PHILLIES NEWS

The Phils just keep rolling on all cylinders even with Chase Utley on the bench. After tossing a complete game shutout in his last start, J.D Durbin was roughed up a little tonight, but he was good enough. He kept the Phils in it early, allowing 5 runs on 7 hits, while striking out 4, in 5 innings of work. After the top of the 5th, the Phils only trailed 5-2, but it still appeared Durbin probably wouldn't get the win. 8 Phils runs in the bottom of the 5th later, and the win was his. The 8 run inning is the Phils best of the season and it was truly an inning for the history books. Shane Victorino leadoff the inning with a double. Jimmy Rollins followed that up with a perfect bunt single which just seemed to hang inside the line forever as the Pirates attempted to let it go foul. Ryan Howard then walked to load the bases and Pat Burrell made it back to back walks to force in a run. Wes Helms then reached base on an error which allowed another run to score. New second baseman, Tadahito Iguchi then hit a sac fly to score a 3rd run. Next Chris Coste crushed a 3 run homer to put the Phils ahead 8-5 and seemingly stop the Phils momentum. However, after a Rod Barajas strikeout, Micheal Bourn singled up the middle, Shane Victorino walked, and Jimmy Rollins tripled to score both. Ryan Howard then worked another walk, giving Pat Burrell a chance to push across yet even more runs but he struck out to finally end the inning. In all, the Phils had scored 8 runs on a walk, error, sac fly, homer, and triple. Pretty unique wouldn't you say? Anyway the 10 -5 lead the Phils now had would be all the Phils bullpen would need, as Jose Mesa, Tom Gordon(no he's still not quite ready to be the closer again), Ryan Madson, and Brett Myers(yes he's back, just not full-time yet) combined for 4 shutout innings to put Pittsburgh away by a final score of surprise! 10-5. So the Phils improve to 54-49, and remain in second place, but are now just 3.5 games behind the first place Mets who lost the 2nd game of their split doubleheader with the Nationals today. Life thus, remains beautiful.