Padilla Hits High Note for Phillies

Vicente Padilla showed why Philadelphia wanted him in the Curt Schilling trade two years ago.

Padilla came within four outs of a no-hitter against his former team and finished with a two-hitter, leading the Philadelphia Phillies over the Arizona Diamondbacks, 4-0, Friday night at Philadelphia.

“When people read Padilla’s name, they said, ‘Who’s Padilla?’” Phillies Manager Larry Bowa said. “Now they’re starting to find out who Padilla is.”

Padilla (5-2) was acquired by Philadelphia in the Schilling trade in July 2000, along with Travis Lee, Omar Daal and Nelson Figueroa.

The 24-year-old right-hander from Nicaragua retired 14 consecutive batters before pinch-hitter Chris Donnels doubled with two out in the eighth. Miguel Batista singled leading off the ninth, and Padilla finished for his first complete game in eight major league starts--all this season.

“I felt happy I was throwing a no-hitter and that it was against the team that signed me,” Padilla said as Philadelphia bullpen coach Ramon Henderson translated from Spanish. “Against Donnels, it was a two-seamer. I was trying to keep it down and away but I left it up.”

Bobby Abreu and Doug Glanville homered to help the Phillies to their seventh consecutive victory, their longest winning streak since May 4-10, 1995.

With two out in the eighth, Donnels batted for pitcher Rick Helling (3-4) and hit a liner down the left-field line that bounced fair, then bounded over the fence in foul territory for a ground-rule double.

Padilla was bidding to become the first pitcher to no-hit a World Series champion since Nolan Ryan of Texas did it at Oakland on June 11, 1990.

Padilla struck out seven and walked three, throwing 110 pitches.

Colorado 9, New York 5--Todd Helton homered twice at New York and Jason Jennings (3-2) held the Mets in check as the Rockies handed them their sixth consecutive loss.

Juan Pierre hit a three-run double, Jose Ortiz went four for five with two runs batted in and Todd Hollandsworth had three hits for the Rockies, who improved to 9-4 under new Manager Clint Hurdle.

Mike Piazza homered and drove in four runs for the Mets, who have been outscored, 41-13, during the skid that has dropped them to third in the NL East.

Atlanta 7, San Diego 3--Andruw Jones homered twice and had five RBIs, hitting a three-run drive off Jeremy Fikac (3-2) in the eighth inning to lead the Braves at Atlanta.

Jones had the 13th two-homer game of his career. He hit a two-run shot in the fourth, tying it at 2-2, and helped the Braves overcome a 3-2 deficit in the eighth.

St. Louis 4, Cincinnati 2--Edgar Renteria hit a two-run homer on the first pitch from closer Danny Graves to lift the Cardinals at Cincinnati.

Albert Pujols had three hits and Eli Marrero ended an 0-for-30 slump with a single, but the Cardinals needed a homer from light-hitting shortstop Renteria to end the Reds’ three-game winning streak.

Pittsburgh 5, Houston 1--Jimmy Anderson (3-4) took a shutout into the seventh inning at Pittsburgh, and Kevin Young hit his first homer in nearly a month to lead the Pirates.

Young’s drive came off Carlos Hernandez (3-1), who lost for the first time in 10 career appearances as the Astros dropped their fourth in a row.

Milwaukee 6, Chicago 4--Tyler Houston tied it for the Brewers with a three-run homer at Chicago, and Jeffrey Hammonds hit a two-run shot. Richie Sexson homered for the second consecutive day for the Brewers, who have won their first two games in Chicago after losing nine in a row on the road.