Victorino returns to Phillies in pinch role

By Fred Guzman


ESPN550.com






Shane Victorino ended his stint on the 15-day disabled list last night, entering the game in the seventh inning as a pinch-hitter. He drew a walk and stole his 21st base of the season as the Philadelphia Phillies overcame a seven-run deficit and posted a 10-9 home victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.






Victorino, his team's starting center fielder, had been out since July 28 after suffering a lower abdominal strain. He's batting .250 with a career-high 15 homers and 53 RBI in 100 games.






The victory enabled Philly to reduce its deficit in the National League
East to 2 games behind division-leading Atlanta.






Kansas City reliever Kanekoa Texeira worked two innings in a 4-3 loss to the New York Yankees. Texeira gave up one unearned run, two hits and a walk during his bullpen stint.






New York's victory enabled the Yankees to increase their AL East lead to a pair of games over idle Tampa Bay.






Kurt Suzuki's Oakland Athletics were idle.






Closer to home, Na Koa Ikaika posted a 6-1 win over the Yuma Scorpions last night at Iron Maehara Stadium as Maui ace Donald Brandt improved his season record to 10-0, becoming the first Golden Baseball League pitcher to reach double-digit victories this season.






The victory improved Na Koa's second-half record to 15-4, leaving Maui 1.5 games behind Orange County in the GBL South. Na Koa, which won the first-half title, is 26-17 overall.






BRENNAN SITS: Colt Brennan, the former University of Hawaii star quarterback, was in uniform but did not play for his new team last night.






Instead, Brennan ended up with a good view from the sidelines as the Oakland Raiders used only two QB's – starter Jason Campbell and backup Kyle Boller – in posting a 17-9 road win over the Dallas Cowboys in one of three pre-season games played in the NFL.






Brennan was listed as Oakland's No. 3 quarterback for the game because of injuries to Bruce Gradkowski and Charlie Frye.