Phillies Notebook: Oswalt's effort against Padres even better than it looked

SAN DIEGO - The creature walking on his hands and feet across the leftfield grass at Petco Park was not a bear. It was a starting pitcher doing a bear crawl.

The previous evening, Roy Oswalt had played the consummate professional after pitching six scoreless innings in a 3-0 win over the Padres, repeatedly saying that the back spasms he battled 5 days earlier did not impact his performance.

But an hour after Oswalt finished his agility work in the outfield at Petco Park, pitching coach Rich Dubee praised him for his effort against the Padres, saying the back might have been more of a factor than the veteran righthander was willing to acknowledge.

After flying cross-country from Philadelphia, Oswalt held the Padres to one hit and two walks, striking out seven while improving to 3-0 and lowering his ERA to 1.88. This despite a fastball that was a couple of miles per hour slower than usual.

"First of all, it's a tough travel day," Dubee said. "Two, I don't believe he's 100 percent yet. There is still some aftereffect. I thought it was a gritty effort, really. A tremendously gutty effort."

Oswalt's back has affected him at various times in recent years, including last season, when the Astros administered a cortisone injection to combat inflammation. But the 33-year-old veteran has been nothing short of outstanding since the Phillies acquired him last July. In 16 starts as a Phillie, he is 10-1 with a 1.70 ERA and has yet to allow more than four earned runs in a start.

Oswalt might have pitched even deeper into Thursday's victory if not for a 14-pitch at-bat in the fourth inning in which Jorge Cantu fouled off eight consecutive pitches before finally striking out on a 3-2 slider. That at-bat served as a microcosm of Oswalt's performance. After trying every possible way to retire Cantu, Oswalt called an audible on his final pitch, raising his index finger on the seam of the baseball instead of using his usual grip.

"They made him earn everything he got," manager Charlie Manuel said.

Raul Ibanez entered last night's game with seven hits and 16 strikeouts in his previous 44 at-bats, lowering his batting average to .209 and his on-base-plus-slugging percentage to .577. Charlie Manuel said he considered giving the veteran leftfielder a night off against Padres lefty Clayton Richard, but decided against it.

"I think you do have to play him, but there comes a time where giving him a break doesn't hurt him," Manuel said. "I still think you kind of have to stay with him for a little while."

Ibanez was 0-for-4 last night, with two strikeouts to send his average even lower, to .197.

Ibanez finished last April hitting .221 with a .679 OPS. His struggles continued through the first half of the season before he finally found a groove, hitting .303 with an .853 OPS and 10 home runs in his final 80 games. He has now gone hitless in his last 15 at-bats against lefthanded pitchers.

Manuel said he wants to get John Mayberry Jr. into the starting lineup on occasion. Tomorrow, when the Padres start lefty Wade LeBlanc, could be one such time. Manuel also pointed to the Phillies' upcoming series in Arizona, where the Diamondbacks are scheduled to start lefthander Joe Saunders.

Mayberry entered last night 6-for-16 with no homers and one RBI. He did not play last night.

At 13-6, the Phillies have surpassed their victory total of 12 from last April . . . Third baseman Placido Polanco needs three RBI to tie his career-high of 18 for a single month, set in July 2003 and September 2004. Polanco, 11-for-22 with runners in scoring position, did not get an RBI last night . . . After last night, first baseman Ryan Howard has eight hits in his last 49 at-bats (.163) after starting the season 12-for-23 (.522).