Braves Shut Down Ice-Cold Phillies Offense, Again
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Phillies starter Brett Myers had easily his best outing of 2009, and his best performance since his complete game last September 14th. He held Atlanta to 1 run on 5 hits and kept the ball in the park over six innings. But it was to no avail as he got no offensive support as 33 year old rookie Japanese pitcher Kenshin Kawakami and the Braves bullpen shut down an ice-cold Phillies offense by a 4-2 score on Sunday to take 2 of 3 games in the series.
The loss, coupled with the Mets win over Pittsburgh, puts the Phils 1 1/2 games behind the leaders in the NL East.
Myers pitched a gutty game after getting in trouble in the first inning. He pitched out of a none out, bases-loaded jam, only giving up a single run in the inning on a sacrifice fly. The Braves had runners on against Myers in every inning except the fifth when Myers went 3 up, down. But still in all, he left the game after 6 innings holding a 2-1 lead.
But the offense went ice-cold for the 2nd game in a row. Shortstop Jimmy Rollins, centerfielder Shane Victorino, 2nd baseman Chase Utley and leftfielder Raul Ibanez went a collective 0-17. Victorino, who had a 16 game hitting streak snapped, is now hitless in 14 plate appearances, only reaching once — on a fifth inning walk which made for a threat against Kawakami after Myers was walked to open the inning.
The Phils tied the Braves in the second inning as 1st baseman Ryan Howard led off with a double. He was driven in by 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz’s 1 out RBI single to left centerfield. The Phils had runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs but Kawakami got Myers on strikes to end the inning.
The Phils took a 2-1 lead as Howard led off the sixth with a double to rightfield. With 1 out, Matt Stairs, who got a rare start in rightfield and went 2-4, doubled driving in Howard. Stairs went to 3rd base on a wild pitch and catcher Carlos Ruiz walked to set up another threat, but Greg Dobbs, pinch hitting for Myers, grounded out to end the inning. Howard and Stairs carried the Phillies offense with 2 hits apiece, 4 of the team’s total of 6 hits.
Lefthanded reliever Jack Taschner was sent in to pitch the seventh inning and was reached for 2 Braves runs and closer Brad Lidge was touched for the Braves final run, on a walk and an RBI double in the ninth.
After pinch hitter Miguel Cairo led off the Phillies ninth with a single off of Rafael Soriano, pinch hitter Jayson Werth, Rollins and Victorino went down meekly to end the game. Soriano earned his 3rd save of the season.
Kawakami, who pitched six innings and gave up 2 runs on 5 hits while walking 4 and striking out six notched his 2nd win of 2009. Taschner was charged with the loss.
For all of the results of Sunday’s games, click here.
The Phillies have an off-day on Monday to shake loose some offensive cob-webs before entertaining the Manny Ramirez-less Dodgers for 3 games beginning on Tuesday.
Former Dodger Chan Ho Park goes in Tuesday’s opener opposed by lefthander Clayton Kershaw.
For all of Monday’s and Tuesday’s games, click here and here.
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