Game Recap:
Joe Blanton threw seven solid innings, and Carlos Ruiz's two run double in the bottom of the seventh moved the Phillies to eight games up on both the Braves and the Marlins after the weekend series.
What went right?
Chase Utley was 1-4 with a solo home run.
Ryan Howard was 2-4.
Raul Ibanez only logged one official plate appearance, but did have three walks and scored once.
Pedro Feliz was 1-3 with a run scored.
Carlos Ruiz went 3-3 with two RBI.
Joe Blanton pitched seven innings, allowing one run on three hits. He walked four and struck out seven.
Brad Lidge pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his 27th save of the season.
What went wrong?
Jimmy Rollins was 0-4.
Shane Victorino went 0-4.
Ryan Madson made the game interesting in the eighth, allowing a run on two hits without recording an out.
Game Analysis:
Leave it to Joe Blanton to keep doing what he's done since late May. Leaving out his first month and a half of the season, Blanton has been as close to a top line starter as possible. Last night was another example of that, as he shut down the Braves and pitched out of tight situations whenever he got into them.
The Phillies didn't get much on offense against Jair Jurrjens, but they got enough. Carlos Ruiz came through with a huge two run double in the seventh, and that would be all the Phils would need for the rest of the game. Ryan Madson did his best to lose it, but Scott Eyre played fireman and put out the blaze, thanks in large part to a great double play turned by Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Pedro Feliz in the top of the eighth. I don't want to jinx him, but Brad Lidge worked another perfect ninth inning in a one run game last night, and showed signs that maybe, just maybe, he's coming out of whatever horrid funk he's been in.
Going into the series against the Braves, I would have loved a sweep, but I would have taken two out of three, and that's exactly what the Phillies produced. The lead in the division is now eight games over both Atlanta and Florida, and with those two playing each other for four games starting tonight, the Phillies can't afford to put even more ground between them and the rest of the National League East. It's time for September baseball, and this is when the best teams separate themselves from the rest of the league.
Tomorrow, the Phillies start a three game series against the Giants. Cole Hamels (7-8, 4.52 ERA) goes against Jonathan Sanchez (6-10, 4.27 ERA).
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