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Sanchez returns to face Phillies

Aug 5, 2011 - 2:47 PM (Sports Network) - A rematch between the Phillies and Giants hardly needs extra juice, but the return of San Francisco starter Jonathan Sanchez could add some anyway.

Sanchez resumes his tense relationship with Philadelphia, and specifically second baseman Chase Utley, tonight in the second of four straight games between the National League contenders at AT&T Park.

The left-handed Sanchez hasn't pitched in the majors since June 24 due to a biceps injury and was activated from the disabled list on Monday. He replaces Barry Zito (foot) in the rotation after giving up two earned runs in a rehab stint with Triple-A Fresno last Wednesday and is 4-5 with a 3.81 earned run average in 16 starts this season.

It will be Sanchez's first games against the Phillies since last year's NL Championship Series. The 28-year-old, who hasn't won since June 2, is 3-1 with a 2.86 ERA versus Philadelphia in the regular season and took a loss to them in Game 2 in last year's playoffs.

The returning starter also got into a heated exchange with Utley during an appearance in San Francisco's series-clinching Game 6. After Sanchez hit Utley in the back with a pitch, the Phillies second baseman flipped the ball back towards the mound, leading to an exchange of words between the players and an emptying of the bench.

Utley should get a chance to face Sanchez tonight after getting the day off in Thursday's opener, his first since June 26 after opening the season on the disabled list due tendinitis in his right knee. The Phillies did not miss Utley's bat in a 3-0 victory, getting back-to-back homers from Hunter Pence and John Mayberry Jr. in the second inning.

Pence went 3-for-4 at the plate and drove in two runs to help the Phillies match a season-long seven-game winning streak first set from June 10-16. Pence has a hit in all six games since being acquired from the Astros prior to the non-waiver trade deadline, going 9-for-25 with a homer and five RBI.

"Anytime you pick up a player like Pence you're going to be a better club all around," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "He's a great player too and gives them a right-handed bat there in the outfield that helps balance out their lineup and he had a big night tonight."

Of course, the Giants also made a big move before the deadline when they got Carlos Beltran from the Mets, but his batting just .265 (9-for-34) since the trade despite having a hit in five straight. He has also yet homer and has driven in two runs.

Few could blame Beltran for going just 1-for-4 last night as Philadelphia's Cliff Lee dominated San Francisco in posting his fifth shutout of the season. Lee worked around seven hits without a walk and struck out eight, becoming the first Phils left-hander to record five or more shutouts in a season since Steve Carlton had six in 1982.

"I felt like I located my pitches as good as I have all year tonight," Lee said. "Everything was working, I was working ahead in the count, staying out of the heart of the plate, I felt like I could throw any pitch at any time to the spot I wanted to and it was just one of those nights. When that happens usually it's a good end result."

With the win, Philadelphia upped its lead over second-place Atlanta in the NL East to 8 1/2 games, while San Francisco's edge over Arizona for the top spot in the NL West fell to a half-game.

Madison Bumgarner settled down after allowing the back-to-back homers and lasted eight innings in a hard-luck loss. He struck out nine, but the Giants have still lost six of seven since winning two in a row at Philadelphia on July 27-28 in the first NLCS rematch between these teams.

The Phillies won that opener behind starter Vance Worley and his first career complete game and he'll get a chance to pitch the club to a series victory tonight.

Philadelphia has won all eight of Worley's starts since he rejoined the rotation on June 18, with the hurler pitching to a 1.69 ERA in that span. He picked up his fifth straight winning start when he beat San Francisco on July 26 in his first ever meeting with the club.

Worley was charged with two runs on three hits and a walk and Bochy wasn't surprised the right-hander threw well.

"[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," Bochy said.

Worley's personal win streak ended on Sunday versus Pittsburgh as he gave up four runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts over six innings, getting a no- decision in his club's 6-5 win. It was the first time the 23-year-old allowed more than two earned runs in a game since his last loss on May 29. He is 7-1 with a 2.33 ERA in 14 total games this year, including 12 starts.