Game Recap:
Jimmy Rollins hit a walk off two run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Phillies their second straight win over Cleveland and helped salvage a poor pitching performance from Kyle Kendrick.
What went right?
Might as well start at the top. Jimmy Rollins went 1-5 with his game winning home run, which helped erase his error in the top of the ninth inning that allowed the Indians to take the lead.
Ryan Howard went 2-4 with a run scored.
Jayson Werth was on fire, going 3-3 with home run and two runs scored. He finished a triple short of the cycle.
Raul Ibanez went 1-4 with a two run double. He also nailed Carlos Santana at home in the top of the fifth inning.
Brian Schneider went 1-2 with two walks and a home run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
What went wrong?
Kyle Kendrick had a poor start, allowing five runs (four earned) in just four plus innings of work. He gave up six hits, walked two and struck out one.
Chad Durbin left the game in the top of the ninth inning with a strained right hamstring. He was on the hook for the loss before Rollins saved the day, allowing a run on two hits in an inning of work.
Game Analysis:
Welcome back, Jimmy Rollins. It took until the bottom of the ninth inning in a game that the Phillies should have lost, but Rollins made his impact known, launching a Kerry Wood pitch down the right field line for a walk off two run home run. The home run helped make up for his error in the top of the ninth inning that allowed the Indians to take the lead, but to be fair, it wasn't entirely his fault. The pitching tonight for the Phillies wasn't great, and the offense wasted chances in several innings. Just like last night, it wasn't a pretty win by any stretch, but the Phils will take it right now.
Despite 11 hits and seven runs for the Phillies tonight, they could and should have had more. They left runners on base in the fourth, seventh and eighth innings, and Ryan Howard's double play in the first inning killed what could have been a big inning to start things off. It hasn't been pretty for the offense against the Indians, but they are getting the job done when they have to. In the end, that's what matters, but it would be nice if they could get back on track like they were at this point last week. There were base running mistakes tonight, like Howard getting caught trying to steal home in the bottom of the sixth inning with runners on the corners. There's a time, a place and base runner for that situation, and Ryan Howard just doesn't fit any of those specifics. Trying a double steal with Howard on third and Brian Schneider at the plate is just asking for trouble, and that's what the Phillies got. However, they won, so you can't really complain.
The one thing I will harp on tonight was the pitching. Kyle Kendrick was off again tonight, just one start after shutting down the Yankees in New York. I don't know what to expect from Kendrick when he goes out there, but it would be nice if it was something other than this. However, this is what Kendrick does. He can go out there one night and dominate, like he did against the Yankees, or he can come out and struggle, like he did against Cleveland tonight. Kendrick started out the game in trouble, allowing a double and home run to the first two batters of the game. Before people had even found their seats tonight, the Phils were down 2-0, and it was that kind of night for Kendrick, who didn't make it out of the fifth inning.
Luckily, the bullpen was able to pick up most of the slack for the Phils, allowing just five hits and a single run for the rest of the game. David Hearndon, Mike Zagurski, Danys Baez, Chad Durbin and J.C. Romero did their jobs tonight, though Durbin had to leave the game in the top of the ninth with a strained right hamstring. Hopefully, it's not too bad, because Durbin has basically been one of the most consistant pitchers out of the bullpen for the Phillies this year, and they need him to keep coming out of the pen and looking sharp. If he's out for an extended period of time, it's going to be a problem, especially with some of the issues that this bullpen can have. They need at least one or two solid pitchers that they know can come out and get the job done in the middle innings. I don't think anyone has much faith in Mike Zagurski, and Danys Baez has been less than, well, just about anything so far this season. That leaves Durbin and Jose Contreras, and while Contreras has been good this year, you never know how many pitches he has left in his 38 or so year old arm. Durbin has to be able to keep going, or this bullpen might be in a bit of trouble.
Regardless, it was another win for the Phillies tonight, and one that can hopefully help them turn the corner on this horrid stretch that they've been on. Jimmy Rollins is back at the top of the lineup, and if he can get back to doing what he did at the start of the year, then this offense will pick up it's game each and every night. Everyone knows that the talent and the skill is there, it's just a matter of putting it all together again. Hopefully, they can make it happen on a regular basis again.
Tomorrow afternoon, the Phillies go for the sweep of Cleveland. Joe Blanton (2-5, 6.96 ERA) looks for his second straight win, as he faces off against Fausto Carmona (6-5, 3.31 ERA).
No comments:
Post a Comment