Phillies Recap: October 1, 2009

Houston Astros 5, Philadelphia Phillies 3

W - Paulino (3-11), L - Lee (14-13)

The Phillies, as expected, came out flat against the Houston Astros. After a night of celebrating their NL East crown, the Phillies did not muster much on offense against Felipe Paulino, while fielding a partial lineup. Cliff Lee was roughed up a bit early and late in his start, and ultimately took the loss. The Phillies rallied late but fell short by a final score of 5-3.

Cliff Lee had a tough time in the first inning, allowing two quick runs. He went on to settle down nicely, but came apart again in the sixth, allowing two runs again, before being lifted. On the night, he went 5.2 innings and allowed three earned runs. Lee did strike out five but allowed six hits and three walks. The Phillies bullpen got a good deal of work and allowed one run late.

The Astros must have enjoyed what they saw from Felipe Paulino. For five innings, he took care of business against a resting Phillies lineup. Paulino went five strong innings, allowing six hits and a run while fanning five Phillies. The Astros bullpen came in for three strong innings before they made the game interesting. For the Phillies, Ben Francisco had three hits but they did little else on offense.

This was an expected loss, though they had chances to win the game. The Phillies will continue to rest key players and line up their rotation for the playoffs. Though the best record in the National League is at stake, the Phillies will likely focus more on their team needs rather that playoff seedings. The are a game behind the chase for the top record, though.