Philadelphia, PA – Carlos Ruiz and John Mayberry both hit a two-run homer and an RBI single on Friday and the Phillies defeated the Padres, 7-3, in the opener of a three-game series.
Vance Worley (3-2) earned the win, allowing three runs on six hits with two walks and nine strikeouts over six innings.
Freddy Galvis added an RBI double for Philadelphia, which had lost five of its previous six games and was swept by the Mets at home earlier in the week for the first time since 2006.
"Nobody likes to lose," said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel. "Everything is good when you get a win."
Clayton Richard (1-5) was charged with five runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings and lost his fifth consecutive start.
Yonder Alonso had a solo homer and an RBI single for San Diego, which had just taken two of three from the Rockies.
Ahead by two, the hosts picked up valuable insurance runs in the home seventh. Hunter Pence worked a two-out walk and advanced to third when Miles Mikolas walked Wigginton with a wild pitch. Ruiz and Mayberry then extended the lead with back-to-back RBI singles.
The maligned Phillies bullpen, which had been scored upon in each of its previous seven games, closed effectively. Antonio Bastardo struck out three over two scoreless frames and Chad Qualls held San Diego off the board in the ninth.
Mayberry's first home run of the season -- a blast to left center in the second inning -- was preceded by Ruiz's two-out single.
The Padres tied the game in the fourth, getting a leadoff single from Will Venable, a one-out walk to Chase Headley and consecutive RBI base hits by Alonso and Jesus Guzman. They loaded the bases later in the frame but Worley struck out Orlando Hudson before a diving Ty Wigginton snared Andy Parrino's grounder towards first base, then stepped on the bag to end the threat.
"If that gets over his glove or under his glove, it's a (different) game," Padres manager Bud Black said of the first baseman's play. "You know what that is? Baseball."
Wigginton then led off the bottom half with a walk and Ruiz made it 4-2 with his sixth homer of the year, tying his total from a season ago.
"He's been hitting the ball all over the field," Manuel said of Ruiz. "He has very good control of his swing."
The teams again traded runs in the sixth. Alonso cut the Padres' deficit to one with a shot to right, but Galvis responded with a double to left-center field, which plated Mayberry.
Game Notes
Philadelphia entered Friday ranked last in the major leagues in bullpen ERA (5.47)...Phillies third baseman Placido Polanco went 2-for-4 and now needs just two hits to reach 2,000 for his career. He will become the 17th active player to reach the mark...Alonso has hit safely in each of hits last eight games...Earlier Friday, the Phillies placed outfielder Laynce Nix on the 15- day disabled list with a strained left calf, recalled left-handed reliever Jake Diekman from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to fill Nix's roster spot while Raul Valdes, another lefty reliever, and infielder Hector Luna were also selected from Lehigh Valley. Justin De Fratus was transferred from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL with a right elbow sprain.
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