2012 Topps #117 Carlos Ruiz

Phillies 7, Padres 3
Game 33 - Friday Night, May 11th in Philadelphia
Record - 15-18, 5th Place, 5 1/2 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Carlos Ruiz and John Mayberry, Jr. each drove in three runs and the bullpen pitched three scoreless innings as the Phillies downed the Padres, 7-3.

What It Means:  Manager Charlie Manuel called a team meeting following Wednesday night's horrendous loss, and the talking to from the the manager seemed to pay off in this game.  The Phillies looked more focused, there were no mental lapses, and the bullpen got the job done.

The Phils added three new players to their roster before the game.  Lefty relievers Jake Diekman and Raul Valdes are now in, while relievers Joe Savery and Brian Sanches are out.  Laynce Nix landed on the disabled list with a bum calf and infielder Hector Luna was recalled to take his place.

2012 Topps #287

What Went Right:  Mayberry started the scoring with a two-run home run in the second and Ruiz added a two-run home run in the fourth.  They both knocked in insurance runs in the seventh.  It was Mayberry's first home run of the year, and the three RBIs doubled his total for the season.  Ruiz continues to be the team's most consistent hitter, and his three-hit night raised his season average to .340.

Vance Worley earned his third win the of the year while striking out nine and allowing three runs over six innings.  Antonio Bastardo entered in the seventh and pitched two scoreless innings while striking out the side in the eighth.  Chad Qualls pitched a scoreless ninth to secure the win for the Phils.

Maybe this is the turning point of the season?  Let's hope so.

Featured Cards:  The stars of the game were Ruiz, Mayberry and Bastardo.  Featured here are the cards of Ruiz and Bastardo from Topps' Series One release, and hopefully Mayberry gets his card in Series Two.  (Mayberry has a card in the Phillies Topps team set, which uses the same design as the flagship set.)