Aggressive at-bats costly for D-Backs

Bob McManaman
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 28, 2006 12:00 AM

PHILADELPHIA - The Diamondbacks' pursuit of winning five consecutive series for the first time in three years ended with a whimpering thud Thursday against a pitcher who didn't exactly blow the ball by them. 

Cory Lidle, perhaps pitching his final game in a Phillies uniform, relied almost exclusively on slow breaking balls to limit Arizona to four hits in a 5-2 Philadelphia victory at Citizens Bank Park.  

After winning the first game of this series, the Diamondbacks dropped the next two by a combined five runs and are 5-14 against the Phillies since the start of the 2004 season.  

Solo home runs by Luis Gonzalez in the first and Conor Jackson in the second staked the Diamondbacks to an early lead, but Lidle regained control and took advantage of an aggressive-swinging lineup that never figured him out. 

"We weren't as patient as we should have been," manager Bob Melvin said. "We were swinging at a lot of first-pitch breaking balls and bad pitches and were making easy outs." 

Lidle (8-7), reportedly on the trading block, retired the side in order in the third, fifth, sixth and seventh innings, and after he finally got some offense to back his efforts, he was well on his way to his fourth consecutive victory.  

"He's not throwing in the 90s," Gonzalez said. "He's throwing breaking balls at 68, 72, 73. His fastball was maybe 84, 85. He can get it up there when he needs to, but he didn't need to. He thrived on our aggressiveness today and pitched a good game." 

So did Claudio Vargas (8-7), who left in the seventh, with the Diamondbacks trailing by a run. He gave up five hits with one walk and a season-high eight strikeouts.  

Philadelphia tied it at 2 in the fourth when Aaron Rowand reached base on Chad Tracy's second error in two days and Mike Lieberthal hit a two-run homer - his first of the season - with two outs.  

The Phillies forged ahead in the fifth when Chase Utley led off with a bloop single to center field to extend his hitting streak to 27 games, stole second and scored on Ryan Howard's screaming double past a leaping Jackson at first base. 

It was Howard's team-leading 81st RBI of the season.  

Rowand added a two-run single in the seventh and Tom Gordon retired the side in order in the ninth for his 25th save.  

Lidle, who struck out eight and issued no walks, is one of a handful of Philadelphia players rumored to be on the block. Others include pitcher Jon Lieber and right fielder Bobby Abreu.  

Asked if this was his last game for the Phillies, Lidle said, "I don't know. I hope not." 

"You never know what's going to happen," Howard said. "You're here one day, gone the next. I've always been told a lot of stuff, but I don't pay any attention to it until it happens. You have to roll with the punches." 

The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, roll into Houston hoping to get back on the winning track. 

"We'll put this one away, go to Houston, and play better there," Melvin said.