Howard hits triple, single as Phillies beat Marlins
MIAMI - A full-count change-up from Miami's Jarred Cosart sent Ryan Howard back to the visitors' dugout in frustration in the fourth inning Sunday. The Phillies first baseman had battled through a nine-pitch at-bat, but still walked away with his sixth strikeout of the weekend series.
MIAMI - A full-count change-up from Miami's Jarred Cosart sent Ryan Howard back to the visitors' dugout in frustration in the fourth inning Sunday. The Phillies first baseman had battled through a nine-pitch at-bat, but still walked away with his sixth strikeout of the weekend series.
Howard took his anger out on the baseball in his final two at-bats of the Phillies' 6-2 win over the Marlins. He "turned it up a notch," in the opinion of manager Ryne Sandberg. A sixth-inning triple and a seventh-inning single each drove in runs and the Phillies (9-17) scored their second-highest run total of the season.
In snapping their five-game losing streak, they won just their third road game in 14 tries. Six runs signified just the second time in 26 games that they scored more than five. They have won in three of Howard's four multi-RBI performances this year.
"After kind of a tough start, [hitting coach Steve Henderson] kind of picked me up," Howard said. "It was a tough series. I had problems kind of getting my rhythm, getting comfortable in the box.
"It's a strange game, man. It's like one minute it's there, one minute it's not. But that third [at-bat], I found something."
Howard said Henderson told him to "keep battling." His triple off the righthanded Cosart (1-2), the former Phillies prospect, came on a 2-0 sinker and scored Darin Ruf to tie the game. His single, off righthander Bryan Morris, came on the first pitch.
"Those were good swings, real good swings," Sandberg said. "He took his aggression out on the baseball."
The Phillies' offensive production came via another new lineup. Chase Utley batted second for the first time this season. He was 0 for 5 with two strikeouts. Darin Ruf batted third and was 1 for 4 with an RBI.
Leadoff hitter Ben Revere, who celebrated his 27th birthday on Sunday, tallied his first three-hit game of the season. Grady Sizemore's two hits signified his first multi-hit game in 10 starts.
Severino Gonzalez (1-1) bounced back from his woeful major-league debut to earn his first win with five solid innings. The 22-year-old righthander was optioned to triple A after the game. The Phillies needed to make a roster change before Tuesday's game to accommodate the addition of Chad Billingsley, and will not need a fifth starter again until May 12.
Sean O'Sullivan (left knee tendinitis) will make a rehab start Thursday in Lakewood, putting him on track to pitch, if ready, when a No. 5 starter is needed. The Phillies can carry eight relievers in the meantime after promoting lefthander Elvis Araujo on Saturday.
Gonzalez is headed back to Lehigh Valley, but he left on a positive note. He scattered five hits and allowed only two runs. He displayed much better location than in his debut and kept the opposition off balance with his change-up. He struck out five and issued one walk, to Ichiro Suzuki, the first batter he faced.
"He has a good mound presence about him, and he's got some confidence, kind of a look of confidence [and] doesn't get flustered too much out there," Sandberg said.
"There's things to be learned and some grooming there, but the attitude and the conviction and all that and the look about him is very good."
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