3 Phillies Homers Nail Down Series Split With Dodgers
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Phillies lefthander Antonio Bastardo kept the Dodgers mostly at bay retiring 9 of the first 11 Los Angeles hitters he faced in his 2nd start since his call-up from the minors. Former Phillie lefthander Randy Wolf gave up 3 Phillie runs. But when the Dodgers got close at 3-2 in the sixth inning, the Phillies called out the heavy lumber on Wolf and 24 year old reliever Travis Schlichting in his debut appearance. 3 Phillies homers nailed down a series split with Dodgers winning the final by a 7-2 score on Sunday.
The Phillies retained their 3 game 1st place lead over the Mets in the NL East although the Mets rebounded from their Saturday humbling to shut out the Washington Nationals.
Bastardo, coming off of an excellent debut, retired the first 6 Dodgers he faced before walking shortstop Rafael Furcal on 5 pitches to open the third inning. Bastardo gave up 7 hits into the sixth inning, 6 of them singles and evaded difficulty in the third and fourth (at the cost of 1 run) before finding himself in a 1st and 3rd, none out situation in the sixth.
Reliever Chan Ho Park bailed Bastardo out of the jam at the cost of only a run-scoring doubleplay. Park went on to post a fine relief effort pitching through the eighth inning allowing only 2 Dodgers to reach, both in the seventh on leftfielder Juan Pierre’s double and a hit batsman.
Bastardo threw 107 pitches in going into the sixth. He gave up 2 runs on 7 hits while walking 1, striking out 4 and keeping the ball in the park to record his 2nd win in as many outings.
Meanwhile, the Phils took a second inning 1-0 lead against Wolf on 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz’s RBI sacrifice fly to centerfield. The Dodgers tied the score at 1-1 in the fourth getting 2 singles and the run scoring on centerfielder Matt Kemp’s RBI single to left centerfield. But Bastardo worked out the 1 out, runners-at-the-corners jam putting the Dodgers down on a pop out and a fielder’s choice grounder.
The Phils went out to a 3-1 lead in the fifth as catcher Carlos Ruiz and centerfielder Shane Victorino, again batting in the leadoff spot, each had RBI singles. The Phils could have had more in the fifth. With runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out, Wolf struck out 2nd baseman Chase Utley, who took an 0 for 4 collar only walking once, and retired Jayson Werth on a fly to centerfield.
After the Dodgers narrowed the score to 3-2 in the sixth inning, the Phils at long last decided to bring out the heavy artillery.
Feliz singled off of Wolf to open the seventh and Ruiz followed lining a 1 strike pitch out to leftfield — 5-2 Phillies. ! out later, Victorino slammed a 2 ball Wolf offering out to leftfield for the 6th run as Wolf was lifted for lefthanded reliever Brent Leach. Leach then retired Utley on a liner to 1st base and Werth on a grounder to 3rd base.
Losing pitcher Wolf threw 101 pitches in 6 1/3 innings giving up 6 runs on 8 hits while walking 1, striking out 4 and coughing up 3 Philies round-trippers.
Schlichting, in his MLB debut relief effort, came on to pitch the eighth and 1st baseman Ryan Howard greeted in with a leadoff homer, his 17th dinger of the seson to cap the Phillies scoring.
Reliever Ryan Madson finished off the Dodgers in the ninth getting 2 strikeouts.
Carlos Ruiz and Shane Victorino each had 2 hits apiece as the “Flyin’ Hawaiian” drove in 2 runs and Ruiz drove in 3.
For all of the scores of Sunday’s and Monday’s games, click here and here.
The Phillies have Monday off before beginning a 3 game series in New York against the Mets on Tuesday. The series opens with a battle of lefthanders as undefeated J.A. Happ faces Mets ace Johan Santana.
For all of Tuesday’s games, click here.
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