Curve halt R-Phils win streak Thursday

By Tony Zonca

READING, Pa. -- After the previous two nights, when the Phillies dug themselves out of big early holes, every player in the home dugout had to be thinking comeback Thursday as they went to bat down a run in the ninth.

The rally never happened. Right-hander Sean Smith pitched a perfect ninth as the Altoona Curve edged the Phillies 4-3 to end a five-game winning streak.

Actually it was Smith, who earned his fifth save, who pitched out of trouble in relief of Jeff Sues (2-5) to end an eighth-inning uprising when he got pinch-hitter Jeremy Slayden on a comebacker to the mound.

The Phillies (45-33) had scored a run in the fifth when right-hander Tyler Herron lost the plate after getting the first two hitters on strikeouts. Michael Taylor delivered an RBI single, Brian Stavisky walked to load the bases and Herron was gone.

Sues came on to end the threat, striking out Neil Sellers with a 96 mph fastball.

It became 4-3 in the eighth on Kevin Nelson’s two-out, two-run double down the line in left, giving him five RBIs in two games.

As they did in two previous losses, the Curve (28-52) scored early, jumping ahead 4-0 after four innings. Solo home runs by Jose Tabata and Gorkys Hernandez off Vance Worley (5-5) keyed the offensive output. 

Worley allowed four runs (two earned) and six hits over six innings and failed to make key pitches when he needed to. He struck out one and walked two.

PHILLERS: Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Raul Ibanez worked out at FirstEnergy Stadium a third straight day. . . . With a second-inning double, Kevin Mahar pushed his hitting streak to nine games. . . . Brad Harman singled in the third inning and pushed his hitting streak to seven games. . . . Michael Taylor and Neil Sellers have hits in six straight games. . . . Shortstop Carlos Leon and second baseman Brad Harman teamed up for two terrific 6-4-3 double plays. . . . Quintin Berry stole two bases and leads the E.L. with 26. . . . Dan “Dirt” Douglas came out of the Phillies bullpen in the bottom of the fifth to do his “Fun Gun Express” bit. The problem was the inning wasn’t over and the Dirt Wagon had to do a U-turn and leave the field. We don’t know if “Dirt” was ejected or dejected. To add to his chagrin, Douglas was booed mightily when his first “pitch” didn’t make it past the grass. 

This story was posted on July 2, 2009