Phillies Edge Reds on Victorino’s Walk-off Single
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Rodrigo Lopez and Homer Bailey dueled on Wednesday until Lopez left after five innings with possible right shoulder inflammation and reduced velocity. The Phillies wiped out a 2-0 Cincinnati lead with single runs in the fourth and sixth innings. Then both bullpens dueled into the ninth as Ryan Madson retired all 6 Reds hitters that he faced. The Phils put runners on 1st and 2nd base on a ninth inning leadoff single by 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz and a 2 out walk to shortstop Jimmy Rollins. Centerfielder Shane Victorino took a 2 ball, 1 strike count before the Phillies edged the Reds by 3-2 on his walk-off single.
With the win, the Phils remained 2 games up in the NL East divsion race over Florida Marlins who shut out San Francisco. Both Atlanta and the Mets also won their games to remain 4 and 4/12 games back respectively.
The Phils scored single runs in the fourth and sixth innings on 23 year old Homer Bailey with Victorino getting a fourth inning lead off infield single, stealing 2nd base and taking 3rd base on 2nd baseman Chase Utley’s fly out to rightfield. Ryan Howard then stroked an RBI single to leftfield to put the Phils on the board. The Phils could have had more in the inning as leftfielder Greg Dobbs singled putting runners at 1st and 2nd base with 2 outs. But 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz flied out to centerfield to end the inning. Rightfielder Jayson Werth tied the game in the sixth inning on a 2 out solo homer off of Bailey. it was Werth’s his 19th dinger of the season.
Once again, the Phils suffered from a dearth of scoring leaving little left over from the series opening 22-1 pasting of the Reds.
They threatened in the eighth inning as reliever Arthur Rhodes sandwiched 2 walks, including an intentional one to Werth, in-between 2 strikeouts before being pulled. David Weathers replaced Rhodes and went to a full count before retiring pinch hitter John Mayberry Jr. on strikes to end the inning.
Pedro Feliz opened the ninth by singling to leftfield on Weathers.
After catcher Paul Bako bunt popped out to pitcher and Eric Bruntlett pinch hit for Madson flying out to right for the 2nd out, Weathers then walked shortstop Jimmy Rollins which brought up Victorino with 2 on, 2 out. The Flyin’ Hawaiian, eager to solidify his pick as the final All Star, laced a 2-1 pitch for a single to left centerfield as Rollins scampered home with the winning run. Victorino went 2 for 4 for the game with a walk and the winning RBI.
Starter Lopez was solid for five innings despite the shoulder discomfort which began in the fifth. His only troublesome inning was the fourth when Cincinnati loaded the bases with none out on 2 singles and a walk, the only one he issued in the game. Leftfielder Laynce Nix singled in 1 run as the sacks remained loaded. Catcher Ramon Hernandez sacrificed in the 2nd run by flying out to rightfield. With runners on 2nd and 2rd base with 1 out, the Reds could have scvored more. But Lopez was able to induce rightfielder Jay Bruce into a full-count grounder to 2nd base where Chase Utley tagged Nix on the way to 2nd and fired onto 1st baseman Ryan Howard to get Bruce to complete the doubleplay. Despite right arm tightness which apparently became evident in the fifth inning and which decreased velocity on his fastball to 82 mph, Lopez went clean on 5 pitches in the inning before retiring.
Phillies Nation’s Amanda Orr provides more info on Lopez’s discomfort and early exit:
“Like when the muscles are really, really tired, where it starts to bother you — that’s the way I felt,” he said.
Feeling “uncomfortable” Lopez wanted to play it safe and avoid a long term injury. After the game, Lopez said he felt better and no tests have been scheduled at this time.
MLB.com reporter David Gurian-Peck provides Lopez’s reactions to the discomfort:
“So far, I don’t think it’s something bad,” said Lopez, who threw 69 pitches and allowed two runs on five hits before being removed. “Good thing for me now that the [All-Star] break is coming. It’s going to give me a little more time.”
Lopez’s previous experience [the injury necessitating Tommy John Surgery] helped him decide to report his injury to manager Charlie Manuel.
“I was smart,” Lopez said. “I just don’t want to make it worse and put my career in jeopardy.”
Lopez walked only 1 while striking out 4 and hitting the corners throughout his five inning stint. Reliever Chad Durbin went 1 2/3 innings while striking out 3 and giving up only 1 hit. J.C. Romero registered a strikeout, the final out in the seventh inning. Madson followed putting the lights out on the Reds in the eighth and ninth to gain his 3rd win of the season.
Bailey pitched well but was also victimized by lack of run support. His line was 2 runs, 7 hits, no walks and 6 strikeouts. Weathers, who was credited with the win in game 2, absorbed the loss in this one having given up the Phillies winning run in the ninth inning.
In related news on leftfielder Raul Ibanez and reliever Clay Condrey, MLB.com’s David Gurian-Peck reports on the status of both:
Raul Ibanez, who has made two rehab starts as he recovers from a strained left groin, is progressing well and remains on track to rejoin the Phillies this weekend.
“Right now, he’s fine and kind of improving every day,” general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said.
Amaro was unsure whether Condrey would be ready immediately following the All-Star break. Philadelphia resumes its season July 16 at Florida.
“He’ll probably need three to four outings,” Amaro said. “He’ll have been out a little while.”
For the scores of all of Wednesday’s games, click here.
The Phillies hope to take 3 of 4 from the Reds as Thursday’s series final pits ageless veteran lefthander Jamie Moyer, coming off of solid performances in 2 of his last 3 starts, opposes Micah Owings for the Reds.
For all of Thursday’s games, click here.
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