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Phillies outslug Astros, salvage split

May 25, 2008 - 10:38 PM By Andrew J. Ferraro PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

HOUSTON (Ticker) - Cole Hamels didn't have close to his best stuff Sunday afternoon, but that didn't matter as the Philadelphia Phillies rallied for a 15-6 blowout win over the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on Sunday.

Geoff Jenkins, Pat Burrell and Chase Utley homered as the Phillies salvaged a split of their four-game series.

After Jenkins' two-run blast cut the Phillies' deficit to 3-2 in the second inning, Burrell belted his third homer of the series to lead off a five-run sixth inning. Utley capped a six-run seventh inning with his 15th home run of the season.

"We have a lot of confidence in ourselves and our ability to put up some runs," Utley said. "Anytime you can score a lot of runs, it's beneficial for everybody. Everyone contributed offensively and our bullpen came in and did an outstanding job."

"Overall, we played OK this road trip. We had an opportunity to win the game (on Saturday). Obviously, it didn't work out. We swung the bats better today and hopefully, we'll continue to do that."

Philadelphia banged out 16 hits, with each member of the starting lineup - except for Ryan Howard - recording at least one hit.

"This was just one of those days," Astros manager Cecil Cooper said. "We couldn't stop the bleeding or make a pitch there in the sixth. And when we finally did and got out of the inning, we go back out there and they do it all over again. We just didn't make pitches."

Hamels only lasted four innings - by far his shortest of the season - but the Phillies trailed, 6-4, entering the sixth inning.

Philadelphia batted around in the sixth and seventh innings, scoring four runs off Fernando Nieve (0-1) and making a winner out of Rudy Seanez (3-3), who pitched a scoreless fifth before his team came to life.

Shane Victorino broke the game open later in the inning with a two-run double down the left field line scoring Carlos Ruiz and former Astro Eric Bruntlett.

The Astros claimed a 3-0 lead in the first inning when Carlos Lee hit a three-run homer a few pitches after the game was delayed when home plate umpire Jerry Crawford was injured by Lee's follow through.

Houston added two more in the third on an RBI single by Lance Berkman and a groundout by Lee.

Hamels left after allowing a season-high six runs on seven hits, while walking just one with no strikeouts. Before Sunday, Hamels had not allowed an earned run since May 9 in a 7-4 win at San Francisco.

"Today, it was just a little bit of everything," Hamels said. "I just didn't have my good stuff. The ballclub that Houston has, when you're not able to really locate, you can find yourself in a lot of trouble.

"It was probably one of the worst games I've pitched all season. I'll try to make it be the only worst game I'll pitch."

Astros starter Chris Sampson wasn't crisp, but he pitched well, allowing just four earned runs in five innings while walking two and striking out three.

"They are just a great hitting team and it just seems like on every pitch out there today I was battling," Sampson said. "It was (Cooper's) decision right here to take me out, but if he would have asked me to go back out there, I am going to go back out and do the best I can."