Metal Machine Moyer: Phillies 11, Blue Jays 2

Facing a Toronto Blue Jays lineup in which seemingly every batter was hitting a career .450 against him with three homers, Jamie Moyer turned in another bafflingly brilliant performance to give the Phillies a series win and, far more rare, a winning record in interleague play (9-8).

Moyer moved past Bob Feller--whom one can only assume is really irked about that, as he still probably can throw harder than Jamie at age 91--and Eppa Rixey with his 267th career victory, good for 36th all time.  He also passed the late, great Robin Roberts for most home runs allowed all-time when Vernon Wells took him out in the third inning, the 505th career homer surrendered by Moyer. It's a dubious record that pays tribute to a great career--and it was the only time Toronto got on the board in Moyer's seven innings. He allowed six hits, walked none, and tied his season high with seven strikeouts.

On the offensive side, the Phils put 11 on the scoreboard without hitting any homers of their own. Four Toronto errors, and a number of other misplays, helped in this regard. The comedy started in the second inning--the top of the second, that is--when Ryan Howard walked on a very close full-count pitch, advanced to second on a Shane Victorino single and scored on the first of Ben Francisco's three hits on the day. After Raul Ibanez struck out, Wilson Valdez hit a tapper to shortstop that looked like his double play du jour, but Aaron Hill struggled with the exchange and the play went as a fielder's choice. Dan Sardinha followed with a two-run double, and Jimmy Rollins plated him with a bloop single to right that gave the Phils a 4-0 lead. 

After the Wells homer cut the lead in half in the bottom of the third, the Phils immediately got the two runs back when Ibanez singled with one out, Hill dropped the front end of what should have been another Valdez inning-ending DP, and Rollins and Chase Utley notched RBI singles after Sardinha struck out. But the roof really fell in three innings later, when Alex Gonzalez, Hill, and reliever Jason Frasor all committed errors as the Phils stretched their lead to 11-2, where it would stay. 

With the Braves having lost 10-4 to Detroit, the Phils finish the weekend 2.5 games back in the NL East. The Mets trail Atlanta by just a half-game after beating the Twins 6-0.