PHILADELPHIA -- Missing four regulars, the Philadelphia Phillies turned to their bench and bullpen.

John Mayberry Jr. hit a two-run homer, David Herndon tossed three scoreless innings in relief and the Phillies beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-1 Thursday night in a matchup of division leaders.

The major league-leading Phillies took two of three in a potential playoff preview, improving to 14-1-1 in their last 16 series.

A thunderstorm delayed the game for 2 hours, 17 minutes after three innings. Neither starting pitcher returned when play resumed.

Herndon (1-2) gave up one hit and struck out four to earn his second career win. Ryan Madson finished for his 23rd save in 24 tries.

"He did a great job," manager Charlie Manuel said of Herndon. "He did super."

Herndon was a starter in the minors, but he's pitched out of the bullpen in his two seasons with the Phillies.

"I'm a failed starter," he joked. "I try not to overthrow. Early in the season, I was trying to throw 95 [mph] all the time. Now I'm just trying to stay down in the zone."

Ian Kennedy (15-4) gave up three runs and five hits in three innings, failing to become the NL's first 16-game winner. He had won his previous seven starts.

"He just made a couple of mistakes," manager Kirk Gibson said. "The pitch to Mayberry was down the middle and he blasted it."

Arizona remained 2 ½ games ahead of the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants in the West.

Phillies starter Vance Worley allowed one hit in three scoreless innings. The rookie remained 8-1, but Philadelphia has won his last 11 starts.

Rookie Paul Goldschmidt homered for the Diamondbacks. He has four homers in 47 at-bats since getting called up on Aug. 1.

The Phillies, who lead Atlanta by 8 ½ games in the East, are a season-best 38 games over .500 and have reached 80 wins in the second-fastest time in franchise history. They did it in 121 games in 1976.

Wilson Valdez, who hit a tiebreaking two-run double in Wednesday's 9-2 win, put the Phillies up 1-0 with an opposite-field RBI double in the second. Raul Ibanez hit a one-out double and scored on Valdez's liner to right.

Mayberry connected in the third, launching a drive high off the left-field foul pole. Mayberry has settled in nicely as the team's fourth outfielder. It was his 10th homer this season and seventh in 73 at-bats since being recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on July 5.

Ibanez hit an RBI double in the fifth off Micah Owings to make it 4-0. Chase Utley doubled and scored on Ibanez's drive to left.

The Phillies played All-Star center fielder Shane Victorino, who served the first of his two-game suspension for his part in a benches-clearing brawl at San Francisco on Aug. 5. First baseman Ryan Howard [hand], catcher Carlos Ruiz [groin] and All-Star third baseman Placido Polanco [sports hernia] also were out. Howard and Ruiz are day to day and could return Friday.

Notes

• The Phillies are 24-3 in games catcher Brian Schneider has started.
• Jimmy Rollins has hit safely in 18 straight games against Arizona, dating to 2007.
• A crowd of 45,633 was the 200th straight sellout at Citizens Bank Park, including postseason play.
• Kennedy's streak of 22 straight starts throwing at least 100 pitches ended.
• Arizona's Kelly Johnson was 0 for 3. He's 15 for 89 (.169) since the All-Star break.
• Roy Oswalt (5-7) takes the mound for the Phillies at Washington on Friday night. He'll face Livan Hernandez (7-11). Oswalt is 6-4 in 19 career games against the Nationals.
• Daniel Hudson (12-8) pitches for the Diamondbacks at Atlanta against Derek Lowe (7-11) on Friday. He's never faced the Braves.