Padilla Pitches Gem as Phils End Losing Skid

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Philadelphia Phillies finally had a big inning of their own and got the pitching to back it up.

Vicente Padilla retired the first 15 batters and Jimmy Rollins' two-run homer capped a five-run ninth inning as the Phillies ended a six-game losing streak with an 8-2 triumph over the San Francisco Giants.

Padilla's bid for a perfect game ended when Tsuyoshi Shinjo hit a 3-2 pitch into center field for a leadoff single in the bottom of the sixth. After Benito Santiago lined out, Shinjo took second on pitcher Livan Hernandez's sacrifice and scored on a double by David Bell to cut San Francisco's deficit to 3-1.

"I just wanted to challenge him," Padilla said through an interpreter. "I thought Jimmy (Rollins) had a good chance to get it, but it got through. It happens."

But that was the only run allowed by Padilla (3-2), who gave up three hits over eight innings with four strikeouts. The righthander from Nicaragua squared his career mark against the Giants at 1-1.

"Stuff-wise, thats the best hes been," Philadelphia manager Larry Bowa said. "Hes been like that in stretches but that was his most consistent outing. He knows he can pitch."

One night after Phillies pitchers walked a season-high 10 batters, Padilla walked none. He threw 68 of his 90 pitches for strikes.

"I pitched well. Im happy but not overwhelmed by it," Padilla said. "There's a long way to go. If I can maybe turn it up a couple of notches, maybe I can throw a perfect game."

"He was electric tonight," Phillies third baseman Scott Rolen said. "He threw 94-95 with different arm angles. He was hitting his spots. Weve played some long games lately. He got us on and off the field quickly."

Giants right fielder Reggie Sanders, who went 0-for-4, was impressed with Padilla.

"Tough guy. Tough guy," Sanders said. "He was sinking the ball hard. It looked like all of his pitches were moving. He kept throwing the ball in the middle of the plate. He definitely could have pitched a no-hitter if he would have kept it going. Sometimes you have to tip your cap to some guys and he is worth tipping it to."

In a non-save situation, closer Jose Mesa gave up one run and two hits in the ninth.

"I would have gone (in the ninth), but Mesa was ready and he did his job," Padilla said.

In 10 of its previous 13 games, Philadelphia had allowed its foes to score four or more runs in an inning, but turned the tables on Tuesday.

"That was nice," Bowa said. "We have a tendency to make everthing close and tonight it was nice to get a lot of runs. Our every day lineup is very talented. We have to get pitching. If we dont get good pitching, it makes no difference what your lineup has been doing. We needed a game like that."

The Phillies took a 3-0 lead after three innings on sacrifice flies by Rolen and Bobby Abreu and Travis Lee's solo homer. They broke open the game in the ninth en route to just their second victory in 12 games.

"We had some things going our way," Rolen said. "Weve been on the down side a lot lately, so it was nice to have some breaks."

Mike Lieberthal hit a double one out in the ninth, moved to third on Marlon Anderson's single and scored on a double by Pat Burrell that Gold Glove left fielder Barry Bonds had trouble picking up, allowing Anderson to cross the plate. One out later, pinch hitter Jason Michaels hit an RBI single and Rollins followed with his first home run of the season, giving the Phillies an 8-1.

"I came around first and thought, `So, thats how it feels to hit one at home,'" said Rollins, a Alameda, California product. "I was able to get that one. If I only get one all year, at least I got it here at home.

"It's been a while and its even more special to do it in front of my home team, or at least my personal hometown crowd. Its nice to have people here who have not had the chance, to see me play on an elite level."

Philadelphia also stopped an eight-game road skid, winning away from home for the first time since a 7-5 victory at Florida on April 17.

"We've lost a lot of games in a row. Its just important to get the momentum and prove that we can win," Burrell said. "We need to start playing like were capable of. We need to start playing better, and hopefully it starts here."

Hernandez (4-2) surrendered three runs and nine hits over eight innings and lost his second straight start.

J.T. Snow delivered a run-scoring single in the ninth, but the Giants lost for the fifth time in the last seven games.

"That's the best game we have had pitched against us this year," Giants manager Dusty Baker said of Padilla. "His fastball was darting. If we swung at the first pitch it would be an out. And if we took the first pitch, it would be 0-1. His strikes-to-balls ratio was something like 3-to-1."

For the second night in a row, a new all-time low attendance record for Pacific Ball Park was set as 34,918 showed up to watch the second game of this three-game set.

ComcastSportsNet.com wire services