Howard goes deep twice, Phillies top Cards 4-1

[July 11, 2008]  PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Ryan Howard homered twice and drove in three runs to help the Philadelphia Phillies beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 on Thursday.

Howard lined a two-run shot to left-center off Braden Looper (9-7) in the first and connected again in the sixth. He now leads the National League with 27 homers, two better than teammate Chase Utley, and 83 RBIs.

Howard was batting in the .160s in early May, was at .215 coming into this month and was upset after hearing some mild boos from the finicky fans. But the former MVP is 18-for-51 over a 13-game hitting streak that's lifted his average to .234 and he's heard nothing but wild cheers after every deep home run.

While he still leads the league in strikeouts, manager Charlie Manuel said he could live with the whiffs as long as Howard produces runs and hits in big moments. He hit the tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning of Wednesday night's 4-2 victory and set a team record for most RBIs before the All-Star break.

Howard's homers were enough run support for 45-year-old Jamie Moyer (8-6), who won for the first time since June 12.

Ryan Madson pitched 1 1-3 scoreless innings and J.C. Romero got two outs for his first save in five chances.

Moyer slumped in his last four starts, going 0-3 with a 4.13 ERA. But he struck out four in this one and was never in any real serious trouble over seven solid innings. Yadier Molina's RBI single in the fourth was the only run scored off the veteran lefty.

The NL East-leading Phillies staked Moyer to a 3-0 lead in the third on Utley's RBI double down the first-base line. Utley came close to tying Howard in the fifth for the home run lead, but his drive fell short on the warning track.

Looper allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings.

Notes: The Phillies sent LHP J.A. Happ to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Happ started Wednesday night's game, but was not needed to pitch again before the All-Star break. The Phillies purchased the contract of INF Mike Cervenak from Lehigh Valley. Happ might not return after the break if the Phillies believe RHP Brett Myers is set to return to the rotation. Myers, their opening-day starter, pitches for Double-A Reading on Saturday and likely will make at least more minor league start after that. ... The Cardinals placed LHP Mark Mulder on the disabled list, one day after he left his comeback start after facing only three batters. They purchased the contract of LHP Jamie Garcia from Triple-A Memphis. ... Gregg Dobbs' pinch single in the seventh gave him 18 already this season -- the most on the Phillies since Dave Philley had 18 in 1958.

[Associated Press; By DAN GELSTON]

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