PHILADELPHIA (AP) -Ryan Howard crossed the plate after circling the bases and pointed into the stands, a look of relief on his face.
Howard broke his postseason homer drought, Chase Utley and Carlos Ruiz also connected and the Philadelphia Phillies used the long ball and just enough small ball to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 in Game 3 of the World Series early Sunday.
Howard, who led the majors with 48 homers and 146 RBIs in the regular season, hadn’t gone deep in 42 postseason at-bats before he drove one out in the sixth inning.
The slugger hasn’t looked like the same guy who made a case for NL MVP by batting .352 with 11 homers and a club-record 32 RBIs in September. He’s 0-for-5 with five strikeouts with runners in scoring position in three games.
d broke a 13-game homerless streak dating to the regular season, and now has four postseason RBIs. Overall, he’s batting .231 (3-for-13) with six strikeouts in the Series.
Before Howard homered, Utley hit a solo shot to put the Phillies ahead 3-1. Ruiz’s solo shot in the second made it 2-1.
No surprise the Phillies got most of their runs on the long ball. They hit an NL-best 214 homers in the regular season, and they’ve got five against the Rays.
Situational hitting has been Philadelphia’s biggest problem so far. They’re only 2-for-33 with runners in scoring position.
The winning run scored on Ruiz’s infield single with the bases loaded in the ninth. Eric Bruntlett was hit by a pitch leading off the inning. He stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. After the next two batters were intentionally walked, Ruiz hit a slow roller to third base. Evan Longoria charged and his underhanded throw sailed over the catcher’s head.
Ruiz, a .219 hitter this season, is batting .500 (4-for-8) in the series with two doubles, one homer and three RBIs.
After going 1-for-28 with RISP in the first two games, the Phillies had a chance right away to snap that skid.
nd Pat Burrell flied out.
Burrell, who had 33 homers and 86 RBIs this season, is 0-for-9 with five strikeouts in the series.
Werth started the eighth with a walk and stole second. But Utley struck out and Werth was picked off.
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