Game Recap:
Down to their last strike in the ninth inning, the Phillies staged a three run comeback, then took the lead in the 10th, lost it, took it back in the 11th and almost lost it again to cap the craziest game of the season.
What went right?
Ryan Howard went 2-4 with his first home run in 65 at bats.
Jayson Werth went 1-5, but it was a big one, as he tied the game with a three run double in the ninth inning.
Raul Ibanez went 1-4 with a run scored.
Wilson Valdez was 1-1 with an RBI double in the 11th inning.
Cole Hamels pitched well against Tim Lincecum, allowing four runs on nine hits in six innings. He walked four and struck out ten.
What went wrong?
Juan Castro was 0-4.
Carlos Ruiz went 0-2.
Ryan Madson blew his second save of the season, allowing a run in the bottom of the tenth inning on two hits. He also walked a batter and didn't strike anyone out.
Game Analysis:
Well, those were a fun few innings to close out the game, weren't they? With the bases loaded and the Phillies down to their final strike, Jayson Werth launched a double into right field that scored three, and the Phils had managed to take a game that they should have lost into extra innings...where they tried to lose it two more times. Even after taking the lead in the 10th and 11th innings, the Phillies couldn't get out of San Francisco easily. Ryan Madson blew the save in the 10th, and Nelson Figueroa allowed one run to score and had the tying run thrown out at the plate before he was able to earn his first career save.
It was an ugly, crazy win, but it still counts the same, and the way things have been going for the Phillies lately, I'll certainly take it. The offense seemed to come to life again once Tim Lincecum left the game, and it was about time. Save for Ryan Howard's home run off of Lincecum in the fifth inning, the two time Cy Young winner held the Phillies to just three hits while striking out 11. It was the same story from the last two games against the Giants, except this time, the Phillies were able to attack the San Francisco bullpen, which is something they weren't able to do in their last two games. Plus, the Phils also got a good outing from Cole Hamels, who went pitch for pitch with Lincecum for a while, striking out ten batters of his own. Of course, Hamels also got into trouble in the sixth inning, when he allowed three runs to score, and he was also in line for his third straight loss, but no one will remember that when they look at the boxscore for this game.
The important thing about this game was that Hamels, despite allowing four runs, looked worlds better than he did in his last start against Arizona. There were no home runs allowed today, and Hamels had control of the strike zone for the most part. The sixth was his only problem, and he lost control a bit there, but the Phillies at least were able to bail him out this time. He needs to pitch like this all the time, so that the Phils can at least have a chance to win the games that he starts. That's two out of his last three starts that he's pitched well in, so I'm hopeful that things are still going to turn around for him.
I'm not sure how much stock I want to put into the offensive performance in the late innings today, but they did finally score some runs again. Jayson Werth had a huge three run double in the ninth inning, and then the bench provided a little spark in extras, thanks in large part to an error in the 11th by Eugenio Velez and a wild pitch in the 10th. Regardless, it was just nice to see the Phillies get some runs on the board again. The seven runs the Phillies scored today were the most since they beat the Braves 8-3 back at the start of this road trip, but that is now over as well. The Phillies finished their opening month road trip with a 4-5 record. It's not great, but for the cities they had to go to and the way their offense was playing, I'll take it.
Things don't get any easier for the Phils when they get back home. After an off day tomorrow, the Phillies take on the hottest team in baseball, the New York Mets. Kyle Kendrick (0-0, 7.71 ERA) goes to the mound for the Phillies, and he'll be taking on Jon Niese (0-1, 3.68 ERA).
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