Happ’s Pitching, Feliz’s Slam Lift Phillies to Sweep of Pirates
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1st baseman Ryan Howard drove in the Phillies’ 1st run a sacrifice fly to centerfield and 2 hitters later, 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz staked young lefthander J.A. Happ to a 5-0 lead in the first inning pounding grand slam, the 6th slam of his career off of Pittsburgh starter Virgil Vasquez on Sunday. Happ nursed the lead well as only 4 Bucs reached through five innings. The Pirates scored their only run off of Happ in the sixth on a double and single. When Happ left after seven innings, Ryan Madson gave up a double and single but no runs in the eighth and J.C. Romero nailed down the game in the ninth despite giving up a solo homer to leftfielder Garrett Jones. Happ’s pitching and Feliz’s slam lifted the Phillies to a sweep of Pirates winning the final by a 5-2 score.
With the win, the Phillies’ 9th in 10 games, they remained ahead of the pack in the NL East by 4 games over Florida who also won on Sunday. Third place Atlanta dropped to 6 games behind by blowing a 7-3 lead and losing to Colorado while the Mets stayed 6 1/2 games behind in 4th place by beating Cincinnati.
The AP recap describes Sunday’s game for Yahoo sports:
Jimmy Rollins began the game with a walk, his 10th of the homestand, and Shane Victorino and Chase Utley followed with singles off Vazquez (1-3).
Ryan Howard plated the first run with a sacrifice fly to deep center. Three batters later, Feliz sent Vazquez’s pitch into first few rows in left field. Philadelphia chased the right-hander, who was making his fourth major-league start, after Rollins and Victorino reached again with one out in the second.
Pittsburgh’s first run came in the sixth inning. Rookie-of-the-Year candidate Andrew McCutchen singled and scored on All-Star Freddy Sanchez’s double.
The Pirates hit into three double plays, including the seventh, when McCutchen fell for a fake by Rollins and Utley on a fly to right, and was doubled off first base.
Garrett Jones led off the ninth with his fifth home run, third in three games.
Solid pitching and a resurgent offense has contributed to Philadelphia’s best homestand since May 31-June 12, 2005, when they went 12-1. The Phillies (48-38) enter the All-Star break and a comfortable lead over the second-place Marlins.
At the break last year, Philadelphia was 52-44 and a half game ahead of the New York Mets.
The Phillies cavalcade of All-Stars received rousing applause before Sunday’s game. Philadelphia sends Howard, Utley, Jayson Werth, Shane Victorino and Raul Ibanez, plus manager Charlie Manuel and his entire coaching staff.
Vasquez lasted but 1 1/3 innings throwing 48 pitches in that span in absorbing his 3rd loss. He gave up 5 runs on 4 hits, including Feliz’s slam, while walking 3 and striking out 1.
Happ, who is still undefeated at 6-0 and should have been worthy of All-Star consideration, and for sure ought to figure in the race for rookie-of-the-year honors, was again brilliant in once again going deep pitching seven full innings, throwing 103 pitches and giving up 1 run on 4 hits while walking 2 and striking out 4. I sincerely hope that he gets through the season in Phillies pin-stripes and does not end up in Toronto in a deal for Roy Halladay. Given the choice, I’d sooner see lefthander Antonio Bastardo, Carlos Carrasco or Kyle Kendrick up north if the Phils would deal for Halladay. Happ has made himself too darn valuable to this club. Further, the Phils would surely pay a dear financial price down the short road for Halladay’s high price-tag should they make such a trade for him now.
With the completion of Sunday’s games, MLB takes its annual All-Star game break with the game taking place on Tuesday. After the break, the Phils head south for 4 very big games in Florida against the 2nd place Marlins.
For the scores of all of Sunday’s games, click here.
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