Another Poor Start for Eaton, Phillies Pounded by Rockies
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Phillies starter Adam Eaton, with his $24.5 million, three-year deal in hand, was awful in yet another start. He gave up 4 runs on 6 hits and served up 3 Rockies homers in 6 innings. The Hot, or Not Phillies bullpen was no better as the Rockies scored 4 runs against them as well enroute to an 8-2 rout to even the four game series at 1-1.
Despite the loss, the Phillies remained 6 games behind the Mets and “El Duque” Orlando Hernandez who were thumped by the Atlanta Braves by a 13-5 score.
The Phils now trail the San Diego Padres in the NL wild card race by 2 1/2 games and are in 2nd place, one game ahead of the L.A. Dodgers. The Padres pounded the Dodgers as Jake Peavy won hs 17th game against 6 losses.
Eaton’s record has been, in understatement, less than stellar. Since June 11 is 2-5 with a 7.20 ERA in 14 starts and has a 6.31 ERA for the season. He’s given up 20 homers in his last 10 starts ranging back to July 8.
For the first five innings, Eaton’s performance was respectable giving up 2 runs on 5 hits, both runs on homers by shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (in the 1st) and 1st baseman Todd Helton (in the 4th), while being aided by a 2nd inning strikeout/doubleplay on an attempted steal and a 5th inning shortstop to 1st base doubleplay.
Meantime, the Phillies offense went into slumber mode against rookie lefthander Franklin Morales who pitched 5 shutout innings allowing only 3 hits and surviving a 1st and 2nd situation in the 4th inning.
But Eaton was chased in the 6th inning as Tulowitzki led off with a walk and scored as leftfielder Matt Holliday followed belting a 2 run shot to leftfield. Holliday had 2 homers for the game. Things only got worse as reliever Kane Davis was pounded for 2 runs on 3 hits in 1/3 of the inning before Geoff Geary retired the side. But Geary was touched for a run in the 7th inning and walked 3 in 1 2/3rd innings. Lefthander Fabio Castro was touched for Holliday’s 2nd homer, a solo shot in the 9th inning.
The Phillies scored their only 2 runs in the 8th inning as shortstop Jimmy Rollins cracked a leadoff solo homer against lefthanded reliever Jeremy Affeldt. The second Phllies run scored on a Rockies throwing error. These were the only runs scored by the Phillies against the Rockies bullpen thus far in the series.
AP sports writer Rob Maaddi writes about Jimmy Rollins’ homer and his seasonal production for Yahoo sports;
Rollins ripped a liner into the left-field seats for Philadelphia’s first run. The 5-foot-8 shortstop trails only Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez with 337 total bases.
Rollins has 35 doubles, 19 triples and 30 stolen bases. No major league player has ever had 40 doubles, 20 triples, 30 homers and 30 steals in one season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Only one player — Jim Bottomley of the 1928 St. Louis Cardinals — ever had 40 doubles, 20 triples and 30 homers.
For the scores, boxscores and recaps on this and on all of Tuesday’s games, click here.
On Wednesday, Kyle Kendrick opposes Rockies starter Denny Bautista with his monstrous 19.06 ERA. Bautista was a last minute change from the originally listed starter Elmer Dessens. In the series finale on Thursday, J.D. Durbin goes against 15 game winner lefthander Jeff Francis.
Following the Colorado series, the Phillies head to New York to play the Mets beginning on Friday in what shapes up to be the most important series of the season. John Ennis faces veteran lefthander Tom Glavine in the opener.
For the scores, boxscores and recaps on all of Wednesday’s games, click here.
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