Phillies Sweep White Sox, 2 Games from NL East Lead
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Phillies rookie starter Kyle Kendrick pitched six effective innings in his major league debut in the injured Freddy Garcia’s rotation slot, centerfielder Aaron Rowand clubbed a grandslam homer and drove in 5 runs and the bullpen held the lead as the Phils made it a sweep defeating the Chicago White Sox in the series final by an 8-4 score to go a season-high 4 games over the .500 mark.
With the Mets losing to the LA Dodgers by a 9-1 score and the Atlanta Braves losing again to the Minnesota Twins by a score of 6-0, the Phillies moved into a 2nd place tie with the Braves in the NL East. Both teams are an even 2 games behind the Mets for the divisional lead.
AP’s Rob Maaddi lists game highlights for Yahoo sports;
The White Sox scored single runs off Kendrick each of the first three innings.
Alex Cintron doubled and scored on Dye’s two-out double to center in the first. Utley’s RBI single in the bottom half of the inning tied it at 1. Fields had an RBI single in the second to put Chicago ahead 2-1.
Wes Helms broke a season-long homerless drought with a solo shot.
Helms connected in the second inning to tie it at 2. Expected to provide power as a free-agent acquisition, Helms hadn’t gone deep in his first 151 at-bats for the Phillies and 163 at-bats overall, dating to last season. He initially got the silent treatment from teammates in the dugout before Shane Victorino finally walked over and hugged him.
Rowand wasn’t in the starting lineup against his former team, but drove in the tying run on a groundout as a pinch-hitter in the sixth. His five RBIs tied a career-high.
“I’ll take it. I’m a little banged-up, but it worked out pretty good,” Rowand said.
Jim Thome was 2-for-3 with an intentional walk and received a standing ovation in his first game in Philadelphia since the Phillies traded him to the White Sox in 2005 to make room for Ryan Howard.
Kendrick gave up three runs on six hits. The 22-year-old right-hander struck out four and walked two in his first outing above Double-A.
“I was a little nervous,” Kendrick said. “I was trying to do my job and help the team win. You can’t be in awe.”
Ryan Madson (1-2) pitched a scoreless seventh to earn the win.
Chase Utley legged out a double to left to start the bottom of the seventh against Matt Thornton (2-2). After Howard struck out and Pat Burrell was intentionally walked, pinch-hitter Abraham Nunez slapped a run-scoring single to right field to give the Phillies a 4-3 lead.
Thornton walked Rod Barajas with two outs to load the bases and grooved an 0-2 pitch to Rowand, who lined it into the left-field seats for his second career slam.
“It was a fastball in that didn’t go where I wanted it to,” Thornton said.
Thome, a designated hitter in non-interleague play, didn’t start the first two games of the series and was in the on-deck circle when the final out was recorded in all three games.
White Sox starter John Danks allowed two runs in 4 2-3 innings. He left after striking out Howard with runners on first and second for the second out in the fifth. Ryan Bukvich entered and retired Burrell on a grounder to third baseman Josh Fields, who dove to his left to make the play.
Danks threw 103 pitches, part of the reason the left-hander was lifted one out away from qualifying for a win.
Right fielder Jayson Werth made an outstanding defensive play to keep the Phillies within a run in the fifth. He robbed Jermaine Dye of extra bases with a diving catch on a sinking liner to right-center with two on and two outs.
Rookie hurler Kendrick tried to help his own cause with a two-out 2nd inning single to rightfield.
With the Phils up 8-3, lefthander Mike Zagurski replaced Madson to begin the 8th inning. Thome opened with single to right and Jermaine Dye doubled to right centerfeld putting runners at 2nd and 3rd base. Catcher A.J. Pierzynski grounded out to second, scoring Thome. Zagurski was then lifted for Yoel Hernandez who retired the side on a foul out and a strikeout.
In the 9th inning, sub-closer Antonio Alfonseca walked shortstop Juan Uribe who led off. Then he got Rob Mackowiak to ground into double play shortstop to first. Cintron ended the game flying out to left centerfield.
For the scores, boxscores and recaps on this and all of Wednesday’s games, click here.
The Phillies have the day off on Thursday. On Friday, they entertain the Detroit Tigers for a 3 game series through Sunday.
The pitchers for Friday’s Opener will be Jon Lieber vs undefeated Jeremy Bonderman. On Saturday, two lefties face each other. Veteran Jamie Moyer faces young Andrew Miller. On Sunday, Adam Eaton goes against Justin Verlander who is fresh from his complete game No-Hit 4-0 shutout of the Milwaukee Brewers this past Tuesday.
For the scores, boxscores and recaps on this and all of Thursday’s games, click here.
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