Victorino’s 9th Inning Slam Pushes Phillies Past Marlins
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Florida Marlins 2nd baseman Dan Uggla connected for a 2 out, 3 run first inning homer off of Brett Myers. But despite 5 more Myers walks and 4 more hits, the Marlins failed to score as Myers kept the Phillies in the game through 6 innings. Relievers Clay Condrey and Ryan Madson shut the Marlins the rest of the way as the Phils broke a 2-run-for-26 inning drought with a 7 run ninth inning, featuring a 2 out Grand Slam by centerfielder Shane Victorino immediately followed by 2nd baseman Chase Utley’s solo shot as the Phils passed the Marlins by a 7-3 score on Friday.
For Myers, it was a very shaky 119 pitch 6 inning performance although he managed to keep the Marlins off of the board after the first inning. In the process, he helped his own cause by picking the Marlin’s leadoff hitter off of 1st base after a walk to open the game and benefited from catcher Lou Marson gunning out Marlin shortstop Hanley Ramirez attempting to steal 3rd base amidst a fifth inning threat, as well as by coaxing a sixth inning-ending doubleplay grounder.
Once again, Phillies hitters could do nothing with an opposing starter as lefthander Josh Johnson pitched seven shutout innings, giving up only 3 hits while walking 2 and striking out 8. In fact, for the game, of the Phillies positional starters, only Victorino and Myers evaded striking out at least once — Utley and 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz went down on strikes twice.
Reliever Leo Nunez replaced Johnson and pitched a clean 9 pitch eighth inning striking out 2 Phillies.
Things looked pretty bleak for the Phils as closer Matt Lindstrom retired 1st baseman Ryan Howard on a ground out leading off the Phils’ ninth. AP sports writer Steven Wine’s recap describes what happened next for Yahoo sports:
Jayson Werth doubled with one out, and after a walk, [Matt] Stairs singled. Lou Marson walked to load the bases, and after a strikeout, Jimmy Rollins walked to force in a run.
Lindstrom went to 1-1 on Victorino, then backed him off the plate with an inside fastball.
“I said, ‘OK, let me not get hit in my ribs, but somewhere else,”’ Victorino said. “I’m just trying to get a hit, walk, whatever.”
The next pitch was another fastball, and when Victorino pulled it into the right field stands, Lindstrom (1-1) was showered with boos. They grew louder five pitches later when Chase Utley also homered.
Lindstrom, who became the Marlins’ closer in September, gave up four hits and three walks in two-thirds of an inning and blew a save for the second time in five chances. His ERA rose from 1.50 to 9.45.
Condrey, who pitched the seventh and eighth innings only surrendering a single walk, was credited with his 3rd win of the new season while lowering his ERA to 1.86 for 9 2/3 innings in 10 games thus far. Lindstrom was charged with the loss.
The latest reports about lefthander Cole Hamels by both MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki and AP’s report for Yahoo sports both indicate that Hamels showed no ill-effects as of Friday from the hit he took in back of his left shoulder by a Prince Fielder line drive. However, there is no specific report on his scheduled Friday “long-throwing.” Hamels is scheduled for a bullpen workout before Saturday’s game.
The AP report notes:
“Cole says he feels good,” Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel said before Friday’s game at Florida. “He says he doesn’t have any soreness. He said he thought he might be sore and he’s not. Right now he’s in his regular turn.”
Hamels is expected to throw on the side Saturday and then start Tuesday against Washington.
For all of the results of Friday’s games, click here.
The Phillies hope for more offensive consistency and scoring in the 2 remaining games in their weekend series against the Marlins. They return home on Monday to entertain the Washington Nationals for 3 games followed by a day off on Thursday before entertaining the NY Mets in an early season 3 game weekend showdown series on May 1-3.
On Saturday, Chan Ho Park is matched against Chris Volstad, also 2-0 and also with a sub-3 2.76 ERA. In Sunday’s get-away game, veteran lefthander Jamie Moyer faces 25 year old Anibal Sanchez.
For all of Saturday’s and Sunday’s games, click here and here.
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