With Philadelphia's outstanding pitching staff in town, the San Diego Padres' bats have fallen silent at a really bad time.
Cole Hamels held his punchless hometown Padres to four hits in eight innings and the Phillies won 2-0 on Friday night, handing San Diego its second straight shutout and third in five games.
The Phillies have thrown consecutive four-hitters against the Padres, who have gone 21 scoreless innings since Wednesday night's win in a split doubleheader at Chicago. San Diego has been shut out a major league-leading six times in 20 games. It was Philadelphia's major league-leading fifth shutout.
On Thursday night, Roy Oswalt and three relievers combined for a four-hit, 3-0 win.
"There's no doubt we are struggling to score runs," manager Bud Black said. "They know what's going on. They are doing everything they can. We are in that period where we are not scoring. But I do know we are going to come out of it.
"When you look at the talent, we think certain guys are not going to stay at the level they are right now," Black added.
Hamels (2-1), who went to San Diego's Rancho Bernardo High, got all the support he needed when Ryan Howard hit a two-run triple off Clayton Richard (1-1) with two outs in the third.
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Hamels struck out eight and walked three.
Ryan Madson pitched the ninth for his first save.
"We just have to find a way out," San Diego's Jorge Cantu said. "We have to do it now. We can't afford to wait.
"I personally feel a little bit bad about it because they are pounding the zone, too, just like our opponents," Cantu said of the Padres' pitchers. "But we just can't execute offensively. That's got to turn around."
Hamels also had two singles. His first came in the third, but he was caught off the bag for the first out, so he wasn't on board when Howard hit his booming triple into the gap in right-center. Shane Victorino and Placido Polanco were on base after drawing consecutive walks and advancing on Clayton Richard's wild pitch.
The Phillies have won nine straight and 13 of 14 at Petco Park since the 2008 season.
The Padres threatened in the second when Ryan Ludwick walked and Cameron Maybin doubled with one out. After Hamels struck out Will Venable, Alberto Gonzalez was intentionally walked before Richard lined out to shortstop Jimmy Rollins.
Richard allowed two runs and six hits in 7 1-3 innings, struck out four and walked four.
NOTES: Padres 3B Chase Headley didn't start due to an illness but he entered during a double switch in the top of the eighth. ... Padres OF Chris Denorfia was sidelined by a strained groin. ... The four-game series continues Saturday night with Phillies RHP Joe Blanton scheduled to face RHP Tim Stauffer. RHP Roy Halladay is scheduled to start for the Phillies on Sunday while LHP Wade LeBlanc is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Tucson to start for the Padres.
