Phillies Recap: September 27, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 6, Milwaukee Brewers 5

W - Blanton (12-7), L - Bush (5-9), S - Madson (9)

The Phillies came out of the gate early and scored runs for Joe Blanton. However, Blanton was not very sharp and kept the Brewers in the ballgame. Though he pitched with a lead all day, the game never felt under control. Dave Bush was hit hard by the Phillies but they left 14 runners on base in the game, leading to a close conclusion. However, they hung on to win the game 6-5.

Joe Blanton did not have electric stuff. His pitch count escalated quickly and though he pitched from ahead, he was shaky. In the sixth inning, Blanton finally gave up the big hit as the Brewers put together a four-run inning on him. On the afternoon, Blanton went 5.2 innings, allowing five earned runs on seven hits and four walks. The bullpen kept the Phillies ahead with the slimest of margins, and Ryan Madson came in to record a four-out save.

For the Brewers, the damage could have been a lot worse. Dave Bush was very erratic and had trouble locating his breaking pitches. However, the Phillies were not very patient with him and he did settle down, after allowing four early runs. Bush went 4.1 innings, allowing five earned runs on nine hits and a walk. Once again, the Brewer bullpen held the Phillies offense in check and kept them off the score board for the final four frames. Jimmy Rollins got the scoring started for the Phillies with a lead off homer.

This was an important win for the Phillies. They finish the Brewers series and road trip at an even .500 and lower their magic number to three. More importantly, it builds some confidence in their much-maligned bullpen. The save for Madson is especially important, if he is to continue in that role into the playoffs. The win marks the Phillies' 90th of the season and 48th of the season on the road.

Phillies Recap: September 13, 2009 - Game 2

Philadelphia Phillies 1, New York Mets 0

W - Martinez (5-0), L - Redding (2-6), S - Madson (8)

Pedro Martinez was just about as electric as the atmosphere at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday night. It felt like a playoff game, with a tight match up and tense moments all night long. The Phillies scored an early run off of Tim Redding in support of Pedro and that's all he needed, as he carried them to a 1-0 victory over the Mets to sweep the day-night double header.

Tonight's pitching performance by Pedro Martinez was one of the more remarkable efforts of the season. Martinez was simply brilliant as he kept the Mets off the board and threw a season-high 130 pitches. On the night, Martinez went eight great innings, giving up six hits and a pair of walks. He struck out seven and finished his night with the help of some poor base running by the Mets and trademark solid defense from the Phillies. Ryan Madson came in for the save and had a relatively easy inning to complete his eighth save of the season.

Tim Redding pitched very well for the Mets and despite the first inning run he gave up, he basically shut down the Phillies offense. Phillies hitters were not patient against him and after their first inning rally, didn't muster a serious threat. On the night, Redding went six terrific innings, giving up an earned run and three hits. He walked two, hit a batter, and struck out three. The Phillies as a team didn't have a hit after the second inning, but fortunately, they didn't need one.

This was one of the biggest wins of the season for the Phillies. They win another Pedro Martinez start by a final of 1-0 and take three of four from the visiting Mets. Coupled with the Marlins' loss, the Phillies two wins drops their magic number to 14 and they also eliminated the Mets from winning the NL East for the third straight season. Now at 22 games over .500, the Phillies will set their eyes on finishing strong and earning home field advantage in the post season.

Phillies Recap: September 12, 2009

New York Mets 10, Philadelphia Phillies 9
W - Feliciano (6-4), L - Madson (5-5), S - Rodriguez (31)

Jamie Moyer came out flat against the Mets and put the Phillies in a quick hole. However, he battled back to hold down the scoring and enabled the Phillies' offense to spring alive and get back in the game off of Mike Pelfrey. However, after taking a commanding lead late into the game, the Mets clawed back against the Phils' bullpen and stunned the Phillies by a final score of 10-9.

For the Phillies, Jamie Moyer gave up four runs before he even retired a batter. It was a horrendous start for Moyer, but he gutted out a decent performance and shut the Mets' offense down after their initial outburst. Moyer went seven innings, allowing five earned runs on seven hits and he did not walk or strike out a batter. However, trouble found the Phillies as their closer situation got more hairy. Ryan Madson came on with a one run lead and gave up the go-ahead homer to David Wright after getting two quick outs in the inning. It was Madson's sixth blown save of the season and ultimately earned him his fifth loss.

Mike Pelfrey started strong against the Phillies, but after a few innings, their big hitters got to him. Pedro Feliz hit a ringing two-run homer, before Chase Utley swatted a solo shot and Raul Ibanez hit a two-run homer. Pelfrey went six innings on the day, surrendering eight earned runs and 10 hits. He walked one and struck out three, and looked shaky for most of the afternoon. However, the Mets' bullpen came in and did a very good job keeping the Phillies from expanding their lead further.

This was a tough loss for the Phillies, who looked like they were going to run away with the game, after getting off to a slow start. However, the bigger concern here is their bullpen, which has been erratic and inconsistent, especially in the second half of the season. With yet another blown save, the team must decide how to handle close, late-inning situations. The Phillies can still bounce back and sweep tomorrow's double-header to win the series from the Mets.

Phillies Recap: August 26, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 4, Pittsburgh Pirates 1

Chase Utley got the Phillies off to a good start with a solo home run in the first inning. And then, for a long time, nothing happened. This game was all about Cole Hamels and the Pirates' Paul Maholm, as the two traded goose eggs for most of the game. The Phillies had a late chance to tack on some runs and failed. It came back to bite them as they blew a save for the second straight day, but Ryan Howard rescued them with an extra-inning bomb. In the end, the Phillies pulled out a big win and defeated the Pirates by a final score of 4-1.

Cole Hamels looked good, but not great. He showed better composure and despite allowing a few too many base runners, he picked off a pair and worked out of trouble with a fast ball that was touching 96 at times. As the night went on, Hamels became more efficient which allowed him to go deeper into the ball game. On the night, Hamels went eight shut-out innings giving up seven hits, two walks, and he hit a batter. Hamels had his put-away pitches working tonight and struck out seven. Ryan Madson (6-4) came in for the ninth inning and surrendered a home run to Brandon Moss to blow his fifth save of the season, but hung on for the win.

Coming into the game, Pirates lefty had not allowed a homer to a left-handed batter this season. Though Chase Utley changed that stat, Maholm did a good job shutting down the Phillies lineup. After taking the lead, the Phils rarely threatened him and struggled to reach base. Maholm ended up going seven innings, allowing five hits and the one earned run. He struck out four Phillies and walked two. After Maholm was out of the game, the Phillies hitters did not have much success against a right-handed heavy Pirates bullpen and were held scoreless for two innings. But in the 10th inning, Ryan Howard obliterated a three-run homer to right field off of lefty Phil Dumatrait (0-1).

Tonight was all about Cole Hamels getting back on track. He wasn't lights out, but he pitched well enough to keep the Pirates off the board for eight innings. It was a great relief for both Hamels and the Phillies to see their top-end starter finally have a quality start. The Phillies offense didn't really show up but fortunately in extra innings, Ryan Howard did. The Phillies will go for the series win tomorrow night against the Pirates.

Phillies Recap: August 14, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 3, Atlanta Braves 2

Both Joe Blanton and Jair Jurrjens pitched well early in the game, as the teams traded two runs. The Phillies and the Braves played that way until the ninth inning, when the Phillies took the lead and won the game 3-2. It was a well-played, nail-biting game, right until the final out was recorded. But the most important part is that the Phillies have opened the series strong and defeated their division foe.

Joe Blanton gave up an early earned run and then scattered several hits early through the game. He seemed to be somewhat wild in the strike zone but only walked one. A Pedro Feliz error led to the game tying, unearned run in the bottom of the fourth. However, the defense picked him up as Shane Victorino made a pair of highlight-reel catches at the centerfield fence to save certain trouble. Blanton ended up going seven innings, allowing seven hits and just one earned run, while striking out a pair. Ryan Madson (4-4) pitched an easy eighth inning and Brad Lidge bounced back from a blown save to record his 22nd of the season.

The Phillies finally found a way to score on Jair Jurrjens, as Chase Utley ripped a two-run homer in the fourth inning. The Phillies offense showed its trademark patience in that inning, dealing a more important blow to Jurrjens's pitch count. However, the young righty was still sharp, with good command of all of his pitches. Jurrjens turned the game over to the bullpen after seven sharp innings, but in the top of the ninth, Ryan Howard crushed a centerfield homer off of Rafael Soriano (1-4), who took the loss.

The Phillies have now won four in a row on the road, already securing a winning record on the trip. The win was text book, as the Phillies got a strong performance by Blanton and two shut-down innings from the back end of their pen. It's a good start to the weekend, as they open up a six game advantage over the Braves and maintain their 4.5 game lead over the Marlins, who won again as well. Tomorrow, the Phillies will look to carry on their momentum on the road.

Phillies Recap: August 11, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 4, Chicago Cubs 3

Rich Harden had his best stuff tonight and at times looked nearly unhittable. He took advantage of a more generous strike zone than J.A. Happ had and worked through the Phillies order with ease in the early going. Meanwhile Happ struggled with his command as he danced through raindrops before surrendering two runs in the third. However, one word can be used to describe the Phillies' effort tonight: gritty. The Phils fought tough, were patient, and found a way to beat the Cubs, 4-3 on three hits.

Happ was not his normal, confident self tonight as he seemed rattled at times on the bump. Perhaps it was playing at historic Wrigley Field or perhaps it was pitching so close to his hometown. Either way he allowed an uncharacteristically high number of base runners, but survived six innings. The Cubs lacked the one big hit to put the game out of reach, but Brad Lidge blew his seventh save of the season in the ninth after the Phillies took the lead. A strong performance by Scott Eyre (2-1) earned the win and Chad Durbin picked up the save.

No one disputes that Rich Harden is one of the best pitchers in the game today. He had everything working to his advantage as he was perfect through the first 16 batters. Backed by a few circus-type catches by Milton Bradley in right field, Harden did not surrender a base hit until Jimmy Rollins crushed a two-out, two-run homer to tie the game in the sixth. The Phillies would add a run later on a bases loaded walk to Ryan Howard against Carlos Marmol. In the top of the 11th inning, Ben Francisco came through with a wall-scraping homer for the winning margin.

This was an important game for the Phillies. They came out after the sweep at home and looked lost. Rich Harden was dealing and it looked like the Phils would have their offense shut down again. But great teams find ways to win, even with three hits, and the Phillies did just that. They fought back after a blown save by Lidge to win the ballgame. On the eve of Pedro Martinez's inaugural start with Philadelphia, they improved to 62-48.

Phillies Recap: August 6, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 3, Colorado Rockies 1

Cliff Lee has been everything the Phillies have expected thus far. In his second start, and first in front of his new home crowd, Lee dazzled with seven strong innings as the Phillies defeated the Rockies 3-1. It was a close game all afternoon and the Phils got the timely hits they needed to secure back-to-back wins and a series victory against Colorado. Now they will prepare for the second place Marlins to come to town, fresh off of a sweep at the hands of the Nationals.

Lee (9-9) came out with some early jitters as he surrendered a run on several hits in the first inning. However, he settled down after that point, scattering four hits and a walk while striking out nine. He gave the bullpen another lift, completing seven innings after J.A. Happ's complete game last night. Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge pitched an inning each with relative ease, to seal the Phillies' 61st win of the season. They are now 61-45 overall, and have rebuilt a seven-game lead in the NL East.

Aaron Cook (10-4) was the hard-luck loser in the game, as he pitched well. Cook gave up three runs in five innings and kept his team in the game, before departing with an injury. Without the run support, he lost his fourth game of the season and the Rockies dropped their second game in a row. Jimmy Rollins was a star at the plate for the Phillies as he went 3-for-4 and scored two runs. Paul Bako provided the go-ahead run with a homer in the fifth, his first as a Phillie.

This was a big series win for the Phillies as they came out punchless in the first affair. The team got solid pitching efforts from Happ and Lee to climb back into a more comfortable position in the standings. Now, with the Marlins series looming, their objective is clear: win another series. However, for now, the Phillies can enjoy back-to-back wins for the first time since last week in Arizona.

Phillies Recap: August 2, 2009

San Francisco Giants 7, Philadelphia Phillies 3

Neither Cole Hamels nor Barry Zito was nearly as sharp as their teammates from last night's game. However, while Chip Caray practiced his over-reactive inflection points, both starters battled hard and kept their teams close early. The Phillies utlimately lost a tough get-away game to the Giants by a final score of 7-3.

Hamels (7-6) fell victim to some early misfortune, as the Giants dinked and dunked hits on him. In the bottom of the second, former Phillie Aaron Rowand opened the scoring with a run-scoring triple with no one out. Hamels bounced back though and limited the damage by stranding Rowand at third. After cruising through the next couple of innings, Hamels found two-out trouble when Zito blooped a broken bat single that led to a three-run outburst. Hamels ran into another jam in the sixth inning which ended his afternoon, as he was tagged for six runs over five plus innings. Chan Ho Park, who allowed two of Hamels' runners to score, Ryan Madson, and Scott Eyre threw an inning each in relief.

Barry Zito (7-10) started out much stronger, facing the minimum through three frames. In the fourth, Jimmy Rollins tied the game with his 11th homer of the season, a no-doubt-about-it shot to left. The Phils then scratched out another unearned run. They added another run in the fifth as Carlos Ruiz came through and proved my theory right. But, as the game progressed, impatient at-bats by the Phillies hitters led to five strikeouts in six innings by Zito. He was lifted for a pinch hitter in the sixth, and he was propelled to his seventh win of the season. The Phillies' only other major threat came in the eighth inning when they had two aboard for Utley and Howard, but lefty Jeremy Affeldt escaped unharmed.

The Phillies lose a series for the first time since they were swept by the Braves to start July and finish the road trip 3-4. It was not the start the Phillies or Hamels wanted, as they stumble home for an off day, before taking on the Rockies. The Phillies are now 59-44 on the season. They are currently 5.5 games ahead of the Marlins, who were still in play when the game ended.