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Howard, Utley hit consecutive HRs to lead Phillies

Jun 2, 2009 - 5:58 AM By BERNIE WILSON AP Sports Writer

SAN DIEGO(AP) -- The back-to-back home runs allowed by Joe Blanton didn't hurt as much as the ones Kevin Correia gave up.

Chase Utley and Ryan Howard hit consecutive home runs off Correia in the fifth inning and the Philadelphia Phillies beat Adrian Gonzalez and the San Diego Padres 5-3 on Monday night for their fourth straight win.

Gonzalez hit his major league-leading 21st homer in the sixth inning off Blanton, followed by Scott Hairston's shot that pulled the Padres to 4-3. The Phillies got an insurance run in the eighth when pinch-hitter Greg Dobbs doubled and scored on Shane Victorino's two-out bloop double.

"Solo home runs," Blanton said. "We still had the lead. Two outs, nobody on, I was just being aggressive. No need in making another bad pitch, especially after the second one. Make another one, you've got a tie game. I just went back to throwing it like I did earlier.

"I knew Gonzalez was hot and just attacked him and just overthrew it. Hot hitter. He got a ball over the plate up a little bit, and that's what happens."

Victorino and Utley had two RBIs apiece in the opener of a three-game series. Howard struck out four times.

San Diego surprised the defending World Series champions by taking two of three games at Philadelphia in mid-April. The fourth game was rained out and was rescheduled for July 23.

San Diego's 10-game home winning streak ended.

Gonzalez drew a leadoff walk against Scott Eyre in the ninth. After Hairston flied out, catcher Carlos Ruiz couldn't hold onto a pitch and Gonzalez broke for second. Ruiz grabbed the ball and threw to shortstop Jimmy Rollins as Gonzalez slid in. Rollins leaned into Gonzalez and appeared to push his leg off the bag as he made the tag, and Gonzalez was called out by umpire Paul Emmel. Padres manager Bud Black argued, to no avail.

"I clearly got in there," Gonzalez said. "I kept my balance, got my foot on the bag and Jimmy Rollins pushed me off and the umpire missed it."

Said Black: "You hate to see a play like that late in the game."

"He kind of just went past the bag," Rollins said. "My job is to apply a firm tag. At that point of the game it was a pretty big play."

Brian Giles popped up to Rollins to end it. Lidge got his 13th save in 17 chances.

Utley homered down the right-field line on a 1-1 pitch from Correia leading off the fifth, his 12th. Howard followed by hitting a towering shot to straightaway center, his 15th, to give the Phillies a 4-1 lead.

Gonzalez homered to left-center on a 1-0 pitch from Blanton with two outs in the sixth. Hairston drove a 1-1 pitch into the seats in left, his eighth.

Howard and Gonzalez were named the NL's co-player of the week earlier Monday.

Blanton (4-3) won his third straight start, allowing three runs and six hits in seven innings.

Correia (1-4) allowed four runs and 10 hits in 4 1-3 innings.

Correia allowed leadoff doubles in the first to Rollins and in the second to Raul Ibanez but neither scored.

The first four Phillies batters reached in the third. Blanton walked, Rollins singled and Victorino and Utley hit RBI singles.

Notes: With his Hall of Fame father watching, Padres CF Tony Gwynn Jr. made a superb over-the-shoulder catch of Victorino's flyball to end the fourth. Tony Gwynn, who spent his entire 20-season career with the Padres, saw his son play in person for the first time since he was obtained in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers on May 21. "He looks good in a Padre uniform," Tony Gwynn said. "This is fun for me. I'm not going to lie, I'd hoped it was going to happen. ... Now he's back home and I get to watch him play. It's been awesome for me." ... Victorino and Utley had Philly's last back-to-back homers, April 24 at Florida. ... It was the first time the Padres had back-to-back homers this season. ... The Phillies will select Antonio Bastardo from Triple-A Lehigh Valley and the lefty will make his major league debut against Jake Peavy on Tuesday night. Bastardo takes Brett Myers' spot in the rotation. To make room on the roster, OF John Mayberry will be optioned to Triple-A.