Victorino lifts Phils by Padres

SAN DIEGO - Charlie Manuel is loyal - perhaps, some would argue, to a fault. Before Saturday's 3-1 win over the Padres, Manuel considered benching Shane Victorino, 1 for his last 23 against righthanded pitching.

But Victorino had decent success in limited at-bats vs. San Diego starter Jon Garland, so Manuel let him be. On Saturday, Victorino scored a run, drove in two runs and threw a runner out at home.

About 18 hours after Brad Lidge maddeningly blew his fifth save of the season Friday, Manuel inserted his closer into a save situation once again, just as he has after every Lidge stumble. Lidge retired the side in order on 17 pitches.

After suffering a four-game sweep at the hands of a hapless Houston team, the Phillies have started this critical West Coast trip with two tense victories over the National League's best team.

"It says a lot about what this team is about," Victorino said.

The Phillies lost two one-run games and a two-run game to the Astros. But they have won two such games here at Petco Park. Actually, in games decided by two or fewer runs, the Phillies are 35-23 (.603), the best winning percentage in the majors.

They have not scored more than three runs in six straight games, but still lead the wild-card standings and are lurking behind the first-place Atlanta Braves in the NL East.

In San Diego, the Phillies have beaten the Padres at their own game - pitching and defense. Joe Blanton allowed one run in six innings. Victorino helped him with a fine throw to nail Nick Hundley at the plate.

The Padres have lost three in a row for just the second time this season.

"We just happened to take advantage of a break or two," Manuel said. "That's it."

That's enough right now. The first break was Manuel's deciding to keep Victorino in the lineup. He singled in the fifth (the first Phillies hit of the day) to drive in Jayson Werth. It was Victorino's first RBI off a righthanded pitcher since Aug. 15 and just his second since July 20.

"You have to give credit to Charlie for keep running me out there," Victorino said. "He could totally say, 'Let's go with Domonic [Brown] or other guys.' In that regard, I'm grateful he keeps running us out there."

Manuel did think exactly that. Brown was on Manuel's mind as a possible starter early in the morning. But because Garland has good command of his off-speed stuff and Brown hasn't had many at-bats, the manager stuck with Victorino.

This season, Victorino's lefty-righty splits are astronomically unlike. Against lefthanders, Victorino was hitting .336 with a .959 on-base plus slugging percentage in 128 at-bats entering Saturday. Those numbers dipped to a .220 average and .660 OPS in 323 at-bats against righthanders.

"If I sat here and said I don't think about it, I'd be lying," Victorino said.

In the seventh, the Phillies went ahead on a Victorino triple. Werth led off with a walk, and Victorino lined one to left-center that Chris Denorfia made a diving attempt at and missed. The ball rolled to the wall, and the Phils had a lead.

Manuel said Saturday was an example of what Victorino must do to correct the difference between his righty-lefty splits.

"Hit the ball in the middle of the field like he did today," Manuel said, "instead of pulling off and chopping the ball on the ground. Shorten your swing. Stay on the ball."

In the ninth, Lidge pitched a balk-free inning. He was as shaky as he had been all season Friday, but looked confident Saturday. Manuel's faith was rewarded again.

"We know how many games we have left and what we have to do," Manuel said. "We know how we have to play."