Cardinals Even Series, Beat Oswalt and Phillies on Freeze’s Homer and 4 RBIs
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The Phillies ripped St. Louis starter Edwin Jackson for 2 runs in the first inning on Jackson’s first 5 pitches on Wednesday before their bats went totally flat until the eighth inning. The Cards came back with a run against Roy Oswalt in their first on rightfielder Lance Berkman’s 2 out RBI double and took the lead on David Freese’s 1 out, 2 run RBI double in the fourth. Freese later broke the game open against Oswalt with a sixth inning 2 out, 2 run homer to centerfield. Meanwhile, Jackson cruised through the sixth inning as Phillies bats retreated into a shell with but 3 hitters reaching, 2 on singles and 1 via Jackson’s only walk. They went down in order in the seventh before threatening in the eighth against reliever Fernando Salas on singles by pinch hitter Ross Gload and 2nd baseman Chase Utley. The Phils 3rd and final run scored on a 1 out wild pitch by Salas. However Utley was stranded at 2nd base as rightfielder Hunter Pence grounded out and 1st baseman Ryan Howard went down on strikes swinging. The Phils went down in order meekly in the ninth as the Cardinals evened the series, beating Oswalt and Phillies by 5-3 on Freeze’s Homer and 4 RBIs.
In Wednesday’s only the other playoff game, the Arizona Diamondbacks tied up their series at 2 games apiece with the Milwaukee Brewers battering starter Randy Wolf early and often for 7 runs, including 3rd baseman Ryan Roberts’ 1st inning Grand Slam followed back-to-back by Chris Young’s solo dinger enroute to a 10-6 win.
The only bright spots for Phillies, once their offense ran dry, were 2 excellent one inning relief efforts; an 8 pitch seventh for Joe Blanton and a 10 pitch eighth inning, including a strikeout for Brad Lidge as the last 6 Cards went down in order.
Beyond that, there was little to cheer about as the Phils’ flatter than Israeli lafa offense couldn’t bail Oswalt out after his 2 mistakes, although the game was still reachably close, even after Freese’s dinger. AP’s game recap provides further notes on Wednesday’s game.
For all of Wednesday’s playoff results in both leagues, click here.
In Friday’s deciding game 5, ace Roy Halladay, who won game 1, is scheduled to oppose Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter.
For all of Thursday’s and Friday’s scheduled playoff games throughout MLB, click here and here.
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