Game Recap:
Jamie Moyer allowed just one run in eight innings of work, picking up his 266th career win as the Phillies took the first game of their series against the Cleveland Indians.
What went right?
Ryan Howard went 2-3 with an RBI.
Jamie Moyer pitched eight innings of two hit baseball, allowing just a home run in the second inning. He walked one and struck out five.
Brad Lidge recorded the final two outs by strikeout to get his fifth save of the season.
What went wrong?
Jimmy Rollins made his return to the lineup, and went 0-4.
Aside from Ryan Howard, the Phillies managed just two other hits, with the team going a combined 2-22.
J.C. Romero attempted to save the game in the ninth, but got into trouble, allowing two runners to reach on a walk and a base hit.
Game Analysis:
It certainly wasn't the prettiest win in the world tonight, but after the last two Phillies games, a win is a win, and it should be left at that. While the offense could get very little going against Mitch Talbot, Jamie Moyer was on fire once again on the mound, picking up his third win of the month and tying Roy Halladay for the team lead in wins.
Did anyone really think that Jamie Moyer would be able to pitch like he has this season? Coming into the year, there wasn't really that much to like about him. He was 47, and was coming off of maybe the worst injury of his career that caused him to miss the playoffs. At most, people expected him to be the fifth starter until Joe Blanton came back from the disabled list or the Phillies signed someone else, but no one thought that he would be able to pitch this well this season. Now, the Phillies should be thankful that Moyer stuck around, as he won his eighth game of the year tonight, and looked better than most of the pitchers that the Phillies have started recently.
How Moyer is doing this is beyond me, but I won't complain. Tonight, he just looked sharp, getting his strikeouts and ground ball outs that have worked so well for him throughout his career. The Indians are a bit of a younger team, so Moyer does normally perform better against the younger hitters, but this was something else tonight. Save for a Russell Brayan home run in the second inning, Moyer was on point all night long. It's the kind of outing that makes me think that he could pitch for a few more years, at least. This is what the Phillies needed after their last two losses, and just like up in New York against the Yankees, Moyer delivered. That makes two straight games that Moyer has pitched through the eighth inning, and save for his disaster in Boston, Moyer has pitched into the sixth inning of every one of his starts this year, with two complete games to his credit. If you take out the Boston start, Moyer has pitched 25 innings in June, allowing five runs on 12 hits. That's not just good, that's excellent. He's just been on another level for most of this year compared to how he pitched last season, and he's well on his way to his fourth straight season with ten or more wins as a member of the Phillies.
On the other hand, the offense had another bad night, making it two games in a row that they've scored two runs or less. Jimmy Rollins made his much anticipated return and promptly swung at the first pitch of the game. Of course, that's what Jimmy does, so it shouldn't have come as a surprise to anyone. Regardless, the offense has gotten back off track in two straight games, though tonight they at least showed signs of life early, scoring two runs in the first inning before going back into their shell again. Rollins was 0-4, and if not for those two first inning runs, the Phillies might have ended up costing a starting pitcher another great outing. Sure, there was the bogus interference call in the bottom of the fourth inning that cost the Phillies a run, but even if that went the other way, all that the Phils would have done was tie Cleveland. This offense is better than how they played tonight. They need to get back to how they were playing last week against the Yankees and their first two games against the Twins. That's the team that people want to see.
Either way, they managed a win tonight, no matter how ugly it was. Jamie Moyer pitched great, and Brad Lidge looked solid in the ninth during his emergency save situation. The Indians are not a good team, and if the Phillies don't take at least one of the next two games, it's going to be very upsetting.
Tomorrow, Kyle Kendrick (4-2, 4.48 ERA) goes for the Phillies. He'll be facing off against Jake Westbrook (4-4, 4.76 ERA).
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