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Halladay conquers heat, Phillies top Padres for 10th straight time

Jul 25, 2011 - 12:35 AM Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The heat discovered Sunday afternoon what major league teams have known for years -- beating Roy Halladay multiple times can be an arduous chore.

The Philadelphia ace hurled eight solid innings, and the MLB-best Phillies continued their mastery of the San Diego Padres with a 5-3 victory.

"When you're facing a pitcher like Roy Halladay," said Padres catcher and former teammate Kyle Phillips, "you need the breaks to go your way."

Halladay (12-4) returned to the mound for the first time since leaving Monday's game in Chicago due to heat exhaustion. He was lifted after allowing a leadoff single to the Cubs' Starlin Castro in the fifth inning. It marked the right-hander's shortest outing since he pitched three frames for Toronto against Florida on June 12, 2009.

The oppressive conditions at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday mirrored those at Wrigley Field, with the game-time temperature at 94 degrees.

Halladay gave up two earned runs on eight hits with eight strikeouts and matched Cole Hamels for the team lead in wins.

"He pitched pretty good. He was better at the end than he was at the beginning," said Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel about Halladay, who retired the final 10 batters he faced.

Raul Ibanez and Carlos Ruiz both knocked in two runs for the Phillies, who have taken the first three installments of this four-game series to extend their winning streak against the Padres to 10 straight.

Included in that stretch are four wins at Petco Park earlier this season. Halladay capped off that four-game sweep, tying a career high with 14 strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings on April 24.

Halladay yielded an RBI single to Chase Headley in the first, but the Phillies responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning after starter Tim Stauffer (6-7) retired the first two batters.

Chase Utley walked and came around to score after consecutive singles by Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino. Ibanez then lined a double to give Philadelphia the lead.

The Phillies added three runs in the third when Howard led off with a double and scored on Ibanez's single to right field two batters later. Domonic Brown then singled in front of Ruiz, who ripped a two-run double to the gap in left- center.

San Diego capitalized on a defensive miscue in the fourth inning to trim its deficit to 5-3. With one out and a runner on first, Phillips hit a grounder that Howard misplayed before he made an errant throw to first base. Alberto Gonzalez followed with an RBI single and Phillips scored on a bunt by Stauffer.

Antonio Bastardo tossed a perfect ninth to earn his eighth save. It remained a save situation because San Diego center fielder Chris Denorfia, an injury replacement for Cameron Maybin, reached over the short fence in center to rob Ibanez of a certain two-run homer in the seventh.

Game Notes

The Phillies are riding their longest win streak against the Padres since an 11-game run from May 23, 2004 to July 4, 2006...Stauffer, who was tagged for five runs on eight hits and four walks in 5 2/3 innings, entered play with an 11.15 ERA in three previous starts against Philadelphia...The Phillies have won each of Halladay's last nine starts at Citizens Bank Park and nine straight series at home...Philadelphia improved its record in day games to 25-10...The Phillies have posted a National League-best 73-39 record against the NL West since 2008...Maybin extended his hitting streak to a career-high 10 games and set a franchise record with a stolen base in his sixth consecutive game before leaving in the fourth inning with a strained left hip flexor...Ruiz has now hit safely in 10 straight games...Philadelphia starting pitcher Roy Oswalt will begin a rehab assignment on Wednesday for Triple-A Lehigh Valley.