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Howard's huge night sends Phillies to easy win over Padres

Jul 22, 2007 - 6:54 AM SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- On a night the San Diego Padres remembered the 20-year career of Tony Gywnn, Ryan Howard stole the show.

Howard homered twice, tallied five RBI and reached base in all five plate appearances as the Philadelphia Phillies pounded the San Diego Padres, 12-4, on Saturday.

Gywnn, who will be enshrined into the Baseball Hall of Fame on July 29, was honored with the unveiling of a 10-foot bronze statue just outside Petco Park in a pregame ceremony. Over his brilliant career, "Mr. Padre" batted .338 with 135 homers and 1,138 RBI, finishing 18th on the all-time hit list with 3,141.

Howard, however, wasted little time redirecting the focus of the Padres, belting a first-inning fastball from San Diego starter David Wells (5-6) over the fence in center for a three-run shot, staking the Phillies to an early 3-0 advantage.

"In the first inning with a couple of guys on, it is tough to pitch around guys," Padres manager Bud Black said. "You just can't keep putting guys on base. And, if you don't quite get it in a good location, he (Howard) is capable of doing that. He is a tremendous power hitter and that was exhibited tonight."

"He (Howard) is legit," Wells said. "But, a pitch down the middle, good hitters won't miss it and they will hit it pretty good."

Last season's home run champion struck again to lead off the fourth, sending the second of Philadelphia's three home runs off Wells to left-center to increase the Philadelphia lead to 4-0. In his next at-bat in the fifth, Howard pushed across Jimmy Rollins with an RBI single, extending the Phillies' bulge to 7-1.

"The (key) to the whole thing is trying to hit mistakes," Howard said. "The swing is starting to come along and I am starting to feel comfortable. All I am trying to do is go up there and have good (at-bats)."

"If you remember, it took him a little while last year to really get going against lefties," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "Once he finds his stroke, once he stays on the ball and stays up in the middle of the field, that's when he hits 'em good."

Howard was intentionally walked in his final two plate appearances.

Wes Helms homered and Chase Utley added two hits, recording his ninth multiple-hit game in his last 10 contests for the Phillies, who improved to 9-3 at Petco Park since it opened at the beginning of the 2004 season.

The run support was more than enough for Philadelphia starter Jamie Moyer (8-8), who snapped a three-game losing streak and won the battle of the second-oldest starting pitching matchup in major league history with Wells (88 years, 307 days).

Their matchup was second only to when Phil Niekro outdueled Don Sutton, 2-0, on June 8, 1987 (90 years, 135 days).

The lefthander was pulled in favor of reliever Jose Mesa after 6 2/3 innings and a season-high 122 pitches, allowing four runs and eight hits with three walks and six strikeouts.

"We scored a lot of runs early which was kind of nice," Moyer said. "They hit a number of balls hard tonight but hit 'em right at people. Sometimes you get it, sometimes you don't. That's this game."

Milton Bradley finished with two RBI and a double short of the cycle for the Padres, who dropped their second straight contest.