Phillies manager Charlie Manuel went to the well once too many. Manuel, who got away with leaving Brett Myers in on Tuesday for a seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies because of leftfielder Pat Burrell’s bases-clearing ninth inning double, left Hamels in to start the eighth inning and paid dearly as the Phillies lost a 4-3 lead and the game to the Milwaukee Brewers by a 5-4 score.  The loss ended the Phils’ three game winning streak.

Hamels, who tossed 121 pitches for the game including 11 strikeouts, opened the eighth by giving up a leadoff double to leftfielder Ryan Braun with 1st baseman Prince Fielder following with a line drive homer to rightfield on a 1-2 pitch.  It was Fielder’s 2nd homer of the game, having gone yard on Hamels in the first inning, and his 3rd homer of the season.

Reliever Chad Durbin replaced losing pitcher Hamels and finished out the eighth.

The Phillies threatened in the ninth inning as So Taguchi, pinch hitting for Durbin, was walked by reliever Derrick Turnbow.  Taguchi stole 2nd base and went to 3rd on catcher Jason Kendall’s errant throw. It looked then as if Manuel might not pay for leaving Hamels in too long, but centerfielder  Jayson Werth, who has been great in the clutch lately, struck out swinging and Pedro Feliz grounded out to shortstop to end the game.

The Brewers opened up on Hamels in the first inning before he hit his stride.  2nd baseman Rickie Weeks led off with a double to leftfield and centerfielder Gabe Kapler drove drove him in with a single to left.  Kapler went to 2nd base on the throw home. After Braun popped out, Kapler went to 3rd on Hamels’ wild pick-off throw.  Fielder then pounded a two run shot to right and the Brewers were up 3-0 with only one out.  Hamels managed to get through the inning with no further damage despite another single and an intentional walk.  He got Brewers starter David Bush on a swinging third strike to end the inning.

From there, Hamels caught stride and cruised through the seventh inning, retiring 9 in a row from the second through the fourth innings, and allowing only 2 hits and issuing 1 walk through the seventh.

Meanwhile, the Phillies crept back into the game against Bush as 2nd baseman Chase Utley pounded a 2 out solo shot to centerfield.  It was Utley’s 10 round-tripper of the season.

Then in the fifth, after Hamels singled to leftfield, Werth grounded into a fielders choice with Hamels being forced out at 2nd base.  3rd baseman  Greg Dobbs followed with a two run homer off of Bush to tie the game at 3-3.

The Phillies took the lead at 4-3 in the sixth as leftfielder Pat “the Bat” Burrell struck again with a lead-off homer to leftfield, his eighth of the season, as Bush gave up three dingers for the game.

The Phils had opportunities to get more runs and to win the game in the seventh, as well as in the ninth.  In the seventh, Werth led off with a double as Bush headed for the showers having tossed 107 pitches allowing 4 runs, 8 hits, striking out 3 and walking 2 along with the 3 dingers.

Reliever Mitch Stetter, who emerged as the game’s winning pitcher, replaced Bush and Feliz was sent to pinch hit for Dobbs.  Stetter caught Werth trying to steal third base.  Then Stetter struck out Feliz.  Although Utley singled to rightfield, Stettler struck out 1st baseman Ryan Howard swinging to end the inning. 

By the way, the Howard strikeout watch stands at 32 in 22 games and 98 plate appearances as he continues on a pace toward being struck out 225-235 times this season.  

Stettler had an easy eigth inning only issuing a two-out walk.

In the ninth inning, the Phils stranded the tying run at 3rd base as Turnbull got a strikeout and groundout to end the game and earn his first save of the season.

For Yahoo sports’ recap of the game, click here.  For all of the scores, boxscores and recaps on Wednesday’s games, click here.

In Thursday’s second game of the short series, veteran lefty Jamie Moyer opposes Jeff Suppan.  Then the Phils move on to Pittsburgh for a 3 game weekend series with the Pirates.  Adam Eaton is opposed by Pirates lefthander Zack Duke in Friday’s opener.

For the scores, boxscores and recaps on Thursday’s games, click here.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, April 24th, 2008 at 1:38 am and is filed under Real-Time Baseball News and Commentary
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