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Phils back Worley to down San Fran

Jul 27, 2011 - 5:07 AM Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The Phillies hit four home runs to back a complete game outing from Vance Worley, defeating the Giants, 7-2, in their first meeting since last year's National League Championship Series.

In his first career complete game, Worley (7-1) maintained his minuscule 2.02 earned-run average by allowing only two runs on three hits. He struck out five and walked one in the brisk two-hour, eight-minute affair.

"[Worley] has good stuff. We knew coming into the game he was throwing the ball well, and he did. He throws quality strikes and pounds the strike zone," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.

Raul Ibanez smacked a three-run homer in the first inning, Ryan Howard and John Mayberry each added solo blasts and Chase Utley raced around for an inside-the-parker for the Phillies, who failed to finish off a four-game sweep of the Padres on Monday but have won six of seven overall.

Philadelphia did most of its damage against Barry Zito (3-3), who was tagged for six runs on six hits over seven frames. Aaron Rowand had a pinch-hit home run for San Francisco, which took two of three from the Brewers over the weekend in another battle of first-place teams.

Zito's spot in the rotation was moved up a day because Tim Lincecum was scratched due to an apparent stomach virus. The Giants rewarded the left- hander with an early lead when Andres Torres scored on Pablo Sandoval's sacrifice fly in the first inning.

But the hosts immediately countered in the bottom half, scoring four runs -- all with two outs -- to take the lead for good. Utley started the rally with a single and scored from first when Howard doubled into the right-field corner.

Shane Victorino followed with a walk, and Ibanez sent a middle-in breaking ball deep into the right-field stands for a 4-1 cushion.

"Being able to answer back was beneficial for us," Ibanez said.

Worley was the story the rest of the way, once setting down nine in a row then retiring 11 straight before Rowand took him deep to left in the eighth.

Mayberry launched his homer in the fourth frame and Howard followed suit in the eighth, but it was Utley's hustle in the sixth that epitomized Philly's all-around effort.

The second baseman hit a liner off the 409-foot sign on the angled wall in left-center, and the ball caromed towards right field. Giants right field Nate Schierholtz wound up with the ball in right-center and the relay throw home beat Utley to the plate. But Utley made a strategic change of course inside the baseline to avoid Eli Whiteside's tag for his third career inside-the-park home run.

Game Notes

The Giants won last year's NLCS en route to their first World Series title in 56 years...Zito was pitching for the first time since July 16...Worley, who has won five straight starts, threw 74 of his 114 pitches for strikes and has made seven consecutive starts going five-plus innings while allowing one earned run or less...The Phillies went 1-for-1 with runners in scoring position and stranded one runner.