Game Recap:
After getting six solid innings from Brett Myers, the Philadelphia bullpen blew a 2-1 lead, losing to the Braves 4-2.
What went right?
Despite getting into trouble in the first inning, Brett Myers pitched the best six innings he's pitched all season, allowing just one run and striking out three.
Ryan Howard went 2-4 with two doubles and scored twice.
Matt Stairs went 2-2 in place of Jayson Werth, and drove in the go ahead run in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Pedro Feliz went 1-4 with the other RBI on the day.
What went wrong?
After Brett Myers left, the usually dependable bullpen choked. Jack Taschner allowed a two run single to Casey Kotchman in the top of the seventh inning, and Brad Lidge gave up a Kotchman double in the ninth inning to finish the scoring.
Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino and Chase Utley went a combined 0-13 with three strikeouts on the day.
The Phillies left nine men on base.
Game Analysis:
Sorry for the delay in posting this, I was down in South Jersey for Mother's Day, and work has been kicking my ass, so it's just going up now. The Phils had an off day today, anyway, so it's all good.
This was a game the Phillies should have had in the bag. Brett Myers looked good on the mound for really the first time all season, despite getting into trouble in the first inning. After that, he managed another five strong frames, and the Phils even gave him the lead after he left the game, putting him in position for the win. It wasn't to be, though. Jack Taschner, who is usually better than he was on Sunday, got into trouble, and wasn't able to get out until Casey Kotchman gave the Braves the lead back. After that, the Phillies were held in check on offense, and Brad Lidge came in and gave up another run in a non save situation to put the game a little more out of reach.
Games like this one hurt, though they're to be expected at points during the season. After all, the bullpen has been nothing but a strength for the first month of the season, so it's bound to have a few let downs along the way. I just wish they wouldn't come against division rivals while the Phils are battling for first place. It's never good to lose a series, but to lose one like this to the Braves hurts even worse. The offense didn't help matters, as they made Kenshin Kawakami, who has been struggling this season, look like an All Star out there for seven innings. The fact that they only managed to get six hits and two runs off a guy who had been shelled in just about every game he's pitched in this year is insane, especially when you look at how well the Phils can do on offense.
Yes, it's only the 29th game of the season, and yes, it's still early May, but right now the Phillies don't look like the same team that won the World Series last year. I don't know what it is, but there's something missing. Maybe it's the swagger of knowing J.C. Romero was waiting out in the bullpen for a situation just like this one, or feeling like Jimmy Rollins would come up with a clutch base hit to drive in a run, or a stolen base to get into scoring position, but it's not there right now. Just when it seems like the starting pitching is starting to get into place, the offense vanishes, and the bullpen starts giving up games. The Phils have got to get a balance here, or they could be looking up at a few teams come the middle of the season.
Like I said earlier, the Phillies had an off day today, and tomorrow they welcome the Manny-less Dodgers into town. Chan Ho Park (0-1, 6.67 ERA) will hope his solid start last time out wasn't a fluke as he goes against Clayton Kershaw (1-2, 4.91 ERA). This will be a good test to see where the Phils are, because a loss in this series drops them to .500, or worse.
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