Ibanez hits 3 homers as Phillies take 2 from Nats

WASHINGTON (AP)—Playing two after a 12-inning game the night before, the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals both needed some solid starting pitching.

The Phillies got it in both games, with an assist from a thunderstorm that shortened the second one. The Nationals didn’t come close either time and got swept.

Raul Ibanez(notes) hit three long home runs, and the Phillies again battered the National League’s worst pitching staff Saturday in 8-5 and 7-5 victories in a day-night doubleheader. Brett Myers(notes) cranked out seven innings in the afternoon, and emergency callup Andrew Carpenter(notes) pitched into the fifth in his first major league start in a nightcap called in the sixth due to rain.
“That second game, that’s what you call a good break,” said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, citing the thin bullpen from the 10-6 extra-inning win on Friday night. “We’ll take it. That’s part of the game. It definitely helped us.”

Philadelphia also got a scoreless-inning save in Game 1 from closer Brad Lidge(notes), who had allowed at least one run in each of his six previous outings. Meanwhile, things got worse for the Nationals: Game 1 starter Scott Olsen(notes) is headed to the disabled list with a shoulder injury, and Game 2 starter Daniel Cabrera(notes) dropped to 0-5 with another miserable performance.