Filling in for the uber-hot Cam Maybin who strained his hip early in Sunday’s game, Chris Denorfia picked up right where Cam left off. He robbed Raul Ibanez  of a sure two-run bomb with an amazing over-the wall leaping catch on a dead run at the Phillies bullpen in centerfield, followed by the most exciting play in baseball when he stole home on Monday. Denorfia’s steal helped energize the Padres that helped snap a 10-game losing streak to Philadelphia and also ensured a winning road trip, having swept Florida last Tuesday through Thursday. The Padres traveled back to San Diego with all 25 players with the trade deadline one week away. Below is a game-by-game recap of how the Padres avoided a sweep by baseball’s best.

July 22^nd, 2011 Phillies 3, Padres 1

WP Cole Hamels (12-5) 8IP 3H 1R 1ER 1BB 10K 0HR

LP Cory Luebke (3-4) 5IP 6H 3R 2ER 1BB 4K 0HR

S Ryan Madson (16) 1IP 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 0K 0HR

It was “Retro Night” at Citizen’s Bank Park in Philadelphia on Friday night with the Phillies and Padres wearing their 1984 throwbacks and fan’s dressing like their favorite characters from the 1980’s. And after their offensive explosion the last few games, the Padres turned back the clock to a couple weeks, putting up only one run and striking out 10 times.

Cole Hamels struck out seven of the first nine batters he faced, cruising over eight innings to his twelfth victory this year. He surrendered only one run in the fifth, a groundout to third that scored Cameron Maybin. Maybin reached base on a leadoff single before stealing second and advancing to third on a groundout by Jesus Guzman.

Corey Luebke surrendered three runs, however only two were earned. The Flyin’ Hawaiian Shane Victorino hit a chopper that went right over the flat-footed Jason Bartlett for a two-base error to lead off the second. Carlos Ruiz then launched a deep drive to center that bounced off the glove of a retreating Maybin for a run-scoring double.

With two men on in the fourth, Luebke balked in a run before John Mayberry Jr. doubled in another to give the Phillies a 3-0 lead before Maybin scored the next half inning.

Ryan Madson pitched a perfect ninth for his sixteenth save of the year.

July 23^rd, 2011 Phillies 8, Padres 6

WP Michael Stutes (5-1) 1.1IP 2H 1R 1ER 0BB 1K 0HR

LP Chad Qualls (4-5) 0.1IP 4H 5R 5ER 1BB 0K 3HR

S Ryan Madson (17) 1IP 1H 0R 0ER 0BB 2K 0HR

Chad Qualls was tasked of holding a one run lead in the seventh and failed after throwing just one pitch. Pinch-hitter Ryan Howard blasted Qualls 92 mph sinker over the centerfield fence to tie the game at four, taking the win away from Mat Latos. Qualls then gave up a double by Ross Gload before walking Jimmy Rollins. With two strikes on two failed bunt attempts by Michael Martinez, Qualls threw a wild pitch to the backstop, advancing both runners for Martinez. Not needing to sacrifice, Martinez swung away at the next pitch which eneded up in the stands beyond right field, putting the Phillies up 7-4. After inducing a groundout, Chase Utley hit his second home run of the game to give Philadelphia a four run lead.

Utley homered with two on and one out in the first to give Philadelphia a early 3-0 lead. They held that lead until the top of the sixth when Latos led off th sixth with a line-drive to center. Cam Maybin then hit a deep fly ball that was tailing foul before hitting off the foul pole for a two-run homer. After a groundout by Jason Bartlett, Chase Headley hit a solo shot to left field to tie the game at three.

Logan Forsythe led off the seventh inning with a triple of the outfield wall that eluded both Shane Victorino on the carum. After Rob Johnson struck out, Jesus Guzman pinch-hit for Latos. Guzman popped up to second base for the second out with the go-ahead run still 90 feet away. But Maybin came through again when he rached on a low curveball and took it off the glove of diving shortstop Rollins for another infield single, this one putting the Padres up 4-3 and putting Latos in line for the win.

After surrendering the home run in the first, Latos settled down and only allowed three hits the next five innings, striking out seven before Qualls gave up five in the seventh.

The next inning the Padres loaded the bases with tw outs facing reliever Antonio Bastardo. Bastardo threw a wild pitch to Rob Johnson, scoring Ludwick from third. Bastardo then walked Johnson to reload the bases and then pinch hitter Kyle Phillips to bring the Padres back within two. Maybin could not capitalize this time, grounding out to the pitcher to leave the bases loaded in the eighth.

Ryan Madson came in and retired the first two batters he faced before giving up a double to Ludwick. Kyle Blanks then struck out swinging, to end the game.

July 24^th, 2011 Phillies 5, Padres 3

WP Roy Halladay (12-4) 8IP 8H 3R 2ER 1BB 8K 0HR

LP Tim Stauffer (6-7) 5.2IP 8H 5R 5ER 4BB 5K 0HR

S Antonio Bastardo (8) 1IP 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 1K 0HR

Roy Halladay struck out eight Padres in eight innings leading the Phillies to victory on Sunday. The Padres jumped ahead on the reigning CY Young early in the first inning. Cam Maybin singled and then stole second to lead off the game. After a Will Venable strikeout, Chase Headley lined a single to right field to score Maybin.

But Philadelphia rettok the lead in the bottom of the first and never gave it up. Chase Utley drew a two-out walk and then advanced to third on Ryan Howard’s single. He then scored Shane Victorino’s single to tie the game. Howard would then come in on a two-bagger by Raul Ibanez to put the Phils up 2-1.

Tim Stauffer had a sub-par outing, walking four and giving up five runs on eight hits before being pulled with two out in the sixth. He gave up a leadoff double to Howrd to start the third. Howard would score two batters later to give the Phillies a two-run lead. After a Dominic Brow single, Carlos Ruiz would knock in both batters to push Philadelphia’s advantage to four.

The Padres took two back in the in the top of the fourth when Kyle Blanks scored on Alberto Gonzalez’s one-out single to right, andvancing Kyle Phillips to third. Phillips then scored on a heads up play when Stauffer’s sac bunt slowly made its way to Howard, who paied no attention to Phillips as he threw the runner out at first base.

Chris Denorfia threw his hat in the ring as a candidate for the play of the year when Raul Ibanez lined a shot toward the Philadelphia bullpen in centerfield. Starting from shallow center, Denorfia broke into a full sprint trying to run down Ibanez’s deep drive. Leaping from the warning track, Norf leaped up and snagged the ball from about a foot beyond the fence and brought it back in the park, robbing Ibanez of a sure home run with a phenomenal play.

But on the offensive end the Padres were unable to get to either Halladay or reliever Antonio Bastardo who pitched a perfect ninth for his eighth save of the season.

July 25^th, 2011 Padres 5, Phillies 4

WP Aaron Harang (9-2) 6IP 8H 4R 4ER 2BB 2K 0HR

LP Cliff Lee (9-7) 4IP 10H 5R 5ER 1BB 5K 0HR

S Heath Bell (29) 1IP 0H 0R 0ER 1BB 1K 0HR

Chris Denorfia became the first Padre to steal home since Eric Owens in 2005, highlighting a four-run second inning that helped snap the Padres 10 game losing streak to Philadelphia. The Phillies had beaten the Padres all seven times they face d them this season as well as their last three meeting in 2011.

With a one-run lead to work with after a RBI double by Shane Victorino in the bottom of the first, The Padres rallied on the man many believe to be the best left-hander in the game, Cliff Lee. Jesus Guzman, making his first start since Friday, doubled in his first at-bat to lead off the second inning. After advancing to third on a groundout by Orlando Hudson, Guzman scored on catcher Rob Johnson’s double. After a strikeout by Harang, Denorfia singled and then advanced to second when Johnson scored on a play at the plate. Denorfia then stole third before Jason Bartlett walked.

Standing on third with Chase Headley at the plate, Cliff Lee lobbed the ball to first in a half-hearted pickoff attempt on Bartlett. Noticing the Lee’s aloofness, Norf broke for home, sliding in ahead of the throw from first baseman Ryan Howard. On the next pitch Chase Headley scored Bartlett from first on double to deep center to give the Padres 4-1 lead.

Philly got two back in the fourth when Raul Ibanez doubled and the scored on Dominic Brown’s triple to centerfield. Carlos Ruiz then singled to score Brown, bringing the Phils within two runs.

To one out in the sixth, Shane Victorino doubled and then scored on an Ibanez single to right field, closing San Diego’s lead to one run.

But the Padres would get scoreless innings from Chad Qualls, Mike Adams and Heath Bell.

Adams and Bell’ both the subjects of several trade talks, got out of jams of their own in the eighth and ninth. With two outs, Adams gave up a triple to Victorino before getting Ibanez to ground out to Guzman at first. And San Diego’s self-proclaimed “Drama Queen”, Heath Bell, walked his first batter bhe faced before retiring the next three batters for his 29^th save in 31 tries this season.R

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