Game Recap:
Roy Oswalt won his first game as a Phillie, pitching seven innings of shutout baseball, while Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge did the rest to keep the Phils two and a half games out of first in the National League East and half a game out of the wild card.
What went right?
Raul Ibanez extended his hitting streak to 18 games, going 2-3 with a double and an RBI.
Placido Polanco went 1-4 and scored a run.
Jimmy Rollins was 1-4 with a stolen base.
Domonic Brown went 0-3, but drove in a run, giving him 11 RBI in 13 games that he's played in.
Wilson freaking Valdez was 1-3 with a triple.
Roy Oswalt pitched his best game as a member of the Phillies, picking up the win while throwing seven shutout innings. He allowed five hits and walked two while striking out five.
Brad Lidge recorded his fifth save of the month, striking out two in a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
What went wrong?
Carlos Ruiz was 0-4.
Ross Gload got hurt when he strained his groin in the sixth inning.
Honestly, that's about it. The game was a pitcher's duel.
Game Analysis:
After the Dodgers smacked the Phillies around for 15 runs last night, things didn't look good for the Phils. However, Roy Oswalt looked like the pitcher the Phillies traded for, and the bullpen did their job for two innings as the Phillies were able to take the second game of their series against the Dodgers.
This was the Roy Oswalt that people were expecting to see when the Phillies traded for him. After losing his first start and getting a no decision in his second, Oswalt hadn't exactly lived up to expectations yet. Tonight, in his first start in Philadelphia, he did. Oswalt pitched like the star he was in Houston, keeping Los Angeles from scoring during his seven innings of work. He got into a little bit of trouble, but was able to pitch out of it. This outing tonight is exactly what the Phillies need from Oswalt. He hasn't gotten much run support from the offense yet, but if he can pitch like this for the rest of the season, he's not going to need it. Plus, the offense will do their job during his starts. It just hasn't happened yet.
Once Oswalt left the game, the bullpen did their job, and they did it well. Ryan Madson pitched a scoreless eighth inning, and Brad Lidge worked a perfect ninth inning for his fifth save of the month. Ever since August started, Lidge has looked like a better pitcher. He's saved five games in a row, and hasn't given up a run yet this month. When you add in the facts that he's only given up two hits and no walks while striking out six, it's only better. This is the Brad Lidge that the Phillies need to close out games. If he can keep pitching like this, the Phillies are going to get even closer to a playoff appearance for the fourth season in a row. I'm not saying this is going to look good for the rest of the season, but at least at the moment, Lidge looks excellent.
The offense couldn't get many runs across the plate tonight, but the two that scored were all that were needed. Raul Ibanez is simply on fire right now. He has an 18 game hitting streak, and his batting average is .277. Compared to where he was hitting just two months ago, this is an amazing improvement. Domonic Brown isn't hitting the ball great right now, but he had four RBI and his first major league home run last night, and he drove in another run tonight. So far, he has 11 RBI in 13 games, which is very nice, but his batting average is struggling. He'll pick things up as he goes along, but with Shane Victorino coming back soon, I don't know how much time he's going to get, or if he's going to get sent back down to Triple-A. It's all up to Charlie at this point. I think he should stay, but that's only one opinion.
It wasn't the best game out there tonight, but it was a win, and that's all that matters. The last few weeks have been good to the Phillies, and that's with Chase Utley, Shane Victorino and Ryan Howard on the disabled list. Luckily, Victorino should be back soon, and Utley and Howard should be following suit shortly after. If the Phillies can get healthy, they are going to be a team to look out for at the end of the season. They're too good to just fade away.
Tomorrow, Joe Blanton (4-6, 5.65 ERA) goes for the Phillies. Clayton Kershaw (10-7, 3.19 ERA) pitches for the Dodgers in the final game of this series.
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