Perfection, that's what the Phils were nearly witness to twice this season. Back in May the Phils were the recipient of a perfect game as Roy Halladay overwhelmed the Florida Marlins. Tonight Travis Wood, a rookie mind you, nearly made the Phils a victim of a perfect game, retiring the first 24 Phils to step to the plate. He just kept changing speeds and locations so well and threw all 4 of his pitches for strikes and when a guy you've never seen before pitches like that it's hard to do anything against him. Unfortunately for Wood, the Reds were equally inept against Halladay or rather Halladay was equally as effective as Wood. No he wasn't perfect, allowing 5 hits, but he was in total control all night, Blanking Cincinnati for 9 brilliant innings while striking out 9.
That left Wood perhaps needing to go 10 innings to finish off his perfecto and he couldn't handle thought of that, as Carlos Ruiz ripped a double to leadoff the home half of the 9th and break up the perfect game. Unfortunately Wilson Valdez failed to execute a bunt, instead popping out, and so when Raul Ibanez followed with a long flyout Ruiz only moved to 3rd and instead of scoring and then was ultimately stranded to send the Phils and Reds into extra innings for the 3rd night in a row. If Valdez had executed the bunt and Ruiz had scored then the Phils would actually won while collecting just 1 hit, instead they had to wait a little longer. After Brad Lidge suvived a bases loaded jam in the 10th, the Phils threatened again in the bottom of the inning but again stranded a runner.
Next Jose Contreras retired the Reds in order in the 11th, setting the stage for another 11th inning finish. First Carlos ripped another double, this time with 1 out. Then Ben Francisco was walked intentionally, Ross Gload was retired on a weak fly out, and finally Jimmy Rollins, who popped to end the 9th, got another chance to end the game. A couple pitches later JRoll pulled a single just inside the line in right to score Ruiz with winning run and complete perhaps the most improbable 1-0 win in franchise history. I mean how often do you win when a guy takes a perfect game into the 9th against you? All credit goes to Halladay for this one, the Phils 3rd straight walk off win in extra innings. Not surprisingly it's first time in franchise history they have ever put together such a streak and it couldn't have come at a better time.
1 comment:
It sucks for Wood considering he was so close to pitching a perfect game but its great for the Phils considering they still won the game in another extra innings game. If they can complete this sweep it would be a heck of a way to go into the All-Star break.
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