Game Recap:
Ryan Howard left the game in the first inning with an ankle injury, but the Phils rallied to avoid being swept by Washington with two runs in the 11th inning.
What went right?
Placido Polanco went 3-6 with two runs scored and two RBI.
Jayson Werth went 2-5 with an RBI and a run scored.
Ben Francisco went 2-6 with two RBI.
Domonic Brown was 1-5 with a stolen base and an RBI.
Wilson freaking Valdez was 2-5 and scored a run.
Cole Hamels had another solid start, giving up four runs on six hits in seven innings of work. He didn't walk a batter and struck out ten.
Brad Lidge came back from his blown save on Saturday night to record the first 1-2-3 save for the Phillies in almost two months.
What went wrong?
Carlos Ruiz was 0-5.
The Phillies left 11 men on base.
Did I mention Ryan Howard got hurt?
Game Analysis:
First, the good news. The Phillies avoided being swept at the hands of the Washington Nationals, and in doing so, managed to get to within two and a half games of first place in the National League East. They did so thanks to some solid pitching from Cole Hamels, and the bat of Placido Polanco, who drove in the game winning run in the 11th inning.
There's not much else to say about the way Hamels has pitched this year. It's been amazing actually watching him go out there and perform game after game after game. Once again, he didn't factor into the decision, but a ten strikeout, seven inning performance is more than good enough for me. Hamels did struggle a little bit in the fourth and sixth innings, but fortunately, he was able to keep Washington from getting a bigger lead and breaking the game wide open. It doesn't seem like it's a matter of if Hamels can keep up his pace through the rest of the year now, but just if he can repeat it for more than one season.
Then, there's the bad news. In the first inning today, Ryan Howard sprained his ankle getting back to second base and had to leave the game. Considering how many injuries the Phillies have already been through this season, this was the last thing that they needed. Howard had been the most consistent offensive player that's been healthy all season long, and now there's a chance he could miss some big games. Luckily, the x-rays that were taken came back negative, but there's still that lingering feeling that even Ryan Howard can't escape a trip to the disabled list this season. Ankle injuries take some time to heal, so it looks like Howard might have to miss a bit of time, and right now, that's the last thing this team needs.
Seriously, I'm not one to point out injuries as a reason a team isn't performing up to where they should be, but look at who the Phillies have had on the disabled list this season. Every single member of their starting infield, including Carlos Ruiz, has gotten hurt, with Howard being the only lucky one until today. Shane Victorino is on the disabled list now, and I'm not even going to mention the injuries that hit the pitching staff at the start of the season. When you throw all of that together, including several of the injuries happening around the same time, it's not good for anyone. The Phillies will likely have to use Cody Ransom or Ross Gload at first base until Howard can play again, and that leaves a huge hole in the middle of this lineup. Sure, Raul Ibanez and Jayson Werth seem to be hitting the ball a little bit better now, but they're both not Ryan Howard. Howard was the piece in the middle that made opposing pitchers think about how to approach the three hole hitter. He was that x-factor that the Phillies had going for them, and take into account how well he's been playing this season, and it's an even bigger loss than people think. Hopefully, it's nothing too serious, but you never know with ankle injuries.
At least the Phillies are off tomorrow. They need it.
On Tuesday, the Phillies return to Miami to take on the Florida Marlins. Roy Halladay (12-8, 2.21 ERA) will go for the Phils, and Sean West will be making his season debut for Florida.
No comments:
Post a Comment