Game Recap:
In the strangest game of the season so far, the Phillies gave up two runs to the Astros in the top of the 16th inning to lose their second straight game. Oh, and Roy Oswalt played two innings in left field.
What went right?
Jimmy Rollins only went 1-7, but it was his two out home run in the ninth inning that sent the game to extras.
Placido Polanco was 2-6 with two walks.
Chase Utley went 2-6 and walked twice.
Jayson Werth was 2-7 and scored a run.
Raul Ibanez went 2-6 with an RBI.
Cole Hamels pitched another good game, allowing just two runs on five hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out eight.
What went wrong?
Ryan Howard went 0-7 with five strikeouts and was ejected from the game in the bottom of the 14th inning, forcing Raul Ibanez to play first base and Roy Oswalt to play left field.
Carlos Ruiz was 0-5.
David Herndon pitched three innings, and fell apart in the 16th. He loaded the bases on a walk, a hit batter and a single, and then had two runs score.
The Phillies left 17 men on base.
Game Analysis:
What can be said about this game that is going to make Phillies fans feel better about it? Sure, Roy Oswalt actually looked good out in left field, but he shouldn't have had to been out there in the first place. Cole Hamels pitched another great game, but got hit with another no decision, since the Phillies still could only score a single run for him. Then, there's Ryan Howard and third base umpire Scott Barry. Can someone please explain to me why Barry is even a major league umpire? Oh that's right, he's not. He's a minor league fill-in.
After getting roughed up a bit in his last outing, Cole Hamels looked a lot better last night. He had good control over his pitches and the Astros really didn't have much of an answer for him, save for Carlos Lee's home run in the fourth inning. Other than that, Hamels was in control of the game. Of course, the Phillies still couldn't score any runs for him while he was on the mound. He got exactly one run of support, which is more than he'd gotten in his last three starts, at least, but it's still not good enough.
Right now, Hamels is pitching better than he has in the last year and a half. The Phillies needed him to get back to his 2008 form to match Roy Halladay, and he's done just that. The only problem is that the Phillies can never seem to score runs for him. In his last four starts, counting last night, he's gotten just that one run of support while he's been in the game. The Phillies were shutout 1-0 in two of those four games. Meanwhile, Hamels is pitching lights out, and the Phils can't do anything for him at the plate.
The offense was dreadful last night, and most of the blame falls on Ryan Howard. The big man went 0-7 with five strikeouts during the game, and then he got ejected in the 14th inning by a minor league replacement umpire that had no business ringing him up like that. Howard was more upset at himself than anything else when he struck out for the fifth time, and Scott Barry thought he was trying to show him up, so he tossed him. I've never seen Howard react like that after anything. He's been mad before, but never like that. The kicker again is that Barry isn't even a major league umpire. He works the minor leagues and fills in whenever he can up at the big league level. There's nothing else to say about this situation. If Howard gets suspended for this, and Barry gets to walk away after making a big deal over what should have been nothing, then he should never come back to Philadelphia.
In the end, the Phillies don't have anyone to blame but themselves for this loss, however. They left 17 men on base, and couldn't get the big hit when they needed it. They had men on base in each of the first four innings and couldn't push anyone across, and then had someone on base in every extra inning except for the 11th, and they still couldn't score. No, it wasn't Scott Barry who lost this game for the Phillies last night, it was the offense. They need to get things back together. In two days, they've lost their lead in the Wild Card, and things aren't going to get any easier.
Tonight, Roy Halladay (16-8, 2.16 ERA) goes for the Phillies. He'll face off against J.A. Happ (3-2, 3.54 ERA).
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