Game Recap:
Kyle Kendrick threw 6 and two-thirds innings of one run baseball, and the offense did just enough to get past the New York Mets and move the Phillies into first place in the National League Wild Card race.
What went right?
Jimmy Rollins was 1-5 with two stolen bases and a run scored.
Shane Victorino went 3-5, scored a run, stole a base and had an RBI.
Placido Polanco was 1-3 with an RBI and a walk.
Jayson Werth was 2-3 and scored a run.
Carlos Ruiz was 1-4 with an RBI.
Kyle Kendrick picked up his eighth win of the season, going six and two-thirds innings. He allowed one run on six hits while walking one and striking out four.
The bullpen was excellent, holding the Mets without a hit while they were in the game. Brad Lidge worked a perfect ninth inning for his 16th save of the season.
What went wrong?
Raul Ibanez was 0-5 with three strikeouts.
Greg Dobbs was 0-3.
Wilson Valdez went 0-4.
Game Analysis:
Faced with nasty weather in New York last night, Kyle Kendrick came out and pitched one of his best games of the season. Like Cole Hamels and Roy Halladay did on the past two nights, Kendrick shut down the Mets, giving up just a single run as the Phillies manufactured three runs to beat the Mets for the second straight night.
Last night, Kyle Kendrick actually showed why he deserved to pitch for the Phillies this year. He hasn't had the best season, but he was rock solid last night. The only run he allowed was a home run off of the foul pole by Jose Reyes, and after that, Kendrick allowed just one more hit for the rest of the time he was pitching. It was a great effort by Kendrick, and the Phillies needed it. A loss would have pushed them to three games behind the Atlanta Braves, and with this win, the Phils are now percentage points ahead of the San Francisco Giants for first place in the Wild Card. Right now, that's good enough.
The bullpen was great last night as well. Chad Durbin took care of Jeff Francour in the seventh, and Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge shut the door in the eighth and ninth innings, with Lidge working a perfect ninth to pick up his sixth straight save. He's only allowed two hits during this run, and looks more and more like the Brad Lidge from two years ago, rather than the Brad Lidge from last year. That's the kind of pitching out of the bullpen that the Phillies are going to need though the rest of the season. The bullpen is the one weak spot on this team, and if they can get past that, then they are going to be a team that no one wants to play come October. Last night was a great showing of what can be done out of the pen, but it was just one game. Lidge is looking much better, but this needs to be done night in and night out. That's the only way this team is going to make another run.
Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino can catch a lot of flak for not being the table setters at the top of the lineup, but last night, they did everything that they're supposed to do and more. Rollins only reached base once, but he did so with two outs, and then stole second and third base before coming home on Victorino's RBI double. Two innings later, it was Victorino that singled and stole second. Placido Polanco drove him home with a single that put the Phillies on top for good. It doesn't happen every night, but when the top two men in the lineup can get on base and steal bases like that, it makes the Phillies an even more dangerous team on offense. The power is going to come back when Ryan Howard and Chase Utley return, but they need that speed at the top of the lineup. Sure, Rollins isn't going to ever post a .400 on base percentage, but when he does get on, he needs to do what he did against the Mets. He had Mike Pelfrey locked down with his motion last night, and was even telling the rest of the team how to get a good jump off of him and catcher Josh Thole. That is what a leader should do, and that's what this team has been doing ever since the two biggest bats left the lineup. The Phils have played as a team since then, and they've looked very good doing it.
The Phillies have the day off today, but start up their biggest series of the season on Tuesday as they take on the San Francisco Giants. Quite simply, this could make or break the season for the Phils in their next three games. Roy Oswalt (7-13, 3.34 ERA) gets the start on Tuesday against Barry Zito (8-6, 3.44 ERA).
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