Game Recap:
The Phillies got home runs from Ryan Howard and Ben Francisco in the first inning and never looked back. Roy Oswalt pitched six innings of two run baseball as the Phils picked up their first Opening Weekend sweep at home since 1899.
What went right?
Placido Polanco went 2-4 with two runs scored.
Jimmy Rollins was 2-3 with two walks and a run scored.
Ryan Howard finished a triple short of the cycle, going 3-5 with four RBI.
Ben Francisco went 3-5 with a home run and two runs scored.
Michael Martinez made his Major League debut and went 1-4 with an RBI.
Roy Oswalt picked up his first win against his old team, going six innings while allowing two runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out six.
David Herndon pitched two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit.
What went wrong?
Raul Ibanez was 0-4.
Kyle Kendrick pitched the ninth inning and gave the fans a little scare, allowing a run on a hit and a walk before getting out of the inning and ending the game.
Game Analysis:
You really couldn't have asked for a better start to the season for the Phillies. Despite having one of, if not the, best pitching staff in baseball, there were more than enough questions about the offense coming into Opening Day. Those questions were answered in the ninth inning of the first game, and the offense just kept hitting over the next two games, outscoring the Astros by nine runs on Saturday and Sunday.
The one thing that the Phils didn't do before yesterday's game was hit a home run, and it didn't take long for that little run to end. Ryan Howard was swinging on a 3-0 count, and took a high fastball into the bullpen for the first home run of the season. Howard just missed a second home run in the third inning when he got a green light on another 3-0 count, but he still scored Placido Polanco on the double. Ben Francisco followed Howard's first at bat with a home run of his own, and that would be all the runs the Phils would need yesterday. They would add three more, but the damage against Bud Norris had already been done.
The way that the offense played in this series against Houston is how they are going to need to play this entire season. For the second straight day, a Houston pitcher didn't make it through five innings, and despite batting one less time than the Astros, the Phillies saw over 30 more pitches while they were at the plate. Jimmy Rollins himself saw 27 pitches. Considering how often he swung at the first pitch last season, just having him do that in one game is amazing. Rollins is turning those pitches into productive at bats as well. He might not have a home run or RBI so far this season, but Rollins is batting .500 after three games, with four runs scored, two walks and a stolen base. Meanwhile, Placido Polanco has crossed the plate five times already and has walked twice as well. Those two need to keep up their production so that Ryan Howard actually has pitches to swing at when he comes to bat.
Speaking of Howard, he might be off to one of the fastest starts of his career. In the three games against Houston, Howard picked up seven hits in 13 at bats, had his home run on Sunday and drove in six runs. That's the kind of production that's expected out of your cleanup hitter, and that's what Howard did against the Astros. It's only three games, but this offense looks a lot better than just about anyone thought it would. As long as those 2-3-4 hitters keep producing, the rest of the lineup will have less work to do and more chances to drive in runs, and that's the way that it should be.
After watching Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee pitch well in their first starts of the season, Roy Oswalt must have felt like he had his work cut out for him, but the third member of the Four Horsemen (yes, that's what I'm calling them) didn't miss a beat. Oswalt was just as dominant as Halladay and Lee were, and looked very comfortable out on the mound against his old team. For the series, the three starters pitched 19 out of 27 innings, allowed six runs and struck out 23 while walking just one. Those aren't good numbers, those are great numbers, and it shows what this pitching staff is cabable of, and it's only the first week of the season. As long as everyone stays healthy, this is going to be the best pitching staff that the Phillies have ever had.
Could things have gone even better this weekend? Of course, but I'm not sure how. Maybe if one of the three pitchers had thrown a perfect game or no-hitter, but that's about it. The Phils did everything that they needed to do, including starting the season with a walk off win, and they picked up a sweep to start the year. That's how things should go, and if it's an indication of the rest of the season, then this is going to be one fun year.
Tomorrow, the Phillies welcome the New York Mets into town for the first time this season. Cole Hamels makes his first appearance of the season, and Chris Young does the same for the Mets.
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