Padres-Phillies: Phillies Have Comeback of Their Own in Win Over Padres

I thought it was the San Diego Padres that were the king of comebacks. Well, this afternoon, the Phillies showed they were just as capable of coming back as Rual Ibanez hit a walk-off two-run home run off Padres’ reliever Edwin Moreno for a 5-4 Phillies win.

Through most of the game, it looked like the Padres were going to win their ninth in ten games, getting a strong pitching performance from recently called up Josh Geer. Geer pitched seven strong innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits, struck out four and didn’t walk a single batter.

The Padres got on top first thanks to an RBI single from outfielder Jody Gerut and an RBI triple from second baseman Edgar Gonzalez to put the Padres on top 2-0. An RBI groundout from Brian Giles, scoring Gonzalez, gave the Padres a 3-0 lead after three innings.

The Padres extended that lead even further in the top half of the fifth when Adrian Gonzalez unloaded on former teammate Chan Ho Park and sent his fifth home run of the year deep to right field for a 4-0 San Diego lead.

Phillies’ second baseman Chase Utley got the comeback started with a two-run shot, his second in as many days, in the sixth, cutting the lead in half to a 4-2 deficit.

Jimmy Rollins was next, hitting a pinch-hit solo home run in the eighth off Padres reliever Edward Mujica, the Padres lead was only 4-3 heading to the ninth inning.

After Padres’ closer Heath Bell had already made three straight save appearances, manager Bud Black elected to go with reliever Edwin Moreno in the ninth inning.

Moreno allowed a leadoff single to Phillies’ first baseman Ryan Howard to start off the home half of the ninth, bringing up outfielder Raul Ibanez. Moreno missed on a first pitch slider and again with a changeup, but Moreno tried to throw another changeup and Ibanez was looking for it, sending it deep into the right-field seats and sending the Phillies’ fans into a frenzy. A walk-off two-run home run and a 5-4 Phillies victory.

The Padres had a few good notes from this afternoon’s game, they know that Josh Geer has forgotten all about his struggles during spring training, the same struggles that had him starting the year in AAA Portland.

Adrian Gonzalez also continued his hot streak, hitting his third home run in five games, his fifth home run of the year. He’s currently hitting .289 with 12 RBI.

The two teams will finish their series on Monday night in Philadelphia. The Padres will have Kevin Correia (0-1, 4.09 ERA) on the mound while the Phillies counter with Jamie Moyer (1-1, 6.55 ERA)