There's a been a lot of talk over the years of the Phils losing early season games that they shouldn't, but for each of those instances there always seems to be a game the Phils win that they shouldn't have. This afternoon one such affair. Cole Hamels got the start and was his usual uneven self. He struck out 10 over 6 innings but also wound up allowing 4 runs on 10 hits after failing to get out of a bases loaded jam in the 6th. With Tim Lincecum, the reigning CY Young award winner, on the mound for the Giants you would think this was going to be bad day for the Phils but it wasn't. Lincecum went and 8 and 1/3rd allowing just 1 run on 3 hits, 2 of them by Ryan Howard including a solo homer. Then Giant's skipper Bruce Bochy made the bone headed decision to remove Lincecum from the game in favor of Bryan Wilson who had been the best closer in the NL this season up until now.
He wasn't so great today. He loaded the bases with 2 out for Jayson Werth, who after a great at bat, blooped a bases clearing double to right field just in inside foul line to tie things up at 4. From there in the top of the 10th, Brian Schneider was hit by a pitch, sacrificed to 2nd, moved to 3rd on a Shane Victorino single and then scored a wild pitch to put the Phils up 5-4. Ryan Madson couldn't hold the lead in the bottom of the inning though and the game went to an 11th inning tied at 5. There Eugenio Velez gave away the Giant's hopes of a sweep. First Wilson Valdez launched an RBI double just over Velez's head for a 6-5 lead. Then Velez dropped a routine pop up allowing Valdez to score and push the lead to 7-5. Finally in the bottom of 11th Nelson Figueroa of all people got closed things out for his first career save, but only Nate Schuerholz slapped an RBI double and Schneider made a spectacular play at the plate doing a 360 almost after a slightly wide Howard throw to spin around and tag out Juan Uribe, who tried to score on a ground ball, and preserve the 7-6 win.
Chase Utley collected his 1000th career hit in the game. As Harry would say, Chase you are the man. The Giants had 17 hits in the game but only 6 runs which again shows how bad they are at knocking in runs. It was great to see Howard collect two hits off Lincecum. Maybe he is more than just a slugger after all. I wonder which is the real Cole Hamels. The one who struck out 10 or the one who allowed 4 runs on 10 hits. I still believe it is the latter but only time will tell. With the win the Phils did indeed finish 4-5 on the road trip, not bad considering how awful they played at times. They are now 12-9 overall and remain 2nd in the NL East. They can move back in to first if they can take of the NY Mets this weekend.
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2 comments:
I thought the Phils were going to get swept here but from some magic of the Phils big guns they pulled out, like you said, one that they probably should have lost, but with the way that road trip went I'll take whatever.
-to ph1llysports
yeah it is good to know there is still some magic left
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