Game Recap:
Roy Halladay pitched seven strong innings as the Phillies got home runs from Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez to win their third straight game against the St. Louis Cardinals.
What went right?
Ryan Howard went 2-4 with a run scored and two RBI.
Chase Utley was 1-4 with a run scored.
Jayson Werth was 3-4 with a three run home run and two runs scored.
Raul Ibanez went 2-3 with a run scored and a home run.
Carlos Ruiz went 3-4 with an RBI.
Roy Halladay pitched seven innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on seven hits. He walked three and struck out nine.
What went wrong?
The Phillies committed two errors, and honestly, that's about it.
Game Analysis:
On a day when the last Phillies right hander to win 20 games passed away, Roy Halladay went out there and made a very good effort to become the first one since Robin Roberts. For the sixth time this year, Halladay pitched a winning effort as the Phillies took the final three games of their series with the St. Louis Cardinals.
There is nothing better right now for Phillie fans than watching Halladay pitch. Today was no exception, as he was able to control the Cardinals, giving the Phils three stellar efforts from starting pitchers in this series. St. Louis gave Halladay a little bit more trouble than some of the other teams that he's faced so far this season, as he threw 117 pitches in his seven innings, and he didn't strike anyone out until the third inning. Once he got to the third, Halladay was able to strike out at least one batter in each inning that he pitched. So far this year, his six wins are tied with Ubaldo Jimenez for the most in baseball, his 48 strikeouts are third and his 1.61 ERA is seventh. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that Roy Halladay is a very, very good pitcher.
Of course, he did get a little help from the offense today, which has been turning things around of late. After striking big in back to back games against the Mets, the batting order continued their run against the Cardinals, coming up with timely hits and good overall efforts against St. Louis. Jayson Werth got things started with a three run blast in the first inning, and once Ryan Howard hit a two run single in the second inning, Kyle Lohse's time was limited, and the Phillies were on their way to another win. Raul Ibanez hit his second home run of the season, giving him hits in 12 of his last 15 games, which has been enough to raise his batting average from .171 up to .239. It's not that great yet, but if he continues to play like he is now, that's only to go back up even more. Plus, his .352 on base percentage is excellent for someone with such a low batting average. Compared to Shane Victorino and Placido Polanco, I'll take Raul hitting the way he is right now. He's not the only one that's playing better, as Victorino hit safely in his eighth straight game, and Carlos Ruiz added three hits of his own, raising his average to .314 with a .449 on base percentage, which is good for third in all of baseball. That's all of baseball, not just that National League.
So far this month, the Phillies have played the hottest team in the National League and the team with the best record in the National League, and they've won five of their seven games against the two of them. This past week has been a bit of a "prove it" week for the Phils, and not only have they passed with flying colors, but they've looked every bit like the team that's won back to back National League pennants doing it. From great pitching showings by almost everyone in the rotation, to clutch hitting and walk off home runs to a nine run outburst against one of the best pitchers in baseball, these last two series have had a little bit of everything in them. I wouldn't say that the Phillies have completely recovered from their road trip blues, but I would certainly say that things are looking much better than they were about two weeks ago. This team needed a good homestand, and that's exactly what they've gotten so far, and it's not over yet.
Tomorrow, Jamie Moyer (3-2, 5.70 ERA) pitches for the Phillies against the struggling Atlanta Braves. Derek Lowe (4-2, 5.18 ERA) goes for the Braves, you know Lowe just can't wait to pitch in Philadelphia again...he loves the park so much!
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