Game Recap:
Despite an average outing from Cole Hamels, the Phillies came back from a 4-0 hole to beat the Nationals and win their first home opener since 2005.
What went right?
Placido Polanco went 2-4 with two runs scored and two RBI, giving him double digit hits in all but one game so far this season.
Chase Utley was 1-3 with a walk, two runs scored and a two run home run.
Ryan Howard went 2-4 with an RBI.
Juan Castro played in place of Jimmy Rollins, and went 1-4 with an RBI double.
The bullpen was outstanding, surrendering no hits in 3.1 innings of work. Ryan Madson earned his second save of the season, retiring the Nationals in order in the ninth.
What went wrong?
Jimmy Rollins was named the starting shortstop, but was scratched with a right calf strain.
Jayson Werth left the game with left hip soreness.
Shane Victorino was 0-4.
Raul Ibanez went 0-3.
Cole Hamels still didn't have the same groove that he had in 2008, giving up four runs on six hits in 5.2 innings. He walked one, struck out six and hit a batter.
Game Analysis:
Seven games in, and the Phillies look like they are on another level than the teams they are playing right now. Today, facing a 4-0 deficit early in the game, the Phils pulled themselves back into the game, and by the tme Chase Utley's home run bounced off the right field foul pole, I don't think there was anyone that thought they would lose the game today.
Cole Hamels still didn't pitch as well as Phillies fans remember him pitching, but the fact of the matter is that the season is still early. He's won both his starts so far this year, and compared to last season, he's on a better pace as well. He just needs to get a little more time out on the mound to get the feel of regular season pitching again, and with the offense that the Phillies have backing him up, he could still do very well this year. I'm not even close to ready to throwing in the towel on him yet, because there's still six more months of baseball left to be played this year, and Hamels has shown in the past that he can still be that lockdown pitcher that everyone in Philadelphia wants him to be.
The bigger story today ended up being the injuries to both Jimmy Rollins and Jayson Werth. Rollins didn't even make it into the game, despite being announced as the starting shortstop. Instead, Juan Castro took his place, while Rollins was scratched with what the Phillies are calling a "right calf strain." Hopefully, the injury is just a minor thing, and Rollins can get back out on the field on Wednesday, because he's starting a season hotter than he ever has before. A bad calf strain can take a few weeks to come back from, but the Phillies might have been taken extra precautions today, to make sure that the situation didn't get any worse. The same thing is true with Jayson Werth, who left the game with left hip soreness. While that could be many things, I'm actually glad that he did leave the game, rather than attempt to play through the pain. In situations like this, I'd rather have Rollins and Werth miss a few early season games than miss a month or two with lingering injuries during the summer. Juan Castro and Ben Francisco will do just fine for a few games, and Shane Victorino can always be put at the top of the lineup again. Luckily, the Phillies have tomorrow off, which will give each guy a chance to rest up and maybe be ready for the next game.
I'm actually getting tired of showering the offense with praise so far this year, but it's something that I can certainly get used to. Today, it was more of the same from this team, as they've already scored 50 runs in this young season. Ryan Howard had another RBI today, and Placido Polanco continued his hot start, picking up two more hits to give him six games with at least two hits already. Chase Utley added his second home run of the year and raised his RBI total to six on the season. Everyone knows that the Phils won't be able to keep up this pace forever, but to see this team coming out of the gate this hot is a very good thing. Last year, the Phils went 11-9 in April, and they've already won six games to start out this year. Everything is clicking just right at the moment, and while I'm sure there are going to be bumps in the road, this team has the look of something very special right now.
Tomorrow, the Phillies are off, but they are back in action on Wednesday against Washington. Kyle Kendrick (0-0, 11.25 ERA) makes his second start of the year as he faces off against Craig Stammen (0-0, 7.20 ERA).
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