Cubs Pound Moyer, Phillies as 2nd Half of Season Begins
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The Phillies got off on the wrong foot on Thursday to start the 2nd half of the 2010 season as the Chicago Cubs jumped all over 47 year old lefthander Jamie Moyer for 6 runs, including 2 homers, in 3 innings and then pounded reliever Jose Contreras for 5 more seventh inning runs. Trailing 12-2 in the ninth, the Phils managed 4 runs on RBI singles by centerfielder Shane Victorino and leftfielder Raul Ibanez and capped by 1st baseman Ryan Howard’s 2nd of 2 homers. But the rally fell way short as the Cubs pounded Moyer and the Phillies by a 12-6 score as the 2nd half of the season began.
With the loss, the Phillies dropped to 5 1/2 games behind NL East division-leading Atlanta who were edged by Milwaukee. The Phils remained 1/2 game behind the 2nd place Mets who were shut out by San Francisco.
This was yet another in a growing number of ugly Phillies losses this year. After having swept Cincinnati in 4 games just before All Star break, the only bright spot in this game and in the Phils offense was Howard’s 3 hits, 2 of them homers and 4 RBIS. The slugger is batting .298, is now up to 19 homers and leads the NL with 69 RBIs. But his 2nd homer, and 4 of the Phils 6 runs came in the ninth inning, at garbage time when the game was way outta control. Trailing 12-2 with 2 outs in the ninth, the Phils would have needed a monumental 10 run rally just to tie.
Moyer and Contreras were both pounded and the Phils offense failed to produce with 2 men on in both the sixth and seventh innings when, down 6-2, the game was still within reach.
Typical of the Phillies continued futility was how the Cubs scored the lead run in the second inning to go up by 3-2.
Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro swiped home on an abortive suicide squeeze attempt in the second inning.
With 1 out in the second, Castro hit a triple to centerfield over Victorino’s head. It appeared that Victorino might have a play, however he misjudged the ball taking a step in. With pitcher Ryan Dempster at the plate, an attempted suicide squeeze went awry as Dempster couldn’t get the bunt down. But in the missed bunt attmept, the ball eluded catcher Carlos Ruiz and Castro scampered in stealing home.
The AP game recap for Yahoo, for those with strong constitutions, notes this about Castro:
He became the first Cubs player to record a straight steal of home since April 13, 1996, when Brian McRae did it in the first inning at San Francisco. Castro finished the game 3 for 4, falling a home run short of the cycle.
After giving up Howard’s 2 out, 2 run shot in the first inning, Dempster cruised through the next 5 2/3 innings striking out 9, although walking 3 enroute to getting the win. He threw 103 pitches.
Reliever Danys Baez gave up a garbage run in the eighth on 4 hits, a walk while striking out 2. With 2 outs and sacks full, Ryan Madson came on to get a pop out to right centerfield to end the inning.
To view the scores of all of Thursday’s games, click here.
On Friday, Joe Blanton opposes lefthander Ted Lilly. On Saturday, Cole Hamels is opposed by Randy Wells.
To view the schedule of all of Friday’s and Saturday’s games, click here and here.
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