Game Recap:
Roy Oswalt walked six in six and a third innings, but he only allowed one hit, and the Phillies took their second straight game against the Dodgers to keep pace in the Wild Card race.
What went right?
Jimmy Rollins had a good day. He started the game with a home run, and was 2-4 with three runs scored, a walk, a stolen base and two RBI.
Chase Utley went 3-5 with two RBI.
Shane Victorino was 2-4 with a run scored and an RBI.
Domonic Brown gt a chance to hit and had a ground rule double. He also scored a run.
Roy Oswalt picked up his fourth win as a Phillie, going six and a third innings while allowing just a single hit. He walked six and struck out six.
The bullpen did their jobs, giving up just two hits and a walk in their time in the game.
What went wrong?
Jayson Werth went 0-3 with a walk.
Carlos Ruiz was also 0-3 with a walk.
Game Analysis:
Roy Oswalt has officially made himself a member of the Philadelphia Phillies. After getting off to a rough start, Oswalt has allowed one run in his last three games and has picked up wins in two of those three starts, making him one of the best pitchers for the Phillies already. Today was more of the same, as Oswalt overcame six walks to allow just a single hit and pitch the Phils to a 5-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Jimmy Rollins got the offense off to a great start today, hitting a leadoff home run to start off the game. It's not the first time Jimmy's gotten the Dodgers with a home run to start the game, and it probably won't be the last time, but it was great today. Clayton Kershaw has had a solid season, so a good start was going to make all the difference for the Phils in this game. Had the offense struggled, they may not have been able to score any runs when they had to. Instead, Rollins led off the game with a homer, and Shane Victorino followed in the second inning. Chase Utley and Rollins would drive in runs in the later innings to finish the damage, but the tone was set in the first few innings.
This is what the offense needs to do for the rest of the month. If the Phillies are going to make the playoffs, then the offense is going to have to play like this. Jimmy Rollins is going to have to get on base or hit home runs, and Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Placido Polanco, Jayson Werth and Shane Victorino are going to have to drive in runs or get on base themselves. It's what this team has done well down the stretch for the last few seasons, and it shouldn't change this year. The core players are still the same. The only thing that has changed is who they are playing, and right now, it doesn't look like that matters, either.
Coming off of a four game sweep at the hands of the Astros, the offense needed a boost, and they've gotten it in the last few games. Sure, the series against the Padres wasn't that exciting, but the Phillies got the sweep, and then they took two out of three against the Dodgers. That's exactly what this team needed to get back on track after that Houston series. They weren't playing well at all then, and now they look like a team that's trying to make the playoffs. It's not certain yet, but at least they look good at the moment.
Roy Oswalt continues to amaze as a member of the Phils. Even though he walked six today, thanks to a strike zone that kept changing, he held the Dodgers without a run and allowed just a single hit while he was in the game. He picked up his fourth win for the Phillies, and he's looked better and better as the year's gone on. It's just something else to look forward to, what with Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels already pitching well. The starting pitching for the Phils has been great lately, and Oswalt is a big reason why. If he can keep up pitching like he is right now, not only is he going to end up with a winning record, but he's going to have an ERA under 3.00, which is extremely impressive for someone that pitched for the Astros for over half the season.
The Phillies are in good shape right now. Their pitching is holding them down, and their offense is starting to find that late season groove. If everything can come together, then they'll make the playoffs again without a problem. If something starts to come apart, then it might be an issue, but you have to have faith. It feels like this team can do it again. It might be through the Wild Card, but that's another story for another day.
Tomorrow, the Phils make a quick stop in Denver to make up a game with the Rockies. Joe Blanton (6-6, 5.15 ERA) will go for the Phillies. Jhoulys Chacin (7-9, 3.79 ERA) will pitch for Colorado.
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