PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Chase Utley fell a double shy of the cycle, Roy Halladay tossed one-hit ball over seven shutout innings and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-3 on Friday night.
The Phillies, who have the best record in baseball, are on the brink of acquiring Houston All-Star outfielder Hunter Pence. Pence would give the Phillies the right-handed bat they need and marks the second straight day an NL division leader has swung a deal to bolster their lineup. The defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants acquired Carlos Beltran from the Mets on Thursday.
The Giants just won two of three from the Phillies and held them to two runs scored in the last two games.
The Phillies, trying to clinch their fifth straight NL East title, clearly needed a big bat in the postseason.
