Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.
The Phillies (16-8) avoided a sweep as they defeated the Diamondbacks (10-13) 8-4 Wednesday afternoon.
Cole Hamels (W, 3-1) threw 108 pitches over seven innings, allowing three runs on four hits, walked one, and struck out eight – an impressive line considering he went 126 pitches in his last outing.
It was just the fourth time the Phillies have scored more than three runs in the last 16 games Hamels has started for the club dating back to last season.
The Phightins had long ball fever as Shane Victorino and Ryan Howard each hit solo blasts. It was Howard’s first home run in 55 at-bats. Jimmy Rollins led the squad with three RBIs, two of which came on his first homer of the season.
But it wasn’t all about going yard, as Placido Polanco, Ben Francisco, John Mayberry, Jr. (who started in place of the ever-struggling Raul Ibanez), and even Hamels contributed to the Phillies’ 12 hits. Polanco would go 4-for-5, scoring three runs, and leads the team with his .389 batting average.
Is it too early to wonder if the bats are back?
Although the Phillies got the “W,” it didn’t exactly go off without a hitch -- Carlos Ruiz left the game in the first inning due to tightness in his lower back. Jim Saliisbury with Comcast SportsNet tweeted that Ruiz will see a doctor tomorrow. "Asked if he's worried he said 'yeah.'"
As of this writing, the Phillies have not released any additional information on the Ruiz’s condition, but back pain in any catcher can become a lingering problem. It can hamper the ability to squat or kneel comfortably, as well as make routine mobility quite difficult, such as throwing out a base-stealer or reacting to foul balls and wild pitches.
What does this mean for the Phillies immediate future behind the plate should Chooch need to spend any time on the disabled list? Brian Schneider would presumably take over initially. I would be inclined to believe Erik Kratz would be called up from Lehigh Valley to back up Schneider. If necessary, Dane Sardinha and Tuffy Goeswhich would be the next catchers in line to fill in. Sardinha spent some time with the clue last season while Chooch recovered from a concussion.
The Phightins will be taking Thursday off as head back to Philly to begin a nine-game homestand, starting with Joe Blanton vs. the Mets on Friday.
Pin It Now!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
My Favorite Phillie: Carlos Ruiz
Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.
As part of a weeklong series, the bloggers of Philthy Stuff will be explaining their favorite guys in red pinstripes.
Sometime late last season, I was trying to come up with an appropriate way to describe what Carlos "Chooch" Ruiz brought to the Phightins. He was aggressive at the plate. Clutch. He could crush the other team with one swing of the bat. He was the Aggressosaurus of Clutchitude, if you will.
We all remember his walk-off double off Jonathan Broxton last August, and his huge bases loaded hit in Game 3 of the 2008 World Series but Chooch has played the role of the most underrated catcher in baseball since his rookie season in 2007.
In his first three full seasons with the Phillies, Ruiz was batting .245, and averaged 83 hits and 43 RBIs in 339 games. Among MLB catchers with a minimum 330 plate appearances, his batting average ranked 15th in 2007, 23rd in 2008, and 13th in 2009. In 2010, he boasted a career high and team leading .302 batting average and .400 on-base percentage.
He may not be immune to the Phillies’ offensive woes of late, but when it comes to Chooch, it usually what he’s doing behind the plate rather than at it that catches everyone’s attention -- especially Roy Halladay and the pitching staff.
It's been said more than once that Doc neglected to shake off Chooch during some of his biggest outtings, including his perfect game. When the team honored Halladay for perfection, Doc honored Chooch by presenting him with a watch engraved with the phrase “we did it together.”
Similarly, Chooch and Cliff Lee had the same type of chemistry after his momentous start against the Washington Nationals. For nine innings, two hours, and less than 100 pitches, Lee did not shake Chooch off while he mowed down the Nats, striking out 12.
Doc did a great job summing it up in his recent MLB 2K11 commerical: “Every perfect game needs a Carlos Ruiz.”
If you ask me, every Phillies game needs a Carlos Ruiz. Pin It Now!
As part of a weeklong series, the bloggers of Philthy Stuff will be explaining their favorite guys in red pinstripes.
Sometime late last season, I was trying to come up with an appropriate way to describe what Carlos "Chooch" Ruiz brought to the Phightins. He was aggressive at the plate. Clutch. He could crush the other team with one swing of the bat. He was the Aggressosaurus of Clutchitude, if you will.
We all remember his walk-off double off Jonathan Broxton last August, and his huge bases loaded hit in Game 3 of the 2008 World Series but Chooch has played the role of the most underrated catcher in baseball since his rookie season in 2007.
In his first three full seasons with the Phillies, Ruiz was batting .245, and averaged 83 hits and 43 RBIs in 339 games. Among MLB catchers with a minimum 330 plate appearances, his batting average ranked 15th in 2007, 23rd in 2008, and 13th in 2009. In 2010, he boasted a career high and team leading .302 batting average and .400 on-base percentage.
He may not be immune to the Phillies’ offensive woes of late, but when it comes to Chooch, it usually what he’s doing behind the plate rather than at it that catches everyone’s attention -- especially Roy Halladay and the pitching staff.
It's been said more than once that Doc neglected to shake off Chooch during some of his biggest outtings, including his perfect game. When the team honored Halladay for perfection, Doc honored Chooch by presenting him with a watch engraved with the phrase “we did it together.”
Similarly, Chooch and Cliff Lee had the same type of chemistry after his momentous start against the Washington Nationals. For nine innings, two hours, and less than 100 pitches, Lee did not shake Chooch off while he mowed down the Nats, striking out 12.
Doc did a great job summing it up in his recent MLB 2K11 commerical: “Every perfect game needs a Carlos Ruiz.”
If you ask me, every Phillies game needs a Carlos Ruiz. Pin It Now!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Oswalt, Phillies Shut Out Padres 3-0
Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.
Back to back home runs by Brian Schneider and Ben Francisco gave the Phillies an early lead, and it would be all they needed as the Fightins hung on to win 3-0 over the Padres in the first of a four-game series Thursday night.
Roy Oswalt tossed six innings of one-hit ball, striking out seven on 106 pitches as he shut out the Padres and improved to 3-0 this season. Oswalt, who left Friday’s game early with a lower back strain, seemed to have no problems at all picking up right where he left off as he dominated the mound in San Diego.
The Padres pegged him for a couple of drawn-out at-bats, which raised his pitch count significantly. Leading off the bottom of the fourth inning, Jorge Cantu went to battle with Oswalt in a 14-pitch at-bat. Cantu fouled off nine pitches, eight consecutively, before being struck out by Philly’s third ace. Oswalt would go 1-2-3 in the inning, but did so on 23 pitches.
David Herndon, Antonio Bastardo and Jose Contreras picked up in relief to combine for the shut-out, allowing just one hit each. Bastardo and Contreras’ ERA remains at 0.00.
Early in the game, the Phillies capitalized on the defensive errors by San Diego to put themselves on the board. The Padres bobbled three balls in the first half of the game, and Cameron Maybin found himself up against the wall as he tracked Francisco’s home run ball. It should have been caught, but instead it snuck just over the center field wall for Francisco’s third homer of the season.
Placido Polanco and Shane Victorino combined for three stolen bases. However, besides the stolen bags and the homers, the Phils did little else offensively. The team left a total of 12 runners on base and were just 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. They were given a free pass as they were walked seven times in the game, but failed to generate any additional runs.
Insurance runs or not, the Phillies increased their winning streak at Petco Park to eight games in a row. They look to add one in the win column Friday night as Cole Hamels (1-1, 4.32 ERA) takes the mound against Clayton Richard (1-0, 4.50 ERA) for the second game of the series in San Diego. Pin It Now!
Back to back home runs by Brian Schneider and Ben Francisco gave the Phillies an early lead, and it would be all they needed as the Fightins hung on to win 3-0 over the Padres in the first of a four-game series Thursday night.
Roy Oswalt tossed six innings of one-hit ball, striking out seven on 106 pitches as he shut out the Padres and improved to 3-0 this season. Oswalt, who left Friday’s game early with a lower back strain, seemed to have no problems at all picking up right where he left off as he dominated the mound in San Diego.
The Padres pegged him for a couple of drawn-out at-bats, which raised his pitch count significantly. Leading off the bottom of the fourth inning, Jorge Cantu went to battle with Oswalt in a 14-pitch at-bat. Cantu fouled off nine pitches, eight consecutively, before being struck out by Philly’s third ace. Oswalt would go 1-2-3 in the inning, but did so on 23 pitches.
David Herndon, Antonio Bastardo and Jose Contreras picked up in relief to combine for the shut-out, allowing just one hit each. Bastardo and Contreras’ ERA remains at 0.00.
Early in the game, the Phillies capitalized on the defensive errors by San Diego to put themselves on the board. The Padres bobbled three balls in the first half of the game, and Cameron Maybin found himself up against the wall as he tracked Francisco’s home run ball. It should have been caught, but instead it snuck just over the center field wall for Francisco’s third homer of the season.
Placido Polanco and Shane Victorino combined for three stolen bases. However, besides the stolen bags and the homers, the Phils did little else offensively. The team left a total of 12 runners on base and were just 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. They were given a free pass as they were walked seven times in the game, but failed to generate any additional runs.
Insurance runs or not, the Phillies increased their winning streak at Petco Park to eight games in a row. They look to add one in the win column Friday night as Cole Hamels (1-1, 4.32 ERA) takes the mound against Clayton Richard (1-0, 4.50 ERA) for the second game of the series in San Diego. Pin It Now!
Friday, April 15, 2011
The Art of Being a Fan
Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.
I like to believe that one day I’ll figure out the magic formula for knowing which ex-Phillies to boo and which to cheer for upon their return to Citizens Bank Park -- or in Thursday night’s case, a road trip to CBP South, a.k.a. Nationals Park.
I was at the 2010 Opening Day at Nats Park (much to the chagrin of Nationals Fans). I usually get a mini ticket plan through the Nats so I can add a few extra Phillies games into my summer without having to drive the six hours to Philly. I’ve gone with Phils fans,
I’ve gone with Nats fans -- heck, Thursday night I went by myself and had a grand old time. It’s true what they say: the place is usually so overrun by Phillies fans it feels like a home game. But the latest series with the Nationals seemed to serve a purpose other than cheering for the Phightins on someone else’s turf.
Having watched the previous two games on television, I saw the smirk creep across Jayson Werth’s face as he was jeered after catching a fly ball or when he was at bat. But when Werth stepped up to the plate for the first time Thursday evening, the seats practically shook as the thunderous boos rained down from the stands.
Only this time there was no smirk on his face. No mocking hat tip to the raucous fans in right field that sang out chant after chant in his direction.
“Jay-son Werth-less.” “Ben Fran-cis-co.” “You suck Jay-son.” And of course the infamous “A-hole” chant -- which when you pay close enough attention, kind of looks like the Tomahawk Chop (which probably means you should cut it out).
Oh, and of course the obligatory “E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES” and a “Let’s Go Flyers” chants rang out briefly, but for the most part the Phillies faithful stuck to sticking it to Werth and his $126-million reason for wearing that curly "W" with pride.
But what about the booing? When Scott Rolen comes to town, the hatred is deafening. Pat Burrell practically gets a curtain call for hitting a home run against his former team and enjoys enthusiastic cheers every at bat. J.A. Happ had a loving reception on Opening Day this year, while Brett Myers nearly got booed out of the park. Matt Stairs and Jim Thome always get a nice round of applause. And most people by now have forgotten to show any sort of emotion for the rest of the remaining ex-Phillies in the league that still make an appearance at Citizens Bank Park every now and again (e.g. Randy Wolf, Aaron Rowand, etc).
It’s clear what kind of treatment Werth is going to get when the Nationals head north in a couple of weeks to the original CBP.
I’ll report on how the fans receive Greg Dobbs at Friday’s weekend series opener against the Marlins when that time comes. Will they boo because he was such a disappointment in recent history or cheer him for the Phillie he once was?
I’m not going to stand on my soapbox and say anyone should boo or cheer for anyone in particular, because you shelled out your hard-earned cash to buy a ticket, a jersey, a beer, and the right to be as rowdy as security will let you be without escorting you out. But to drive 150 miles to someone else’s park just to boo someone seems a little excessive to me. I suppose it’s just the opposite of driving 150 miles to watch Stephen Strasburg pitch a game just to say you saw the rookie phenom in person (which I did, and the Nationals beat the Mets, and it was glorious).
But when the booing of Werth is louder than the cheers for Carlos Ruiz’s home run, I start to wonder where people’s priorities lie. Maybe if the Phils had a losing record and the Nationals had sole possession of first place and Werth was ruining all of our lives I would understand the sentiment a little bit more. But we have Cliff Lee, the Phillies are winning and they’re doing it all without Werth on the roster.
I’d say we have a lot more to cheer about than we have to boo. Pin It Now!
I was at the 2010 Opening Day at Nats Park (much to the chagrin of Nationals Fans). I usually get a mini ticket plan through the Nats so I can add a few extra Phillies games into my summer without having to drive the six hours to Philly. I’ve gone with Phils fans,
I’ve gone with Nats fans -- heck, Thursday night I went by myself and had a grand old time. It’s true what they say: the place is usually so overrun by Phillies fans it feels like a home game. But the latest series with the Nationals seemed to serve a purpose other than cheering for the Phightins on someone else’s turf.
Having watched the previous two games on television, I saw the smirk creep across Jayson Werth’s face as he was jeered after catching a fly ball or when he was at bat. But when Werth stepped up to the plate for the first time Thursday evening, the seats practically shook as the thunderous boos rained down from the stands.
Only this time there was no smirk on his face. No mocking hat tip to the raucous fans in right field that sang out chant after chant in his direction.
“Jay-son Werth-less.” “Ben Fran-cis-co.” “You suck Jay-son.” And of course the infamous “A-hole” chant -- which when you pay close enough attention, kind of looks like the Tomahawk Chop (which probably means you should cut it out).
Oh, and of course the obligatory “E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES” and a “Let’s Go Flyers” chants rang out briefly, but for the most part the Phillies faithful stuck to sticking it to Werth and his $126-million reason for wearing that curly "W" with pride.
But what about the booing? When Scott Rolen comes to town, the hatred is deafening. Pat Burrell practically gets a curtain call for hitting a home run against his former team and enjoys enthusiastic cheers every at bat. J.A. Happ had a loving reception on Opening Day this year, while Brett Myers nearly got booed out of the park. Matt Stairs and Jim Thome always get a nice round of applause. And most people by now have forgotten to show any sort of emotion for the rest of the remaining ex-Phillies in the league that still make an appearance at Citizens Bank Park every now and again (e.g. Randy Wolf, Aaron Rowand, etc).
It’s clear what kind of treatment Werth is going to get when the Nationals head north in a couple of weeks to the original CBP.
I’ll report on how the fans receive Greg Dobbs at Friday’s weekend series opener against the Marlins when that time comes. Will they boo because he was such a disappointment in recent history or cheer him for the Phillie he once was?
I’m not going to stand on my soapbox and say anyone should boo or cheer for anyone in particular, because you shelled out your hard-earned cash to buy a ticket, a jersey, a beer, and the right to be as rowdy as security will let you be without escorting you out. But to drive 150 miles to someone else’s park just to boo someone seems a little excessive to me. I suppose it’s just the opposite of driving 150 miles to watch Stephen Strasburg pitch a game just to say you saw the rookie phenom in person (which I did, and the Nationals beat the Mets, and it was glorious).
But when the booing of Werth is louder than the cheers for Carlos Ruiz’s home run, I start to wonder where people’s priorities lie. Maybe if the Phils had a losing record and the Nationals had sole possession of first place and Werth was ruining all of our lives I would understand the sentiment a little bit more. But we have Cliff Lee, the Phillies are winning and they’re doing it all without Werth on the roster.
I’d say we have a lot more to cheer about than we have to boo. Pin It Now!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Werth Booed, Nats Beat Phillies 7-4
Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.
Joe Blanton and the Phillies looked to carry their momentum from the Braves series as they stopped over in Washington D.C. for a three-game set against the Nationals before heading back to Philadelphia.
But Jayson Werth had other plans for his former team.
Ryan Howard gave the Phils an early 1-0 lead thanks to an opposite field homer in the second inning.
Blanton started strong, working quickly to allow only singles to two of the first eleven batters he faced. At the end of the third, the Phillies and their new division rivals were all tied up at one run each.
Big Joe fell into trouble in the fourth when Werth hit a double off the second pitch of his at bat. Blanton gave up four hits and walked one batter on 23 pitches, allowing three runs in the inning. He made a couple of good pitches, but for the most part he wasn’t locating the ball at all where Carlos Ruiz was calling for them. He was mixing up his pitches, depending primarily on his slider and sinker, but it was just what the Nats were looking for as they took a 4-1 lead.
Blanton would go for six innings, giving up five runs on seven hits while walking one and striking out four.
It wasn’t until the top of the seventh inning that the Phils looked like they were rallying for a comeback. Raul Ibanez, Carlos Ruiz and Wilson Valdez singled their way past Livan Hernandez and loaded the bases with one out for John Mayberry, Jr.
Where had I seen that before?
Hernandez knew just how to handle Mayberry, who has had trouble with off-speed pitches for the majority of his career, and struck him out swinging at a low and away 61 mph curveball. Shane Victorino would strike out to end the inning, leaving the bases loaded.
It was only the second time Victorino had not reached base in a game since the season began.
The Phightins tacked on two more runs in the eighth and ninth innings, but the Nats kept pouring it on in return.
Werth would go 2-for-3 with an RBI on a solo home run and a walk (and a chorus of “boos” for every fly ball he put his glove on). Fellow former Phil Matt Stairs, who was batting cleanup (yes, really), went 0-for-3 but had an impressive defensive backhanded stab at a line drive off the bat of Jimmy Rollins early in the game.
Despite their inability to defeat the Nationals, Raul Ibanez remains the only Phillie in the starting lineup with a sub-.300 batting average (.256).
Roy Halladay has only allowed one run in 23 innings against the Nationals last season. He takes the mound for the Phillies Wednesday evening. Pin It Now!
Joe Blanton and the Phillies looked to carry their momentum from the Braves series as they stopped over in Washington D.C. for a three-game set against the Nationals before heading back to Philadelphia.
But Jayson Werth had other plans for his former team.
Ryan Howard gave the Phils an early 1-0 lead thanks to an opposite field homer in the second inning.
Blanton started strong, working quickly to allow only singles to two of the first eleven batters he faced. At the end of the third, the Phillies and their new division rivals were all tied up at one run each.
Big Joe fell into trouble in the fourth when Werth hit a double off the second pitch of his at bat. Blanton gave up four hits and walked one batter on 23 pitches, allowing three runs in the inning. He made a couple of good pitches, but for the most part he wasn’t locating the ball at all where Carlos Ruiz was calling for them. He was mixing up his pitches, depending primarily on his slider and sinker, but it was just what the Nats were looking for as they took a 4-1 lead.
Blanton would go for six innings, giving up five runs on seven hits while walking one and striking out four.
It wasn’t until the top of the seventh inning that the Phils looked like they were rallying for a comeback. Raul Ibanez, Carlos Ruiz and Wilson Valdez singled their way past Livan Hernandez and loaded the bases with one out for John Mayberry, Jr.
Where had I seen that before?
Hernandez knew just how to handle Mayberry, who has had trouble with off-speed pitches for the majority of his career, and struck him out swinging at a low and away 61 mph curveball. Shane Victorino would strike out to end the inning, leaving the bases loaded.
It was only the second time Victorino had not reached base in a game since the season began.
The Phightins tacked on two more runs in the eighth and ninth innings, but the Nats kept pouring it on in return.
Werth would go 2-for-3 with an RBI on a solo home run and a walk (and a chorus of “boos” for every fly ball he put his glove on). Fellow former Phil Matt Stairs, who was batting cleanup (yes, really), went 0-for-3 but had an impressive defensive backhanded stab at a line drive off the bat of Jimmy Rollins early in the game.
Despite their inability to defeat the Nationals, Raul Ibanez remains the only Phillie in the starting lineup with a sub-.300 batting average (.256).
Roy Halladay has only allowed one run in 23 innings against the Nationals last season. He takes the mound for the Phillies Wednesday evening. Pin It Now!
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Game Recap: Phillies 10 Braves 2
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| Philadelphia Phillies' Carlos Ruiz, right, high-fives teammates from left, John Mayberry Jr., Raul Ibanez, hidden, and Wilson Valdez, hidden, after hitting a grand slam in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Saturday, April 9, 2011 in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman |
The Phillies crushed Atlanta 10-2 Saturday afternoon as Roy Oswalt earned his first career regular season win against the Braves.
Oswalt pitched six innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits. He walked two and struck out two while he lowered his ERA to 2.25.
David Herndon, JC Romero, and Danys Baez were nearly flawless in three innings of relief, as only Baez allowed a hit and struck out one in the ninth.
But the real news isn’t the pitching – Carlos Ruiz (grand slam, RBI double) and Brian Schneider (two-run home run) combined for seven of the Phillies’ ten runs.
Not to be outshone, Shane Victorino also went 4-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen base.
Some other fun facts:
- The Phillies had their first hit following a Ryan Howard intentional walk since September 14, 2008.
- The Phillies lead the majors with nine pinch hits. They were last in the league in 2010.
- John Mayberry, Jr. leads the majors with four pinch hits.
- Carlos Ruiz hit the first Phillies pinch-hit grand slam since September 10, 2009 (Matt Stairs, Nationals). It was his first pinch-hit home run and career grand slam. His five-RBI game was a career high as well.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Phillies Offense Explodes, Beat Mets 11-0
Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.
Roy Halladay (1-0) and the Phillies (5-1) fiery offense smoked the Mets (3-3) 11-0 Thursday afternoon.
Halladay struck out seven batters in seven innings, allowed six hits, and walked one on 113 pitches, dropping his season ERA to 0.69. Doc faced 27 batters, throwing 21 first-pitch strikes.
Danys Baez and David Herndon combined with Halladay to shut out the Mets and win the series.
But it wasn’t all pitching as the Phillies carried over their offensive explosion from Wednesday night and pushed Mets starter John Niese out of the game after just four innings. Niese struck out seven Phillies, one short of matching his career high, but allowed six earned runs. The Mets defense suffered as well, as they committed two errors.
Every player in the starting lineup recorded a hit, including Halladay. Wilson Valdez rounded out his day going 4-for-4 and Raul Ibanez put his first home run of the season in the books. Plus the Phils’ leadoff man reached safely in each of the eight innings they batted in.
Not a bad showing for a team that went into the game 10 for 51 lifetime against Niese.
The Phils hit the road and send Cliff Lee (1-0) to the mound Friday evening at Turner Field, as the Phillies start a three-game series against the Braves. Pin It Now!
Roy Halladay (1-0) and the Phillies (5-1) fiery offense smoked the Mets (3-3) 11-0 Thursday afternoon.
Halladay struck out seven batters in seven innings, allowed six hits, and walked one on 113 pitches, dropping his season ERA to 0.69. Doc faced 27 batters, throwing 21 first-pitch strikes.
Danys Baez and David Herndon combined with Halladay to shut out the Mets and win the series.
But it wasn’t all pitching as the Phillies carried over their offensive explosion from Wednesday night and pushed Mets starter John Niese out of the game after just four innings. Niese struck out seven Phillies, one short of matching his career high, but allowed six earned runs. The Mets defense suffered as well, as they committed two errors.
Every player in the starting lineup recorded a hit, including Halladay. Wilson Valdez rounded out his day going 4-for-4 and Raul Ibanez put his first home run of the season in the books. Plus the Phils’ leadoff man reached safely in each of the eight innings they batted in.
Not a bad showing for a team that went into the game 10 for 51 lifetime against Niese.
The Phils hit the road and send Cliff Lee (1-0) to the mound Friday evening at Turner Field, as the Phillies start a three-game series against the Braves. Pin It Now!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Ice Cold Hamels Leaves Early in Phils Loss
Originally published by NBC Philadelphia.
Cole Hamels looked as cold as the windy night air in his first first start of the 2011 season.
Hamels (0-1) struggled Tuesday, allowing six runs in just 2 2/3 innings pitched. The Phillies (3-1) went on to lose 7-1 to the rival Mets (3-1).
The Phillies’ fourth ace was in trouble immediately, allowing a lead-off single to Jose Reyes and then plunking Angel Pagan with a pitch. Hamels appeared to have settled in when he retired the next five batters in order, but disaster was just around the corner.
Hamels was hit for six singles, six runs, and walked two on 40 pitches in the third inning before being replaced by long-reliever Kyle Kendrick. It was only the fifth time in his career that he pitched less than three innings in a start. With the loss, Hamels is now 2-9 lifetime versus the dreaded Mets.
The Phillies tried to rally, but failed behind Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino’s three strikeouts a piece. The Phightins had nine players left on base in the game and were 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position -- something they did really well over the weekend against Houston.
Hamels is no stranger to being left hanging by the Phillies lagging offense. The club was shut out three times by the Mets with Hamels on the mound in 2010.
Placido Polanco drove in the lone run of the game with the Phillies only extra base hit of the evening, and Raul Ibanez showed some life going 2-for-4 despite a fielding attempt that had him turned around in the third inning. Ben Francisco hammered two balls to deep left field that were knocked down by the wind, but would have easily been home runs on a muggy summer evening.
Jimmy Rollins played some small ball, laying down a bunt single, stealing a base and drawing a walk to round out his evening.
The most impressive offensive showing of the evening came from Mets pitcher Chris Young, who went 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
Despite the rocky start by Hamels, the relievers did a respectable job holding the Mets to just one run for the duration of the game. J.C. Romero, Danys Baez and Antonio Bastardo combined for a solid effort allowing just two hits, striking out two and walking none in the last three innings of the game.
Joe Blanton faces Mike Pelfrey and the Mets Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park. Pin It Now!
Cole Hamels looked as cold as the windy night air in his first first start of the 2011 season.
Hamels (0-1) struggled Tuesday, allowing six runs in just 2 2/3 innings pitched. The Phillies (3-1) went on to lose 7-1 to the rival Mets (3-1).
The Phillies’ fourth ace was in trouble immediately, allowing a lead-off single to Jose Reyes and then plunking Angel Pagan with a pitch. Hamels appeared to have settled in when he retired the next five batters in order, but disaster was just around the corner.
Hamels was hit for six singles, six runs, and walked two on 40 pitches in the third inning before being replaced by long-reliever Kyle Kendrick. It was only the fifth time in his career that he pitched less than three innings in a start. With the loss, Hamels is now 2-9 lifetime versus the dreaded Mets.
The Phillies tried to rally, but failed behind Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino’s three strikeouts a piece. The Phightins had nine players left on base in the game and were 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position -- something they did really well over the weekend against Houston.
Hamels is no stranger to being left hanging by the Phillies lagging offense. The club was shut out three times by the Mets with Hamels on the mound in 2010.
Placido Polanco drove in the lone run of the game with the Phillies only extra base hit of the evening, and Raul Ibanez showed some life going 2-for-4 despite a fielding attempt that had him turned around in the third inning. Ben Francisco hammered two balls to deep left field that were knocked down by the wind, but would have easily been home runs on a muggy summer evening.
Jimmy Rollins played some small ball, laying down a bunt single, stealing a base and drawing a walk to round out his evening.
The most impressive offensive showing of the evening came from Mets pitcher Chris Young, who went 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
Despite the rocky start by Hamels, the relievers did a respectable job holding the Mets to just one run for the duration of the game. J.C. Romero, Danys Baez and Antonio Bastardo combined for a solid effort allowing just two hits, striking out two and walking none in the last three innings of the game.
Joe Blanton faces Mike Pelfrey and the Mets Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park. Pin It Now!
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