Kendrick, Phillies Pummel Cardinals in 20 Run Game
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Phillies 2nd baseman Chase Utley, 1st baseman Ryan Howard and leftfielder Pat Burrell all went yard back-to-back-to-back in the first inning against 30 year old starter Todd Wellemeyer who was switched at the last minute with Kyle Lohse. After that, starter Kyle Kendrick (both offensively and on the mound), catcher Carlos Ruiz and the rest of the Phillies took over to pulverize the St. Louis Cardinals in a 20-2 rout.
With the win combined with the Florida Marlin’s loss in inter-league play, the Phillies NL East lead of 2nd place Florida hit 4 games. The Braves and Mets won their inter-league match-ups and remained 7 1/2 games behind the front-running Phillies.
This team is indeed special. Never in my 60 years of life and 50 years as a cognizant Phillies fan have I known this club to win two 20 run games in a season, let-alone twice in 18 days having pounded the Colorado Rockies by 20-5 back on May 26th. Tim Malcolm of Phillies Nation points out;
It was the second time this season the Phils scored 20 in a game; between 1957 and 2007 the Phils scored 20 runs just three times.
Starter Kendrick, who went seven innings giving up 2 runs on 8 hits, helped out on offense as well as pitching a fine ballgame tossing 90 pitches 61 for strikes, got two hits including his first Major League extra-base hit (a double) amidst a 9 run fourth inning which put the Phillies up by 13-1. The previous high inning production for the Phillies was on May 21 when they scored eight runs in the sixth at Washington on the way to pounding the Nationals by a 12-2 score.
Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz had career games; Howard with a 3 for 5 game with 5 RBIs, including his opposite field solo shot in the first and a 3 run clout in the sixth, and Ruiz who went 4 for 6 with 4 RBIs as the Phillies pounded 21 hits, including the 4 homers as losing pitcher Wellemeyer (7-3), who gave up 8 runs on 8 hits while walking 3 and striking out 3 in 3 1/3 innings, and 4 other Cardinal relievers were pounded in the Phillies onslaught.
Things got soo bad for the Cards that they sent out 2nd baseman Aaron Miles to pitch the ninth inning. Miles was the only hurler to retire the Phillies in order. The follow the play-by-play of the game, click here.
Relievers Rudy Seanez and Clay Condrey mopped up after Kendrick in the
eighth an ninth innings giving up a hit apiece with Seanez walking 1 and striking out 2 and Condrey striking out 1.
For all of the scores, boxscores and recaps on Friday’s games, click here.
On Saturday, Adam Eaton is opposed by former teammate Kyle Lohse who is 7-2. In Sunday’s final, Brett Myers tries again to get his act together and is opposed by young 24 year old rookie Mitchell Boggs.
After St. Louis, the schedule gets no easier as the Phils come home to entertain the Boston Red Sox and L. A. Angels in inter-league competition.
For the scores, boxscores and recaps on Saturday’s games, click here.
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