Brown Shines, Phils Take 7th Straight
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Outfielder Domonic Brown stroked an RBI double on his first major league swing and Roy Halladay tossed his major league-leading eighth complete game of the season, as the surging Philadelphia Phillies defeated Arizona, 7-1.
One of the most heralded prospects in baseball, Brown was summoned from Triple-A Lehigh Valley after the Phillies disabled center fielder Shane Victorino, who suffered a left abdominal strain during Tuesday's series opener.
The 22-year-old Brown was in the starting lineup for his big league debut, playing right field, and narrowly missed hitting a home run in his first at- bat in the second inning. He went 2-for-3 with a sacrifice fly and scored two runs.
Carlos Ruiz doubled twice and knocked in three runs for the Phillies, who have won a season-best seven games in a row and 10 straight at Citizens Bank Park.
Philadelphia remains 3 1/2 games behind first-place Atlanta in the NL East standings after the Braves beat Washington on Wednesday.
Miguel Montero's two-out RBI double in the ninth inning spoiled the shutout bid for Halladay (12-8), who recorded nine strikeouts and did not issue a walk.
Arizona's Edwin Jackson (6-10) gave up five runs on eight hits and walked two in five-plus innings to absorb the loss, the sixth in a row for the Diamondbacks.
The Halladay-Jackson matchup was the first in nearly 19 years of two pitchers who tossed a no-hitter in the current season. The last occurrence took place on September 6, 1991, when Wilson Alvarez was opposed by Nolan Ryan.
After Jayson Werth led off the second inning with a double, Brown received a rapturous welcome from the 45,000-plus fans as he was introduced at the plate. The ballpark erupted again when he smashed a 1-1 pitch off the right-field wall to give Philadelphia the early lead. Brown eventually scored on a Wilson Valdez groundout to make it 2-0.
The Phillies blew the game open with a three-run sixth. Werth and Brown hit consecutive singles to begin the inning before Ruiz drove both runners home by hooking a double down the left-field line. A two-out single by Placido Polanco off Arizona reliever Sam Demel plated Ruiz.
Raul Ibanez singled to start the seventh for Philadelphia, advanced to third on a Werth double and came home on Brown's fly ball to right. Ruiz then doubled to center to give the Phillies a seven-run cushion.
Game Notes
Halladay, who gave up six hits, had his scoreless streak at home snapped at 33 2/3 innings, the longest such stretch by a pitcher this season...It's the Phillies' longest winning streak at home since 1991, when they won 16 straight at Veterans Stadium...Brown was the first Phillie to have an RBI in his first at-bat since Marlon Anderson in 1998...Jackson has lost his last four starts...Philadelphia shortstop Jimmy Rollins missed his second straight game with a bruised left foot.
