Game Recap:
Roy Halladay pitched seven innings of one run baseball, and the Phils got 11 runs on Opening Day to crush the Nationals.
What went right?
Jimmy Rollins went 2-4 with two runs scored, a triple, a stolen base and a run batted in.
Placido Polanco went 3-5 in his first game back with the Phillies, including a grand slam in the seventh inning to give him six RBI on the day.
Ryan Howard went 2-6 with a two run home run.
Roy Halladay made his regular season debut and did not disappoint, allowing just one run on six hits in seven innings. He walked two and struck out nine, and went 1-4 at the plate with his second career RBI.
Every starter for the Phillies had at least one hit, and everyone but Halladay scored a run.
What went wrong?
Nothing. This is exactly how you want Opening Day to go.
Game Analysis:
If you could have written how Opening Day for the Phillies could have gone this year, I think this would have been at the top of my list. From the fourth inning on, everything went the way of the Phils, as Roy Halladay and Placido Polanco made themselves comfortable very quickly, and the rest of the returning Phillies wasted little time in picking up where they left off last year in a big win over Washington.
After giving up a run in the first inning, Halladay settled right down and showed the dominating stuff that made him the number one target for the Phillies during the offseason. He struck out nine Nationals in seven innings and allowed just six hits. He looked sharp throughout, keeping the Washington batters off balance and establishing his control early and often. I've seen Halladay pitch against the Phillies before, but I have to say I like him much, much better as a member of the Phillies. The stuff that he showed today was terrific, especially for his first start of the year. If he pitches like that throughout the season, he's going to make fans forget about Cliff Lee very quickly.
Then, there was the offense today. John Lannan pitched in and out of trouble in the first three innings, but the Phils caught up to him in the fourth. After Chase Utley walked, Ryan Howard took the first pitch he saw from Lannan and deposited it about 405 feet into the right field bleachers, and that was all the Phillies would need today. Of course, that wasn't all that they got. By the time the fourth inning was over, the Phils had added three more runs, and Roy Halladay had even driven Raul Ibanez home. Once Placido Polanco finished the scoring with a grand slam, there was no doubt who was going to win this game.
I have to give the offense a lot of credit today. They came out and looked very good. For the first game of the year, this team looked sharp at the plate. They took pitches and made the Washington pitchers come to them, and when that happens, nothing good will come of it if you're an opposing pitcher. The Phillies earned nine walks against four strikeouts, and each starter had at least one hit, and every position player scored at least one run. That is the sign of a complete and dominant ballclub right there. Polanco wasn't even brought in to hit home runs, and he connects with his second career grand slam in his first game back with the Phillies. Chase Utley and Carlos Ruiz each walked three times, and Jimmy Rollins picked up two walks of his own. Rollins impressed me today with his plate discipline, and he looks like last season's slow start is nothing but a memory.
Of course, this is only the first game of the season, and the Phillies did play the Washington Nationals, so I can't get too excited. However, if the Phils can play like this against quality teams, and Roy Halladay can pitch on this same level all season long, it's going to be a very, very good year in Philadelphia.
The Phillies and Nationals play again on Wednesday, as Cole Hamels takes on Jason Marquis. I can't wait to see which Cole Hamels shows up this season.
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