Phillies Recap: September 10, 2009

Washington Nationals 8, Philadelphia Phillies 7

W - Hernandez (8-10), L - Blanton (9-7), S - Villone (1)

In what was a very peculiar game, the Phillies showed a great deal of heart. However, Joe Blanton was hit very hard by the Nationals early on and the Phillies' offense could not dig all the way out of the hole they had. Livan Hernandez did a very serviceable job for the Nats and they prevailed to avoid a sweep by a final score of 8-7.

Joe Blanton actually looked very sharp early on. He had a few pitches working and managed to retire the Nationals quickly in the first few innings. However, trouble found Blanton in the third, fourth, and fifth innings. The finishing blow was dealt by rookie Ian Desmond, who hit his first major league home run, a three-run shot. Blanton went 4.1 innings, allowing eight earned runs on seven hits and four walks. The Phillies bullpen came in and did a good job keep the Nationals off the board after that point, but by then, the game was too far gone.

The Nationals got the start they wanted from Livan Hernandez. Hernandez pitched into the eighth inning, and despite allowing an early pair of runs, settled down to pick up a win for the Nats. On the night, Hernandez went 7.1 innings, giving up just two earned runs on six hits. He walked one and struck out two. The Phillies offense came alive in the ninth inning, rallying for five runs, behind Matt Stairs' first hit in 31 at-bats, with a grand slam. However, they came up just short, as the lead was just out of reach.

This loss was a difficult one, though the Phillies did finally show some signs of life. Losing to the Nationals is not how the Phillies wanted to end a road trip in which they went 2-5. They also lost a game in the standings to the Marlins and their lead now stands at five games. The Phillies' magic number remains at 19. The good that can be taken out of this game is the offensive resurgence. Granted most of it came on the Stairs slam, the Phillies showed some of their trademark heart that has seemed to be missing for several months. They will now return home to take on the Mets and look to turn things around.