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Werth's Homers Power Phillies

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The Associated Press

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 17, 2008

PHILADELPHIA - Jayson Werth could not remember ever being this productive in a game - that's including Little League.

Werth homered in his first three at-bats and tied a Phillies record with eight RBIs in a 10-3 win over the Blue Jays on Friday night.

"Anything can happen on any given day, I guess," Werth said. "This game is crazy. It's not like I was trying to do anything like that. It just happened. I don't know what else to say. It's just crazy."

Werth had a chance to tie the major-league record of four homers in a game in the seventh inning. But with most of the 36,600 fans still in the stands and standing and cheering despite the lopsided score and brisk weather, he fouled out to first base on a 3-2 pitch off Brian Tallet.

"Hitting a home run was probably on my mind," Werth said. "I was just looking for a good pitch to hit."

Werth hit an 0-1 pitch off Blue Jays starter David Purcey for a three-run home run to right field in the second inning and topped that with a 425-foot grand slam to right on a 3-1 pitch against Purcey (0-1) in the third.

Purcey was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse after the game.

"When you have balls over the plate, he's a good hitter and he's going to hit them," Purcey said. "I was just trying to make a perfect pitch and fell behind on them."

Werth then ripped a solo shot to left-center in the fifth off reliever Jesse Litsch on a 2-1 pitch for a 9-2 lead.

"I hit an off-speed pitch, and it was one of those things where everything clicked," Werth said.

Werth became the 18th Phillies player to record three homers in a game. Ryan Howard was the last to hit three - on Sept. 3, 2006, against Atlanta in the first game of a doubleheader.

"If you watch Werth in batting practice, he can hit the ball as far as anybody," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said.

The eight RBIs tied a franchise record held by four players, most recently by Mike Schmidt in a 10-inning game at Chicago on April 17, 1976. The others are Kitty Bransfeld (1910), Gavvy Cravath (1915) and Willie Jones (1958).

"Jayson had a great night at the plate," Howard said. "It's a night he'll remember, I'm sure. He deserves it because he's been working hard at it."

Howard extended his hitting streak to eight games with an RBI single to right, scoring Jimmy Rollins, ahead of Werth's grand slam.

Philadelphia's 45-year-old left-hander Jamie Moyer (3-3) went 62/3 innings and gave up seven hits and three earned runs. He walked two and struck out five.

"I felt like I threw the ball a lot better than I have recently," Moyer said. "We won, and that's the most important part."

Purcey, who was making his second major-league start, allowed five hits and eight runs while walking four in three shaky innings.

"It was only his second big-league start, and it's not easy," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "He'll get over the nerves."

Alex Rios and Lyle Overbay had two hits each for the Blue Jays, who had their four-game winning streak snapped.

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