Game Recap:
Jimmy Rollins scored on a 12th inning single by Placido Polanco, ending the Phillies four game losing streak and putting them back on top of the Wild Card standings.
What went right?
Jimmy Rollins went 3-5 with a walk and two runs scored.
Placido Polanco was 2-6 with an RBI.
Chase Utley was 1-4 and had an RBI.
Raul Ibanez went 1-5 and drove in a run.
Roy Oswalt looked great, allowing just one run on five hits in eight innings. He didn't walk a batter and struck out six.
Chad Durbin pitched two scoreless innings to pick up the win.
What went wrong?
Jayson Werth was 0-5.
Shane Victorino was 0-5.
Carlos Ruiz went 0-4.
Brad Lidge blew his fifth save of the season when he balked in the game tying run from third base.
Game Analysis:
For eight innings, the Phillies had this game well in hand. Roy Oswalt had shut down the San Diego offense, and while the Phils had only managed two runs against a tough Padres pitching staff, it looked like it would be enough. Then, Charlie Manuel pulled Oswalt in favor of Brad Lidge, who had been solid since the All Star break. Lidge was less than that last night. After allowing a single to Matt Stairs, Lidge retired the next two batters, then walked Adrian Gonzalez to face Ryan Ludwick. On an 0-2 pitch, Lidge hit Ludwick and then balked in the game tying run. Luckily, Jimmy Rollins decided to make a great slide at home in the 12th inning on a Placido Polanco single, and the Phillies still made it out of Petco Park with a win.
Ever since his first start with the Phillies, Roy Oswalt has been outstanding, and last night was no different. Aside from a solo home run he allowed to Yorvit Torrealba, Oswalt kept the Padres off the board for the entire eight innings that he worked. He had great location with his pitches again and had the Padres guessing for most of the night. It's amazing to know that three out of the five pitchers in the Phils rotation can usually go like this each time they step on the mound, and sometimes Kyle Kendrick or Joe Blanton can even pitch this well. The starting rotation at the moment is probably the least of anyone's worries when it comes to this home stretch that the Phillies are in.
The biggest question that the Phils have right now is their bullpen. Last night, Charlie made the questionable choice of lifting Oswalt, who had only thrown 102 pitches, for Brad Lidge. Yes, Lidge had been good in August up until last night, but there's always a chance that he's going to have one of those innings that costs the Phillies a game. He almost did that last night, when he balked in the game tying run, costing Oswalt the win. Luckily, he still managed to retire Chase Headley with runners on second and third to end the bottom of the ninth, and then the rest of the bullpen did their jobs to help get the Phillies a win. Lidge is the biggest concern for me at the moment, just because you never know what you're going to get when he is out on the mound. There are night when he looks like the pitcher from 2008, and then there are nights like the one last night. How do you balk in the game tying run?
There's not much to say about the offense, because against San Diego, most teams aren't going to score runs. The Phils did manage to get men on base against Matt Latos, but they couldn't do much with them, as they finished the game with 11 men left on base. The highlight of the night was that slide by Jimmy Rollins in the top of the 12th inning. Rollins looked like he was dead meat when the throw from center beat him to the plate, but he bent and twisted his body around Yorvit Torrealba, and that was just enough to get him home safely. Rollins and Placido Polanco each had good games at the plate, and while some of the other batters behind them couldn't get the job done, at least the two men at the top of the lineup were able to do their jobs.
It's been said a lot this year, but that wasn't a pretty win last night. Right now, the Phillies will take them anyway that they can. They're locked in a tight race, both for the Wild Card and the National League East, and any win is going to be important. This one was huge, as the four game sweep at the hands of the Astros was still stinging. At least now the Phils have a win in this series, and hopefully, they can pick up a few more.
This afternoon, Joe Blanton (5-6, 5.32 ERA) goes for the Phillies in the second game of this series. He'll be facing off against Jon Garland (13-8, 3.25 ERA).
No comments:
Post a Comment