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Offense Helps Phils Coast To 8-4 Win

A well-rounded offensive effort fueled the Phillies to their third-straight victory Saturday night, an 8-4 win over the Pirates.

A five-run attack in the first inning proved the difference. Ryan Howard smacked his fifth home run of the year on his first starting role in three days. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, however – Howard still struck out twice and went 1-for-4. Geoff Jenkins added two hits, including an RBI single, and Chase Utley went 2-for-4.

The effort gave Kyle Kendrick a deserved second win of the season. He went seven innings, giving up three earned runs on seven hits. The best number: zero, as in his walk total. Kendrick started the eighth inning, but a Nate McLouth solo homer was enough to being in Rudy Seanez. He and Ryan Madson continued the bullpen’s hot streak, pitching scoreless innings each. Seanez, however, surrendered his first hit of the season.

It was a fine, wire-to-wire win for the Phils. Good hitting and good pitching, together, usually result in a win. The Phils will go for the sweep today as Brett Myers takes the hill.

Associated Press photo

Tim Malcolm

Tim first found the Phillies as a little infant at Veteran’s Stadium, cheering on a Juan Samuel game-winning home run in his very first game. With the pinstripes in his blood, he witnessed Terry Mulholland’s 1990 no-hitter, “Steve Carlton Night” at the Vet, game three of the 1993 World Series, countless games during the charmed 2008 championship season and various road excursions. Since November 2007 Tim’s been writing about them daily at Phillies Nation, becoming one of the world’s most popular Phillies scribes. You can catch him on Twitter and Facebook, as well. When he’s not talking about the Phils he’s relaxing with a St. Bernardus ABT 12 or one of his many favored brews.