Utley, Stairs Power Phillies Past Rockies
|
|
|
|
|
Veteran Chan Ho Park lasted just 3 1/3 innings having been pounded by Colorado for 5 runs on 7 hits and throwing 96 pitches in the process. But the Phillies kept themselves in the game against Aaron Cook before rallying against the Rockies bullpen as 2nd baseman Chase Utley and pinchhitter Matt Stairs each hit 2 run homers to power the Phils past the Rockies by a 7-5 score on Sunday.
The AP recap for Yahoo sports recorded manager Charlie Manuel’s thoughts on Stairs’ game-winner;
“That’s a tough job to do, and he does it pretty good”… “Hitting a pinch-hit home run is pretty hard, especially when they know what kind of hitter he is.”
Phillies starter Park got into hot water early, after getting the 1st out in the first inning. Rightfielder Brian Hawpe doubled to drive in a run, 3rd baseman Garrett Atkins drove in Hawpe with a single. 2nd baseman Clint Barmes drove in 2 more with a single to shallow leftfield as the Rockies ran out to a quick first inning 4-0 lead.
1st baseman Ryan Howard and leftfielder Raul Ibanez got the Phils on the board off of Cook in the second inning as Howard doubled to leftfield and Ibanez singled him home.
But Colorado got the run back in its second inning at bat as centerfielder Dexter Fowler led off by reaching Park for a solo shot to rightfield for what was to be Colorado’s final run. From there, the Rockies offense went into deep-freeze.
One out into the fourth inning, Park had thrown 96 pitches and was replaced by Chad Durbin who gave up a hit and a walk in 2 shutout innings. Durbin was replaced by lefthander Scott Eyre who shutdown the Rockies to close out the fifth inning. Meanwhile, rightfielder Jayson Werth reached Cook in the fourth stroking an RBI single to tack a 2nd Phillies run on the board. 5-2 Rockies.
Werth followed with another RBI single off of Cook in the sixth as the Phils drew closer. Cook was pinch-hit for in the Colorado sixth with the Rockies holding a 2 run lead and after a quality outing throwing 87 pitches and giving up 3 runs on 7 hits. Two relievers combined to put the Phils down in the seventh allowing only 1 hit. Reliever Clay Condrey went clean on the Rockies in the 7th — 3 up, 3 down.
The Rockies put reliever Manny Corpas in the game to pitch the eighth inning and centerfielder Shane Victorino greeted him with a leadoff single to centerfield. Utley followed immediately after with his 2 run, game-tying homer. Ryan Howard followed by slugging a long single to deep centerfield. Still no one out.
But then Corpas got real lucky to get out of the inning without further damage. He got Werth to ground into a fielder’s choice with Howard being out at 2nd. Then Werth was thrown out at 2nd by catcher Chris Iannetta on an attempted steal with leftfielder Raul Ibanez striking out swinging.
Ryan Madson was sent out to pitch the eighth and again, it was 3 up, 3 down for Colorado. Condrey and Madson recorded a strikeout each.
The Rockies sent Huston Street in to pitch the ninth and 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz greeted him with a double to leftfield. Catcher Chris Coste advanced Feliz to 3rd base on a sacrifice. Matt Stairs was then sent in for Madson and pounded Street for a game-winning pinch-2 run homer to right-centerfield.
Closer Brad Lidge closed out the Rockies for his 2nd save of the season, although he gave up a single and a walk before grounding out shortstop Troy Tulowitzki to end the game.
The AP recap also caught Tulowitzki’s thoughts on Lidge after the game:
“Once you get to two strikes, it’s tough with that slider that he has,” Tulowitzki said. “There’s a reason why he didn’t blow one last year.”
Ryan Madson was credited with the win for his perfect eighth inning. Street, who gave up Matt Stairs’ pinch-homer, was charged with the loss.
For all of the results of Sunday’s games, click here.
The Phils now head to Washington for the Nationals’ home opener and to begin a 3 game set on Monday, with a rest day in-between on Tuesday. Ageless veteran lefthander Jamie Moyer looks to even his slate as he opposes Daniel Cabrera in Monday’s series opener.
Manager Manuel announced after Sunday’s game that ace lefthander Cole Hamels will make his regular start Wednesday at Washington.
For all of Monday’s games, click here.
del.icio.us |
digg |
Furl |
Reddit |
YahooMyWeb |