Howard, Ibanez Lead Phillies Past Nationals
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Veteran lefthander Jamie Moyer kept the Phillies in the game through 6 innings. 1st baseman Ryan Howard’s 3 run homer, leftfielder Raul Ibanez’s solo shot, both in the seventh inning and centerfielder Shane Victorino’s RBI sacrifice fly in the eighth, all off of Washington’s bullpen, gave the Phils a wide enough margin to withstand a ninth inning 2 run homer by 3rd baseman Ryan Zimmerman and to nip Nationals by a 9-8 score in a slugfest on Monday.
Shortly before the game, it was announced that 38 year veteran sports announcer Harry Kalas had collapsed and died in the broadcast booth. The loss of Kalas leaves a huge void in Phillies game broadcasting. His tenure featured many of the greatest highlights of Phils franchise history. He’ll be sorely missed. A separate blog post will cover Kalas’ career with the Phillies.
Moyer had a quality outing where he kept the Phils in the game until the offense uncorked for 4 runs against the Nationals bullpen in the 7th inning and added an all-important insurance run in the eighth which was the margin of victory in the end. The veteran who led the World Champs with a 16-7 mark in 2008 gave up 4 runs on 8 hits while walking 2 and striking out 5 in six innings. He threw 102 pitches and coughed up a solo homer in the fifth.
Shortstop Cristian Guzman led the Nationals with a perfect 5 for 5 for the game with 2 RBIs, both coming against Moyer on second and fourth inning singles. Guzman was also credited with stealing 2nd base in the first inning. Rightfielder Elijah Dukes notched Moyer for a 1 out solo homer in the fifth after doubling home the Nationals’ 1st run in the the first inning.
Washington starter Daniel Cabrera issued a bases loaded walk to catcher Chris Coste in the second inning for the Phillies’ 1st run and Moyer followed by helping his own cause with a sacrifice fly giving the Phils a short-lived 2-1 lead. Guzman knotted the score in the Nationals’ second with his 1st RBI single.
The Phils scored a run each in the third and fourth innings taking the lead against Cabrera on Victorino’s solo homer and shortstop Jimmy Rollins’ RBI double to rightfield. But Dukes knotted the score again in the fifth with his solo homer. Of the 4 runs allowed by Cabrera, only 1 was earned as the Nationals didn’t support him well in the field committing 3 errors.
With both starters out of the game, the Phillies pounded reliever Saul Rivera for 4 runs in the seventh on Howard’s 3 run dinger and Ibanez’s solo shot to take an 8-4 lead. Howard’s homer was his 1st of the 2009 season. He has 7 RBIs thus far.
But the margin of victory turned out to be Victorino’s eighth inning sacrifice fly as leftfielder Adam Dunn plastered reliever Clay Condrey for a 1 out 2 run shot to centerfield in the seventh and Zimmmerman followed a leadoff single by Guzman in the ninth by blistering a pitch from closer Brad Lidge as Washington closed to 9-8 with none out.
Lidge held his cool and struck out Dunn and Dukes swinging and got 1st baseman Nick Johnson to ground out to end it and pick up his 3rd save of the young season. The save marked Lidge’s 47th consecutive regular season converted chance dating back to his last season with Houston.
Moyer was credited with the win knotting his record at 1-1 while reliever Saul Rivera, who surrendered 4 runs on 2 homers in the seventh, was charged with the loss. The Phils have now won 3 straight games.
For all of the results of Monday’s games, click here.
The Phils have Tuesday off and manager Manuel announced after Sunday’s game that ace lefthander Cole Hamels will make his regular start Wednesday against the Nationals. However, in a subsequent Philly.com report, pitching coach Rich Dubee indicates that Hamels will be get the starting call on Thursday, not Wednesday. Therefore, it looks as though Joe Blanton will get the ball on Wednesday. Subject to change, of course, Blanton will be opposed by 22 year old Shairon Martis.
For all of Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s games, click here and here.
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