Phillies Riding Rollercoaster; Nip Mets in Extra innings in Opener
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Following the Phillies these days is like being on a serious rollercoaster or, as Ole’ Blue Eyes sang; “That’s Life.”
A 3 game sweep of Atlanta followed by getting swept 4 by Arizona, then being seemingly decimated by San Francisco in the series opener followed by winning the next 2 then getting pounded by the Giants in the final.
In Tuesday’s opener with the Mets, 2nd baseman Chase Utley led off the 11th inning by plastering an opposite-field shot to left-centerfield off of losing pitcher reliever Pedro Feliciano as the Phils took a 3-2 lead. 3rd baseman Abraham Nunez drove in an insurance run with a none out, bases loaded single as the Phils topped the Mets in their opener by a 4-2 score after nearly blowing the game in the 6th inning with another of their recent run of baserunning miscues.
For 7 innings, Jamie Moyer and Tom Glavine were locked in a classic duel of lefties reminiscent of great pitching duels of yesteryear.
In the 2nd inning, Mets’catcher Paul Lo Duca singled to center scoring 1st baseman Carlos Delgado and 3rd baseman David Wright after the Mets managed runners at 2nd and 3rd with none out. But Moyer got the side out with no further damage.
Moyer eluded any further serious trouble until the 7th inning when shortstop Jose Reyes singled to right-centerfield with one out and then stole 2nd base. 2nd baseman Damion Easley walked, but then Reyes was picked and hung up between 2nd and 3rd for the 2nd out as Easley advanced to 2nd on the play. Centerfielder Carlos Beltran then flied out to left to end the inning.
In the meantime, the Phillies tied the game in the 3rd inning as shortstop Jimmy Rollins hit a two-out infield single and rightfielder Shane Victorino doubled putting runners on 2nd and 3rd. Utley, who had 3 RBIs for the game singled driving them both in.
The Phillies threatened in the 6th with runners on 1st and 2nd base with one out as Utley doubled to center, 1st baseman Ryan Howard struck out and leftfielder Pat Burrell walked.
AP Baseball Writer Mike Fitzpatrick reviews the inning for Yahoo sports;
An embarrassing blunder on the bases by Pat Burrell cost the Phillies in the sixth. He raced from first to third on Aaron Rowand’s single to right, but Utley had been held at third, so Burrell got caught in a rundown and was tagged for the second out.
“I’ve never seen a guy slide twice into third base,” Utley said with a smile.
Added Howard: “I don’t think people are going to let that go anytime soon. Somebody asked me earlier, what was the oddest thing I’ve ever seen in baseball. That might be it.”
An angry Burrell fired his helmet into the dugout from the top of the steps, while the hectic play left a winded Lo Duca smiling as he walked back behind the plate.
“You can laugh about it now because we won, but that’s a terrible play,” Burrell said. “You can’t get caught like that. You can’t assume he sent the runner.”
Instead of having the bases loaded with one out, Philadelphia had runners on second and third with two outs. Nunez then grounded out.
Inquirer staff writer Todd Zolecki adds this regarding the 6th inning;
The Phillies could afford to chuckle about the baserunning mishap… that could have cost them the game had Moyer and the bullpen not held their ground.
Fitzpatrick adds these comments on the Moyer, Glavine duel.
Soft tossers Tom Glavine and Jamie Moyer offset each other for seven quick innings, both leaving with the score tied at 2 in the second matchup this season between the fortysomething lefties.
“They know how to win,” Moyer said, pointing to the Mets’ consistency the past two seasons. “Hopefully, it’s something we can model.”
After 7 strong innings, Moyer gave way to solid bullpen performances by Ryan Madson for 2 innings, Geoff Geary who recorded the win after pitching a scoreless 10th inning and Antonio Alfonseca who notched his 2nd save of the season.
The Mets bulpen held the Phils in check until Feliciano got in trouble and gave up the Phillies’ winning runs in the 11th. After the 11th inning damage, reliever Joe Smith finished up for the Mets.
For the scores, boxscores and recaps on this and all of Tuesday’s games, click here.
On Wednesday, Adam Eaton is opposed by Orlando Hernandez. In Thursday’s series final, lefthander Cole Hamels goes for his 9th win opposed by John Maine.
For the scores, boxscores and recaps on this and all of Wednesday’s games, click here.
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