There was no rest for the weary as the Phillies and the Atlanta Braves played and split another doubleheader on Sunday.  The Phillies started Jamie Moyer (7-13) in game 1 vs Tim Hudson (11-10) for the Braves.

There were 3 BIG stories in game 1.  BIG story #1 is that 1st baseman  Ryan Howard (52 HRs, 132 RBIs, .305 BA) broke 50 homeruns this season in a BIG way hitting 3 dingers to increase his Phillies record homer production this season to 52 as well as going 4-4 in the game.  His 52 homers broke the previous mark for second-year players, set when Ralph Kiner hit 51 for Pittsburgh in 1947.  His 132 RBIs are the most by a Phillie since 1932.  

BIG story #2 was Phils 3rd major late inning bullpen crash in 4 games. But happily, BIG story #3 was the Phils dramatic bottom of the 9th where they score 2 runs to win by an 8-7 score.

The Braves jumped out to a brief 1-0 lead in the 1st inning as shortstop  Edgar Renteria (12 HRs, 56 RBIs, .300) hit a solo homer.

Howard evened the game in the 2nd inning with his 50th homer, a solo shot to center.

In the 3rd inning, shortstop Jimmy Rollins (19 HRs, 64 RBIs, .279 BA) drove in a run with a triple. Then centerfielder Shane Victorino (6 HRs, 39 RBIs, .295 BA) singled driving in Rollins and Howard hit #51, a 2 run shot again to centerfield.  The Phils led 5-1 after 3 innings.

In the 6th inning, Howard blasted #52, another solo shot to put the Phils up by a 6-1 score.

Hudson pitched 7 full innings giving up 6 Phils runs on 6 hits but was not in on the final decision. 

In the 8th inning, former Phillies catcher Todd Pratt (4 HRs, 19 RBIs)  clubbed a 1 out 2 run homer to draw the Braves closer at 6-3. Starter Jamie Moyer pitched another fine ballgame going 7 1/3 innings giving up 3 runs on 6 hits but was likewise not involved in the final decision although his performance merited a win.  Moyer was pulled after the Pratt homer and was relieved by Ryan Madison (10-8) who got the side out in the 8th inning.  Unfortunately, Charlie Manuel stayed with Madison just a bit too long negating a Phillies lead and depriving Moyer of win #8.

In the 9th inning however, the roof once again fell in on the Phils’ Gordon-less bullpen.  Atlanta got 3 singles to load the bases on Madison with noone out.  Madison was pulled in favor of Fabio Castro (0-0, 1.57 ERA)
who got 1st baseman Adam LaRoche (28 HRs, 83 RBIs, .294 BA) to ground out to first scoring the Braves 4th run.  Then leftfielder Matt Diaz (6 HRs, 27 RBIs, .346 BA) clubbed a 3 run homer to rightfield to put the Braves into the lead by a 7-6 score.  Castro was then replaced by Geoff Geary (7-0, 3.01 ERA, S1) who retired the side in the 9th inning.

In the bottom of the 9th, the Braves suffered their own bullpen collapse as put in their newly acquired closer Bob Wickman (1-5, 2.91 ERA, S26).  Wickman gave up a single, got the 1st out on a ground ball sacrifice and issued a walk.  Then Rollins tied the game with a single to left.  Shane Victorino followed with a walk-off RBI single to right to win the game.  Geary, who got the final 2 outs in the Braves 9th inning was awarded the win.  Bob Wickman got hung with the loss.

For full recap including box scores and play-by-play on Sunday’s 1st game click here.

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In game 2, Brett Myers (10-6) of the Phils and Atlanta’s Lance Cormier (2-4) engaged in a superb classic pitcher’s duel as both pitchers gave up 1 run on 3 hits.  Cormier struck out 4 and issued 3 walks in 7 innings while Myers walked 2 and struck out 10 in his 8 innings as Atlanta won in 11 innings by a 3-1 score. 

Atlanta got on the board first in the 3rd inning as 2nd baseman Pete Orr (1 HR, 7 RBIs) singled driving in the run.  The Phils tied the score at 1 on leftfielder Pat Burrell’s (24 HRs, 84 RBIs, .260 BA) RBI on a sacrifice fly to rightfield.

The score remained knotted at 1-1 through 10 innings.  Neither team threatened although the Phils had 2 runners on with 2 out in the 10th vs Atlanta reliever and winning pitcher Chad Paronto (2-2, 3.02 ERA).  However, centerfielder Shane Victorino grounded out to end the inning.

Reliever Geoff Geary (7-1, 3.09 ERA, S1) pitched the 11th inning for the Phils and gave up the winning runs. One run scored on catcher Carlos Ruiz’s (1 HR, 3 RBIs) errant throw into left field on Pete Orr’s sacrifice bunt.  The other run scored on a Geary wild pitch.  Geary was involved in the decisions in both games, winning the first, losing the second.

For full recap including box scores and play-by-play on Sunday’s 2nd game click here.

On Monday, the Phils begin a series entertaining the wild card contending  Houston Astros for 3 important games.  The Phils are currently 1 1/2 games behind the San Diego Padres in the NL wild card race.  The starters for the series opener are rookie lefthander Cole Hamels (7-7) for the Phils vs veteran great Roger Clemens (6-4, 2.29 ERA).

For full coverage of Sunday’s games in both leagues; previews, recaps, box scores and play-by-play coverage click here.

This entry was posted on Monday, September 4th, 2006 at 5:49 am and is filed under Real-Time Baseball News and Commentary. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.