R-Phils break through on Mother's Day

Greg Golson is congratulated by Lou Marson after hitting his fourth home run of the season, a lead-off
shot in the sixth inning.  

By Tony Zonca

Reading, PA --  Who says the Phillies can't hit with runners on base?  Sunday afternoon they tied their season high with 15 hits in a 10-3 win over the Altoona Curve. They had eight runs by the third inning and finished 7-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

Javon Moran (4-for-5), Greg Golson (3-for-4), Jeremy Slayden (3-for-4, 4 RBIs) and Joey Hammond (2-for-4) were the hottest of hitters.  Brad Harman added a two-run bomb deep to left in a four-run third that broke things open, joining Golson, who jacked his fourth in the sixth to end the scoring.

The beneficiary of all that offense was Andrew Carpenter (2-4), who turned in a second strong outing, though he hadn't won since Opening Day in Altoona.  He allowed three runs and nine hits over seven innings, with three strikeouts.

For Altoona (14-22), Melvin Dorta and Jonel Pacheco smacked solo homers.  Pacheco had three hits to jack his batting average to .464 (13-for-28) vs. the Phillies.  Three of his five home runs have come against the Phillies (17-19).

The loss went to Josh Hill (3-3), who was gone after a 32-pitch first inning in which he was touched for four runs and five hits. 

MORE ON MORAN:  The way Phillies left fielder Javon Moran was going this weekend against the Altoona Curve, he could have gone up there and got a hit with a swizzle stick.  That's how hot he was.

It started Saturday night in a 5-2 loss.  He singled in his first at-bat, stole second, and was stranded.  He doubled his second time up and scored on Jason Donald's single.  He singled the next two times at the plate, but to no avail.  In the ninth, he knocked in the second run with a sac fly to right:  4-1-4-1.

Moran singled to start the Phillies' 15-hit attack Sunday and scored the first of four first-inning runs.  He reached on a bunt single and an infield hit his next two times up.  His fourth time up, in the fifth inning, Moran was sent sprawling by an up-and-in fastball from Dave Davidson -- baseball's time-worn message to hot hitters.  Moran picked himself up, dusted himself off and made it 8-for-8 with still another infield single, at that point raising his batting average from .228 to .284 over the two games.  He lined out to left in his final at-bat, ending his incredible streak: 9-2-8-1.

PHILLERS:  Troy Buckley, the pitching coordinator for the Pittsburgh organization, is here with Altoona club.  He was the pitching coach at Long Beach State up till last season, and thus coached Andrew Carpenter, the starter Sunday for the Phillies. . . . Longtime scout Ben McClure, a pressbox favorite at FirstEnergy Stadium, has returned to work after a lengthy illness.  Now working for the Milwaukee Brewers, he was a welcome figure in the ballpark Sunday. . . . Shortstop Jason Donald wanted to be sure to wish his mother a happy Mother's Day Sunday. Hope you enjoyed the flowers, Debbie. . . . When second baseman Brad Harman stepped into the box to face Curve starter Josh Hill, the matchup produced a reunion of sorts:  Harman hails from Ferntree Gully, Australia, Hill from Sydney, Australia.  That's auss-some. . . . Lou Marson's RBI single in the first inning extended his on-base streak to 24 games, longest in the Eastern League this season. . . . Twenty-two of Altoona's 25 home runs this season have been solo shots. 

PLAYER MOVES:  Catcher John Suomi (.219, 1-5) was promoted to Lehigh Valley.  Catcher Orlando Guevera, who played in one game for the Phillies in 2006, joined the team from extended spring training.  First baseman Mike Eylward was placed on the temporary inactive list, the result of the death of his father, Tom, this weekend in Clearwater, Fla.  Outfielder Michael Spidale returned from the inactive list.  He is batting .158 in 12 games with the Phillies.  

This story was posted on May 11, 2008