Phillies Salvage Split Edging Brewers in Series Final
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Phillies starter Joe Blanton held Milwaukee to 1 run on 6 hits through five innings before being charged with 4 runs, on a 3 run homer and an RBI single, in the sixth. When Blanton left with a 6-4 lead, Clay Condrey came on to give up leftfielder Ryan Braun’s run-scoring single before lefthanded reliever Sergio Escalona came on to get the final out in the inning. Shortstop Jimmy Rollins solo homered leading off the game, centerfielder Shane Victorino had a 2 run single, 1st baseman Ryan Howard had a run-scoring double and 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz punched a 2 run single to cap the Phillies scoring off of Brewers’ starter Dave Bush and reliever Josh Butler. Chad Durbin and Ryan Madson finished off the Brewers with three innings of clutch scoreless relief to preserve Blanton’s 12th win. Madson was credited with his 9th save as the Phillies salvaged as series split by edging the Brewers by a 6-5 score in series final.
With the win, the Phils’ NL East division lead remained at 5 games over 2nd place Atlanta, who beat Washington, while their lead over 3rd place Florida, who lost to the Mets, increased to 7 1/2. The Phils’ magic number (any combination of Phillies’ wins and/or Braves losses) to clinch the division dropped to 3 games.
AP sports writer Chris Jenkins recaps the game for Yahoo sports:
Rollins hit his 21st home run of the season and Ryan Howard tied [Prince] Fielder for the major league RBI lead as the Phillies jumped on struggling Brewers starter Dave Bush (5-9) early.
Rollins hit his fifth leadoff homer of the season, Chase Utley tripled off the wall in center field with one out and Howard smacked a double, tying Fielder for the major league RBI lead with 137.
Bush, who has struggled since returning from the disabled list late last month, had more trouble in the second.
With the Brewers trailing 2-0 and runners on first and second, Blanton squared to lay down a sacrifice bunt—and Bush hit him in the thigh with a soft curveball, loading the bases with one out. Bush gave up a two-run double to Shane Victorino that put the Phillies up
4-0[4-1] .
Mike Cameron slammed leadoff second inning solo homer off of Blanton but the Phils added 5th and 6th runs in the fifth inning off of Bush and reliever Josh Butler on Feliz’s single. The 5th run was charged to Bush and the 6th to Butler who walked 4 in the inning. The Phils needed every one of those 6 runs as Blanton was not as sharp as he’s been in other recent outings.
AP’s Jenkins continues:
With Milwaukee trailing 6-1 in the sixth, Brewers pinch-hitter Mat Gamel hit a three-run homer off starter Joe Blanton. Ryan Braun added an RBI single off Clay Condrey to cut the lead to one, but the Brewers couldn’t get any closer in their final home game of a disappointing season.
It was an opportunity for redemption for Madson, who still was smarting from the decisive home run he gave up to the New York Mets’ David Wright on Sept. 12.
Madson got Braun to ground out in the ninth before giving up a double to Fielder. Pinch-hitter Felipe Lopez tapped a ball back to Madson for a groundout, and Fielder advanced to third. Cameron took a called third strike to end the game.
For the scores of all of Sunday’s games, click here.
On Monday, the Phils return home to finish out the regular season with 4 games against the Houston Astros and 3 against the NL East 3rd place Florida Marlins. In the Houston opener, lefthander Cole Hamels is scheduled to oppose former Phil Yorman Bazardo for the Astros.
For all of Monday’s games click here.
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