Phillies starter Pedro Martinez retired the Yankees in order on 11 pitches in the first inning of Wednesday’s game 6.  But the ‘Bombers’, or rather DH  Hideki Matsui unloaded on him for 2 runs each in the second and third innings and 6 RBIs for the game.  With the score 2-0 after two, Phils got a run back in the third inning and 1st baseman Ryan Howard pounded a 2 run sixth inning homer after striking out a World Series record 13 times but the Phillies fell short in game 6 and the Yankees won their 27th World Series crown.

Martinez walked 3rd baseman Alex Rodriguez on 4 pitches to open the second inning before DH Hideki Matsui followed working Pedro for a 7 pitch full-count before bashing a 2 run shot. 

The Phils got one back in their half of the second on a triple by catcher  Carlos Ruiz and an RBI sacrifice fly by shortstop Jimmy Rollins before the Yanks took control of the game on Martinez and the Phils in the third on a single, a walk, a hit batsmen — culminating in Matsui’s 2 out, bases loaded 2 run single which ultimately put the game out of reach for the Phils. 

Starter Andy Pettitte, while credited with his 2nd win of the series, was less than sharp over 5 2/3 innings walking 5, throwing a wild pitch and suffering a passed ball, but the Phils repeatedly failed to capitalize.  When Chad Durbin took over for Martinez in the fifth, the Yanks scored 3 more runs, 2 of them on Matsui’s RBI single.  For Matsui, it was his 5th and 6th RBIs of the game — tying a World Series record and earning him the World Series MVP award. 

The Phillies fell short in game 6 losing the series.  But they can hold their heads high in what they achieved in 2009; Winning the NL East for the 3rd straight season, winning the NL Pennant and going to the World Series for the 2nd straight year after winning it all in 2008.  They were rarely out of ballgames with their own Murderer’s Row Big Boppers and came from behind some 43 times during the regular season.  They won the 2009 NL East and NL Pennant with a largely inconsistent starting rotation, other than rookie lefthander J.A. Happ and late-season acquisition Cliff Lee, and an erratic closer. 

Happ and 3 other relievers worked the remaining 3 2/3 innings and kept the Yanks at bay only giving up 3 hits, while walking 2 and striking out 6.

The Phillies, down 7-1 in the sixth, finally got a 2009 World Series homer from Ryan Howard after he set an all-time series record in futility with 13 strikeouts.

3 Yankee relievers held off the Phillies through the final 3 1/3 innings with future Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera giving up an eighth inning 2 out double to leftfielder Raul Ibanez and issuing a 1 out ninth inning to Ruiz before putting the Phillies away on a fly out and a ground out.

And so, tearfully, its always difficult to write as a season, as the 2009 season draws to a close.  The playing-field action is over, but as after the close of play each year, prepare for the maneuvers, machinations, negotiations and more as the teams prepare for 2010.  For now, this is a sign-off as I prepare to rest and tackle other projects between now and winter meetings, free agency, arbitration and the opening of spring training preparatory to the 2010 season.

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Phillies ace lefthander Cliff Lee pitched seven solid innings while Yankee starter A.J. Burnett was chased with none out in the third inning as the Phils piled up 6-1 and later 8-2 leads. 2nd baseman Chase Utley had another multi-homer series game driving in 4 runs and leftfielder Raul Ibanez doubled and solo homered.  The Yankees chased Lee with 3 runs in the eighth with the big blow being 3rd baseman Alex Rodriguez’s 2 run double.  But Phillies relievers Chan Ho Park and Ryan Madson, despite ninth inning travails, made the deficit too much for the Yanks to overcome as Utley and Ibanez led the Phillies over Yanks by an 8-6 score bringing on a game 6 back in New York.

Lee cruised after giving up a first inning run retiring 10 of next 11 Yanks as the Phils rang 3 runs each in the first and third innings.  It seems to me that there must be some World Series records involved for a team who has had 3 instances of a player having multi-homer games as well as for a player who has multi-homered twice.  Utley did it in game 1 as well as this one and rightfielder Jayson Werth did in game 3.  At any rate, AP sports reporter Ronald Blum notes for Yahoo sports:

Utley hit a… three-run homer in the first inning off A.J. Burnett and added a solo shot in the seventh to join Reggie Jackson as the only players to hit five home runs in a single World Series.

The Phillies took control of this game early to force a trip back to the Bronx for game 6, and hopefully a game 7.

AP’s Blum recaps the game:

While the Phillies have outhomered the Yankees 10-5 in the Series, Ryan Howard is suffering a power outage. He went 0 for 2 with two walks and two strikeouts and is hitting .158 (3 for 19) with 12 strikeouts, tying the Series record set by Kansas City’s Willie Wilson in 1980.

New York scored in the first inning for the second straight game.  [Johnny] Damon singled to left-center and came home when Rodriguez doubled into the right-field corner with two outs. It was his franchise record 16th RBI of the postseason.

It took just eight pitches for Burnett to give up the lead, giving Phillies fans reason to wave those white rally towels.

Jimmy Rollins singled up the middle on the sixth pitch of his at-bat and, with Rollins running, [Shane] Victorino squared and was hit in the hand by a pitch. Utley put the next pitch into the right-field seats.

Burnett got in more trouble in the third, when he walked Utley and Ryan Howard, then gave up run-scoring singles to Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez that put Philadelphia ahead 5-1 and finished Burnett’s night. Carlos Ruiz added an RBI grounder against David Robertson.

New York made it 6-2 in the fifth, helped by a strange decision by Howard. Pinch-hitter Eric Hinske—who homered… in last year’s Series— walked with one out and took third on  [Derek] Jeter’s single. Damon hit a slow roller in front of first and Howard gloved it as Hinske held, then retreated to the bag for the putout as Hinske scored.

Utley… added a solo shot in the seventh.  Raul Ibanez set off fireworks from the Liberty Bell one last time, adding a second solo shot in the seventh off Phil Coke that made it 8-2.

Lee… settled in until A-Rod chased him with a two-run double in the eighth.  Robinson Cano drove in Rodriguez with a sacrifice fly, and New York gave Philadelphia a scare when Jorge Posada doubled and Hideki Matsui singled at the start of the ninth against Ryan Madson.

Derek Jeter hit into a run-scoring double play, Johnny Damon singled and Madson struck out slumping Mark Teixeira for the save.

For Lee, it was his 4th win in 5 post-season outings. He threw 112 pitches through the eighth inning giving up 2 runs on 4 hits through seven until being chased and charged with 3 eighth inning runs giving up a single and 2 doubles.  Madson, who was credited with his 1st save of the series to go along with his playoff win against Colorado, had a dicey ninth inning until coaxing Jeter to ground into a shortstop-to 2nd-to-1st base doubleplay on a 1-2 pitch and wasn’t yet home-free as Damon followed with a single and took 2nd base on fielders’ indifference.  But Madson fanned Teixeira on 5 pitches to end it, stranding Damon at 2nd base.

Girardi’s 3 day short-rest failed miserably in game 5 as losing pitcher Burnett was battered for 6 runs early retiring noone in the third.

The 2 teams have Tuesday as the venue shifts back to the Bronx for game 6 on Wednesday.  Pedro Martinez is slated to oppose lefthander Andy Pettitte who goes on 3 days rest, both pitching their 2nd games in this World Series.  In the event game 7 is necessary, the Yanks have slated lefthander C.C. Sabathia, again on short rest.  The Phils have yet to announce who their game 7 starting pitcher would be.

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World Series game 4 began as another pitchers’ duel as both Yankee starter ace lefthander C.C. Sabathia and Phillies starter Joe Blanton battled on Sunday as the Yanks led 4-2 in the game through six innings.  When 2nd baseman Chase Utley cut into the Yanks lead with a 2 out solo homer on Sabathia’s 1-2 pitch in the seventh, manager Girardi pulled immediately C.C. for bullpen relief.  The Phils got new life on tying the game in the eighth inning on 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz’s homer off of Joba Chamberlain on a 2 out, full-count pitch.  Closer Brad Lidge got the first 2 outs in the ninth before giving up a full-count base hit to leftfielder Johnny Damon. What occurred after was an apparent mental lapse which cost the Phils the game, and quite possibly the series, which the Yanks now lead by 3 games to 1, as Damon went on to steal 2nd and 3rd on the same play as the Yankees beat the Phillies in the ninth by a 7-4 score after A-Rod’s winning double in World Series game 4.

Writers such as Yahoo’s Jeff Passan have taken to second-guessing manager Charlie Manuel for not starting Lee in game 4, although I am totally in agreement with Manuel with holding Lee back for game 5 on a full 4 days rest. Blanton’s performance retiring 9 Yanks in order from the second through fifth innings, after being touched for 2 first inning runs,  vindicates Manuel’s decision.  Further, Blanton, like Lee in game 1, kept the ball in the park and struck out 7 in his six innings of work.

The far bigger question these writers ought to be asking is how the NL pennant winners either suffered collective mental lapse or weren’t prepared with a coverage scheme in their shift on Teixeira. 

A talk-backer responding to AP sportswriter Ben Walker’s game recap for Yahoo sports had this take:

The game–and perhaps the entire 2009 World Serious–boiled down to Damon’s heads-up double-steal on the same play. The shift was on against Teixeira with Feliz covering second base. So who was covering third base? NOBODY! And Damon noticed. Afterwards, Phillie manager Charlie Manuel said either the pitcher or the catcher HAVE to cover third base on that play. In fact, Manuel said the catcher (Ruiz) should’ve gotten to third base … but, personally, I think Lidge should’ve been there. After all, the pitcher is closer to third base than the catcher! 

 The lack of coverage at 3rd base is more responsible than anything else, for how the Phils lost game 4 and why they now sit with a 1-3 deficit to the Yankees.  Damon doesn’t reach 3rd and Lidge isn’t flustered and probably doesn’t hit Teixeira.  And maybe, the game doesn’t get to A-Rod and a Yankees lead.  Of course, maybe Teixeira goes ballpark on Lidge, or maybe any number of other things.  But again, to repeat what the talk-back cited here noting: “Lidge should’ve been there. After all, the pitcher is closer to third base than the catcher!”

I would agree with the talk-back.  Lidge cooked his own goose on the play.  He started 1st baseman Mark Teixeira with a ball after Damon’s single.  After Damon stole the two bases on the same play, perhaps due to Lidge’s own mental lapse, he got sooo flustered that he hit Teixeira on his next pitch — runners on 1st and 3rd base.  Now he’s facing dangerous 3rd baseman Alex Rodriguez who Blanton managed to confound through 3 at-bats, striking him out once.  A-Rod took a strike and then nailed Lidge’s next pitch for a double driving in the game-winning run as the Yanks took a 5-4 lead. 

The whole Damon play was reminiscent of leftfielder Jayson Werth’s steal of home on the Dodgers back in May.   That play occurred when Werth noticed catcher Russell Martin’s nonchalant slow tosses back to his pitcher.

Catcher Jorge Posada followed slamming Lidge’s 2-2 delivery for a single to left centerfield plating 2 insurance runs.  Future Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera took care of the rest shutting down the Phillies on 8 pitches; 2 grounders and a pop up — all to 1st base.

The Yankees had Blanton on the ropes in the first inning as shortstop  Derek Jeter opened the game with an infield single and Damon followed with a double to rightfield putting Jeter on 3rd base.  Teixeira grounded out to 1st base with Jeter scoring on the play and Damon moving to 3rd.  A-Rod was hit by Blanton’s next pitch and Posada followed with a sacrifice fly scoring Damon with the 2nd run.  Blanton finally retired the side on a fly ball to centerfield and cruised thru the second through fifth innings.

The Phils got a run back against Sabathia in their first inning on back-to-back doubles by centerfielder Shane Victorino and 2nd baseman Chase Utley.  They tied the game in the fourth inning as 1st baseman Ryan Howard finally connected, after a string of strikeouts, leading off the inning with a single to centerfield.  On a 2-1 pitch to Werth, Howard stole 2nd base. Werth grounded out to 3rd on the ensuing pitch.  After Leftfielder  Raul Ibanez flied out for the 2nd out, Feliz singled to leftfield scoring Howard.  Feliz took 2nd base on an error by catcher Posada on the relay.  Sabathia intentionally walked catcher Carlos Ruiz but both were stranded as Sabathia struck out Blanton to end the inning.

The tie didn’t last long as Yanks regained the lead scoring twice on a walk and 3 singles.  With the score 4-2 Yankees, Utley solo homered with 2 outs in the seventh ending Sabathia’s night.  Feliz duplicated in the eighth inning with a solo blast after Chamberlain got Werth and Ibanez on strikes.  With the game knotted at 4-4, the scene was set for Lidge, the mental lapse resulting in Damon’s 2 stolen bases on the same play and the Yankees’ winning 3 run rally.

Chamberlain, who blew the save on Feliz’s homer in the eighth inning, was credited with the win while Lidge, who came unglued in the ninth, was charged with the loss.

In Monday’s game 5, Phillies ace lefthander Cliff Lee will make his 2nd World Series start and will try to keep the Phils alive.  Lee is opposed by  A.J. Burnett, who like Sabathia, will be going on 3 days rest.

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Phillies ace Cliff Lee was nothing short of magnificent in the matchup of lefthanders with Yankees ace C.C. Sabathia.  Lee carried a shutout into the ninth inning with the Yanks only run scoring on shortstop Jimmy Rollins’ throwing error on a fielder’s choice grounder. 2nd baseman Chase Utley reached Sabathia for solo homers in the third and sixth innings as Lee breezed.  But the Phillies offense salted the game away taking control with 4 late-inning runs including an eighth inning bases loaded 2 run single by leftfielder Raul Ibanez.  Lee, Utley and Ibanez led Phillies to a 6-1 World Series opening win over the Yankees.

The win was the Phillies first-ever World Series win over the Yankees to whom they lost in a 4 game sweep in the only other series match-up between the 2 teams in 1950.  That series marked one of the lowest-scoring match-ups in MLB history.  A total of 16 runs were scored in the 4 games; 11 by the Yanks and 5 by the Phils’ “Whiz Kids.”

Lee was masterful on the mound and equally masterful defensively in flawlessly handling 4 put-out opportunities; a first inning bunt grounder, a sixth inning pop out and groundouts in the seventh and eighth innings.  The eighth inning play, as recounted by Phillies Nation’s Brian Michael, was “an amazing behind-the-back stab to rob Robinson Cano of a single.”

As Lee breezed through 9 of the first 11 Yanks he faced allowing only a 1 out single in the second inning and a 2 out double in the third, Utley blistered a 2 out, full-count pitch from Sabathia to the rightfield seats to put the Phils on the board.

Then Lee struck out the side in fourth in a great power-pitching display; 1st baseman Mark Teixeira, 3rd baseman Alex Rodriguez and catcher Jorge Posada — all swinging.

In the fifth, DH Hideki Matsui led off with a single to center but then got doubled off of first base on Cano’s line drive to shortstop Rollins.  Lee then retired the side on a pop out to rightfield.

With 1 out in the Phils’ sixth inning, Utley then turned on Sabathia’s 0-2 pitch bombing it to right centerfield for his 2nd solo shot of the game — sooo nice, we gonna do it twice, and the Phils had a 2-0 lead.

Shortstop Derek Jeter, the only Yankee to reach regularly in the game going 3 for 4, singled to center with 1 out in the sixth.  But then Lee coaxed a pop out to the pitcher and a fielder’s choice grounder rubbing the Yanks in the inning.

Lee then went clean on the Yanks in the seventh on 9 pitches, 3 groundouts.

Then the Phils offense went to work scoring 4 runs, 2 in the eighth and 2 in the ninth as the Yankees burned through 5 reliever to no avail.  Meanwhile, Lee went clean again on the Yanks in the eighth, this time on 12 pitches.

AP’s Ben Walker recaps the Phils eighth and ninth inning scoring for Yahoo sports:

Lee bamboozled the Yankees with a spiked curveball, deceptive changeup and his usual pinpoint fastball, pitching a six-hitter while striking out 10 without a walk. He became the first [pitcher] since Don Newcombe in 1949 to fan double digits with no walks in a Series game.

Raul Ibanez hit a two-run single in the eighth and Shane Victorino added an RBI single in the ninth.

1st baseman Ryan Howard, who had 2 doubles in the game, added his 2nd one for good measure in the ninth driving in the 6th run while Victorino was nailed trying to score from 1st base on the play to end the inning. 

Lee took a shutout into the ninth but then Jeter and leftfielder Johnny Damon each singled to open the frame.  Teixeira then grounded to 2nd base into a textbook fielder’s choice. Damon was out at 2nd base with Jeter moving to third. But Jeter scored and Teixeira moved to second on shortstop Rollins’ throwing error.  With 1 out in the Yanks ninth, Lee fanned A-Rod and Posada to end it.

Winning pitcher Lee threw 122 pitches striking out 10, walking none and giving up the ninth inning run and 6 hits in his complete game effort.  Sabathia provided a superior performance only giving up Utley’s 2 dingers, although he ran deep counts and thus threw 113 pitches in seven innings while giving up 4 hits, walking 3 and striking out 6.

AP’s Walker continues:

The defending champion Phillies shut down Alex Rodriguez & Co. in the first Series game at the new billion-dollar ballpark. Trying to become the first NL team to repeat since Cincinnati in 1975-76, the Phils’ 17-4 postseason run is the best in league history.

How complete was Lee’s shutdown of the Yankees?  A-Rod went down on strikes 3 times while Teixeira and Posada each fanned twice accounting for 7 of Lee’s 10 strikeouts. 

With game 1 in the Phillies hopper, manager Charlie Manuel goes to veteran Pedro Martinez for game 2 on Thursday as the best chance of possibly sneaking out of Yankee stadium with 2 wins over the Yanks.  Martinez also translates into a mega-TV bucks across the nation.  Pedro will be opposed by A.J. Burnett.

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Lefthander Cole Hamels pitched eight gritty shutout innings in dueling with fellow lefty, Pittsburgh’s Pat Maholm, on Wednesday and got a big fat no-decision for his trouble.  With the Phillies holding a 1-0 lead on 2nd baseman Chase Utley’s first inning solo homer, reliever Ryan Madson came on in the ninth and gave up a 1 out, game-tying homer to pinch hitter Brandon Moss.  1st baseman Ryan Howard broke up the tie in the tenth with a 1st pitch 3 run bomb to rightfield as the Phillies beat the Pirates in 10 innings by a 4-1 score on Howard’s homer.

With the win, the Phillies stayed 7 games up on 2nd place Florida in the NL East divsion race.  Atlanta dropped to 3rd place after being routed by San Diego.  Florida nipped the 4th place Mets who dropped to 17 1/2 games back in the division.

I find it interesting how the AP game recap for Yahoo sports relegated Hamels’ performance to the 8th paragraph, roughly half way through the recap, not even close to doing justice to how worked out of jams in the second, fourth and seventh innings, went clean on the Pirates in two innings and allowed singe base-runners in three other innings.  He gave up 7 hits while walking 2 and striking out 7 while clinging to the early 1-0 Phillies lead resulting from Utley’s first inning solo shot to centerfield.

All of that went for naught as the Phillies provided him with zero offensive support.  And hey, your reliever is entitled to one mistake with the bases empty which Ryan Madson accomodated by coughing up pinch hitter Moss’s 1 out homer in the ninth.  Madson ended up the game-winner (5-4) thanks to Howard’s 3 run shot in the 10th.

A game like this really brings back memories; Elroy Face who, in 1958 and 1959, made a living out of blowing ballgames only to have the Pirates come back to win on his book.  He was 0-2 in 1958 before knotching 22 relief wins without a loss through the ‘58 and ‘59 seasons before finally being on the hook for a loss late in ‘59.   In ‘58 he went 5-2 and in ‘59, 18-1.  Meanwhile, he saved 30 other games during the 2 seasons, 125 games between 1958 and 1963, 193 games over his 16 season career.

Phillies Nation’s Amanda Orr provides a recap of the Phils’ extra-inning win:

Cole Hamels finally put together a solid outing.  He pitched eight shutout innings, but did allow many base runners.  He allowed seven hits, walked two, and hit a batter.  He managed to escaped the jams without problems.  Paul Maholm pitched just as well.  In seven innings, he gave up one run on five hits.  He walked two, struck out four, and was able to get the Phillies to ground out eleven times.

With a 1-0 lead in the top of the ninth, the Phillies would have liked to add on.  With runners on second and third and nobody out, the Pirates wiggled out of a potential big inning.  Joel Hanrahan struck out Ben Francisco and Pedro Feliz.  He intentionally walked pinch hitter Raul Ibanez to get to a slumping Matt Stairs.  Stairs was ahead 3-0, but Hanrahan fought back, getting Stairs to ground out.

Brad Lidge received the day off since he pitched in four straight games.  Ryan Madson took over, and struck out  Steve Pearce to start the inning, topping at 99 mph.  A sign of relief?  Not so much.  The next batter, Brandon Moss, homered to center field, tying the game at one.  For the second day in a row, the Phillies blew a save to the Pirates.

Unlike Lidge, Madson was able to keep the game tied and give the bats, which were silent all night, a chance in the tenth.

Jimmy Rollins walked and Shane Victorino singled.  With Rollins at third, Utley hit a fly ball to center, deep enough for Rollins to score.  Holding up at third, Rollins didn’t take a chance. On the very first pitch to Ryan Howard, Rollins trotted home.  Howard hit a towering drive to right field; a three-run go-ahead home run.

Madson came back out for the bottom of the tenth.  He allowed a lead-off single, but Chase Utley ended the game by turning a fantastic double play on a ball that deflected off the mound.

The question of closer is still very much with us.  Will Brad Lidge catch fire and return to 2008’s form?  Will Brett Myers come back to recapture his form as a closer from 2007?   Or will Manager Charlie Manuel have to revert to closer-by-committee?  Check out this detailed report on closer options from Phillies Nation.

For the scores of all of Wednesday’s games, click here.

The Phils hope to win Thursday’s series final as strong rookie-of-the-year candidate lefthander J.A. Happ is opposed by Charlie Morton.

For all of Thursday’s games, click here.

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The Phillies staked Pedro Martinez to a 6-0 lead on Sunday against his former teammates as rightfielder Jayson Werth and catcher Carlos Ruiz belted first inning 3 run homers off of Mets’ lefthander Oliver Perez who lasted only 2/3rds of an inning.  But then the Phils nearly blew 6-0, 8-2 and 9-5 leads.  With the score at 9-7 in the ninth inning, runners at 1st and 2nd base, none out and closer Brad Lidge holding a 2-2 count on rightfielder Jeff Francoeur, the recent Mets acquisition from the Atlanta Braves lined Lidge’s next pitch… to 2nd baseman Eric Bruntlett as the  Phillies beat the Mets by a 9-7 score on Bruntlett’s ninth inning game-saving unassisted triple-play.

With the win, the Phils took a 2 games to 1 lead in their 4 game series with the Mets and widened their NL East division lead to 7 games as Atlanta and Florida are now tied for 2nd place while the Mets fell further back to 15 1/2 games out in 4th place.

The ESPN AP game recap gives MLB record background regarding the dramatic triple-play:

It was the 15th unassisted triple play in major league history — and the third that ended a game. The first two came more than 80 years ago, by Pittsburgh shortstop Glenn Wright in  1925 and Detroit first baseman Johnny Neun in 1927.

AP Sports Writer Howie Rumberg adds a further note regarding unassisted triple-plays:

Of the 15 unassisted triple plays in big league history, all but one came during the regular season.  Cleveland second baseman Bill Wambsganss turned the rare trick in the 1920 World Series against Brooklyn.

Phillies Nation’s Amanda Orr explains Bruntlett’s insertion at 2nd base:

With Chase Utley getting a regular day off, Bruntlett got the start at second base.  Not much is expected from Bruntlett, who entered today with a .128 average.  He started off by going 3-for-3 and made some solid defensive plays.

Bruntlett’s rare feat on a liner by Jeff Francoeur preserved a game that turned precarious as the Mets kept coming and coming after getting down by a 6-0 deficit in the first inning squashed a potential Mets rally against closer Brad Lidge.

The last Phil to turn an unassisted triple-play was 2nd baseman Mickey Morandini who turned his against the Pittsburgh Pirates near the end of the 1992 season.

The beginning of the game had all of the earmarks of a rout in the making as the Phils tore into hapless Oliver Perez who lasted for 2 outs in the first inning giving up 6 runs, on 3 run homers by Werth and Ruiz, on 4 hits and 2 walks.  The Phils sent 9 players to the plate in the inning with Martinez getting a plate appearance before even throwing a pitch. 

But then, centerfielder Angel Pagan led off for the Mets hitting an inside-the-park homer to left centerfield.  Then a single and a 1 out triple off of Martinez and the Mets cut the deficit to 6-2. 

The Phils scored 2 third inning runs as they loaded the bases off of Mets reliever Nelson Figueroa.  Martinez helped his own cause with a 1 out RBI single.  Shortstop Jimmy Rollins followed, with the sacks still jammed, with a sacrifice fly as the Phils lead mounted to 8-2.

Not to be denied, the Mets order came around again to Pagan who belted a leadoff legitimate solo homer which left the park.  A single, a double and a groundout followed and the Mets had 2 more runs cutting the Phils lead to 8-4.  

The score remained 8-4 as Martinez settled down and retired 9 of the final 10 Mets hitters that he faced.  Martinez, the games’ winning pitcher who garnered his 2nd victory as a Phil, threw 90 pitches in six innings of work giving up 4 runs on 6 hits while walking 2 and striking out none.

The Mets scored single runs in the seventh, off of reliever Chad Durbin, and in the eighth, off of Ryan Madson after the Phils scored a run off of reliever Sean Green who walked pinch hitter Matt Stairs to open the Phillies’ eighth.  Stairs took 2nd base on a wild pitch and went to 3rd base on a groundout.  He scored on Green’s 2nd wild pitch of the inning.  

Wih the Phils leading by 9-6 going into the bottom of the ninth, closer Brad Lidge came on to try to nail it down.

AP’s Howie Rumberg describes the inning and the triple-play:

…The first two batters reached on errors.

Angel Pagan, who homered twice—including an inside-the-park shot leading off the first inning—sped all the way to third when his sharp grounder got through first baseman Ryan Howard.  Pagan then scored as Castillo reached on a grounder that Bruntlett bobbled for an error.

[Daniel] Murphy followed with an infield single up the middle that went off the glove of a sliding Bruntlett, bringing up Francoeur.

With runners on first and second, Jeff Francoeur hit a line drive up the middle that appeared headed toward center field for a single. But both runners were stealing on the pitch, so Bruntlett was in perfect position as he moved over to cover second base.

He caught the liner easily, stepped on second to double up Luis Castillo and then turned to tag Murphy for the third out. Murphy tried to backpedal away from Bruntlett, but had nowhere to go.

For the scores of all of Sunday’s games, click here.

The Phillies look to win the series as newly acquired ace lefthander Cliff Lee takes the mound in the final game of the 4 game set with the Mets.  Opposing him will be reliever Bobby Parnell who has been pressed into a starting role due to the depleted Mets rotation.

The Phils next head for Pittsburgh for a 3 game series on Tuesday through Thursday before returning home for a 3 game weekend series against  Atlanta to end the month of August.

For all of Monday’s games, click here.

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