PHILLIES NEWS

Even if you know absolutely nothing about baseball you would have been enertained by tonight's game. Even before the game started, the specter of a pitching match up between Randy Johnson and Brett Myers provided the intrigue of a potentially tight and exciting game. From start to finish, the two teams (the Phillies and the Yankees) did not disappoint. For about the 8th game in a row the Phillies fell behind early, as Jason Giambi homered in the 4th inning to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead, but like last night the Phillies pitching kept them in the game. In 6 and 2/3rd innings of work, that one homer by Giambi was all Phillies starter Brett Myers allowed the Yankees to get across the plate, as he struck out a season high 11. However, while Myers was shutting down the Yankees, Randy Johnson was doing the same to the Phillies, until the 5th inning as with two on and one out Pat Burrell doubled down the line plating 2 runs to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead. They went on to tack on runs in the 6th inning on an RBI double by Aaron Rowand and in the 8th inning on a wild pitch by Kyle Farnsworth to take a 4-2 lead. Arthur Rhodes and Tom Gordon then combined to retire the Yankees in order in the 8th and 9th innings to preserve the lead and finish off an impressive 4-2 win for the Phils. The Yankees had several opportunities to score runs and could have easily won this game, but the much maligned Phillies defense came through time and time again to preserve the lead. First in the top of the 6th inning with two out and a man on second, Abraham Nunez robbed pitcher Randy Johnson of a base hit with a diving stop, turn , and throw and then in the 8th inning with the bases loaded and two outs and the Phillies holding a 3-1 lead Jimmy Rollins made a diving stop of a line drive by Jorge Posada, turning a sure two run single into a one run infield single, and keeping the Phillies ahead 3-2. Yes you heard the right, the Phillies won tonight because of their defense, not because of their offense. Oddly enough the Phillies did not hit a homerun tonight, and yet they still won and the Yankees lost even though they did hit a homer. Here's hoping that the Phillies have officially turned a corner in their season and are headed toward a long hot streak.