Game Recap:
Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth each had big nights to help the Phillies beat Adam Wainwright and the Cardinals to complete a quick two game road sweep of one of the best teams in the National League. Brett Myers picked up his second win of the season as well.
What went right?
Shane Victorino extended his hit streak to 14 games with a home run in the first inning, and finished the game a triple short of the cycle, going 4-5 with two singles, a double and the home run. He also drove in three runs and scored three times.
Jayson Werth drilled a three run home run in the top of the fifth inning, turning a 4-3 game into a 7-3 contest. He also drove in another run with a sacrifice fly, giving him four for the game.
Pedro Feliz went 2-4 with two RBI.
Jimmy Rollins continued to turn things around, picking up two more hits and raising his average to .210 on the season.
Ryan Howard went 1-3 with an RBI and two walks.
What went wrong?
Brett Myers allowed two more home runs, bringing his season total up to 10.
The Phillies made some key baserunning mistakes that could have cost them the game, had it been closer.
Game Analysis:
Nothing like going on the road against one of the best teams in the National League and sweeping a series. Sure, it was only a two game set, but the Cardinals were pitching great and knocking the cover off the ball before the Phils came in. The Philadelphia offense scored 16 runs off of the St. Louis pitching staff, and this offense is well on its way to being as good, if not better, than the one that won the World Series last year.
I don't know what got into Shane Victorino, but his hitting streak has been absolutely wonderful. Without Jimmy Rollins swinging the bat well, Victorino has picked up the slack, even though he did get picked off of first base last night. If Rollins can continue to get his swing back, and Victorino can keep pace, the middle of the lineup is going to have plenty of chances to drive in lots of runs this year.
Brett Myers is still a concern, though. While he looked good in the first two innings, he got himself into trouble after that, and allowed two more home runs in the fourth inning, already giving him ten allowed in just 37 innings pitched this year. That leads the majors, and that number has to come down. The other thing I noticed with him last night is that when things start to go bad, Brett has a tendency to make them snowball, and they just keep getting worse. He's going to have to find a way to limit damage, or not get into potentially damaging situations, because as the number two pitcher in the rotation, he's going to be looked at to pick up wins almost every time he's out there, and a guy who gives up a home run every three innings isn't going to do that.
I've also got a small concern about Chase Utley right now, as he missed his second game of the week because of a foot injury. Utley was hit in the foot on Friday night against the Mets, and has played in just one game since. Hopefully, it's not too serious, because the Phils need Chase in that lineup. Miguel Cairo is a decent bench player, but Chase Utley he is not.
Today, the Phillies hope to continue their winning ways against the New York Mets in brand new Citi Field. Chan Ho Park (0-1, 8.57 ERA), will face off against Johan Santana (3-1, 1.10 ERA). The Phillies may need some help to win this one.
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