Rockies Edge Phillies in Ten Innings on Walk-off Homer
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Phillies ace Roy Halladay had what was for him a slightly off-game on Wednesday. Halladay pitched through jams for six innings allowing only 1 first inning run as the Phils notched a run in the fourth and 2 more in the fifth off of Colorado starter Aaron Cook. Halladay took a 3-1 lead into the seventh but didn’t escape as rightfielder Brad Hawpe slammed a 1 out double which scored 2 runs along with his first inning sacrifice fly RBI. Hawpe’s hit chased Halladay who had thrown 122 pitches. The game remained tied at 3-3 until Rockies catcher Miguel Olivo, who went 5 for 5 for the game, led off the tenth inning by slamming reliever Chad Durban’s first pitch out to leftfield to end it. The 2nd game of the foul weather-created doubleheader was again rained and snowed out as the Rockies edged the Phillies in ten Innings on Olivo’s walk-off homer.
With the loss, the Phillies NL East lead over 2nd place Washington dropped to 1 1/2 games while the Mets remained 2 1/2 games back having dropped their game to the Nationals.
There has been no make-up date announced for 2nd game of the doubleheader. This was the only scheduled trip that the Phils make to Denver this season.
Olivo jumped on a hanging breaking ball from Durbin to end the game, climaxing the catcher’s perfect offensive 5 for 5 game which followed a 2 for 28 slump.
AP sports writer Arnie Stapleton recaps the game for Yahoo:
Olivo’s second career five-hit game included three hits off Phillies ace Roy Halladay.
“Not many people do that to Halladay,” Olivo said. “He’s the greatest pitcher in the big leagues. But sometimes people make mistakes and you hit them.”
Halladay took a 3-1 lead into the seventh in his quest for his seventh win, but the Colorado native wound up with a no-decision after Brad Hawpe’s tying, two-run triple.
Halladay surrendered three runs, two of them earned, on 10 hits in 6 1-3 innings.
“He was having trouble gripping the ball,” Manuel said. “The ball was taking off on him. He was battling, but it was cold. Their pitcher might have had the same problem.”
Aaron Cook allowed three runs on eight hits in six innings.
Halladay refused to blame the wintry weather for his troubles: “It really wasn’t that bad. It was dry,” he said.
In the fourth, Rockies second baseman Melvin Mora (right leg) and Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz (right knee) were knocked out of the game on the same, strange play.
Ruiz, who had twisted his right knee on a play at the plate in the first inning when Carlos Gonzalez scored on a sacrifice fly to left, hit a groundball to third base, where [Ian] Stewart stepped on the bag and threw to second base. Mora stretched awkwardly to his right to catch the throw and was unable to pivot and throw to first for a possible triple play.
Ruiz wasn’t taking any chances at ignominy and raced down the line. He was replaced by pinch-runner Paul Hoover once he reached third base following a double by the next hitter, Wilson Valdez.
The Phillies said he was day-to-day.
Ruiz said he probably could have scored on Valdez’s double if he wasn’t hobbled. He said he didn’t think the injury was serious and predicted he’d be back in the lineup quickly.
The Rockies said Mora strained a gluteal muscle in his right leg on the play and is day-to-day.
Once Cook left after six innings having thrown 86 pitches, the Rockies bullpen scattered 3 Phillies hits the rest of the way. Lefthanded reliever Joe Beimel was credited with the win having gotten the last out in the ninth and setting the Phils down in the tenth.
Danys Baez had a challenging eighth inning walking 1 and giving up a hit before eluding trouble. Durbin issued a walk while retiring the side uneventfully in the ninth. But he was charged with his 1st loss of the season after Olivo hammered his 1st pitch in the tenth to end it.
To view the scores of all of Wednesday’s MLB games, click here.
From Colorado, the Phils have Thursday off before heading to Milwaukee for a 3 game weekend series before heading back to Citizen’s Bank Park for a 7 game homestand.
Joe Blanton is scheduled to oppose lefthander and former Phil Randy Wolf in Friday’s series opener. Saturday’s game stacks up at present as a battle of lefthanders as Cole Hamels is opposed by Chris Narveson. But the listing of Phillies starters is subject to possible change as the team has not as yet announced how Thursday’s 2nd game postponement might impact on the starting rotation.
To view all of Thursday’s, Friday’s and Saturday’s games, click here, here and here.
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