Phillies Edge Marlins, Retake First Place
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With the Florida Marlins holding a 2-1 lead after three innings, centerfielder Shane Victorino solved rookie Anibal Sanchez for a 1 out solo homer in the fourth inning to tie the game. In the sixth, after Sanchez walked 1st baseman Ryan Howard and leftfielder Pat Burrell, 3rd baseman Greg Dobbs stroked a 2 out single to leftfield off of Sanchez to drive in the winning run as the Phillies bullpen held off the Marlins for a 3-2 win on Saturday.
With Saturday’s win, the Phillies jumped back in first place by 1/2 game in the NL East as the Mets lost to the ragged 4th place Atlanta Braves. The 3rd place Marlins are now 5 1/2 games behind in the division. The 4th place Braves, who dropped to 19 behind, are long out of the running. Meanwhile, the Mets lead the Brewers by 2 1/2 games in NL Wildcard race. The Brewers were edged by the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.
The Phillies got on the board first in the third inning after Joe Blanton got through the 1st two innings allowing only 1 Marlin to reach, on a walk, while striking out the side in the first and retiring the side with a strikeout in the second. Blanton threw 37 pitches through the 1st two innings.
After catcher Carlos Ruiz reached on a on throwing error by 3rd baseman Jorge Cantu, pitcher Blanton sacrifice bunted but reached on a throwing error by pitcher Sanchez with Ruiz taking 3rd base on the error. 2nd baseman Chase Utley followed with a single to rightfield scoring Ruiz.
In the bottom of the third, Florida took the lead as shortstop Alfredo Amezaga and centerfielder Cameron Maybin both singled, with Blanton striking out his pitching opponent Sanchez in between. Catcher John Baker, hitting 2nd in the order, stroked a 1 out 2 run double to rightfield to give the Marlins a short-lived lead. Maybin, who you will recall was a red hot 4 for 5 on Friday and 9 for 11 in the span of 3 games in the lead-off spot since being called up from the minors, cooled measurably on Saturday going 1 for 5 for the game and striking out in the other 4 at bats.
The Phils then knotted the game in the fourth inning on Victorino’s
1 out solo homer on Sanchez’s 2nd pitch. The score remained deadlocked until Dobbs’ 2 out RBI single in the sixth and a 2-0 count on Carlos Ruiz chased Sanchez. Reliever Logan Kensing entered and finished walking Ruiz to load the bases. A game of strategy insued with Geoff Jenkins sent to pinch hit for Blanton followed by Kensing’s replacement by lefthanded reliever Mark Hendrickson followed by Jenkins being pinch hit for by Tadahito Iguchi. Iguchi flied out to left to end the inning.
From there, the Phils’ first team bullpen gave up 3 hits and walked 3 over the last four innings but kept the Marlins off of the board.
AP Sports Writer Steven Wine had these observations on the game for Yahoo sports;
Joe Blanton (3-0) struck out nine in five innings and left with a 3-2 lead. J.C. Romero struck out Maybin and Baker to strand two runners in the seventh. Ryan Madson escaped a two-on, no-out jam in the eighth.
Florida SS Hanley Ramirez (shoulder) missed his third game in a row and won’t rejoin the lineup until Monday at the earliest, the team said.
Closer Brad Lidge pitched the ninth walking 1 but striking out the side to earn his 39th save in 39 chances to preserve the win.
For all of the scores, boxscores and recaps on Saturday’s games, click here.
In Sunday’s final, veteran lefthander Jamie Moyer goes for a team high 15th win, and an important series win for the Phillies, against rookie Chris Volstad. Fortunately, the Phils will not face Marlins ace Ricky Nolasco who always seems to be tough on them. The Phillies head home on Monday to finish out the regular season with 3 games against the Atlanta Braves followed by 3 against the Washington Nationals. Important to note: the Mets are stuck with their last 7 games against dangerous teams; 4 games against the NL Central clinching Chicago Cubs and 3 vs the wild card contending Milwaukee Brewers as the NL East race reaches its climax.
For all of the scores, boxscores and recaps on Sunday’s games, click here.
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