Game Recap:
Kyle Kendrick pitched seven scoreless innings, and the bullpen did the rest as the Phillies rode on home runs by Shane Victorino and Placido Polanco to get past the Cardinals for the second straight night.
What went right?
Shane Victorino went 2-4 with a home run and two runs scored.
Placido Polanco was 1-4 with a two run home run.
Greg Dobbs had an RBI pinch hit double in the seventh inning.
Kyle Kendrick pitched very well, giving up just six hits and no runs in seven innings. He walked two and struck out three.
Danys Baez and Jose Contreras pitched even better, retiring the Cardinals in order in the eighth and ninth innings to preserve the shutout.
What went wrong?
Jayson Werth was 0-3.
Raul Ibanez was 0-3.
Juan Castro went 1-3, but left the game in the seventh inning with a strained hamstring.
Game Analysis:
Where the hell has that effort been from Kyle Kendrick all season? After getting shelled in his last two games, Kendrick had one last chance to prove that he belonged in the starting rotation, and by God he made it work. Through seven innings, Kendrick didn't allow a run and gave up only six hits and two walks. The home run ball that had plagued him through his last two starts wasn't there, and he had control over himself, even in tough situations. This was the Kyle Kendrick that had been pitching during Spring Training, and that's what the Phillies need right now, considering the other option is probably Nelson Figueroa until J.A. Happ gets back off the disabled list.
For all the bad that I've said about Kendrick this season, tonight he pitched like a different man out there. Yes, he gave up a few hits early and got lucky in the second inning when Colby Rasmus thought he could steal third and got caught, but the fact of the matter is that he pitched well enough to win against any pitcher tonight. He didn't overthink situations and looked poised and collected on the mound, which is exactly what the Phillies want and need right now. In the past two nights, both Cole Hamels and Kyle Kendrick have pitched very, very well, and that has to be an encouraging sign for a team that was having such big issues with pitching just a few weeks ago. I'm more convinced that Hamels is going to continue playing well than Kendrick, but at the same time, if Kendrick can recapture any of the magic that he had back in 2007, it could be a very, very good thing.
For at least the last five years, the Phillies have lived and died on offense through the home run, and tonight was nothing different. However, when long balls win games for the Phillies, I'm not going to complain. The Phils hadn't gotten a hit off of Brad Penny until the fourth inning, when Shane Victorino led off the inning with a single. Placido Polanco took a pitch into the left field stands for a home run, and that would be all the Phillies would need tonight. Victorino would add a home run of his own in the sixth inning, and Penny would leave the game with two more home runs allowed than he had given up all season. Yes, just like Johan Santana on Sunday, the Phillies had gotten to a pitcher that had very little trouble keeping the ball in the park before he faced the Phillies. Penny was tagged for his second straight loss, and the Phils kept up their winning ways against St. Louis, having taken 20 of the last 29 games against the Cardinals.
The worst part about tonight was the continuing issues with injuries at shortstop. Tonight, Juan Castro came up limping while running out a play to first, resulting in a strained hamstring. He's going to be tested more tomorrow, but I doubt he'll be playing for a few games, at least. That means that Wilson Valdez is going to get some starting time while both Castro and Jimmy Rollins recover from their injuries. With Rollins out for a few more weeks at least, it would be nice if Castro isn't going to miss much time, but with hamstring issues, you can never be sure. Castro was taken out of a game a week ago with leg issues, and now they're coming up again. If a trip to the disabled list is necessary, it's going to make the Phillies even thinner at shortstop, which is something no one wants to see. While Shane Victorino has started to bat better in the leadoff position, Jimmy Rollins is the leadoff batter for this team, and Castro wasn't playing too badly in relief of him. If it comes down to Valdez, things might get ugly.
Regardless, the Phillies have taken two of three from the Cardinals already, and are set to take the final game of the series. Roy Halladay (5-1, 1.47 ERA) will take on former Phillie Kyle Lohse (0-1, 5.28 ERA).
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