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Phillies outslug Reds again

Philadelphia takes 3 of 4 to push Cincinnati 4 1/2 games back in the  NL Central Division race.

Cincinnati Reds starter Micah Owings went 4 1/3 innings against the Phillies, giving up seven earned runs in a 9-6 loss.

Associated Press photo by H. Rumph Jr. Cincinnati Reds starter Micah Owings went 4 1/3 innings against the Phillies, giving up seven earned runs in a 9-6 loss.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Danny Herrera waits for a new ball after Philadelphia Phillies' Jayson Werth, left, hit a solo home run in the sixth inning of a baseball game in Philadelphia, Thursday, July 9, 2009.

Associated Press photo by H. Rumph, Jr. Cincinnati Reds pitcher Danny Herrera waits for a new ball after Philadelphia Phillies' Jayson Werth, left, hit a solo home run in the sixth inning of a baseball game in Philadelphia, Thursday, July 9, 2009.

ENLARGE PHOTO

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By Hal McCoy, Staff Writer Updated 1:05 AM Friday, July 10, 2009

PHILADELPHIA — It was comedian W.C. Fields who proposed his own epitaph: "On the whole, I'd rather be in Philadelphia."

Fields, a Philadelphia native, did not like his native city — probably a couple of bad cheesesteaks.

The Cincinnati Reds would rather be any place but Philadelphia — and starting tonight they will be after a four-day stay that was not well-spent.

It is on to New York, their tails dragging and their chins sagging.

They built a second-inning three-run lead Thursday in Citizens Bank Park then spent the rest of the evening doing everything possible to give the game away — and succeeded.

The Phillies scored a 9-6 knockout to take three of the four games and push the Reds 4 ½ games back in the National League Central.

The Phillies comeback started with a rarity — an inside the park home run by Chase Utley, a stand-up inside the park home run on a ball that kicked off the center field wall and eluded Willy Taveras.

"That ball caromed away from Taveras and somebody was spectating and not backing up the play," said manager Dusty Baker, meaning right fielder Chris Dickerson.

There was some spice added to this one in the fourth inning when the Reds led, 4-2, thanks to Edwin Encarnacion's two-run triple and solo home run.

The Phillies had runners on second and third with two outs when Shane Victorino lined one toward second base. Brandon Phillips took a step to his left and flung up his glove. The baseball ricocheted off his glove into center field as two runs scored.

"It was a knuckling and I almost caugh it," said Phillips. "A knuckleball is hard to hit and hard to catch. That's why catchers use a special glove to catch them."

Phillips didn't have a special glove and said, "I tried the best I could, but it was low and I just couldn't get it. I didn't even feel it hit my glove."

It was ruled a hit, but pitcher Micah Owings stormed around the mound with a scowl on his face. Chase Utley then grounded to the mound and Owings threw the ball to first base harder than any pitch he has thrown this year — about 95 miles an hour.

When he reached the dugout he slung his glove against the wall and threw a towel.

Phillips then hit a two-run home run in the fifth to push the Reds back in front, 6-4, but it was all Phillies after that.

"We're human and the Phillies are a great hitting team," said Phillips. "People get on base and they turn into the Mighty Phillies. That team can hit."

Manager Dusty Baker called the Phillies, "The best, most-balanced lineup I've ever seen. You can't give them an extra outs or anything. You have to play perfect baseball because they have an unbelievable lineup — speed and power at the top. Power in the middle."

When the Phillies scored two runs in the fourth inning, there was a close play at first base with one out and nobody on and Carlos Ruiz was called safe. Baker argued the call.

"We didn't get that call and it led to two runs," he said — the two runs that scored on the ball off Phillips' glove.

Owings walked two of the first three in the fifth and the Phillies scored four times on two hits to take the lead for good.

In all, four walks were issued in that inning.

But there was another fundamental flaw in that inning. Pitcher Josh Roenicke was late covering first base on what could have been a double play. Instead Paul Bako was safe at first on what would have been an inning-ending double play. A run scored on that play and three more followed.

"Roenicke was late getting to the bag and then didn't get to the bag," said Baker. "That's three runs. There is five runs right there and the inside-the-park home run.

"You cannot make mistakes like we made," he added. "You don't want to complain, but we didn't get any calls this series. I don't know what's going on.

"We aren't going to see an offensive club this again, except maybe LA," Baker added. "You can't walk speed guys ahead of power guys. As I said, this is one of the best lineups I've ever seen."

Maybe the most frustrating thing of all was after the Reds drove starter Jamie Moyer out of the game (five innings, six runs, eight hits, they couldn't touch Chan Ho Park. In three innings they had no runs, no hits, one walk and four strikeouts.