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Werth Winning: Phils Top Reds For Series Victory

POSTED: 7:38 pm HST July 9, 2009

(Sports Network) - Jayson Werth finished 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBI, and Chan Ho Park tossed three hitless innings of relief to help Philadelphia top Cincinnati, 9-6, in the finale of a four-game series.

Chase Utley also had two hits, including an inside-the-park homer, while newly elected All-Star Shane Victorino went 1-for-3 with two RBI and two walks. Earlier Thursday, Victorino was announced as the National League's winner of the Final Vote contest, by virtue of fan vote, and takes the league's final roster spot for the All-Star Game on July 14 in St. Louis.

"We have a knack for keeping ourselves in games," Werth said. "We continue to play well and play the full game and not shut it down after a couple innings. We've been doing that -- it's kind of our thing -- it keeps us in ball games, and it's just something we do well."

Pedro Feliz had two hits and an RBI for the Phillies, who won three games in the series, as well as six of their last seven overall.

Philadelphia starter Jamie Moyer (8-6) took the win despite giving up six runs on eight hits in five innings. He benefited from a potent offense, while Park held the lead by allowing only one walk and striking out four in his three innings of work. Brad Lidge threw a scoreless ninth for his 17th save.

Micah Owings (6-9) took the loss after surrendering seven runs in 4 1/3 frames. He gave up eight hits and walked four, as the Reds dropped to 2-5 over their last two series.

"(Owings) pitched pretty good," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "He had a lot of pitches, had 95 pitches. A couple walks hurt -- walks always hurt. Especially playing in this ball park against this club. You can't walk guys, especially the speed guys ahead of the power guys. You got to play your best baseball to beat them."

Edwin Encarnacion tripled, homered and drove in three, while Brandon Phillips had a two-run homer in the loss.

Phillips' homer gave the Reds a 6-4 lead in the top of the fifth, but the Phillies responded with a big rally in the bottom half.

Philadelphia had two on and one out, as both Ryan Howard and Greg Dobbs walked. Feliz then poked a single to right, plating Howard and chasing Owings from the game.

Josh Roenicke came in, but walked pinch-hitter Matt Stairs to load the bases. Pinch-hitter Paul Bako then hit a grounder to first that looked like a potential double-play ball, but the return throw from second was not in time, allowing Dobbs to cross the plate safely.

Roenicke was removed in favor of Daniel Ray Herrera, but Jimmy Rollins punched a first-pitch single to put the Phillies ahead. Victorino walked to again load the bases, and Herrera's wild pitch brought home Bako for an 8-6 lead.

Utley flied out to end the inning, but the damage was done. Werth crushed a solo shot into the bushes beyond the center field fence in the bottom of the sixth, accounting for the final score.

The Reds took a 3-0 lead in the second inning, when Encarnacion hit a two-run triple. It scored Ramon Hernandez and Jonny Gomes, who started the inning with a walk and single, respectively. Owings later plated Encarnacion with a sacrifice fly.

But the Phillies got two runs back in the home third. With two away, Utley slammed a pitch to left-center field, and it bounced off the angled wall past Willy Taveras into the wide expanse of center field. Utley motored around the bases and easily scored for the inside-the-park homer. Howard and Werth followed with consecutive doubles to make it a 3-2 game.

Encarnacion hit a two-out solo homer in the fourth, but in the bottom half, Victorino's two-run single -- deflected by the glove of Phillips, the Reds' second baseman -- tied the game.

Game Notes

Werth has homered in four consecutive games and reached base safely in 16 straight. Over that span, he is batting .326 with eight homers, 16 RBI and 18 walks...Werth and Utley each hit their 20th homer Thursday. The Phillies now have four players with at least 20 homers before the All-Star break -- Howard (21) and Raul Ibanez (22) -- for the first time in franchise history...Victorino received a record 15.6 million votes from fans to earn his first All-Star berth. The Tigers' Brandon Inge was the AL winner...Utley hit his second career inside-the-park homer...Moyer now has allowed 485 homers in his 23-season career, moving him into second on the all-time list. He passed Fergie Jenkins (484), and trails only Robin Roberts (505)...Phillips' homer was his 14th of the season...Owings had won his last two starts, in which he gave up three runs in 12 2/3 innings...Stairs pinch-hit for Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz, who left with an undisclosed injury.

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