Home plate collision rule, Howard’s homer lead to Phillies win

July 28--PHILADELPHIA55 DAYS. -- 55 days.

That's how long it's been since the Citizens Bank Park faithful have seen Ryan Howard homer in South Philadelphia.

He ended that streak Sunday afternoon on the first pitch he saw, depositing a 90 mph fastball from Vidal Nuno in the seats in left-center field to help push the Phillies past the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-2.

The first baseman's struggles this season have been well noted, especially with Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg benching him three straight games last week.

Going 1-for-3 with the two-run homer and a walk, Howard's hoping Sunday was the beginning of a turn around.

While the home run was big, the most crucial play of the day came in the sixth after Howard worked a two-out walk after falling behind in the count 0-2. Marlon Byrd popped up a ball to shallow right field that second baseman Didi Gregorius ranged back to get. As Gregorius moved toward the ball, Howard slowed up between second and third until the ball was dropped.

Howard explained the reason he stopped running.

"I saw that [third base coach] Pete [Mackanin] was holding me up a little bit," Howard said. "Once Gregorius] dropped the ball, he waved me on. I picked up my third base coach and he [waved me home]. Once he dropped it, it was go-go-go. I followed his lead."

Had Howard continued to run full speed, he likely would have scored with ease. Instead, the throw home beat Howard by about two strides and he was called out after trying to avoid the tag. With Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero appearing to set up in the baseline, taking away a lane to the plate for Howard, Sandberg challenged the play.

After a two minute and 55-second review, the ruling was overturned, giving the Phillies a 3-2 lead and the eventual game-winning run.

Sandberg thought the right call was made, according to the way the rule has been interpreted.

"Obviously the catcher was camped with no lane for Howard to come in the whole play," Sandberg said.

The manager thought Montero could have easily avoided the situation.

"Just be up further into fair territory, whether it's two or three feet just so the runner can see home plate and know where he's going and where to slide," Sandberg said. "That's what we've been teaching the runners and the catchers. But when Howard is running all the way down the line and the catcher is camped with no place else to go -- we saw he didn't know where he was going."

The Phillies were able to tack on an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh on another Arizona fielding mishap. Ben Revere doubled to deep left field on a ball that glanced off of David Peralta's glove, knocking in Wil Nieves and allowing Revere to reach third.

The throw home once again beat the runner, this time however, Montero set up on the first base side of home plate and had trouble corralling the ball, allowing Nieves to score.

Starter Roberto Hernandez pitched well for the Phillies, turning in what was possibly his best outing of the season. The righty threw seven innings, allowing only four hits and two earned runs. Beginning with the last out in the second, Hernandez went on a nice run, retiring 10 straight batters. The only damage off Hernandez came on two doubles he gave up, one in the second and one in the sixth that each knocked in a run.

Hernandez can attribute a lot of his success to keeping the ball down.

"He had some early swing outs," Sandberg said. "He avoided the big inning with multiple runners. He got ground balls when he needed them and he threw enough pitches around the zone and got some hitters to swing the bat."

It was just the fourth time in 19 starts this season that Hernandez was able to go at least seven innings.

A Philadelphia bullpen that has struggled of late held things together, giving the Phillies their first home series win since June 10-12 over the San Diego Padres.

The lone bright spot has been Ken Giles, who was given the ball in the eighth inning. Giles gave up a walk but immediately got Ender Inciarte to ground into a double play.

Jonathan Papelbon came on in the ninth to earn the save. He allowed two hits but a double play started by Jimmy Rollins ended the game.

Notes: Roberto Hernandez won two consecutive decisions for the first time since the beginning of the 2011 season. ... Jonathan Papelbon recorded career save 311, moving him into a tie for 20th place on baseball's all-time list.

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