8! Phillies Bash Maddux, Cruise To Win

Yes, eight. The Phillies scored eight runs, the most they’ve scored in August, thrashing the Dodgers 8-1 Friday night. Home runs did the trick — Ryan Howard smashed an opposite-field shot, Chris Coste pounded a three-run drive, and Chase Utley swatted one into the center field shrubbery.

The Phils got six of their eight runs on home runs — still not promising for an offense that needs to produce runs every which way, but to their credit, they did that a little. Coste singled home a run in the fifth, and Jayson Werth had a sacrifice fly in the sixth. Werth came in for Geoff Jenkins, who suffered either a right hip flexor or high quad strain while sliding into second base in the third inning. He’ll have an MRI today.

In all the Phils left just seven men on base; when you score more runs than LOBs you did a nice job converting.

The onslaught backed Kyle Kendrick, who grabbed a win with a soldier’s 5.2 innings. He pitched well, giving up just one run on three hits and two walks, but the Dodgers made him throw. He threw 99 pitches to the patient but unproductive Dodgers. Chad Durbin, Ryan Madson (getting a needed call after his poor effort Thursday) and Scott Eyre closed it out without a dent.

The win kept the Phils 2.5 games in back of the Mets, who won again.

Associated Press photo