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Mendez debuts with 6 innings, 1-hit ball vs Phils

Sep 6, 2010 - 9:04 PM By ROB MAADDI AP Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA(AP) -- Adalberto Mendez limped off the field with the same number of hits in his pitching and hitting lines.

That's a memorable major league debut.

Mendez pitched one-hit ball for six scoreless innings before injuring himself, and the Florida Marlins beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-1 Monday in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.

Mendez (1-0) left in the seventh after straining his right quad running to first base on a single. He slowed down and hobbled to the bag before he was helped to the dugout.

"I'm fine. It was just a cramp," Mendez said. "I've never had that happen before."

Mendez collected three souvenir balls from his first game.

"First win, first strikeout and first hit," he said proudly, looking at the balls in his locker.

The Phillies, who've been held to one hit three times already this season, finished with three overall.

Mike Stanton and Chad Tracy homered and Dan Uggla drove in three runs for Florida. Marlins rookie Logan Morrison, hit in the face by a foul ball from teammate Emilio Bonifacio while in the on-deck circle Sunday, went 1 for 4 and scored a run.

Mendez struck out six, walked two and hit a batter. The 28-year-old righty was 5-5 with a 3.98 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A before getting called up after seven seasons in the minors. He had just 20 starts, including nine this year, in 350 career appearances.

"He was throwing strikes and attacking the hitters," Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez said. "Everybody was wondering about him. Then after the third inning, they were saying, 'This kid's for real."'

The Marlins are relishing their role as spoiler, having won two of three against NL East-leading Atlanta over the weekend.

The Phillies remained one game behind the Braves, and have a 1 1/2-game lead over San Francisco in the wild-card standings.

"Our team will be remembered for how we finish," manager Charlie Manuel said.

Vance Worley (0-1) allowed two runs and six hits, striking out five in five innings in his first career start for Philadelphia. The right-hander was 10-7 in the minors this year, and pitched a scoreless inning in his only previous appearance with the Phillies.

He may have earned himself another shot if the Phillies decide to replace the struggling Kyle Kendrick in the rotation.

"Hopefully I get another opportunity," Worley said.

A crowd of 45,518 was the largest this season and the 111th straight sellout at Citizens Bank Park. They had little to cheer about.

Since scoring nine runs in the seventh inning of a 12-11 comeback win at Colorado last Thursday, the Phillies have nine runs in four games.

Jayson Werth's RBI single in the ninth prevented Philadelphia's 12th shutout.

Uggla's two-out single in the first gave Florida a 1-0 lead. He added a two-run double in the ninth.

Chad Tracy put the Marlins up 2-0 in the second with his first homer since last September with Arizona. Tracy, who hit 47 homers in 2005-06 for the Diamondbacks, went 95 at-bats without going deep.

Stanton's two-run shot off Chad Durbin made it 4-0 in the eighth.

Notes: The Phillies selected the contract of LHP Nate Robertson and called up LHP Mike Zagurski from Triple-A before the game. ... Placido Polanco batted leadoff for the Phillies while Jimmy Rollins got a rest. Rollins flied out as a pinch-hitter and finished 0 for 2. ... Florida's Hanley Ramirez extended his hitting streak to 13 games.