PHILLIES NEWS

The Phils made big waves today as it was announced not long before tonight's game that they had acquired Roy Oswalt in exchange for J.A Happ, minor league outfielder Anthony Gose, and minor league SS Jonathan Villar. Meanwhile the Phils tonight came into the game looking to finish a sweep of the Dbacks and pickup their 8th straight win. Kyle Kendrick did his best to ensure that would happen, allowing just 1 run on 4 hits while striking out 5. It was just good enough of an outing to allow the Phils to take an early 2-0 lead on an RBI double by Carlos Ruiz in the 5th, and a 2 run homer by Raul Ibanez in the 6th. Kendrick was finally chased from the game with just 1 out in the 7th, after allowing a homer and a single. Fortunately, Chad Durbin successfully finished the 7th on a miracle double play ball and Ryan Madson rolled through the 8th, to keep the Phils ahead 2-1 going into the 9th.

There Madson allowed a leadoff double to Justin Upton and Upton later scored to tie it up at 2 before J.C Romero managed to get out of the inning with another miracle double play ball. From there Brad Lidge retired the Dbacks in order in the 10th before Ryan Howard struck out to strand the bases loaded in the home half of the inning. Next Jose Contreras pitched a scoreless 11th, setting the stage for another Phils rally. With one out in the home half of the inning Cody Ransom worked a walk. Ruiz followed with a single to put runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out for Wilson Valdez. A couple pitches later Valdez delivered a single up the middle to score Ransom with the winning run after the throw home hit the pitcher's mound. So it wasn't pretty but the Phils do get there 8th straight win and with another Braves loss tonight,they pull to within 2.5 games in the NL East. As for Oswalt he makes his Phils debut tomorrow in Washington so the winning streak could be extended for another night and that deficit could be cut in half before long.