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Phillies win consecutive games for first time this season

Apr 22, 2007 - 10:09 PM CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- Freddy Garcia was good enough to give the Philadelphia Phillies their first winning streak of the season.

Garcia worked into the sixth inning and Ryan Howard homered as the Phillies pulled away for a 9-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

Expected to contend in the National League East Division, the Phillies (6-11) have been an early disappointment, failing to win consecutive games this season until capturing the rubber game of this three-game set from the Reds.

"Two in a row, imagine that," embattled Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel said. "It was a long time coming."

Making his second start for his new team after beginning the season on the disabled list with biceps tendinitis, Garcia (1-0) went five-plus innings, allowing two runs and four hits. The righthander struck out three without a walk before departing after 89 pitches.

"I'm making progress. It's feels good to get a win," Garcia said. "I was behind in the count a lot. I need to pitch better when we have a lead. I have to trust my fastball. My offspeed pitch isn't good yet."

The Phillies also received a boost from Howard, the reigning NL MVP who returned to the lineup after missing three games with a left leg injury. The slugger lofted a sacrifice fly in the first inning and hit his second homer of the season in the ninth, a two-run shot.

"It felt good to get out there. The last three days I hit in the cage and didn't feel any pain," Howard said. "The big test was getting out on the field for nine innings."

Carlos Ruiz also had a two-run double in the ninth for the Phillies, who scored four times in the frame to build a 9-2 cushion.

Reds starter Matt Belisle (2-1) surrendered four runs and eight hits in five innings. The righthander walked one and struck out six.

"I executed a lot of what I wanted to do," Belisle said. "I felt in control. Balls fell for hits that, a lot of times, get hit at people. It just happened."

Ken Griffey Jr. had an RBI double in the ninth as a pinch hitter for Cincinnati, which lost for the fourth time in five games.

Just like they did Saturday, the Phillies scored twice in the first inning to build a lead.

Howard lofted a deep sacrifice fly and Wes Helms, who had three hits, delivered an RBI single with two out.

In the fourth, Chase Utley laced a run-scoring double and Greg Dobbs plated a run with a sacrifice fly, giving the Phillies a 4-0 lead.

Garcia cruised through the first three innings before surrendering a pair of singles and Javier Valentin's sacrifice fly in the fourth.

After allowing a leadoff double to Scott Hatteberg and hitting Brandon Phillips with a pitch, Garcia was lifted with none out in the sixth.

"I thought Garcia pitched pretty good," Manuel said. "He knows how to pitch. He pops that fastball pretty good."

Edwin Encarnacion had a run-scoring single later in the inning to pull the Reds within 4-2. But on the hit, right fielder Shane Victorino threw out Phillips at the plate to end the inning.

A throwing error by Encarnacion at third in the seventh allowed the Phillies to grab a 5-2 lead.