Game Recap:
After Roy Oswalt pitched seven strong innings, the Phillies jumped on the Giants for five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, blowing open a tight game and giving them a one game lead in the Wild Card race.
What went right?
Jimmy Rollins was 2-5 with three RBI and a run scored.
Placido Polanco went 4-5 and scored a run.
Jayson Werth was 1-4 with a run scored.
Shane Victorino was 2-4, drove in two, scored a run and had a stolen base.
Mike Sweeney went 1-3 with a walk and two runs scored.
Raul Ibanez was 2-3 with a run scored.
Carlos Ruiz went 1-3 with two runs batted in and two runs scored.
Roy Oswalt worked seven innings for his second win as a Phillie. He allowed three runs on six hits while striking out seven and walking none.
What went wrong?
I could call out Chase Utley for not getting a hit, but he came back early from his injury, so I'm not going to.
Game Analysis:
This series against the Giants is the biggest one of the season so far for the Phillies. Each of these three games is going to have a playoff feel to it, and tonight's was no exception. Despite Roy Oswalt giving up two runs in the first inning, the Phillies were able to bounce back and chase Barry Zito from the game after five plus innings of work. After that, the floodgates opened in the eighth inning as the Phils put San Francisco away and gave themselves a one game lead in the Wild Card.
It didn't look like it was going to be a good start at first for Roy Oswalt. The newest Phillie pitcher allowed back to back hits to start the game, then gave up a run on a double play before Pat Burrell made his return to Philadelphia with a solo home run. After the three hit first inning though, Oswalt would only allow three more hits for the other six innings that he pitched. He had great command of his fastball tonight, and looked more like the pitcher the Phillies had traded for than the one that struggled in his first start with the team. With each start, Oswalt seems more and more comfortable, and he's been better each time out. Even with the headache in the first inning tonight, Oswalt buckled down and ended up with the win. It seemed like after the first time through the San Francisco lineup, the Giants couldn't figure out what he was going to throw, and that's the sign of a very, very good pitcher on the mound.
On the other hand, Barry Zito had problems with the Phillies at the plate after their first time facing him tonight. Zito worked quickly through the first four innings, getting two double plays to get out of trouble, but in the fifth inning, he couldn't escape from Jimmy Rollins. Rollins nailed a two out single into center field that tied the game, and then Shane Victorino would finish the job in the sixth inning. Shane's two run double chased Zito from the game and gave the Phillies a lead that they would never give up.
After Ryan Madson worked out of a little trouble in the top of the eighth inning, the Phils came out in the bottom of the frame and worked the Giants over. The San Francisco bullpen allowed the first four Phillies that came to the plate in the inning to reach base, and all four would eventually come around and score. The Phillies also took advantage of San Francisco mistakes in the inning, with a run scoring on a balk and another run coming home on an error at second base. It wasn't pretty for the Giants, but the Phillies have been in situations like these before, and they know how to take advantage of them. San Francisco has a lot of new players on the team, and while some of them do have playoff experience, many do not. In this game tonight, it seemed like a perfect example of youth against experience. The Phillies know how to react when the opposing team makes a mistake. They know that allowing a few runs in the first inning of a game isn't the end of the world, because they still have the rest of the game to score, and their offense isn't going to go down without a fight. It's why they've won three straight National League East pennants and back to back National League championships. The Giants are a talented team, no doubt about it, but several of their key players haven't been in situations like this one.
With that being said, anything can still happen in this series. For tonight at least, things look good. The Phils took first blood from the Giants, and Roy Oswalt was on top of his game. It's the first game, but there's still two more left in the series.
Tomorrow night, Joe Blanton (4-6, 5.69 ERA) pitches for the Phillies. Matt Cain (9-9, 3.11 ERA) will go for the Giants.
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