing in the game. He started the eighth and faced three batters, getting one out and allowing a double and a walk. Over his last four appearances, eight of the 11 batters that Bastardo has faced have reached base on three hits and five walks. That’s a problem for a Phillies team with no other left-handed relief options and only one lefty in the pen when Bastardo is pitching well.

The Phils won the night game 2-1 on a walkoff double to the gap in left-center by Howard in the bottom of the tenth.

The Phillies are 97-51 on the year after beating the Florida Marlins 2-1 last night in the second game of a day/night double-header. The Phils sweep the double-header and are in first place in the NL East, 12 games ahead of the Braves. The Phils won 97 games in 2010, but only two teams in the history of the organization (’76 and ’77) have won more than 97.

Cliff Lee got the start for the Phillies in the night game and allowed a run over nine innings on five hits. Two of the hits went for extra-bases, a double and a home run. He struck out 12 and didn’t walk a batter.

In the first he got Emilio Bonifacio on a ground ball to second for the first out before Bryan Petersen doubled to right. Mike Stanton was next and Lee hit him with a pitch, putting men on first and second. Jose Lopez flew to left for the second out and Omar Infante struck out swinging to leave both runners stranded.

Donnie Murphy singled to start the second. Lee struck Matt Dominguez out for the first out and got Brett Hayes to ground into a double-play behind him.

Pitcher Alex Sanabia led off the third and struck out looking. Bonifacio flew to center for the second out and Petersen lined softly to short.

Lee got the first two in the fourth before Infante singled to center. He struck Murphy out swinging 0-2 to leave Infante at first.

Dominguez started the fifth with a single, but Lee struck out Hayes trying to hit and Sanabia trying to bunt for the first two outs. Bonifacio grounded to second for the third out.

Lee struck out Stanton and Lopez in the sixth.

Up 1-0, he set the Marlins down in order in the seventh.

Righty Gaby Sanchez hit for Hayes and grounded to second for the first out in the eighth. John Buck hit for the pitcher Steve Cishek and struck out for the second. Bonifacio struck out looking 0-2 for the third.

Lee struck out Petersen for the first out in the ninth. Stanton was next and ripped a line drive to left, but Ibanez made a fantastic diving catch for the second out. Lee got ahead of Lopez 0-2 and made a terrible pitch, a high fastball that Lopez hit out to left, tying the game at 1-1. Infante grounded to second for the third out.

Schwimer started the tenth for the Phils. He struck Murphy out for the first out before Dobbs hit for Dominguez. Schwimer got the lefty Dobbs on a popup to Martinez for the second out. Lefty Logan Morrison hit for the pitcher Edward Mujica and Morrison struck him out looking 1-2.

That’s the best of Schwimer’s seven career appearances and it came at a good time. He threw 15 pitches in the game.

The Phillies lineup against righty Alex Sanabia went (1) Rollins (2) Mayberry (3) Utley (4) Pence (5) Ibanez (6) Gload (7) Ruiz (8) Orr. Golly. Victorino on the bench with Mayberry in center and hitting second. Utley back to play second and hit third. Gload plays first with Howard on the bench. Orr at third with Polanco watching.

Mayberry singled with one out in the bottom of the first, but Utley and Pence both flew out behind him.

Gload singled with one out in the second and took second on a wild pitch. He was left there when Ruiz flew to left and Orr struck out swinging.

The Phils went in order in the third on fly balls by Lee, Rollins and Mayberry, all to center.

Utley, Pence and Ibanez all struck out in the fourth.

Gload singled to left to start the fifth and Ruiz flew to right behind him. Orr was next and hit a ball hard that was knocked down by the pitcher Sanabia. Sanabia picked up the ball and threw to second, forcing Gload for the second out with Orr safe at first. Lee moved Orr up to second with an infield single, but Rollins popped to the third baseman Dominguez in foul territory to end the inning.

Mayberry led off the sixth and hit a 2-0 pitch out down the left field line for a homer that put the Phils up 1-0. Utley grounded to short for the first out before Pence doubled to right. Ibanez moved Pence to third with a ground out to first, but Gload struck out swinging to leave him stranded.

The Phils went in order in the seventh.

Utley singled with two outs in the eighth, but Pence struck out swinging behind him to leave him at first.

The game was tied at 1-1 when the Phillies hit in the bottom of the ninth. Ibanez and Ruiz both struck out as the Phils went in order.

Righty Burke Badenhop started the tenth for the Fish and couldn’t throw strikes. He walked Martinez on four pitches and threw three straight balls to Howard before finally getting one over. Howard hammered his 3-1 pitch to the gap in left-center and the ball landed on the warning track. Martinez raced around to score, giving the Phils a 2-1 win.

Howard breaks out of an 0-for-15 slump with a huge swing to win the game.

Rollins was 0-for-4 in the game with a strikeout. 1-for-5 in the double-header. 3-for-his-last-13 with three singles.

Mayberry 2-for-4 with his 14th home run. He has a .615 slugging percentage since the All-Star break, which is the best on the team. There are 148 NL players who have at least 100 plate appearances in the second half — Mayberry’s .615 slugging percentage is fifth-best (although he just barely makes the cut with 118 plate appearances).

Utley 1-for-4. 2-for-5 with two singles in the double-header.

Pence 1-for-4 with a double and two strikeouts. He could probably use some rest before it’s all over, too.

Ibanez 0-for-4 and struck out twice. 2-for-8 with a double in the double-header. 289/347/467 so far in September.

Gload 2-for-4 with a strikeout. That’s just the second time this year he has had more than one hit in a game. He’s 6-for-his-last-15 (.400). Just two walks in 100 plate appearances for the year.

Ruiz 0-for-4 with a strikeout. 1-for-5 on the day. 361/430/470 over his last 94 plate appearances.

Orr 0-for-3 and struck out twice. 0-for-6 with four strikeouts in the double-header. 2-for-his-last-19.

Vance Worley (11-2, 2.92) faces lefty Jaime Garcia (12-7, 3.68) tonight. Garcia started against the Phillies on May 17 and held them to an unearned run on five hits and walk over eight innings. The Phillies are 14-1 in the last 15 games that Worley has started. He’s thrown to a 4.34 ERA in his first three starts in September and opponents have hit .307 against him.

It has been a magical season for the Phillies so far in 2011. But not for everyone. Several key players have struggled overall despite the amazing success of the team. Last night two of the guys who have struggled made enormous contributions as the Phils topped the Braves 3-2 on a walkoff single by Gload to complete a three-game sweep.

Oswalt threw seven strong innings in the game for the Phils, throwing in the low 90′s coming off of two worrisome starts in a row. Coming into the outing, Oswalt had thrown to a 4.79 ERA over his last seven outings. He looked great last night, though, especially early as he started the game tossing five shutout innings in which he struck out six.

The Phils hit in the bottom of the ninth with the game knotted at 2-2. With one man out and men on first and second, Manuel called on Gload to hit against righty Peter Moylan and Gload delivered in a big way, ripping a ball down the right field line for a game-winner. It was a huge hit for Gload in a season where he has been slowed by a hip injury — he came into last night’s game just 5-for-his-last-39.

The Phillies are 91-48 after beating the Atlanta Braves 3-2 last night. With the win the Phils complete the three-game sweep of Atlanta and extend their lead over the Braves in the NL East to 10 1/2 games. They are 43 games above .500 for the first time in the history of the organization.

Oswalt got the start for the Phillies and went seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits and four walks. One of the hits went for extra-bases, a double. He struck out seven. Two of his last four starts have been very good.

Oswalt got Michael Bourn on a ground ball to second for the first out of the game. Martin Prado was next and hit a ball to short that Martinez muffed for an error. It put a man on first for Chipper Jones, but Chipper hit a ball back to the mound and Oswalt went to second as the Phils turned two.

Oswalt walked Brian McCann on a 3-2 pitch to start the second. He struck Dan Uggla out swinging for the first out and got Eric Hinske to fly to left for the second. Jason Heyward walked 3-2, though, and the Braves had runners on first and second for Alex Gonzalez. Oswalt struck him out on three pitches, getting him swinging to leave both runners stranded.

Oswalt started the third with a 1-0 lead. He struck out the pitcher Brandon Beachy for the first out and Michael Bourn for the second. Prado grounded to short to end the frame.

Oswalt struck Uggla and McCann both out swinging in a 1-2-3 fourth.

He walked Heyward with one out in the fifth. Gonzalez flew to right for the second out. Beachy hit a ground ball to short. Martinez fielded and looked to flip to Utley for the force, but Utley was already headed for the dugout. Martinez beat Heyward to second for the force to end the frame.

Bourn doubled to center to start the sixth. Prado tried to bunt him to third, but popped it up to Oswalt for the first out. Chipper was next and he singled into center, scoring Bourn to tie the game at 1-1. Oswalt struck McCann out for the second out before walking Uggla. Hinske popped out to Polanco in foul territory to leave both runners stranded.

Heyward started the seventh with a single to center and Gonzalez bunted him to second with the first out. Freeman was next and he singled into center, scoring Heyward to put Atlanta up 2-1. Bourn and Prado both flew to right to leave Freeman at first.

Bastardo started the eighth and Chipper singled to center to start the inning. McCann walked behind Jones, putting men on first and second for Uggla. Uggla hit a ground ball to third. Polanco fielded, stepped on third and threw to second to complete a double-play that left the Braves with two down and a man on first. Righty Matt Diaz hit for the pitcher Eric O’Flaherty and flew to right on a ball that Pence took in foul territory for the third out.

Bastardo keeps the Braves off the board with the help of the big double-play by Polanco, but doesn’t look fantastic. This comes off of his most recent outing on Saturday in which he walked the only two hitters he faced, so four of the last six batters he has faced in his last two outings have reached on three walks and a single. On the plus side, he does have a 1.66 ERA for the year and opponents are hitting .114 against him.

Madson pitched the ninth with the game tied at 2-2. Heyward led off with an infield single and Gonzalez bunted him to second with the first out. Freeman popped to short for the second and Bourn grounded to short to end the frame.

Madson has thrown 7 1/3 shutout innings over his last eight appearances. He was pitching for the second straight day and threw 11 pitches in the game. Bastardo threw 16 pitches.

The Phillies lineup against righty Brandon Beachy went (1) Victorino (2) Polanco (3) Utley (4) Howard (5) Pence (6) Ibanez (7) Ruiz (8) Martinez. Martinez at short with Rollins sidelined.

The Phils went in order in the first.

Howard and Pence both struck out to start the second, but Ibanez was next and he hit a 3-2 pitch out to right-center, putting the Phils up 1-0. Ruiz flew to right for the third out.

Martinez and Victorino struck out as the Phils went in order in the third.

Beachy set them down 1-2-3 again in the fourth.

Pence struck out for the first out as the Phils went in order again in the fifth.

The game was tied at 1-1 when the Phillies hit in the sixth. Victorino walked on four pitches with two outs and moved to third when Polanco followed with a single to right. Lefty Eric O’Flaherty took over for Beachy and hit Utley on the helmet with a pitch, loading the bases. Howard struck out swinging at a 2-2 pitch to end the inning and leave the bases loaded.

The original ruling was that Heyward had caught Polanco’s sinking line drive to right, but that was overruled and Fredi Gonzalez was ejected arguing. Looked like the ball was trapped by Heyward.

Down 2-1, the Phils went in order in the seventh.

With lefty Jonny Venters on the mound for the Braves, Mayberry hit for Martinez to start the eighth and singled to right. Valdez hit for Bastardo and bunted Mayberry to second with the first out. Victorino struck out swinging for the second out, but Polanco lined a single to right. Mayberry raced around third and came in to score as Heyward’s throw was way up the third base line, tying the game at 2-2. Francisco hit for Utley, who had been hit in the head with a pitch in the sixth, and drew a walk. Howard struck out swinging to leave the runners at first and second.

Big strikeout for Victorino after Mayberry gets bunted to second, but Polanco picks him up with the RBI-single.

Ibanez walked with one out in the ninth and moved to second when Ruiz followed with a single. With righty Peter Moylan on the mound for the Braves, Gload hit for Madson. He got behind 0-2, but hit a 1-2 pitch past Freeman and down the right field line. Would have been a double, but Ibanez scored to give the Phils a 3-2 win.

Victorino was 0-for-3 with a walk and three strikeouts. 2-for-11 with three walks in the three-game series. 300/379/523 for the year. 196/305/314 over his last 59 plate appearances. He’s high on the list of Phillies who look to me like they could use some rest.

Polanco 2-for-4 with a huge RBI. 5-for-12 in the series and twice hit by a pitch. 278/333/336 on the year. 236/293/270 in 329 plate appearances since the end of April.

Utley 0-for-2 and hit by a pitch. This says that Utley will not fly to Milwaukee. 3-for-12 with a triple and a home run in the series. 262/344/441 for the year. 206/264/363 over his last 110 plate appearances.

Howard was 0-for-4, struck out three times and left five men on base. 3-for-10 with three walks and a home run in the series. 262/368/570 over his last 125 plate appearances with ten home runs. He’s hitting 252/345/491 for the season.

Pence 0-for-4 and struck out twice. 4-for-11 with a walk and two doubles in the series. 308/363/484 for the year. 308/383/523 in 149 plate appearances with the Phillies. He’s now hit to the same .308 average with the Astros and the Phillies, but gotten on base more and hit with more power while with the Phils.

Ibanez 1-for-3 with a walk and a home run, which was the only extra-base hit of the game for the Phils (Gload was denied a double by winning the thing). 4-for-7 with a double, a walk, a home run and four RBI in the series after sitting against a righty in game one. He’s at 247/293/426 for the year. He’s walking in about 6.2% of his plate appearances this season, which is his worst rate since 1998.

Ruiz 1-for-4. 2-for-8 with a walk and two RBI in the series. 280/373/382 for the year. He’s hitting .250 at home and .309 on the road. He’s on-based .377 over his last 1,214 plate appearances.

Martinez 0-for-2 with a strikeout and an error. 0-for-7 with two walks in the series. 209/259/308 for the year.

Cole Hamels (13-7, 2.63) faces lefty Chris Narveson (10-6, 4.26) tonight in Milwaukee. Narveson has pitched well over his last seven outings, throwing to a 2.70 ERA. He hasn’t gone more than 5 1/3 innings in any of his last three starts. Hamels hasn’t allowed more than three runs in any of his last seven starts. His home runs are up a little of late — he allowed two in his last start and has given up four over his past 33 innings. He only allowed eight in 152 innings to start the season.

The Phils topped the Braves last night, winning 6-3 behind another solid effort from Vance Worley. The Phils are 14-0 in the last 14 games that Worley has started.

After sitting against a righty in game one of the series, Ibanez was back in the lineup and hammering the ball in game two. He went 3-for-4 with a double and drove in three of the six Phillie runs.

The Phillies are 90-48 on the year after beating the Atlanta Braves 6-3 last night. With the win the Phils extend their lead over Atlanta in the division to 9 1/2 games.

Worley got the start for the Phillies and went six innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and three walks. Two of the hits went for extra-bases, a double and a home run. He struck out six.

He walked Martin Prado with one out in the first and Prado moved up to second when Brian McCann followed with a single to left. Worley stuck Dan Uggla out swinging and Chipper Jones out looking to leave both runners stranded.

Up 2-0, Worley threw a 1-2-3 second.

Michael Bourn bunted for a single with one out in the third. Prado was next and grounded to second with Bourn forced at second for the second out. Worley struck McCann out looking to set Atlanta down.

Uggla led off the fourth and hit a 2-1 pitch out to right center, cutting the lead to 2-1. Chipper and Freddie Freeman followed that with back-to-back singles, putting men on first and second with nobody out. Worley escaped further damage, though, striking out Alex Gonzalez and Jose Constanza before getting the pitcher Tim Hudson on a ground ball to first.

Six strikeouts for Worley through four innings — he wouldn’t get any more in his last two innings. Over his last seven starts he has struck out 43 hitters in 39 innings. In his first 13 appearances on the year he struck out 53 in 73 1/3 innings.

Bourn started the fifth with a single into center, but Worley got Prado to hit into a double-play behind him. McCann flew to center for the third out.

He walked Uggla to start the sixth and Chipper followed with a double that moved Uggla up to third. Freeman walked on a 3-2 pitch and the bases were loaded. Gonzalez flew to left for the first out, deep enough for Uggla to tag, score and tie the game at 2-2. Constanza was next and he flew to left with the runners holding first and second. Hudson hit for himself and flew to center.

Worley comes up big against the bottom of the order after walking two to help the Braves load the bases.

Stutes started the seventh with a 4-2 lead. Bourn led off with a double to right. Prado was next and flew to left for the first out before Stutes walked McCann. Bourn stole third and the runners were at the corners for Uggla. Uggla hit a ground ball to third with Bourn scoring (4-3) as Polanco went to second to force McCann for the second out. Chipper flew to right to leave Uggla at first.

Stutes has a 5.18 ERA over his last 19 appearances and has given up five home runs in 24 1/3 innings in those outings.

Lidge started the eighth with a 6-3 lead. Gonzalez singled to left with one out, but Lidge struck Constanza out behind him for the second out. Lefty Eric Hinske hit for the pitcher Cristhian Martinez. Lidge struck him out swinging at a wild 2-2 pitch with Hinske taking first. Bourn struck out swinging 1-2 to leave the runners at first and second.

Lidge strikes out three in the frame and doesn’t walk a batter. In 12 1/3 innings he has now struck out 17 and walked ten.

Madson pitched the ninth up 6-3. He allowed a leadoff single to Prado, but got McCann to hit into a double-play behind him. He struck Uggla out swinging 2-2 to end the game.

Madson hasn’t been charged with a run in his last seven appearances since he was charged with six runs in two-thirds of an inning against the Nats on August 19. Over his last seven appearances he has allowed four hits and no walks over 6 1/3 innings while striking out six.

Lee threw a complete game in the series opener, so nobody in the pen has pitched more than one day in a row. Stutes threw 21 pitches, Lidge 20 and Madson 16.

The Phillies lineup against righty Tim Hudson went (1) Victorino (2) Polanco (3) Utley (4) Howard (5) Pence (6) Ibanez (7) Schneider (8) Martinez. Martinez at short with Rollins still on the DL and Valdez on the bench. Ibanez back in left after Mayberry started against the righty Lowe in game one. Schneider catches with Ruiz on the bench.

With two outs in the first, Utley hit a 2-2 pitch out to right center, putting the Phils up 1-0. Howard and Pence followed that with back-to-back singles, which put men on first and second for Ibanez. Ibanez dumped a single in front of a diving Bourn. Howard scored to put the Phils up 2-0 and Pence moved up to third. Schneider grounded to second for the third out.

Victorino walked with two outs in the second, but Polanco grounded to short behind him.

Howard and Pence struck out as the Phils went in order in the third.

Martinez walked with two outs in the fourth and the lead cut to 2-1. Worley was next and smashed a ball to third, but Chipper handled it and threw to second to force Martinez and end the inning.

The Phils went in order in the fifth.

The game was tied at 2-2 when Howard walked to start the sixth. Pence doubled to center, putting men on second and third. With Ibanez at the plate, a wild pitch brought Howard home (3-2) and moved Pence to third. Ibanez doubled high off the wall in right center, scoring Pence to extend the lead to 4-2. Schneider fouled out to third for the first out before Martinez walked, putting men on first and second. With the righty Hudson still pitching for Atlanta, Mayberry hit for Worley and grounded into a double-play to end the inning.

No more runs for the Phils after putting Ibanez on second with nobody out. Martinez walks twice in a game for his second time in three starts. Manuel calls on Mayberry to hit against the righty. It’s too early for Gload, but it’s an interesting choice of Mayberry over the lefty Bowker.

It was 4-3 when Victorino led off the seventh with a single to right. Polanco was hit by a pitch behind him, putting men on first and second. Utley grounded to second with Polanco forced at second for the first out and Victorino moving to third. Howard grounded to second with Victorino scoring (5-3) and Utley moving up to second with two outs. Pence followed with a walk, putting men on first and second for Ibanez. Ibanez singled to right, scoring Utley to make it 6-3 with Pence moving up to second. With righty Cristhian Martinez pitching for the Braves, Ruiz hit for Schneider and walked to load the bases. Martinez struck Martinez out swinging 0-2 to leave the bases loaded.

With righty Anthony Varvaro pitching for Atlanta, Gload hit for Lidge and flew to right for the first out of the eighth. Victorino grounded to short for the second out before Polanco singled to right. Utley flew to center to leave Polanco at first.

Victorino was 1-for-4 with a walk in the game. He’s 3-for-his-last-18.

Polanco 1-for-4. He has two extra-base hits, both doubles, in his last 159 plate appearances.

Utley 1-for-5 with his tenth home run. He’s 5-for-30 to start September.

Howard 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. 6-for-his-last-12 with a double, a home run and seven walks. 284/411/581 over his last 90 plate appearances.

Pence 2-for-3 with a walk a double. 317/393/540 with the Phils in 145 plate appearances.

Ibanez 3-for-4 with a double and three RBI. He’s 13-for-his-last-34 with four doubles and a home run (382/417/588).

Schneider was 0-for-3 in the game and is 1-for-his-last-13.

Martinez 0-for-2 with two walks and two strikeouts.

Oswalt (7-8, 3.80) faces righty Brandon Beachy (7-2, 3.37) tonight. Righties are on-basing just .283 against Beachy for the year, but the Phils have hit him well in his three starts against them. In three outings against the Phillies, Beachy is 0-1 with a 5.79 ERA and has allowed 21 hits in 14 innings. Oswalt has thrown to a 4.70 ERA in his ten starts since the end of May, allowing 78 hits in 59 1/3 innings as opponents have hit .324 against him. He has made one start against Atlanta this year, allowing two runs (only one of which was earned) over six innings on April 9.

Chuck LaMar resigned.

There have been some low moments in Phillies history, but yesterday marks one of the high ones. With a 6-4 win over the Reds, the Phils completed a four-game sweep and moved to 41 games above .500, which ties them for the best mark in the history of the organization.

For the only time in the series, the Phillies didn’t get outstanding starting pitching in yesterday’s game. Worley pitched well early, but gave up a three-run homer in the seventh before leaving charged with four runs. The bullpen was very good, though, throwing three shutout frames after he left in which they held the Reds to just one walk and struck out five. The pitching overall held the Reds to six runs in the four-game set, three of which came on one swing — a pinch-hit three-run homer by Chris Heisey off of Worley yesterday.

The Phils outscored the Reds 21-6 in the four game series. Howard and Martinez both homered yesterday. The Phils hit eight long balls in the series — three for Howard and two for Pence with Ibanez, Martinez and Victorino all hitting one.

The Phillies are 87-46 after beating the Cincinnati Reds 6-4 yesterday afternoon. With the win the Phils complete a sweep of the four-game series. They are in first place in the NL East, 7 1/2 games of the second-place Braves. The Phils were also 41 games over .500 in August of 1976.

Worley got the start for the Phillies and went six innings, allowing four runs on eight hits and a walk. Four of the hits went for extra-bases, three doubles and a homer. He struck out seven. Worley allowed two home runs in 62 1/3 innings to start the season. Since then he has allowed five in 42 innings.

Brandon Phillips singled to right to start the bottom of the first. Worley got Edgar Renteria and Joey Votto on a pair of fly balls before Jay Bruce flew to center to leave Phillips at first.

Worley started the second with a 3-0 lead. He walked Juan Francisco on four pitches and Yonder Alonso moved Francisco up to second with a single into center. Worley got out of it, though, striking Drew Stubbs out looking 0-2 for the first out, Ryan Hanigan looking 2-2 and getting the pitcher Mike Leake on a ground ball to third to leave both runners stranded.

Phillips doubled to start the third. Renteria was next and hit a ball to short, which Valdez made a fantastic diving play on, fielding and throwing to first for the first out with Phillips moving up to third. Votto followed with a fly ball to center, deep enough for Phillips to tag and score, cutting the lead to 3-1. Bruce singled to right before Worley struck Francisco out looking to end the inning.

First run allowed by a Phillies’s starting pitcher in the series.

Worley set the Reds down in order in the fourth.

First 1-2-3 inning for Worley and the first time that the leadoff hitter had not reached based. He had thrown 53 pitches through four innings.

Worley got Leake and Phillips to start the fifth before Renteria hit a ball that Ibanez may have misread. It landed for a double. Worley got ahead of Votto 2-0 and struck him out looking 2-2 to end the inning with Renteria at second.

Up 4-1, Worley set the Reds down in order in the sixth.

He started the seventh with a 6-1 lead. Stubbs led off and doubled over Victorino’s head in center. Hanigan moved Stubbs to third with a single. Righty Chris Heisey hit for the pitcher Jeremy Horst and Heisey lined an 0-1 pitch out to right for a three-run homer that made it 6-4. Lidge took over for Worley and struck Phillips out for the first out before walking Renteria. Bastardo took over to face the lefty Votto and got Votto to hit into an inning-ending double-play.

Heisey makes it a game again with the pinch-hit three-run homer. Lidge continues to walk way too many hitters, walking one of the two guys he faces. He has a 1.74 ERA for the year, but has walked ten in 10 1/3 innings.

Bastardo was back for the eighth and struck out the side, getting Bruce , Francisco and Alonso all swinging.

Golly. Bastardo dropped his ERA on the year to 1.38 with 1 2/3 scoreless innings. He has struck out 65 in 52 1/3 innings. This says that the .112 average opponents have hit against him is the best in history for any pitcher who has thrown more than 50 innings.

Madson pitched the ninth. He got Stubbs swinging 1-2 for the first out and Hanigan on a ground ball to third for the second. Righty Ramon Hernandez hit for the pitcher Francisco Cordero and Madson got him on a ground ball to short to end the game.

Madson has thrown two days in a row and threw 14 pitches in the game. Bastardo 18 and Lidge nine.

The Phillies lineup against righty Mike Leake went (1) Victorino (2) Martinez (3) Utley (4) Howard (5) Pence (6) Ibanez (7) Schneider (8) Valdez. Schneider catches the day game after a night game. Valdez plays short with Rollins on the DL. Martinez plays third with Polanco on the bench. Ibanez in left against the righty with Mayberry on the bench. Martinez doesn’t really belong hitting second, no matter how many games you’ve won or who is hurt. I assume Manuel does it that way to keep the other players hitting in the same spot in the order, but I think I’d just go with something other than the who can’t hit hitting second.

The Phillies went in order in the first.

Pence doubled to left with one out in the second and Ibanez walked behind him. Schneider was next and he singled to left, scoring Pence to put the Phils up 1-0 with one out and men on first and second. Valdez reached on an infield single to load the bases before Worley singled into center. Ibanez scored from third (2-0) and Schneider tried to score from second but was thrown out by Stubbs for the second out. With men on first and second, Victorino singled into left, scoring Valdez (3-0) and pushing Worley to second. Martinez flew to right to leave both runners stranded.

RBI-single for Worley after Halladay knocked in three runs with a double in game two.

Utley, Howard and Pence went in order in the third.

With the lead cut to 3-1, the Phillies went in order in the fourth.

Victorino singled to right with one out in the fifth. Martinez was next and hit the ball hard, but Votto took the line drive and stepped on first to double-off Victorino and set the Phillies down.

Martinez hit that ball well, just into bad luck.

With one out in the sixth, Howard hit a 1-0 pitch out to right-center, putting the Phils up 4-1. Pence flew to center for the second out before Ibanez hit a ball to first that went under the glove of Votto for a two-base error. Schneider struck out swinging 3-2 to leave Ibanez at second.

Valdez singled off of righty Jared Burton to start the seventh. Worley bunted him to second with the first out. Victorino grounded to second with Valdez moving up to third. Martinez was next and he hit a 3-2 pitch out to right for a two-run homer, putting the Phils up 6-1. Utley and Howard singled back-to-back before Pence grounded to short to leave them on the bases.

Again Martinez hits the ball hard, this time out of the yard.

The Phils went in order in the eighth. With lefty Bill Bray on the mound for the Reds, Ruiz hit for Schneider and flew to left for the second out.

With righty Francisco Cordero pitching for Cincy, Gload hit for Bastardo and singled to left to start the ninth. Mayberry ran for Gload at first, but Victorino, Martinez and Utley all grounded out to keep the Phils off the board.

With Bowker available on the bench, Manuel gives the at-bat to Gload. Gload still being run for on the bases with his hip problem. Gload starts September with a hit after going 1-for-15 in August and coming into the game 3-for-his-last-29.

Victorino 2-for-5 with an RBI. 4-for-16 with three walks, a double and a home run in the four-game series. He’s hitting 307/382/538 for the year.

Martinez 1-for-5 with a two-run homer. He’s 8-for-his-last-52 (154/170/250) and hitting 212/249/312 for the season.

Utley 1-for-5 in the game and 3-for-18 with three singles and a walk in the series. 241/309/330 over his last 123 plate appearances. 272/355/444 for the season.

Howard was 2-for-4 with a home run yesterday and 4-for-18 with three home runs and five RBI in the series. 250/337/490.

Pence 1-for-4 with a double. 5-for-16 with a walk, a double and two home runs in the set. He’s hitting 312/366/492 for the year and 327/398/570 in 123 plate appearances with the Phils.

Ibanez 0-for-3 with a walk. 3-for-8 with a walk and a home run in the series. 240/280/416 for the year. Mayberry pinch ran yesterday and was 1-for-7 with a walk in the series to drop his line on the year to 264/329/514.

Schneider 1-for-3 with an RBI in his only action of the series. He’s hitting 176/248/275 for the year.

Valdez 2-for-4 in the game and 5-for-15 in the series. He’s hitting 247/292/335 for the year. 293/333/483 in 63 plate appearances since the beginning of August.

Oswalt (6-8, 3.77) faces lefty Brad Hand (1-4, 4.08) tonight in Florida. Hand had good numbers for the season before his most recent start, August 8 against the Braves, in which he allowed seven runs in five innings. He was sent back to the minors after that and returns to the Marlins for tonight’s start. He’s walked too many this year, giving up 25 walks in 39 2/3 innings. He’s especially walked a ton of right-handed batters — righties are hitting .211 against him for the year but on-basing .351 (he’s walked 24 of the 136 righties he has faced). Oswalt didn’t look good in his most recent start, which came against Florida a week ago today. He allowed six runs on 12 hits and a walk over 5 2/3 innings. John Buck hit a grand slam off of him in the sixth.

The Phils dropped game three of their set with the Mets yesterday afternoon, falling 7-4 and allowing four runs in a first inning that included a big error from Michael Martinez in which the Phils got no outs on a ball that might have yielded a double-play.

The error put some focus on the absence of Jimmy Rollins at short, but it also took some focus away from the fact that Kyle Kendrick didn’t pitch well. Kendrick was charged with six runs over four innings in the game. Thanks to the error by Martinez, only two of them were earned, but Kendrick allowed two home runs, including a three-run shot to Nick Evans in the first after the Martinez error, over four innings.

John Mayberry took a temporary break from homering in the game, going 0-for-4 with an RBI, but the offense is on a roll that saw the Phillies score 23 runs in the three-game set and has produced more than three runs in eight straight games. Victorino and Pence continue to produce for the Phils. The pair drove in three runs yesterday and went a combined 9-for-26 in the three-game set, driving in ten runs. Victorino has hit 348/424/618 over his last 232 plate appearances (not a typo, look it up) and Pence is hitting 322/402/540 in his 102 plate appearances since joining the Phillies.

The Phillies are 83-45 on the year after falling to the New York Mets 7-4 yesterday afternoon. The Phils take the series two games to one and remain in first place in the NL East, 6 1/2 games ahead of the Braves.

Kendrick got the start for the Phils and went four innings, allowing six runs on seven hits and a walk. Only two of the six runs were earned. Two of the hits went for extra-bases, both home runs. He struck out two.

Angel Pagan was the first batter of the game and singled to center. Ruben Tejada was next and hit a ball to short that Martinez didn’t handle for an error, putting men on first and second. David Wright was next and singled to right, loading the bases for Lucas Duda. Duda grounded to second with Utley going to Martinez to force Wright for the first out of the game. Pagan scored and the Mets led 1-0 with men on the corners. Kendrick struck Jason Bay out swinging 2-2 for the second out, but Nick Evans was next and he hit a 1-0 pitch out to left for a three-run homer that made it 4-0. Josh Thole grounded back to Kendrick for the third out.

The Phils might not have gotten two if Martinez hadn’t muffed Tejada’s ball, but they sure would have gotten one. At least Evans is a righty, cause Kendrick giving up a three-run shot to a lefty in the first might have been too much.

Pitcher Mike Pelfrey singled with one out in the second, but Kendrick got Pagan and Tejada behind him on a pair of fly balls.

The lead was cut to 4-3 when Kendrick started the third. Wright led off and homered to right, extending the New York lead to 5-3. Kendrick hit Duda with a pitch before getting Bay on a fly ball to center for the first out. Evans moved Duda to second on a single deflected by Polanco, putting men on first and second for Thole. Thole grounded to second with Evans forced at second for the second out. Turner flew to center to end the frame.

After allowing the homer to Wright to start the third, Kendrick had allowed two home runs in two innings and a batter.

Pagan walked with one out in the fourth and stole second before Tejada reached on an infield single that moved him to third. With men on first and third, Wright hit a fly ball to left for the second out, deep enough for Pagan to tag, score and put the Mets up 6-3. Duda fouled out to Ruiz to leave Tejada at first.

Michael Schwimer took over for Kendrick to start the fifth, making his second career appearance. He walked the leadoff man Bay on six pitches and Evans followed Bay with a double to the gap in right center, scoring Bay to make it 7-3. Schwimer got Thole to pop to third for the first out before walking Turner. Pelfrey bunted the runners up to second and third with the second out, but Schwimer got Pagan on a fly ball to left to leave them there.

Not a great showing for Schwimer, who allowed a run on two walks and a double and has now allowed a run in each of his appearances with the Phils. You want to avoid walking the leadoff guy when you can.

Lidge pitched the sixth and he walked the leadoff guy, too, walking Tejada on four pitches. Lidge struck Wright out swinging for the first out as Tejada stole second, then got Duda looking for the second out. Bay flew to left to leave Tejada at second.

Lidge has now thrown nine innings on the year, allowing two runs. The good news is that he has struck out 11 in his nine innings. The bad news is that he has walked eight.

Bastardo started the seventh and got Evans on a line drive hit hard to third for the first out. He walked Thole, but struck Turner out swinging behind him for the second out. Righty Ronny Paulino hit for Pelfrey and Bastardo walked him, too, putting men on first and second with two down. Pitcher Chris Capuano ran for Paulino at first, but Bastardo struck Pagan out swinging 0-2 to leave both runners stranded.

Two more walks for the pen. Schwimer, Lidge and Bastardo combined to walk five in the fifth, sixth and seventh. Bastardo has been charged with two runs in 12 2/3 innings over his last 13 appearances.

Herndon pitched the eighth with the New York lead cut to 7-4. Wright singled to center with one out and moved to third when Duda followed with a double to center. Bay hit a ball back to Herndon. Herndon fielded and came home, where Wright was tagged out for the second out. With men on first and third, Herndon struck Jason Pridie out swinging 3-2 turn New York away.

Herndon hasn’t been charged with a run in 11 2/3 innings over his last ten appearances.

Madson pitched the ninth with the Phils still down three runs, making his first appearance since allowing six runs in two-thirds of an inning to the Nats last Friday. He was a better this time, getting Thole swinging for the first out and Turner on a ground ball to third for the second. Lefty Willie Harris hit for the pitcher Manny Acosta and singled to right, but Madson got Pagan to ground to third for the third out.

Nobody in the pen has thrown more than one day in a row and the Phils are off today. Bastardo threw 24 pitches and Schwimer 23. Lidge 17, Herndon 15 and Madson 15.

The Phillies lineup against righty Mike Pelfrey went (1) Victorino (2) Polanco (3) Utley (4) Howard (5) Pence (6) Mayberry (7) Ruiz (8) Martinez. Howard returns to the lineup, but Ibanez remains sidelined with Mayberry playing left. Ruiz catches the day game after Schneider caught the night before. Martinez plays short with Rollins on the DL.

The Phils were down 4-0 when they hit in the bottom of the first. Polanco singled softly to right with one out and took second on an error by Duda. Utley flew to center for the second out, deep enough for Polanco to tag and move up to third. Howard walked, putting men on the corners for Pence. Pence struck out swinging 2-2 to end the inning.

Ruiz and Martinez singled back-to-back with one out in the second, putting men on first and second. Kendrick bunted them to second and third with the second out. Victorino got ahead 3-0 and then singled into center on a 3-1 pitch, scoring both runners and cutting the lead to 4-2. Polanco was next and he singled into right, sending Victorino to third. Utley singled to center and both runners moved up a base with Victorino scoring. 4-3 with men on first and second for Howard. Howard walked to load the bases, but Pence flew to right to leave them loaded.

Five men stranded for Pence through two innings.

Ruiz singled with one out in the third and the Phils down 5-3. He stole second and Martinez moved him up to third with a ground out. Kendrick grounded to second to leave him at third.

Down 6-3, Utley doubled with two outs in the fourth. Howard hit a 1-0 pitch hard, but Evans handled it at first and threw to Pelfrey covering to get Howard and end the inning.

Down 7-3, Pence started the fifth with a single to left. Mayberry was next and grounded to short, with Pence forced at second for the first out. Ruiz grounded to second and Mayberry was forced at second for the second out. Martinez grounded to the pitcher for the third out.

The Phils went in order in the sixth. Orr hit for Lidge and flew to right for the first out.

Utley doubled to center to start the seventh and took third on a throwing error by Pagan. Lefty Tim Byrdak struck Howard out looking 3-2 for the first out and righty Manny Acosta came in to pitch to Pence. Pence reached on an infield single with Utley scoring to cut the New York lead to 7-4. Mayberry fouled out to the catcher Thole and Ruiz struck out looking to leave Pence at first.

Martinez struck out swinging to start the eighth. With Acosta still on the mound for the Mets, Gload hit for Herndon and doubled to right. Victorino hit a ground ball to second, which Turner fielded, but Duda didn’t handle Turner’s throw and was charged with the third error of the game for the Mets. It put men on first and third for Polanco. Polanco hit a ball hard, but Turner made a diving play at second and started a double-play to end the inning.

After going 1-for-1 with a double in the game, Gload is now slugging .298 for the year. The good news is that his last three hits have gone for extra-bases. The bad news is that he’s 3-for-his-last-28 (.107) with a walk and three doubles.

Righty Bobby Parnell walked Utley to start the ninth, but Howard and Pence both struck out swinging behind Utley. Mayberry walked on a 3-2 pitch, moving Utley to second and bring Ruiz to the plate as the tying run. Ruiz grounded to short to end the game.

Victorino was 1-for-5 with two RBI in the game. 4-for-14 with two triples, a home run and seven RBI in the three-game series. 313/387/546 for the year. 274/351/496 in 153 plate appearances in the leadoff spot for the season. Rollins is hitting 266/334/417 in 428 plate appearances in the leadoff spot this year.

Polanco 2-for-5 with two more singles. 6-for-14 with a walk in the series. 213/277/231 over his last 119 plate appearances. 281/335/345 for the season.

Utley 3-for-4 with a walk, two doubles and an RBI. 3-for-10 with two doubles and a walk in the series. 279/365/460 for the year. 214/302/379 over his last 63 plate appearances.

Howard 0-for-3 with two walks and two strikeouts. 1-for-7 with two walks and five strikeouts in the series. 4-for-his-last-26 with four singles and 12 strikeouts. He’s hitting 251/341/477 for the season.

Pence 2-for-5 with an RBI and six men left on base. 5-for-12 with two walks and a home run in the set. He’s hitting just .269 over the last seven games, but with two home runs and five walks to give him a 269/387/500 line in those 31 plate appearances. 311/365/484 for the year.

Mayberry 0-for-4 with a walk. 3-for-11 with two walks and two home runs in the series. He drove in six runs. 269/333/528 for the year. 308/351/702 over his last 111 plate appearances.

Ruiz 2-for-4 yesterday and 4-for-9 with a double and two RBI in the series. 275/368/387 for the year. He has on-based .376 over his last 1,006 plate appearances going back to the start of the 2009 season.

Martinez 1-for-4 with a single and a big error. 1-for-6 in the series. 211/250/292 for the year in 176 plate appearances. Of the 174 NL players with 175 plate appearances, his .250 on-base percentage is 174th and his .292 slugging percentage is 169th. He’s 6-for-his-last-43 with a double and a walk (140/159/163).

The Phils are off today and start a series with the Marlins tomorrow night.