PHILLIES NEWS

The Phils finished their series with the Dbacks this afternoon. Kyle Kendrick got the start and was shaky but effective for 4 innings, before getting roughed up for 5 runs on 5 hits in the 5th inning, including 2 homers. Needless to say that was it for him after the 5th, but it wasn't it for the Phils. Before that 5th inning the Phils were leading 3-0 thanks to a 2 run homer by Greg Dobbs in the 1st and Valdez scoring on a fielder's choice in the 5th. After Kendrick surrendered the lead in the 5th it didn't take the Phils long to get it back. In the top of the 6th, a sac fly by Jayson Werth and a 2 out single by Carlos Ruiz produced 3 runs to help the Phils surge back ahead 6-5. Danys Baez managed hold that lead through the bottom of the 6th, but he had a shaky day and ultimately surrendered a run in the 7th to knot things up at 6.

The Phils then had a golden opportunity in the 8th with runners on the corners and only 1 out, but Ruiz popped up and Placido Polanco, in a rare pinch hit appearance, just missed a single as he lined out to end the inning. David Herndon wasn't so lucky in the bottom of the 8th. He appeared to have leadoff man Stephen Drew struck out but didn't get the call and Drew singled on the next pitch. Then with 1 out and a man on 2nd, he appeared to have Mark Reynolds, but again didn't get the call and Reynolds eventually went on slap an RBI double, which Ross Gload, who started in center in place of Shane Victorino, should have caught but somehow lost in the sun. Next after intentionally walking Adam Laroche, Herndon finally got a ground ball off the bat of Chris Young but it just found the hole in between short and 3rd for an RBI single. Finally after that he got the next batter to ground into a double play but it was too late. Thanks to a suddenly widened strike zone for Dback closer Chad Qualls in the 9th, the Phils could mount another rally and fell 8-6 to drop the series.