Normally reliable Phillies reliever Ryan Madson took the ball and a 3-2 lead over the Toronto Blue Jays into the ninth inning.  But 2 singles followed by 2 walks, the 1st intentionally, tied the game as Madson was charged with a blown save.  This following a six inning, 2 run performance by ace Cole Hamels and shutout innings by relievers Chad Durbin and J.C. Romero.  Having tied the game in the ninth, former Phillie Scott Rolen’s RBI single to rightfield off of reliever Clay Condrey drove in the winning run as Rolen and Toronto pounded the Phillies bullpen in the tenth inning to notch an 8-3 win in their opener on Tuesday night.

With the loss, the Phillies dropped a game off of their NL East division lead over the Mets who defeated the Baltimore Orioles by a 6-4 score.

Hamels didn’t have good luck in this one running into jams in the second, fourth and sixth innings as the Blue Jays reached him for 2 runs in the fourth and a 2-1 lead on leftfielder Adam Lind’s 1 out solo homer to rightfield and 1st baseman Kevin Millar’s RBI double to leftfield. 

The Phillies took an early 1-0 lead on lefthander Ricky Romero in the first inning as shortstop Jimmy Rollins opened with a double to leftfield and 2nd baseman Chase Utley followed with an RBI single to centerfield.  Utley advanced to 2nd base on the relay attempt as Rollins scored.  The Phils could have had more as rightfielder  Jayson Werth grounded to shortstop as Utley took 3rd base with 1 out.  But both 1st baseman Ryan Howard and leftfielder Raul Ibanez fanned to end the inning.  The duo struck out a total of 6 times as a total of 10 Phillies went down on strikes in the game.

Hamels worked out of the other 2 jams but saw his pitch count explode in the process resulting in his being lifted after six innings having thrown 110 pitches while allowing 2 runs on 7 hits, walking 2 and striking out 7.

Toronto’s Romero had little trouble after the first until the sixth allowing only 2 Phillies to reach between the second and fifth innings and retiring 6 Phillies in a row from the fourth through fifth innings, the last 3 on strikes.  But Utley led off the sixth inning by walking and stealing 2nd base.  Werth then pounded a 2 run homer to left centerfield giving the Phils a 3-2 lead.  Werth’s shot was the Phillies’ NL-leading 91st round-tripper of the season.  But then Howard and Ibanez again fanned.  Centerfielder Shane Victorino singled to center but 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz flied out to end the inning.   The Phils could muster no further offense against either Romero or 5 Blue Jay relievers.  Only 4 Phillies reached after the sixth offense went into hybernation for the duration of the game.

Romero went seven full innings throwing 109 pitches and giving up 3 runs on 7 hits while walking 2 and striking out 9. 

Durbin took over for Hamels to open the seventh and got the side out striking out 2 Blue Jays.  Lefthander J.C. Romero pitched the eighth walking himself into a bases loaded 1 out jam.  He emerged unscathed getting a fly out and a fielder’s choice grounder to evade damage.

Madson took over in the ninth with the Phils holding a 3-2 lead.  But 2 singles and an intentional walk loaded the sacks with none out.  After striking out rightfielder Alex Rios for the 1st out, Madson walked late game Toronto replacement at 1st base Lyle Overbay on 6 pitches to force in the tying run.  Madson then got a pop-out and a strikeout to end the inning. 

After winning pitcher Scott Downs went clean on the Phillies on 12 pitches in the ninth inning,  Condrey took the ball in the tenth and was charged with the loss.  The AP recap for Yahoo sports describes Toronto’s winning tenth inning:

With one out in the 10th, Aaron Hill and Vernon Wells had consecutive singles, setting up Rolen’s RBI hit against Clay Condrey (4-2).

“I was just trying to have a good at-bat,” Rolen said. “I felt like I was seeing the ball well.”

Condrey surrendered three hits and five earned runs in one-third of an inning.

After Condrey walked Alex Rios with the bases full for the 5th Toronto run, recent call-up reliever Taylor Walker replaced Condrey and got Overbay on a sacrifice fly which scored a run and gave up a 2 run single to former Phillies catcher Rod Barajas (ugh!) to cap Toronto’s scoring.

Toronto sent in reliever Jesse Carlson to pitch the Phillies tenth and Utley led off with a single to rightfield taking 2nd base on fielder’s indifference.  But then the next 3 Phillies went out with nary a wimper to end an ugly, ugly offensively absent extra-inning game.

For all of the scores of Monday’s and Tuesday’s games, click here and  here.

The Phillies try to even up the series at a game apiece as veteran 46 year old lefthander Jamie Moyer is opposed by 30 year old 2nd year starter  Scott Richmond for Toronto.  Moyer comes into this outing having given up a total of 6 runs in his last 3 outings.  That’s 6 runs in nineteen innings and only 1 homer in that span.

For all of Wednesday’s games, click here.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 5:16 am and is filed under Real-Time Baseball News and Commentary
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