After striking out four times in his first four at-bats of the game, Ryan Howard stroked a two-run double in the 11th inning and it proved to be the difference as the Phillies beat the Padres 4-2.
The Phils did not manage to put a runner on base from the sixth inning to the tenth. Placido Polanco’s single to leadoff the 11th frame broke the streak and kick-started the Phils’ game-winning rally. After Shane Victorino’s sac bunt and Pete Orr’s groundout to short, Polly was on third and the Padres opted to put Rollins on to get to Howard. San Diego's gamble did not pay off as Ryan Ludwick struggled with Howard’s long fly to left and Polanco and Rollins both came around to score.
The bullpen was terrific, posting four innings of scoreless, one-hit ball after Joe Blanton’s removal. Danys Baez worked an unblemished eighth, Antonio Bastardo struck out the side in the ninth, Kyle Kendrick got the win with a scoreless 10th and Ryan Madson shut it down in the 11th for his second save of the season.
In seven innings of work, Blanton allowed two earned runs on eight hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Following a pair of rough starts to begin the year, he has allowed just four runs over his last 14 innings on the mound.
The Phillies notched just six hits on the night and Ben Francisco was the only guy with multiple knocks, including an RBI triple in the fourth. Jimmy Rollins knocked in a run on an infield single in the sixth. Howard finished 1-for-5 with and had four Ks for the second time this series.
Next up: Roy Halladay takes the mound against Wade LeBlanc on Sunday as the Phils look to complete the sweep.
-Written for Beerleaguer by Matt Grassie
The fact that the Phillies only managed to break their shameful streak of futility vs. SD relievers to a halt by bringing their best hitter (Polanco) to the plate should not go unnoticed.
Posted by: GTown_Dave | Saturday, April 23, 2011 at 11:59 PM
Francisco got two hits - the second was the one where Howard was thrown out at home.
Posted by: shipsass | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 12:02 AM
A win is a win.....
Posted by: JAY | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 12:03 AM
If we keep up this win percentage against the "bad" teams (WAS, NYM, PIT, HOU, ARI, SD, SEA, OAK, TOR), we'll only need to win half our games against everyone else to finish with about 100 wins. Just sayin'.
Posted by: CJ | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 12:03 AM
From last thread:
Phils are 8-4 over their last 12 games despite hitting .201 as a team and scoring 2.8 runs/game over that stretch.
Posted by: MG | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 12:04 AM
I love how often GTown Dave can describe something as "shameful" for a team with a .700 win percentage. Imagine if he were a Mets fan.
Posted by: CJ | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 12:04 AM
On TalkingChop, it was mentioned in the comments that no Braves starter has had a 9 inning complete game since Javier Vasquez did it in September 2009. Hudson nearly did it today, but went 8 2/3.
Posted by: CJ | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 12:07 AM
Their team ERA over the last 12 games is 2.57 and they are giving up 2.9 runs/game.
Posted by: MG | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 12:11 AM
Petco is historically, statistically the worst hitting park in the league, IMO let's judge the O after we get out of there. Another week or two.
Posted by: Lefty | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 12:11 AM
espn.com down for anyone else?
Posted by: pb | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 12:11 AM
That Howard game-winner went to left, not right.
Posted by: Malcolm | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 12:13 AM
Howard has looked awful lately, and he's always a bad matchup when he faces a LOOGY. Nonetheless, a manager has to seriously out-think himself to conclude that he'd rather face Ryan Howard than Jimmy Rollins.
Posted by: bay_area_phan | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 12:17 AM
MG: So we're 8-4 in a stretch that we've actually been outscored in (2.9 runs against vs. 2.8 runs for)? Really?
Getting those sort of wins is how you rack up a high win total. That's good to see. Better than losing 1-run games. Obviously, it's unsustainable, but even I don't think the offense will stay this bad. I think the offense improves more than the pitching/defense regresses, which is how our run differential will improve.
Posted by: Jack | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 12:24 AM
When I watched the first 2 games of this series, I came away thinking that Oswalt & Hamels would have been almost as dominant even if they had been pitching in a bandbox against the best hiting team in baseball. I can't say the same of Blanton's performance. Seems like he was getting hit hard all night, but Petco Field turned multiple homeruns or extra base hits into routine fly outs. This place really is the pitcher's answer to Coors Field -- a totally artificial environment where a player's stats are not to be trusted at all.
Posted by: bay_area_phan | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 12:28 AM
bap: "a totally artificial environment where a player's stats are not to be trusted at all."
Unless you're Raul Ibanez and either strike out or ground out weakly, of course. Those are outs in any ballpark.
Posted by: Jack | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 12:30 AM
Speaking of which, there's almost unanimous consensus that Raul gets a day off tomorrow, right? Charlie will almost certainly cave. He gave Raul a chance to swing his way out the last two nights, and was rewarded with an 0-8.
Of course, this will come against a lefty with reverse splits. If he was going to sit Ibanez, it should've been against Richard.
Posted by: Jack | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 12:33 AM
Jack: Well, yeah. Petco Field can't explain Howard's 8 zillion strikeouts or Ibanez's weak ground outs to 2nd. But it probably took away 4 or 5 extra base hits tonight. Happily, most of them came off the bats of Padres, including Hawpe's fly out off of Madson to end the game.
Posted by: bay_area_phan | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 12:35 AM
CJ: With the exception of the 'roid fueled '93 season, being a Phillies fan between 1983 & 2007 was like being a Mets fan of current vintage. It's a difficult mindset to overcome.
Posted by: GTown_Dave | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 12:40 AM
Also, from 1 June '09 through 22 April '11, Raul's slash line is as follows: .256/.333/.440 ... That might appear wonderful in comparison to what he has been doing lately, but let's face it: overall, dude sucks.
Posted by: GTown_Dave | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 12:44 AM
Jack: If Cholly is inclined to start Mayberry against a lefty, the fact that the lefty has reverse splits is not going to deter him. Based on past actions, I'm pretty sure that Cholly doesn't even understand the concept that some lefty pitchers have reverse splits.
For my part, I'm at the point where I'd rather see Mayberry start no matter who is on the mound.
Posted by: bay_area_phan | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 12:45 AM
The thing is, the decision to walk J-Roll to get to Howard against a lefty was risky, but not indefensible. Even Howard said he understood it given how he'd been swinging.
What is indefensible was the execution. Throwing Howard a low fastball over the plate on an 0-1 count is retarded. Ahead 0-1, the only pitches that should have been considered were breaking balls and high fastballs out of the zone.
They messed up, and Howard made them pay, like good hitters do.
Posted by: Jack | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 01:04 AM
Raul through 19 games last year: .217/.342/.350/.692 OPS
Raul through 19 games this year: .197/.278/.268/.546 OPS.
If you're a glass-half full guy, you say: "He was horrible at this point last year too & everyone was declaring him washed up. Yet he eventually got hot & wound up with decent overall numbers."
If you're a glass-half empty guy, you say: "He had his worst season in the last 10 years in 2010 and, as bad as he was at the start of last season, he is leaps and bounds worse this year. Plus he's another year older."
The truth is probably somewhere between these 2. It would be unusual for a guy to just completely lose it overnight; it's usual pretty gradual. He will eventually have a decent streak but he will also end up with overall numbers that are decidedly worse than last year's.
Posted by: bay_area_phan | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 01:05 AM
I'd say the odds of the Doc throwing a perfect game tomorrow are pretty good or at least a no hitter.
Posted by: pb | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 01:11 AM
pb - Yep espn.com is down for me too.
Posted by: krukker | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 01:27 AM
Phillies record by starting pitcher:
Halladay - 3-1
Lee - 3-1
Oswalt - 3-1
Hamels - 3-1
Blanton - 2-2
Posted by: krukker | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 01:31 AM
I wish the Phils won at PNC the way they win at Petco. How'd you like to be the Pads and have Halladay show up after losing the previous 3? He's not exactly the Easter Bunny.
Posted by: Hugh Mulcahy | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 01:41 AM
Interesting that Madson gets the save two nights in a row. Are they are going to keep trying him as a closer until he finally becomes one?
Posted by: limoguy | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 03:35 AM
Hey miserable Sh8ts,
I hope you continue to whine your way through the winningest season in Phillies history. I hope you argue how blue the skys are this summer and bicker about how delicious the water ice is.
Enjoy, losers!
Posted by: gobaystars! | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 04:39 AM
Anyone noticed our pitchers have allowed the least amount of walks in the MLB (52)?
Posted by: 3r0ck | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 07:47 AM
Bread, whine and circus. What a year it will be.
Posted by: Meyer | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 07:50 AM
Last Phils pitcher other than Blanton to give up a run to the Padres? Brad Lidge, balk, in the game before Blanton's start there last year.
Posted by: EastFallowfield | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 07:57 AM
Great performance by Antonio Bastardo so far this year. Just imagine, "clout" proclaimed Joe Savery a better pitching prospect than Bastardo at this time last year. A full year after any non-idiot gave up on that idea.
Posted by: mike77 | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 08:07 AM
Danys Baez looked to have some good stuff. Charlie's giving him a shot and he seems lightyears better than 2010.
Posted by: Jimmie J | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 08:15 AM
mike77: Yeah, Bastardo so far has overcome his command problems and I'm happy to see it. Phils got solid work from the pen last night.
Posted by: clout | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 08:28 AM
I think gobaystars is a bit harsh by calling the whiny, negative posters like BAP, GTown Dave and Jack "losers," but they really are parodies of themselves by acting like this after 20 games.
But if the offensive stats are like this in July, then they will rise from morons to astute fans in my eyes. Personally, I don't see it because that trio has been wrong more often than anyone on the blog save mvptommy and mikes77.
Posted by: clout | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 08:32 AM
Not sold on Baez. Prior to last night's 1-2-3 his WHIP stood at 1.6ish (now it's 1.4). His bb/9 and k/9 are 4 and 2 respectively. A continued sub-3 ERA is probably not to be expected.
Posted by: Klaus | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 08:42 AM
Jack: I did misremember your comment and see that it was actually NEPP who said Wade got ripped off in the Wallace-Gose trade, not you. And I'm glad in 2010 you changed your view of 2009. If I recall correctly I was the one who compared him to Lyle Overbay first. In any event, this is what I actually said about him last year. Tell me which part you disagree with.
Re: The Wallace debate, BA rated Wallace the 27th best prospect in baseball pre-season and his TripA numbers match what they were last year. BTW, 23 is NOT old for TripA. To the extent his value decreased it's because he's now at 1B instead of 3B. But his OPS has never been less than .822 (this year it's .868) and his career avg is .304. He'll be an everyday player for some big league team. Can't say the same for Gose, whose K rate for a non-power hitter is alarming.
That said, I'd rather have Taylor than either of 'em.
Posted by: clout | Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 06:15 PM
Posted by: clout | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 09:08 AM
Looks like bud black doesn't know how to look up howards 2010 OPS vs LHP - over .820
Posted by: lorecore | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 09:18 AM
Yo, new thread
Posted by: EastFallowfield | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 09:37 AM
I wake up this morning, the Phillies won, the Easter Bunny dropped toys off for the kid... and my fr*ggin Mother-in-law is still here. WTF?
Posted by: rauls grandpa | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 09:37 AM
They are struggling offensively right now, but this club is better than it has shown. If Utley can come back and they can get a midseason spark through either a call-up (Dom Brown) or a trade, they should be ok. Thiose of us for the 70's remember how getting Bake McBride jump started a struggling offesne in 1977
Having great pitching and a so-so offense is counterintuitive for most of us. Happy Easter/Passover to all.
Posted by: Marc H | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 09:49 AM