Game Recap:
Jeremy Hellickson pitched six innings of one run baseball, and Brock Stassi's RBI triple in the sixth inning turned out to be the difference today in a 3-2 Phillies win. That makes six straight wins for the Phillies, who also moved into sole possession of second place in the National League East.
What went right?
Jeremy Hellickson finished his great April with his fourth win of the season. He allowed just one run on seven hits in six innings of work. He struck out one and didn't walk a batter.
The back end of the bullpen was outstanding today. Joaquin Benoit pitched a perfect eighth inning, striking out two, while Hector Neris needed just seven pitches to set the Marlins down in order in the ninth to earn his third save of the season.
Freddy Galvis went 2-4 at the plate with a run scored.
Maikel Franco went 2-3 with a walk today, bumping his average up to .221.
Michael Saunders had a 1-4 day at the plate, but it was his outstanding slide on Brock Stassi's triple in the sixth inning that ended up being the game winning run.
The aforementioned Brock Stassi only had one hit on the day, but it was a big one, as his first career triple drove in the game winning run.
What went wrong?
Edubray Ramos only faced one batter in the top of the seventh, and got hit by a line drive that put a man on first base. Though Ramos looked like he could still pitch, he was lifted for Joely Rodriguez, who allowed the runner to come around and score.
The Phillies managed only six hits and three runs off of Miami starter Edinson Volquez, who did not have anything close to his best stuff today. Volquez also walked four batters, and though the Phillies only left six men on base, they hit into two double plays today as well.
Game Analysis:
It was just another day at the office for Jeremy Hellickson, as the Phillies number one pitcher shut down the Marlins today. Hellickson allowed just a single run on seven hits in six innings of work, and that was enough for him to earn his fourth win of the season. So far this year, Hellickson has been nothing short of excellent on the mound. His control has been outstanding, and while he doesn't strike many batters out, he's also been able to leave the ball down in the zone, which results in many more ground ball outs. Considering Citizen's Bank Park isn't the most pitcher friendly ballpark around, it's very nice to see a pitcher that can take control of the lower half of the strike zone like Hellickson has so far this year. It was a very nice first month of the season for the right-hander. Now, the trick is seeing if he can keep up this pace through May and the rest of the season.
The bullpen once again performed well with a lead, though there was a little trouble in the top of the seventh. Edubray Ramos started the inning, and was hit with a line drive off of the bat of Adeiny Hechavarria. Luckily, Ramos looked like he could continue the game, but the pitching matchup dictated that Joely Rodriguez enter the game. Rodriguez did himself no favors by hitting the first batter he faced, putting runners on first and second with nobody out. After almost getting Dee Gordon to ground into a double play, Rodriguez was replaced by Pat Neshek. After getting a fly ball out, Neshek allowed an RBI single by Christian Yelich, bringing Giancarlo Stanton to the plate. The power hitting star of the Marlins was unable to get the job done, as Neshek struck him out. Joaquin Benoit proved again why he's best in the setup position, as he worked a perfect eighth inning, and today, Hector Neris kept the drama to a bare minimum, as he needed only seven pitches to end the ninth inning and give the Phillies their sixth straight win.
For as poorly as the bullpen pitched for the start of the season, it has been that much better during this winning streak. Joely Rodriguez has put his early season struggles behind him and has looked more and more like a capable seventh inning pitcher, while there isn't enough praise to throw at Joaquin Benoit for the way he's settled into the eighth inning role. While Benoit might not have been right as the team's closer, he's darn near perfect as the setup man. Over the last week, the Phillies as a team have an ERA of 3.33, which is good for second in the National League. When you just look at that number, you can start to see why they've been able to put together this streak that they're on right now.
Aside from a few hitters today, the Phillies didn't have much success at the plate, and they really should have. Edinson Volquez did not have his best stuff, but the Phillies could only manage three runs, six hits and four walks off of the Miami starter. Maikel Franco took advantage, going 2-3 with a walk on the day, and Freddy Galvis added two hits of his own, but aside from that, most players in the lineup only managed a single hit, or were unable to reach base at all. Luckily, those single hits did the most damage, as in the bottom of the sixth inning, Michael Saunders reached based on a sharply hit ball that Dee Gordon was unable to make a play on. The very next batter was Brock Stassi, and the rookie lined a hanging changeup down the right field line for his first career triple. While the relay throw looked as if it had Saunders beat to the plate, he was able to swim around the catcher's tag, and the run scored. At the time, it gave the Phillies a 3-1 lead, but after Miami scored in the top of the seventh, that run became even more important.
Today wasn't the best day at the plate for the Phillies, but it can be argued that, with a lot of regulars resting today, a great offensive effort might not have been expected. Even with that being said, with the way Volquez pitched today, I would have liked to have seen a little more offense from the Phillies today. A win is still a win, however, and six wins in a row is even better, so it's not hard to take a 3-2 victory today.
The Phillies head out west tonight before starting a three game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers tomorrow night. Zach Eflin (0-0, 2.25 ERA) gets the start for the Phillies, while the Dodgers counter with Kenta Maeda (1-2, 8.05 ERA).
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