Millwood Makes Fast Work of Padres

Kevin Millwood’s overpowering fastball didn’t give San Diego Padre batters much of a chance.

Millwood did not allow a baserunner until the sixth inning, finishing with a three-hitter to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 6-0 victory Friday night.

Jim Thome drove in two runs and Marlon Byrd had four hits, helping the wild card-leading Phillies to their fourth consecutive victory.

Miguel Ojeda had two hits and Ramon Vazquez had the other single for the Padres, who had won seven of 11.

Millwood (11-7) threw fastballs 98 of his 105 pitches (93%), and still reached 93 mph in the ninth inning.

“They weren’t hitting them,” Millwood said. “I was locating well so I kept throwing them.”

He retired his first 16 batters before Ojeda lined a single to left after taking a close two-strike pitch that appeared to catch the inside corner. Vazquez led off the seventh with a single to right-center, and Ojeda singled in the ninth.

“He was overpowering, he had good location,” Phillie Manager Larry Bowa said. “When you have good location, it doesn’t matter what you’re throwing.”

Millwood, who threw a no-hitter in a 1-0 victory over San Francisco on April 27, hadn’t pitched past the fourth inning in his previous two starts, giving up 11 runs in seven innings.

He faced the minimum 22 batters through 7 1/3 innings, recording his fifth career shutout and third this season. He struck out eight and walked one.

Kevin Jarvis (4-3) gave up five runs and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings. He had won his last four starts.

“We just ran into a buzz saw,” Padre Manager Bruce Bochy said.