Zeros to Heroes

With the Phillies' starting rotation down to three aces, and their bats serving as little more than props on most nights, they can use a wild card on the mound to turn into a winner.

Now that Roy Oswalt is on the 15-day disabled list and the potential for a longer absence very real, the performances of rookie righthander Vance Worley have grown in importance because he has been elevated to No. 4 starter for the time being.

For the second consecutive start since his third call-up from triple-A Lehigh Valley this season, Worley did a job that certainly was worthy of the majors in the Phillies' 1-0 interleague win over the Oakland Athletics on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park.

Pinch-hitter Ben Francisco chopped a walk-off single over third base off reliever Brian Fuentes to score Shane Victorino, who was the game's first Phillie to begin an inning by getting on base when he walked. He had taken second on Domonic Brown's single.

It was the eighth consecutive home win for the Phillies, who got another strong effort from the bullpen. Worley, David Herndon, Juan Perez, and Michael Stutes combined for a two-hitter.

With closer Ryan Madson unavailable because of numbness in his right hand, Stutes pitched a clean ninth inning, struck out two, and got the win, his third in his last three appearances. The rookie righthander quickly is becoming a fan favorite, evidenced by the chants of "Sto-o-o-o-tes" that rolled out of the stands.

"It's pretty fun to be out there and have them chanting," Stutes said. "That's why it's so much fun to play in Philadelphia and why so many guys want to come here. I'm pretty lucky to be up here to pitch in front of them."

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel admitted that Madson was unavailable after repeated questioning. Apparently the numbness was caused by a ball that hit him during a May 20 game against Texas.

"For about a week now, he didn't have feeling in his hand," Manuel said. "Today, hopefully, he got it taken care of, and he should be able to pitch in three or four days."

Meanwhile, Worley held the A's hitless until Hideki Matsui, who broke the Phillies' hearts in the 2009 World Series as a New York Yankee, roped a two-out double that eluded a diving Victorino in the sixth inning. But Worley was pulled after the sixth because he had thrown 105 pitches, more than any of his previous five starts with the Phillies this season. He walked four and ran several deep counts. He threw 27 pitches in the first inning.

"I'm just trying to be effective, even if I'm not able to get everything over for a strike," the 23-year-old pitcher said.

In his last two starts, Worley has allowed one run in 11 innings, and he is pitching more like the Worley who opened some eyes when he first was called up in late April as the No. 5 starter in place of injured Joe Blanton.

"He threw strikes when he had to," Manuel said. "I think he's kind of gutty. He's not afraid to throw the ball up there and see if you can hit it. If he gets in trouble, he'll go to his fastball and say, 'Here, hit it,' and that's good."

The Phillies didn't get a hit off A's starter Guillermo Moscoso until Placido Polanco singled with one out in the sixth. Moscoso, making the eighth start of his career, gave up two hits over seven innings and didn't allow a batter to reach second base.

The closest the A's came to scoring off Worley was in the fifth inning, but Ryan Howard saved a run with a diving stop of Jemile Weeks' grounder and a flip toss to Worley, who hustled to cover first base.

The Phillies didn't get a runner in scoring position until A's reliever Joey Devine gave up consecutive walks to Polanco and Chase Utley with two outs in the eighth before Howard grounded out to first.

But Francisco came through to give the Phillies their fourth walk-off win of the season.

"He was patient and he was able to put the bat on the ball," Manuel said. "When you do that, sometimes good things happen."