Victorino, Phils Topple the King in Seattle, Extend East Lead

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Vance Worley rejoined the Phillies earlier this week and was immediately tasked with getting the team a win against one of the best pitchers in the world. Felix Hernandez was on the mound for the Mariners in Seattle, where the Phils had dropped the first game of the series the night before. Not exactly the ideal recipe for keeping the Phillies run of series wins alive.

But Worley was solid through five innings, allowing just one run in the second and working his way out of a few jams to leave a 1-1 game in the hands of an incredibly capable bullpen as the Phillies bats took swipes at King Felix and the M's pen.

Shane Victorino led the Phillies' attack, just a single short of the cycle and contributing a ground rule double with the bases loaded in the seventh. That put the Phils up by a pair and ended Felix's night. Michael Stutes earned the W by taking the mound and allowing a pair of walks while inducing two outs, and Antonio Bastardo came in to K the living crap out of Adam Kennedy. Bastardo also pitched a 1-2-3 eighth before giving way to Ryan Madson in a non-save situation ninth.

It would have been another save opp for Doggie had Vic not gone and RUINED it in the top of the frame, putting a two-run shot over the right field wall to extend the Phillies' lead to 5-1.

Notes:
•The top of the order was white hot, with both Jimmy Rollins and Victorino notching three hits.
•Ryan Howard also had a good night at the plate, sac'ing in the game's first run and  adding a double and a single.
•Nice to see the Phils strike out only five times with Felix on the mound
•The Braves lost again, so with the Phillies' win, they extended their lead in the NL East to 6 games over Atlanta, and 9.5 over both the Mets and the Nats. Yes, the Nationals are winners of eight straight, moving past the free-falling Marlins and sniffing at .500.

Homemade Phanatic is a descendant of the famous Roche clan, James, brother of CSN Philly producer Dan Roche.

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