Game Recap:
The Phillies scored ten runs in the first inning and added twelve more in the next seven innings for the biggest win in Phillies history since 1894.
What went right?
There's a lot here, so bear with me.
Jimmy Rollins went 3-4 with four runs scored, an RBI and two walks.
Shane Victorino proved why you should vote for him to make the All Star team, going 4-5 with a home run, four RBI and five runs scored.
Chase Utley went 2-3 with a home run and four RBI.
Jayson Werth was 2-5 with a grand slam and five RBI.
Greg Dobbs went 4-6 with two RBI and a home run.
Cole Hamels pitched seven strong innings, allowing one run on three hits. He struck out two, walked none and went 2-4 at the plate, while scoring twice and adding two RBI of his own.
Every Phillie that started had at least one base hit.
What went wrong?
Nothing. Not one damn thing. Last night was beautiful.
Game Analysis:
After sweeping the Mets over the weekend, I'm sure people were worried about a letdown series against the Reds. Johnny Cueto has been one of the best pitchers in the National League this season, and Cincinnati has been a competitive team.
Of course, all of that didn't matter last night. The Phillies took Cueto and his ERA and bumped it up almost a full run in just two thirds of an inning. Thirteen Phils came to the plate in the first inning, and it was just the start of one of the best games I have ever seen as a Phillies fan. Jimmy Rollins continued his nice little hot streak, picking up another three hits and scoring four times. I know it's been said time and time again, but when Jimmy hits and scores runs, this team is worlds better. If he's starting to warm up, that is a very, very good thing for the Phillies. Plus, Shane Victorino had himself one hell of a game, scoring five times and driving in four runs himself. The only two Phillies to bat and not get a hit were John Mayberry and Matt Stairs, and both of them reached base anyway.
Now, scoring 22 runs is nice, but without good pitching, who knows what could have happened? I know I'm reaching here, but getting ten runs for Cole Hamels in the first inning is something he can't be used to. Without the pressure of having to pitch spot on the entire night, Hamels looked like himself again. He shut down the Reds the entire night, and allowed only one run in the second inning, and that was paid back many times over by the end of the night. This was the kind of game he needed to get his groove back after a very frustrating first half of the season. He's shown flashes of the World Series MVP this season, now he just needs to stay consistent throughout the rest of the year. Last night was a good starting point.
After the horrible end of the weekend, this game was exactly what I needed to see last night. Of course, I thought I may have just hit my head a little harder than I thought in my car accident, but fortunately, that wasn't the case. This was the most runs the Phillies had scored since 1985, and it was their biggest margin of victory since 1894. That's 115 years, people. Plus, it was the biggest loss in Reds history, and they're the longest existing pro baseball team in history. It was a good night.
Tonight, J.A. Happ (5-0, 2.96 ERA) hopes the Phillies didn't use up all their runs for the week, as he faces Aaron Harang (5-8, 3.86 ERA). I'm not asking for 22 runs again, but a win would be nice.
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