Game Recap:
In their first matchup since last year's playoffs, the Phillies and Rockies went back and forth until a four run ninth inning pushed the Phils to their 20th win of the season.
What went right?
Shane Victorino was 2-3 with two triples, three walks and three runs scored.
Placido Polanco went 1-4 with an RBI.
Ryan Howard went 1-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.
Carlos Ruiz was 4-5, hit a solo home run, drove in two and scored twice.
Ross Gload had a pinch hit three run home run in the ninth that put the game out of reach.
What went wrong?
Wilson Valdez was 0-4.
Kyle Kendrick had a shaky night, going six innings and allowing four runs on eight hits. He walked two and struck out one.
J.C. Romero didn't fare much better, allowing a run on two hits in just one third of an inning.
Game Analysis:
I don't know what Carlos Ruiz did in the offseason, but I think he should keep on doing it. So far this year, the Phillies catcher is hitting .354 with two home runs and 11 RBI, worlds better than what he was doing at this point last season. He continued his great start with a 4-5 night at the plate that allowed the Phillies to get past the Colorado Rockies in the first game of a three game series.
Ruiz had already had a solid night before the ninth inning, picking up three hits in four trips to the plate. His solo home run in the sixth tied the game, and the Phillies would take the lead later in the inning on a wild pitch by Matt Daley. J.C. Romero couldn't hold the lead, however, and the game remained tied going into the ninth, which is when Ruiz stepped to the plate again. After hitting Ryan Howard to start the inning, Manny Corpas retired Jayson Werth, then made the choice to intentionally walk Raul Ibanez to get to Carlos Ruiz. If this were any other season, Jim Tracy and Corpas would have made the right call. In this season and on this night, that was the worst choice that they could have made. Ruiz snuck a single into left that scored Howard, giving the Phillies the lead again. Ross Gload stepped up to the plate next, and he cleared the bases with a three run home run. Just like that, the Phillies had turned a tie game into a four run lead.
That's how this team can play when things are going right. Without Jimmy Rollins, other players not named Chase Utley and Ryan Howard have been picking up their game at the right time. Shane Victorino had three walks and two triples last night, and Jayson Werth is off to the best start of his career, hitting over .345 with seven home runs. Then, there's Carlos Ruiz, who isn't usually the best player with his bat, but he has been this year. His .354 batting average and .481 on base percentage are miles ahead of any other catcher in the National League at the moment, and his defense is just as good as it's ever been. This is a player who is stepping up to the next level right now, and it's just what the Phillies have needed.
Of course, Kyle Kendrick was still Kyle Kendrick last night, but I'm not going to go into that too much. After a good start his last time out, Kendrick struggled again against the Rockies, allowing a run in the first inning and three more in the next five. He still has issues leaving his pitches up in the zone in key situations, and the fact that he's not a strikeout pitcher makes him have to work even harder to get opposing hitters out. That makes his margin of error that much smaller, and gives him little wiggle room if and when he gets into trouble. It wasn't his best start ever last night, but it was far from his worst. He is going to have to keep getting better if he wants to hold on to his spot in the rotation, however.
Tonight, the Phillies send Roy Halladay (6-1, 1.45 ERA) out for a chance at his seventh win of the season. He'll be facing off against Aaron Cook (1-3, 6.03 ERA).
No comments:
Post a Comment