Phillies Recap: Phillies-3, Braves-2

Game Recap:

Down 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Phillies scored off of Jonny Venters, and Ross Gload plated Raul Ibanez in the ninth inning to give the Phils a sweep of Atlanta and push them to 10.5 games up in the division.

What went right?

Placido Polanco was 2-4 with the game tying RBI.

Raul Ibanez went 1-3 and scored the game winning run. He also homered in the second inning.

John Mayberry pinch hit in the eighth inning and scored the tying run.

Ross Gload had a pinch hit walk-off hit in the bottom of the ninth.

Roy Oswalt had a no-hitter going through five innings and finished the game allowing just two runs on four hits. He walked four and struck out seven.

Antonio Bastardo and Ryan Madson came in for the eighth and ninth innings and did well, allowing just two hits.

What went wrong?

Shane Victorino went 0-3 with three strikeouts.

Ryan Howard was 0-4 and struck out three times.

Chase Utley was 0-2 and left the game after being hit in the head by a ball in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Hunter Pence went 0-4 and struck out twice.

Game Analysis:

After two games of avoiding the best part of Atlanta's bullpen, the Phillies took it on tonight, and came out with another win. Their come from behind, walk-off win gave the Braves their first three game sweep of the entire season and pushed the Phils to ten and a half games up in the National League East. The magic number to clinch a playoff spot is now down to five for the Phillies, while the division magic number is 12.

While the last two games had the offense getting out to a quick start against the Atlanta starting pitching, tonight was a little bit different, as Raul Ibanez was able to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a solo home run. From there, Brandon Beachy was solid, and Eric O'Flaherty kept the Phils off the board until the bottom of the eighth inning, when Jonny Venters was brought in to keep the lead for Craig Kimbrel. The Braves boast one of the best bullpens in baseball, and while O'Flaherty did his job tonight, Venters couldn't finish things off. The back end of the lineup managed to string together a hit by John Mayberry and a sacrifice bunt from Wilson Valdez, and then Placido Polanco did his part with a two out single that scored the tying run. It wasn't the most pretty inning, but it was good enough to get the run home, and that's all that matters.

The ninth inning was more of the same. Raul Ibanez walked with one out, and Carlos Ruiz singled him over to second base. Ross Gload came in to pinch hit, and considering his lack of success of late, I doubt people were expecting much. Instead, Gload grounded a shot past the first base bag and into right field that scored Ibanez and gave the Phillies a sweep over the Braves. The entire game summed up this series. It wasn't the best played, but it may have made the biggest difference in the regular season.

With the limited offense tonight, you can't take away from how the pitching did, either. Roy Oswalt took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, and while he allowed two runs in seven innings of work, he still looked solid, and was every bit the pitcher that the Phillies want him to be down the stretch. It's still a question of whether it's going to be him or Vance Worley as the fourth pitcher in the playoff rotation, so every last start helps right now. I'm keeping my mouth shut on that one for the moment.

The bullpen was solid once again tonight, too. Antonio Bastardo and Ryan Madson pitched the eighth and ninth innings and were excellent once again, with Bastardo using the double play to get out of a jam, and Madson picking up his fourth win of the season in walk-off fashion. The Phillies don't have the same buzz that the Braves do out of their bullpen, but when you look at Ryan Madson and Antonio Bastardo and link them up with the pitching that the Phillies have, it's almost a light's out situation. Every starting pitcher for the Phillies can go seven innings. If they leave at that point, the Phils can bring in Bastardo, who closed for a bit this season, and then Madson, who is the closer now. That takes care of the last two innings. The Braves might have a better overall bullpen, but the entire pitching staff makes the Phillies that much better.

The National League East race isn't over yet, but it's pretty damn close. The Phils did what they have done over the last five years and made a statement in a big series against a division rival. Usually, it's been against the Mets, but this year, the Braves will have to do. Now, the Phillies have 91 wins in the fewest games in team history, and are looking to set a team record for wins. It's likely going to happen, and there is not a fan around that would complain about it.

Enjoy the ride, everyone. It's going to be a fun one.

Tomorrow, the Phillies take their talents on the road to Milwaukee for a four game series with the Brewers. Their "prove it" week continues, as Cole Hamels (13-7, 2.63 ERA) pitches against Chris Narveson (10-6, 4.26 ERA).

Phillies Recap: Phillies-6, Braves-3

Game Recap:

Despite an almost two hour rain delay, Vance Worley pitched six innings to get his 11th win of the season as the Phillies took their second straight in a huge series against the Atlanta Braves. The National League East lead for the Phils is now nine and a half games.

What went right?

Chase Utley had a solo home run in the first inning, then reached base and scored the final run of the game in the seventh inning.

Ryan Howard went 1-3 with two runs scored and an RBI.

Raul Ibanez was great tonight, going 3-4 with three RBI.

Vance Worley didn't have his best outing, but he still pitched well, allowing two runs on seven hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out six.

Brad Lidge gave up a hit in the eighth, but struck out three in a rare four out inning.

Ryan Madson worked the ninth and picked up his 28th save with a quick inning.

What went wrong?

Brian Schneider was 0-3.

Michael Stutes had another rough outing, allowing a run in the seventh inning on a hit and a walk.

The Phillies left nine men on base.

Game Analysis:

One night after Cliff Lee shut down the Braves for his sixth shutout of the season, Vance Worley took his turn on the mound. While he didn't have the same stuff that Lee did, he had enough to hold the Braves to two runs in six innings, and the Phils did the rest. Raul Ibanez drove in three runs as the Phillies won their 90th game of the season with a 6-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

In two games in this series so far, the Phillies have outscored the Braves by a 14-3 margin. That's about as good as you can get for the two best teams in the National League. Though the Phils have had the edge in starting pitching, the Braves have countered with Tim Hudson tonight and Derek Lowe, two pitchers that aren't exactly scrubs. Tonight, Vance Worley pitched through some middle inning struggles and the Phillies scored runs when they needed to in order to get him a win. Without the offense, the Phils wouldn't have won tonight's game, it's that simple. They took advantage of Atlanta's mistakes and made them pay. It's what good teams do all the time. Last year, it's what the Giants did to the Phillies.

Just as they did the night before, the Phillies jumped on the Atlanta starting pitching early. Before the Braves hardly had a chance to react, the Phils were up 2-0, and it should have been more. Tim Hudson was able to pitch out of trouble and keep the Braves in the game, but after Atlanta tied the score, the Phillies took action with a two run bottom of the sixth inning that gave them the lead for good. Raul Ibanez just missed a two run home run in the inning, and he would drive in another run in the bottom of the seventh that would give the Phillies even more insurance against a potential Atlanta comeback.

The heart of this lineup has just been great in this series so far, but there's still a lot to do. Ryan Howard is playing hurt, and needs a few games off, and Hunter Pence is just coming out of a slump in which he was 0-10. Raul Ibanez is starting to show signs of life once more, which is a good sign, but there's no telling whether or not he's going to be able to keep this up throughout the rest of September and the playoffs. However, at the moment, this team is playing like most people thought that it would, and that's a very good thing.

The only question mark that I have about tonight has to do with Michael Stutes, who struggled again on the mound. Stutes has pitched more innings this year than he has in any other season since he was drafted, and fatigue has to be settling in. If the Phillies bring him with them to the playoffs, he could be a problem on the mound, especially in a tight situation. Tonight, he allowed a run, but the Phillies countered with two of their own in the bottom of the seventh inning. That's not always going to happen. If he struggles the rest of the way, having him in the playoffs might do more harm than good for this team. They need whatever help they can get in the bullpen.

Regardless of that, the Phillies are the best team in baseball right now. They have reached 90 wins in the shortest amount of time in team history, and are nine and a half games up in the National League East. This week is supposed to be their toughest coming down the stretch and so far, they've won both games, without Roy Halladay or Cole Hamels pitching. I like what I see at the moment.

Tomorrow, the Phillies try and sweep the Braves for the first time this season. Roy Oswalt (7-8, 3.80 ERA) will pitch for the Phillies against Brandon Beachy (7-2, 3.37 ERA).