Game Recap:
Chan Ho Park pitched his second good game in a row, and behind Jayson Werth's four steals, including one of home, the Phillies held on to beat the Dodgers 5-3.
What went right?
Jayson Werth went 2-4 with four stolen bases, which tied the Philadelphia team record. He stole second twice, third once and home in the seventh inning, becoming the first Phillie to steal home since 2007.
Raul Ibanez went 1-2 with a double and two RBI.
Pedro Feliz walked in all four of his at bats.
Jimmy Rollins went 1-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
Chan Ho Park pitched six innings of seven hit ball, allowing three runs while striking out three and walking none.
What went wrong?
Brad Lidge made things interesting in the ninth inning, allowing a run and putting two men on with two outs before getting Juan Pierre to line out to Shane Victorino to get the save.
Chase Utley went 0-5 with two strikeouts.
Game Analysis:
What the hell has gotten into Chan Ho Park lately? Either way, I don't care, because he's quickly become one of the better pitchers on Philadelphia's roster, which is a far cry from the guy that I, and most others, wanted in the bullpen two weeks ago. In his past two games, Park has given up two earned runs in 12 innings while striking out eight and walking two. If he can keep this up, all of the sudden the back end of our rotation looks a whole lot better than it did just a week and a half ago.
Not only did Chan Ho Park look great tonight, but the Phillies showed some patience at the plate as well. They constantly had Clayton Kershaw pitching deep into counts, and Pedro Feliz walked all four times he stepped to the plate tonight. In total, the Phils recorded eight walks on the night compared to only six strikeouts. The Phillies also did a good job at turning those walks into runs, too. Feliz scored once, Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins scored once, and Jayson Werth scored twice, but it was the second run that was the most impressive. Werth tied the Philadelphia record with four stolen bases in one game, and his fourth steal was of home. In total, the Phillies stole six bases on the night, and looked wonderful against Russell Martin.
Not all was well for the Phils tonight, though. When Brad Lidge came into the game in the ninth inning, it looked like he was going to get back to his All Star self from last season. However, one man on with two outs quickly became two on with two outs and a run across the plate, making the score 5-3. In typical Brad Lidge fashion, he got the last out on a Juan Pierre line out, but not without making it interesting, as Shane Victorino misjudged the ball and had to jump to make the catch. I know he got the save tonight, but I'm still not completely comfortable with the way Lidge has been pitching this year. He looked a little bit better tonight, and while I know baserunners are a part of how Lidge pitches, a 1-2-3 ninth inning always feels a little bit better. However, a win is a win, and the way the Phils played this weekend, I'll take it.
Tomorrow, Jamie Moyer (3-2, 7.26 ERA) looks to continue the winning ways against former Phillie Randy Wolf (1-1, 2.95 ERA). I'm sure the Wolf Pack won't be there.
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