Phillies sweep Padres as Jerome Williams delivers

SAN DIEGO - A smiling Freddy Galvis stepped to the top step of the visitors' dugout late in the Phillies' 5-3 win Sunday, emphatically motioning to second base, where Chase Utley stood after lacing a game-breaking, pinch-hit double.

Galvis prodded Utley to make the bull horns gesture many of the Phillies have taken to this season. Rookie Odubel Herrera, whose "El Torito" nickname translates to "the little bull," brought it to the team in spring training.

The typically stoic and undemonstrative Utley obliged, if only raising his hands halfway to his head, and flashed a seldom-seen smile. One need look no further for an indication of the Phillies' recent play.

"I think one of the sides of his lip curled up a little," interim manager Pete Mackanin quipped.

A day after ending their two-month tenure as the team with baseball's worst record, the Phillies continued their torrid stretch by completing a three-game sweep of the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. They will enter Monday's series opener in Arizona as the hottest second-half team in baseball with 16 wins in 21 games since the all-star break.

Sunday's result was made possible by a host of contributors. Jerome Williams, a journeyman starter who has struggled most of the season, offered his best outing of the year. Third baseman-turned-leftfielder Cody Asche robbed Padres catcher Derek Norris of a home run. Herrera's hot bat provided one. Carlos Ruiz perfectly executed an important hit-and-run. And Utley came through off the bench.

The Phillies improved to 19-19 under Mackanin, who took over when Ryne Sandberg resigned June 26. This was their fourth sweep of the season, with three coming since the all-star break. They have won seven of their last eight road games.

"Overall, we're swinging the bats a lot better," Utley said. "Obviously our starting pitching has kept us in a majority of the games. There's a lot of energy in our lineup. The young guys are getting an opportunity to play and they're doing well. It's a good sign."

Williams completed seven innings for the first time this season. The 33-year-old righthander did not allow a run until there were two outs in the fifth, when Justin Upton launched a full-count fastball into the second deck in left field. Williams struck out three and did not issue a walk.

Over his last two starts, Williams has lowered his ERA from 6.36 to 5.73. Aside from Upton's home run, he surrendered merely four singles. He tipped his cap toward left field after Asche's run-saving catch in the seventh. Ken Giles gave up a run in the ninth but converted his third save of the series and sixth in as many opportunities over his 12 games as the Phillies' closer.

The Phillies led almost the entire game. Ryan Howard delivered an RBI double in the first and the hot-hitting Herrera smacked his sixth home run in the sixth. Cesar Hernandez's run-scoring single in the seventh provided one insurance run and Utley's two-bagger in the eighth made for two more.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the 36-year-old second baseman said through a laugh when asked about his "El Torito" gesture.

"It was a good effort," Williams said, smiling. "He had two fingers up. He didn't go too high. But it was fun."

"I think it was good, man," Galvis concluded. "Not the way that Torito does it, but it's something to have fun right now. We're playing good. Everybody was laughing in the dugout, the way he did it. It was good."

StartText

7-1

Phillies'

road record since the all-star break.

2

Earned runs allowed by Jerome Williams in his last two games combined.

3

Doubles by

Chase Utley in

the last two games.

EndText

@jakemkaplan