Phillies Lose Both Florida Get-Away Game and Opener to Mets
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The Phillies staked rookie starter Zack Segovia to a 3 run lead in the 1st inning but it lasted only until the bottom of the 2nd when Segovia was tagged for 4 runs and the Florida Marlins held on to win the get-away game with the Phils by a 6-4 score on Sunday.
AP sports reporter Steven Wine reported for Yahoo sports that following the game Segovia was sent down, as was reliever Joe Bisenius to the Phils’ Triple-A Ottawa affiliate in order to make room for Jon Lieber who had been on the 15 day disabled list, and reliever Francisco Rosario who was recently acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays. I wonder if the wrong guy, Bisenius, got sent down in exchange for Lieber.
Wine reports;
Eleven bases on balls weren’t enough to jump-start the struggling Phils, who stranded 14 runners.
The feeble Phillies went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position, dropping their season average in those situations to .200.
Their final squandered opportunity came in the ninth. New Florida closer Jorge Julio struggled for the third appearance in a row, loading the bases with one out. Lee Gardner came on to earn his first career save by retiring Carlos Ruiz on a foul popup and striking out Michael Bourn looking.
“We couldn’t get a big hit,” Phils manager Charlie Manuel said. “We will get them. When? That’s the big question. We will get them. It’s just a matter of time before we get them.”
Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard hit a two-run double in the first inning, his first RBIs and first extra-base hit this season. He finished 2-for-4 with a walk to hike his average to .217.
“I have been here before, so I just have to get through it,” said Howard, the NL MVP in 2006. “Knowing the situation, I am just trying to right the ship.”
In the meantime, the New York Mets lost their get-away game with Atlanta by a 3-2 score as closer Bob Wickman earned his 3rd save of the young season.
Scott Olsen got the win for Florida pitching 5 innings allowing 3 runs on 4 hits while granting 4 of the 11 free passes issued the Phils while striking out 3. Segovia pitched 5 innings giving up 5 runs on 8 hits while walking on and stiking out 2 and giving up first baseman Mike Jacobs’ solo homer in the 2nd inning. The Phils’ bullpen gave up an insurance run in the 7th inning, but shut down the Marlins in the 6th and 8th innings.
*****
On Monday, matters went from bad to worse for the Phillies against the Mets. The good news was that young lefthander Cole Hamels, fresh from his 7 innings of shutout pitching against Atlanta, had another fine performance over 6 innings. Hamels was replaced to start the 7th inning with the Phillies holding a 5-3 lead.
The other piece of good news was the production in the potent middle of the Phillies lineup. 2nd baseman Chase Utley hit an RBI sacrifice fly driving in starter Hamels who once again helped his cause with a hit. Then, after the Mets scored 2 in the 4th inning to go ahead, Utley solo homered in the 5th to tie the game. After the Mets regained the lead in their half of the 5th, 1st baseman Ryan Howard uncorked his first homer of the season, a three run blast to rightfield in the 6th inning and the Phillies went up 5-3. But things went real bad after that.
After the Mets scored a single run in the 7th inning off of lefthanded reliever Matt Smith who was replaced with 2 out by Geoff Geary who retired the side, in the 8th inning all heck broke loose on Geary and on Jon Lieber who relieved him to the tune of 7 runs on 4 hits, 2 walks and a rare, but critical fielding error by shortstop Jimmy Rollins. The Mets fans who let Rollins have it pre-game when the lineups were announced, derisively roared at his crucial error booting an inning-ending double-play ball.
From there, it was Billy Wagner and Good-night Irene for the now 1-6 Phillies as Wagner expended 14 pitches in getting Utley to ground out and the fanning Howard and Pat Burrell as the Mets won this one by an 11-5 score. Reliever Pedro Feliciano, the 3rd of 4 relievers after starter John Maine and who pitched a scoreless, hitless 8th inning gained the win. Geoff Geary who was bombed for 5 runs in the 8th inning was charged with the loss. Starter Maine walked 6 Phils and gave up 5 hits in 4 2/3 innings, but allowed only 2 runs as the Phils left another 9 men on base.
The scores, boxscores and recaps for these 2 games as well as all Sunday and Monday games can be found here and here.
Tuesday is an open date for the Phils and Mets and the series resumes on Wednesday with Adam Eaton going for Phils vs Oliver Perez for the Mets.
Philadelphia Inquirer staff writer Todd Zolecki writes;
“Every game is important,” general manager Pat Gillick said. “Every game you play in April is just as important as every game you play in September. We’re just not pushing them across right now. . . . These guys are too good of hitters for it not to come. We’ll get some big blows. We’ve left a lot of people on base…”
The Phillies need to beat the Mets today to avoid the 12th 1-6 start in their 125-year history. The Phils started 1-6 in 1977 but finished 101-61 to win the National League East. But in those other 10 seasons in which they opened 1-6, they finished under .500 seven times and in last place three times.
It’s good to see that shortstop Rollins gave no ground after his error. And no, this blog won’t be a part of any Charlie Manuel watch. It’s too early to put the blame on the manager because the meat of the team’s lineup hasn’t hit “a zone” yet. But, as mentioned above, perhaps the club pulled the trigger a little too quickly in sending Bisenius back down to Ottawa.
The scores, boxscores and recaps for Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s games can be found here and here.
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