Game Recap:
Carlos Ruiz hit a game winning double in the top of the 11th inning to bail out Brad Lidge and give the Phillies a series win over the New York Yankees.
What went right?
Cole Hamels looked sharp again today, allowing just two runs on eight hits. He struck out five and walked none.
Shane Victorino went 3-6 with an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base.
Raul Ibanez went 2-5 with an RBI double.
Ryan Howard went 2-5 and stole his second base of the year.
Carlos Ruiz went 3-4 with a walk, a run scored and that game winning RBI double.
What went wrong?
Brad Lidge blew his second save in two days, allowing a run to score in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Jayson Werth went 0-5 with three strikeouts.
Pedro Feliz went 0-5.
Game Analysis:
It wasn't the prettiest win in the world, but they still count all the same, and they're even sweeter against the Yankees. Plus, the way Cole Hamels is pitching right now, it looks like he could take on any lineup without trouble. The elbow problems he had at the start of the season are definitely a thing of the past, and he's 2-0 with a 2.88 ERA during this month. Of course, he should be 3-0 for the month of May, but I'll get to that in a minute. The only real blemish Hamels had today was that absurd broken bat home run by Mark Teixeira, and that was not his fault. If you can saw a batter off like that, it should never be a home run. Congrats Yanks, you've built yourselves a real launch pad right there. No one gets to talk about Citizens Bank Park being bad for pitchers ever again, not with that stadium just 90 miles up the road.
Take everything I said about Brad Lidge last night and multiply it by about 500 right now. I love the man for what he was able to do last season, but he shouldn't be anywhere near a pitchers mound right now. JC Romero comes back in eight games, and when he does, Lidge needs to go on the DL. He's already allowed more runs in two months than he did all of last season, and I'm more nervous when he goes out there than when Jose Mesa was closing games for the Phils, and that's not a good thing. A trip to the DL last year let him work through his early knee problems, and I think that would be the ticket again this year, too. It has to be done.
I don't know what's happened to Carlos Ruiz lately, but I love it. The man raked during this road trip, and today was the culmination. He put a great play on Johnny Damon early on, then nailed Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner trying to steal second base, AND had the game winning hit in the 11th inning. If I hear anyone call for Chris Coste to start right now, and that includes myself, I'm going to direct them into the closest lane of traffic. Ruiz has his batting average up over .300, and is actually second on the team behind only Raul Ibanez, who is hitting like he's from another planet right now.
To go 8-2 on a road trip, you need some things to bounce your way. Today, the Phillies got a few of those breaks. Clay Condrey got out of a real jam in the 10th inning, then closed out the game in the 11th. The starting pitching for the Phillies also looks like it's back on track, as Brett Myers, J.A. Happ and Cole Hamels outpitched the overpriced Yankee starters in all three games, and they allowed only one walk between the three of them. Yes, things are a bit dicey right now in the back of the bullpen, but when that hopefully gets sorted out, the Phils are a team that people are going to have to look out for much, much later in the season. Plus, it's always fun to beat the Yankees...anyone can agree to that.
Tomorrow, Jamie Moyer (3-4, 7.62 ERA) will hopefully get back on track against the Florida Marlins, a team he usually dominates. Chris Volstad (3-3, 3.64 ERA) will be going for the Marlins, who are looking to get back on track after wasting an 11-1 start to their season. It's Memorial Dollar Dog Day, so enjoy the game!
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