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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Phillies smash Reds, 22-1


By Rob Maaddi
Associated Press

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Shane Victorino

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VICTORINO TRAILS EARLY

Maui's Shane Victorino is second in early voting for the last spot on the 33-player NL team. San Francisco infielder Pablo Sandoval is "followed closely" by the Phillies center fielder after the first 24 hours of online voting (at http://www.mlb.com), according to http://www.MLB.com.

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PHILADELPHIA — Chase Utley, Shane Victorino and Greg Dobbs went deep, Cole Hamels ripped a two-run double and Jimmy Rollins crossed the plate twice — just in the first inning alone.

By the time Jayson Werth circled the bases after hitting a grand slam off an infielder, the Philadelphia Phillies were on their way to handing the Cincinnati Reds the worst loss in team history.

Utley hit a three-run homer and Victorino and Dobbs each had two-run shots during a 10-run first, leading the Phillies to a 22-1 victory over the Reds last night.

The previous worst defeat for the Reds, baseball's first professional franchise, was 26-6 on July 26, 1892. That also was against the Phillies.

"We got slaughtered as they used to say," Reds manager Dusty Baker said.

Hamels (5-5) was the beneficiary of the offensive outburst. The struggling ace allowed one run and three hits in seven innings to earn his first win since shutting out the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 4.

"I was just jumping for joy," Hamels said about the run support. "When you put that many runs up, it makes it uncomfortable for the other team."

The Phillies tied a club record for most runs in the first inning. They scored 10 three other times, most recently on June 2, 2002, against the Montreal Expos.

It was the most runs by Philadelphia since a 26-7 win over the New York Mets at the old Veterans Stadium on June 11, 1985. The 22 runs were the most in the six-year history of Citizens Bank Park.

Reds starter Johnny Cueto (8-5) retired just two batters, allowing nine runs and five hits. His ERA rose from 2.69 to 3.45.

Werth connected off Paul Janish in the eighth. Maui's Victorino, a candidate for the final spot on the NL's All-Star roster, helped his case with four hits, four RBIs and a career-high five runs. Dobbs had four hits, Utley drove in four and every starter had a hit.

"It was one of those nights where everything we hit was falling and we hit some hard," said manager Charlie Manuel, whose NL East-leading Phillies have won four straight games.