Game 24: Phillies demolish Santana, reclaim first place (14-10)

The Phillies, trailing 5-2 with two outs in the bottom of the 4th inning, scored nine times (nine times?) in the 4th off Mets pitching on their way to a 11-5 victory. Chase Utley doubled and homered in that inning, but it was Shane Victorino's grand slam (which followed a bases-loaded walk to Jamie Moyer) that provided the Phils with a three-run lead. Ten of the eleven runs were charged to Johan Santana. Moyer, who also added a single later, was mediocre on the mound. He allowed 5 runs in 6 innings.

Ryan Howard and Placido Polanco homered in the first inning, cutting the Mets' lead to 3-2 after David Wright's three-run homer in the top of the inning.

I don't have any complaints for the manager tonight. Moyer probably pitched better than his final line: Wright's homer came after a two-out infield single and Rod Barajas' homer was barely fair; and it was good to see him recover to finish a full six innings. Chad Durbin pitched a scoreless 7th and 8th innings, while Danys Baez pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning. The Phils' offense seems back on track after Friday night's debacle.

Tomorrow night the Phils open a 4-game series against St. Louis at home when LHP Cole Hamels faces LHP Jaime Garcia at 7:05 pm. [EDIT: Big Joe Blanton makes his debut tonight, and Hamels goes tomorrow]