Valdez drives in winning run in 11th

FROM THE MORNING CALL

PHILADELPHIA — Nothing like a little motivation.

Wilson Valdez, out of the starting lineup much of last week because manager Charlie Manuel wanted a little more pop in his offense, drove in the game-winning run with a single in the 11th inning, giving the Phillies a 3-2 victory over Arizona on Thursday at Citizens Bank Park.

Valdez had two other hits and helped turn a pair of run-saving double plays


"Valdez was the big star of the game," Manuel said.

Although Valdez has started the last three nights in place of of Jimmy Rollins, who was still out nursing a bruise on his foot, Manuel had been putting Valdez at second base with Chase Utley out. But lately, Manuel had been opting to shift Placido Polanco over to second base and put Greg Dobbs at third with the hope of generating more offense.

Valdez said he wasn't bothered by Manuel's decision.

"I was waiting for the time that I would get the opportunity to play," Valdez said. "I'm here to help the team. I feel happy. We're in a race and hopefully we keep doing it."

The Phillies (55-46) have now won a season-high eight in a row (their longest winning streak since taking 10 from July 8-21, 2009) and 11 straight at home. They sit 2 1/2 games in back of first-place Atlanta, which lost to Washington on Thursday.

The victory also meant the Phillies won all seven games on the homestand, their first perfect homestand since Aug. 6-12, 1991, when they went 7-0 against the Cubs and Expos.

Kyle Kendrick didn't have his best stuff and struggled with his location, but managed to keep Arizona scoreless until Miguel Montero hit a solo home run in the sixth that brought his team within 2-1.

Mark Reynolds singled in his next at-bat, prompting Manuel to hand the reins to his bullpen.

Although Chad Durbin and Ryan Madson escaped the seventh and eighth without giving up a run, J.C. Romero allowed Arizona to tie it up.

The Phillies, who acquired Astros star pitcher Roy Oswalt for J.A. Happ and two prospects earlier in the day, went down in order in the eighth and ninth, but had the bases loaded in the 10th for N.L. RBI leader Ryan Howard.

The slugger, though, struck out on three pitches.

Carlos Ruiz drove in the Phillies' first run in the fifth, putting them ahead 1-0. Raul Ibanez made it 2-0 with a home run in the sixth.

Moyer won't need surgery: Dr. Lew Yocum, the leading performer of Tommy John surgeries, did not recommend elbow surgery for Jamie Moyer.

The Souderton native does have a strain of his flexor pronator and UCL, and is expecting to miss the rest of the season.

"If I rehab diligently and allow it to heal, and then prudently start rehab and take my time with it, space it out where maybe I don't throw until October, December and everything is healed, I [should] have great strength and next year I'll be ready to go," Moyer, 47, said.

Moyer's contract with the club is up after this season, so it's likely he's thrown his last pitch as a Phillie.

"That's up to the organization," he said. "I would love that opportunity. But I don't know what their plans are."

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