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Phils go deep to down Padres

Jul 24, 2011 - 1:59 AM Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Ryan Howard stepped out of the fan-blown mist of the dugout and into the sweltering heat and drove the first pitch he saw over the left-center field wall.

It was just the spark the Phillies needed. After all, the only thing worse than playing a game in 100-degree weather is losing a game in 100-degree weather.

"To be able to come through in that situation, it's big," said Howard.

His pinch-hit homer leading off the seventh inning sparked a five-run rally Saturday that lifted the Phillies to an 8-6 victory over the Padres.

The Phillies hit three more homers off Padres reliever Chad Qualls during the outburst, turning a one-run deficit into an 8-4 lead.

Michael Martinez, saved from bunting by a wild pitch, blasted a three-run shot to right field that made it 7-4. Chase Utley added a solo shot, his second homer of the game, to cap the rally.

Utley also belted a three-run shot in the first inning that stood as the game's only runs until San Diego scored three in the sixth and one in the seventh to take the lead.

The Phillies, after riding Cole Hamels to a 3-1 victory on Friday, have captured the first two games of this four-game series to push their winning streak to four.

They have won 15 of the last 17 games against San Diego, including nine in a row.

Michael Stutes (5-1) earned the win in 1 1/3 innings of relief, while Ryan Madson worked around a Ryan Ludwick double in the ninth for his 17th save.

Qualls (4-5) was charged with five runs while getting just one out in the eighth.

The Padres finally solved Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick in the sixth, tying the game at 3-3 on Cameron Maybin's two-run homer and Chase Headley's solo shot. Stutes got the final out in the sixth, but Logan Forsythe hit a triple over Domonic Brown's head and off the right field wall to lead off the seventh and scored on Maybin's single to make it 4-3.

Philadelphia has been locked in a weeklong heat wave, along with much of the East Coast, and as the temperature danced around the 100-degree mark Saturday, it felt even worse with a heat index well into the triple digits.

The Phillies, with a big fan blowing a cool mist in the dugout, must have been happy then to see Howard come off the bench and knock Qualls' sinker over the wall to tie the game in the seventh.

It was only Howard's third hit in eight games and his first homer since July 5. He stayed in the game to play first base after Phillies manager Charlie Manuel had started John Mayberry.

"He was struggling last night," Manuel said of Howard, explaining why he held him out. "He hadn't swung good in three or four days."

Martinez's blast cleared the wall in right and scored Jimmy Rollins and Wilson Valdez, who pinch-ran for Ross Gload after he doubled. Utley homered on a line drive to right.

Antonio Bastardo was charged with two runs in a sloppy eighth, giving up two singles and a walk to load the bases then throwing a wild pitch. He issued another walk, then David Herndon came on to allow a walk to Kyle Phillips that made it 8-6.

But San Diego left the bases loaded when Maybin grounded out.

"More times than not, if we score six runs we're going to win," said Headley.

Kendrick gave up six hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings while striking out one. Padres starter Mat Latos made it through just six frames, replaced by Qualls to start the seventh, and yielded five hits and two walks while striking out seven.

The Phillies took an early 3-0 lead on Utley's opposite-field homer in the first inning.

Rollins hit a leadoff double and later stole third base, while Shane Victorino reached with a walk before Utley smacked a high and outside fastball into the first row of seats in left field.

"He's starting to get his timing down," Manuel said of Utley, who has six homers this season since coming off the DL in May. "We're starting to see him pop the ball."

Kendrick cruised after allowing a one-out single to Jason Bartlett in the top of the first inning and a two-out base hit to Logan Forsythe in the second.

He faced the minimum over the next three innings -- the defense erased walks with double plays in the fourth and fifth -- before falling apart in the sixth.

Game Notes

Padres right fielder Will Venable was scratched because of sore hamstrings...Former closer Brad Lidge was on the bench after being activated from the 60-day DL Friday. "He'll get his chance to pitch," Manuel said.