Phillies centerfielder Shane Victorino followed 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz’s 2 out ninth inning double by lacing a walk-off RBI single to rightfield off of Mets reliever Duaner Sanchez, in relief of Johan Santana, as the Phillies edged the Mets by a 3-2 score in their series opener on Friday night.

With the win, the Phillies extended their lead over 2nd place Florida to 3 1/2 games Marlins lost in a slugfest to the Colorado Rockies.  The Mets, in losing dropped to 5 games back and the Atlanta Braves remained 7 back as they beat the Houston Astros.

26 year old lefthander J.A. Happ, called up to fill the roster spot of Brett Myers who was demoted to the minors to work on his delivery and velocity, got the starting call in the end and handled the Mets well for four innings before getting into a fifth inning jam giving up a single, a ground-rule double and a walk with none out.  After getting starter Johan Santana to foul out, and getting shortstop Jose Reyes ground into a fielders choice which drove in a run and left runners at 1st and 3rd, Happ walked rightfielder Endy Chavez to reload the bases and then walked 3rd baseman David Wright to force in the 2nd Mets run.  

Happ threw 96 pitches giving up 2 runs on 3 hits while walking 4 and striking out 3 in 4 2/3 innings.

Manager Manuel went to reliever Chad Durbin who put on as excellent a relief exhibition as one would ever want to see.  He struck out centerfielder Carlos Beltran to end the fifth, leavingf 3 Mets stranded. Then he retired the next 6 hitters he faced, 5 of them on strikes through the seventh inning showing yet again how he has become an indispensible cog in the Phils’ bullpen.

Meanwhile, Santana sailed along through five innings, only allowing 2 Phils to reach, both on singles.   In the sixth, Santana ran into trouble as both rightfielder Jayson Werth and 2nd baseman Chase Utley both singled with one out.  After shortstop Jimmy Rollins flied out to centerfield, both 1st baseman Ryan Howard and leftfielder Pat Burrell drove in runs with singles to leftfield to knot the game at 2-2.

Reliever Ryan Madson replaced Durbin to pitch the eighth inning and held the Mets to 1 hit while Santana retired the Phillies in order in the bottom of the eighth.

Closer Brad Lidge came on to pitch the ninth and retired the Mets in order on 5 pitches to earn his 2nd win to go along with 19 saves in 19 opportunities.

Sanchez came on for Santana in the ninth as the lefthander gave up 2 runs on 6 hits, walking none and striking out 6 before the “Flyin’ Hawaiian’s winning hit.  AP Sports Writer Rob Maaddi recounts the inning for Yahoo sports;

Sanchez (3-1) retired the first two batters [striking out Howard and Burrell] before Pedro Feliz doubled to left field. Victorino followed with a liner to right on a 1-2 pitch to score Feliz and send a sellout crowd into a frenzy.

The dugout emptied quickly and swarmed Victorino.

The NL East-leading Phillies have won four straight after losing 13 of 18. 

Manuel juggled his starting lineup so left-handed hitters Utley and Howard wouldn’t bat back-to-back against the Mets’ lefty-rich staff. Utley moved up to the No. 2 spot with Rollins going from leadoff to No. 3 and Howard stayed in the cleanup slot.

For all of the scores, boxscores and recaps on Friday’s games, click here.

On Saturday, veteran 45 year old lefthander Jamie Moyer, with a 7-6 seasonal mark, is opposed by John Maine with an 8-6 mark.  In Sunday’s final Kyle Kendrick goes for his 9th win vs 3 losses vs lefthander Oliver Perez (6-5).

For the scores, boxscores and recaps on Saturday’s and Sunday’s games,  click here and here.

Three Phillies solo homers and an 8 2/3 inning pitching gem by ace lefthander Cole Hamels cooled a very hot Jair Jurrjens as the Phillies won the series final over Atlanta by a 4-1 score, sweeping a 3 game series  from the Braves for the second time this season.

The win, combined with Florida’s extra inning loss to Colorado, increased the NL East 1st place Phils’ lead over the 2nd place Marlins to 2 1/2 games.   They remained 4 1/2 games ahead of the Mets who pounded St. Louis and dropped the Braves to 7 games out.  The Phillies produced the sweep that they badly needed to return to Citizen’s Bank Park with momentum for their 4 crucial games with the Mets.

2nd baseman Chase Utley solved Jurrjens with 2 outs in the first inning for a solo homer to rightfield, his 24th round-tripper of the season.  Jurrjens had given up only 3 runs in 22 1/3 innings in his previous 3 starts.  He came into the game carrying a streak of 24 1-3 innings without allowing an earned run.

the Phils threatened in the second inning putting runners at 1st and 2nd base with one out, but catcher Carlos Ruiz pounded a long foul out to rightfield and Hamels struck out to end the inning.

In the fourth inning, 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz grounded a one out RBI single through the middle for the Phils’ 2nd run.  Feliz went 2 for 4 for the game with 2 RBIs.

1st baseman Ryan Howard added a 1 out solo blast, his 22nd of the season, to leftfield in the sixth and Feliz pounded a solo homer, his 10th of the season, for good measure leading off the seventh inning.

Meanwhile, Hamels pitched another gem for his 9th win vs 5 losses, only allowing 2 Braves to reach in the same inning once in the game prior to the ninth.  A single and a walk leading off for the Braves in the second went for naught as Hamels got the next 3 Braves in order.  The Braves never mounted an offensive threat until the ninth inning as Hamels, who threw 125 pitches in 8 2/3 innings, gave up 1 run on 5 hits while walking 2 and striking out 7.  To recall, Hamels recorded a complete game 5-0 shut out over the Braves in mid-May.

The only run scored off of Hamels came in the ninth as 3rd baseman Chipper Jones doubled to left centerfield to lead off the inning.   After 1st baseman Mark Teixeira grounded out to short and leftfielder Omar Infante struck out, catcher Brian McCann doubled on Hamels’ 125th pitch to drive in the Braves’ run.  Hamels was lifted for reliever Tom Gordon who needed all of 1 pitch to get rightfielder Jeff Francoeur to fly out to left to end the game and earn his 2nd save of the season.

Jurrjens went seven innings throwing 119 pitches, giving up 4 runs on 8 hits while walking 2 and striking out 6.  His record fell to 8-4.  Lefthanders Will Ohman and Mike Gonzalez each pitched a perfect inning, each getting 1 strikeout in relief.

For all of the scores, boxscores and recaps on Thursday’s games, click here.

From Atlanta, the Phillies come home on Friday to open a 10 game home-stand, starting with a crucial 4 game series with the Mets beginning on Friday and which ends with the 4 day All Star break.

In Friday’s opener, either Chad Durbin gets into the starting rotation, or 26 year old lefthander J.A. Happ, just called up from the minors faces lefthander Johan Santana.  We probably won’t know for sure who the Phils’ starter is until near gametime.
  
Santana, sporting a 7-7 mark, has so far been proven to be somewhat vulnerable to NL hitters.  In his only previous start for the Mets against the Phillies on  April 18, he went 7 innings giving up 3 runs on 4 hits, throwing 105 pitches and striking out 10.

On Saturday, veteran 45 year old lefthander Jamie Moyer, with a 7-6 seasonal mark, is opposed by John Maine with an 8-6 mark.

For the scores, boxscores and recaps on Friday’s and Saturday’s games,  click here and here.

Starter Adam Eaton was strong enough for long enough and the Phillies offense, behind 1st baseman Ryan Howard’s 3 run third inning homer, leftfielder Pat Burrell’s solo shot in the fourth and shortstop Jimmy Rollins’ 3 for 4 game, continued to thrive against NL East competition in beating the Atlanta Braves in the 2nd of their 3 game series by a 7-3 score.

With the win, the NL East 1st place Phils maintained their 1 1/2 game lead over the 2nd place Florida Marlins who won.  They gained a game and are 4 1/2 ahead of the Mets who lost and dropped the Braves to 6 games out.  This is a series which the Phillies badly need before returning to Citizen’s Bank Park for 4 crucial games with the Mets.

The Phils offense, feeling more comfortable in NL East surroundings, got underway in the second inning with 2 outs against starter Jorge Campillo as 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz and catcher Chris Coste hit successive doubles to leftfield to notch their 1st run.  The Phils almost had more as Eaton followed with a single to left but Coste was nailed at home to end the inning.

The offense tacked on 3 more runs in the third inning as Rollins opened with a single.  With 1 out, the speedy shortstop stole 2nd base.  2nd baseman Chase Utley was walked and Howard followed by pounding Campillo for a 3 run homer to leftfield, his 21st of the season.

Eaton, who got through four innings unscathed despite walking 5 for the game, walked himself into a 2 out bases-loaded jam in the third inning.  But he emerged unscathed as catcher Brian McCann flied out to end the inning.   Eaton had his one clean inning of the game in the fourth retiring the Braves in order.

With 2 outs in the fifth, Burrell went yard to leftfield on Campillo for his 21st dinger as the score went to 5-0 Phillies.

The Braves scored their 1st run in the fifth as utility infielder Ruben Gotay, pinch hitting for starter Campillo, opened the inning by solving Eaton to rightfield to put the Braves on the board.  After a walk, the Braves went out on a ground doubleplay and a ground out to end the inning.

Eaton got in hot water in the sixth inning on a double, walk and single loading the bases with none out sending him to the showers.   Reliever  Chad Durbin came on and got rightfielder Jeff Francoeur to ground into a doubleplay as the Braves’ 2nd run scored. With a 2 out runner at 3rd, Durbin registered a strikeout to end the inning and followed by setting the Braves down in order in the seventh.

Both Eaton and Campillo logged 5 innings.  Eaton’s line into the sicth inning was 93 pitches 2 runs on 5 hits.  He walked 5 and struck out 2.
Campillo left after five full innings having thrown 86 pitches and giving up 5 runs on 8 hits while walking 2.  Braves relievers Jeff Bennett and lefthander Will Ohman held the Phils off of the board in the sixth and seventh innings.

Lefthanded reliever J.C. Romero replaced Durbin to open the eighth and was greeted by 3rd baseman Chipper Jones’ 17th homer, a solo shot to centerfield for the Braves’ 3rd run.  Jones, with his MLB-leading .391 BA, was in his 2nd game back after missing the previous 8 games with a strained right quadriceps.  After Romero issued a walk and got the first 2 outs of the inning, Ryan Madson came on and got a strikeout to end the inning.

The Phils answered the Braves’ score in the eighth with 2 of their own in the ninth inning touching up relievers Blaine Boyer and lefthander Royce Ring as Rollins tripled driving in 1 run and Utley singled in the other.

In came closer Brad Lidge whose inning was made adventuresome by 2 errors by 1st baseman Ryan Howard before before he [Lidge] struck out the side to end the game.

AP sports writer Charles Odum describes the inning for Yahoo sports;

His [Howard’s] two fielding errors in the ninth inning gave him nine for the season, three shy of his 2007 total, and helped the Braves load the bases before Brad Lidge struck out Mark Teixeira to end the game.

Pinch-hitter Greg Norton hit a one-out single in the ninth and moved to second when Howard couldn’t snag Gregor Blanco’s sharp grounder for an error.

With two outs, Howard couldn’t handle a grounder from Jones for his second error, loading the bases.

Howard said he was “not really” worried about the errors.

“I just botched a couple of balls,” Howard said. “It happens. You can look at it however you want to look at it. The first one was hit pretty hard. I welcome anybody to go out and stand in front of that one.”

Teixeira lined a long line drive foul to right before striking out to end the game.

For all of the scores, boxscores and recaps on Wednesday’s games, click here.

In Thursday’s series final, ace lefthander Cole Hamels replaces Brett Myers against a very hot Jair Jurrjens who has given up but 3 runs in 22 1/3 innings in his last 3 starts.

Myers, who had a terrible 3-9 start and has no acceleration on his fastball, was demoted out of the rotation on Tuesday and sent down to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to work on changes to his windup and delivery suggested by pitching coach Dubee.

From Atlanta, the Phillies come home to open a 10 game home-stand, starting with a crucial 4 game series with the Mets and which ends with the 4 day All Star break.

On Independence Day Friday, Chad Durbin gets promoted into the starting rotation and opposes lefthander Johan Santana who has lost 4 of his last 5 starts and been proven somewhat vulnerable to NL hitters. Santana’s only previous start for the Mets against the Phillies was on  April 18 when he went 7 innings giving up 3 runs on 4 hits, throwing 105 pitches and striking out 10.

For the scores, boxscores and recaps on Thursday’s games, click here.

Battered, pilloried and not at home with the AL’s designated hitter rule,  Phillies bats re-awakened in more familiar surroundings against NL East competition as centerfielder Shane Victorino hit a 2 run homer and drove in 2 more with a single, rightfielder Pat Burrell solo homered and the first 6 Phils on the lineup card got 2 hits apiece in pounding rookie Charlie Morton.  Kyle Kendrick provided another quality start to earn his 8th win as the Phils pounded Atlanta by an 8-3 score in Tuesday’s series opener.

With the win, the NL East 1st place Phils put a little distance between themselves and the Florida Marlins who lost and are now 1 1/2 games out.  They remained 3 1/2 ahead of the Mets who also won and dropped the Braves to 5 out.  This is a series which the Phillies badly need before returning to Citizen’s Bank Park for 4 crucial games with the Mets.

Burrell got things rolling aginst Morton with his lead-off solo homer in the second inning.  Then, after 6 straight third inning hits and 4 runs, including Victorino’s 2 run shot, Morton gave way to reliever Buddy Carlyle who got the side out in the third and who pitched the fourth and fifth innings giving up only 1 hit while striking out 5.

AP sports writer Charles Odum makes these game comments for Yahoo sports;

The Phillies took three straight wins in Atlanta on June 6-8 but then lost six straight series, including four against American League teams. Manager Charlie Manuel said his team may have found comfort in facing the Braves, a familiar opponent.

“Yeah, it can help you without a doubt,” Manuel said.

“Maybe (Monday’s) day off helped us too, and absolutely getting over here where we know the players.”

The Phillies, only 4-11 in interleague play, are 41-28 against NL teams.

Kendrick gave up only four hits in the first six innings before failing to record an out in the seventh, when he was charged with three runs.

“Kendrick pitched really well,” [Chipper] Jones said, adding the right-hander “stayed in on the hands of the lefties; didn’t allow them to get extended.”

The Phillies are 13-4 in Kendrick’s starts. One of Kendrick’s no-decisions came in a 5-4 win over the Braves on May 13 in Philadelphia.

“He’s definitely taken us to a point of the game where we can win,” Manuel said. “He’s been absolutely great for us.”

The Braves were 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position and stranded runners on second and third in the seventh.

The Phillies, who averaged only 2.8 runs while posting a 2-9 mark in their last 11 games, broke out with 14 hits. Philadelphia scored five runs on eight hits in the first three innings against Braves rookie Charlie Morton (1-2).

Cox said Morton “just wasn’t sharp tonight at all. Nothing was real crisp.”

Burrell hit a second-inning homer and Victorino added a two-run shot in the Phillies’ four-run third. Burrell and [rightfielder] Geoff Jenkins had run-scoring singles in the third as the Phillies had six straight hits to knock Morton out of the game before he could record an out in the inning.

Victorino drove in two more runs with a bases-loaded single in the ninth.

Kendrick left after pinch-hitter Greg Norton’s two-run double in the seventh. Norton scored on Mark Teixeira’s groundout later in the inning, cutting the Phillies’ lead to 5-3.

Braves relievers Buddy Carlyle, Manny Acosta and Will Ohman combined for six scoreless innings. Ohman struck out Utley and Howard with the bases loaded in the eighth.

With his 20th homer, Burrell joined Mike Schmidt as the only Phillies with 20 or more homers in eight straight seasons. Schmidt hit at least 20 homers in thirteen straight seasons (1974-87).

Chase Utley (23) and Ryan Howard (20) and Burrell give the Phillies three players with at least 20 homers before the All-Star break for the first time in team history.

For the play-by-play on the game, click here.

Lefthanded reliever J.C. Romero got the side out in the seventh and Tom Gordon had a perfect 9 pitch eighth inning (no strikeouts).

The Phillies pounded reliever Blaine Boyer for 3 insurance runs on 3 hits as 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz sacrificed late-game leftfield replacement Jayson Werth home after Werth singled, stole 2nd and went to third on catcher Brian McCann’s throwing error.  After that, with two outs, the Phils loaded the bases and Victorino singled to left to drive in his 3rd and 4th runs of the game.  Lefthander Royce Ring replaced Blaine and got the final out of the inning.

Closer Brad Lidge put the lights out on the Braves in the ninth striking out 2.

For all of the scores, boxscores and recaps on Monday’s and Tuesday’s games, click here and here.

On Wednesday, Adam Eaton faces Jorge Campillo.  In the series final, ace lefthander Cole Hamels jumps into Brett Myers’ rotation spot against a very hot Jair Jurrjens who has given up but 3 runs in 22 1/3 innings in his last 3 starts.

Myers, who had a terrible 3-9 start and has no acceleration on his fastball, was demoted out of the rotation on Tuesday and sent down to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to work on changes to his windup and delivery suggested by pitching coach Dubee.

For the scores, boxscores and recaps on Wednesday’s games, click here.

The above headline is NOT a typo.

Four days ago, the AL Los Angeles Angels starter Jered Weaver and reliever Jose Arredondo combined to pitch an 8 inning no-hitter against their city rivals from the NL, the Dodgers, in inter-league play.

But the Angels lost by a 1-0 score when the Dodgers scored a fifth inning run as centerfielder Matt Kemp reached on a slow roller toward the first-base side of the mound which was flubbed for an error by pitcher Weaver.  Weaver’s error led to the Dodger’s only score as Kemp stole 2nd base with 3rd baseman Blake DeWitt at bat facing Weaver. Kemp advanced to 3rd base on catcher Jeff Mathis’ errant throw on the stolen base.  Kemp then scored on DeWitt’s sacrifice fly to rightfield.

Weaver left the game after six innings having tossed 97 pitches while walking 3 and striking out 6.  Arredondo took over in the seventh and set the last 6 Dodgers down in order.

Meanwhile, AP sports writer Ken Peters noted for Yahoo sports;

The Dodgers’ Chad Billingsley (7-7) scattered three hits over seven innings, then Jonathan Broxton and Takashi Saito shut out the Angels for the next two innings. Blanked for the second game in a row, the Angels finished with five hits, but never got a runner as far as third.

Closer Saito was credited with his 12th save of the season.

AP’s Peters further noted;

The Dodgers became the fifth team in modern major league history to win without getting a hit. Because they didn’t have to bat in the ninth, the game doesn’t qualify as a no-hitter.

It was only the fifth game in the majors since 1900 when the winning team didn’t get a hit, and first since Boston’s Matt Young in 1992, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Baseball Library reported on the Matt Young no-hit loss;

On April 12, 1992 Red Sox pitcher Matt Young does not give up a hit in hurling an 8-inning‚ complete game against the  Indians. He loses‚ however‚ by a score of 2-1‚ in the 1st game of a twinbill.

Here are 3 other games in MLB history where a pitcher tossed a no-hitter and his team lost. 

This blog recorded that in April, 1967, Steve Barber and Stu Miller of the Baltimore Orioles pitched a combined no-hitter, but lost 2-1 to the Detroit Tigers.  

Wikipedia tells that;

On April 23, 1964, Ken Johnson of the Houston Colt .45s became the only pitcher to lose a complete game no-hitter in nine innings when he was beaten 1-0 by Cincinnati. The winning run was scored by Pete Rose in the top of the ninth inning via an error, groundout, and another error.

Joe Nuxhall, who pitched his first MLB game at 1 1/2 months short of his 16th birthday in 1944, was the winning pitcher for the Reds giving up 5 hits, walking 1 and striking out 6.

This blog also wrote two years ago about Harvey Haddix’s 12 inning no-hitter on May 12, 1959 which Pittsburgh lost 1-0 in the 13th inning to Lew Burdette and the Milwaukee Braves on an error and 1st baseman Joe Adcock’s homer which became an awarded double due to bizarre base-running.

The loss, coupled with wins by Florida and the Mets and a loss by Atlanta, shrunk the Phillies NL East lead to 1 game over the 2nd place Marlins, 3 games over the 3rd place Mets.  The Phils remained 4 games up on 4th place Atlanta.

The Phils finished up with a 4-11 mark in interleague play, but even worse, they are 5-13 since June 10 and 12-14 for the month of June having lost 9 of their last 11 games.  Not a good way to go into July which begins with a critical 3 game set with Atlanta followed by an equally critical 10 game homestand starting with 4 games against the Mets. 

Once again, Texas wasted no time in going to work on a Phillies starter, this time veteran lefthander Jamie Moyer.  Lead-off hitter 2nd baseman Ian Kinsler, 8 for 13 for the series, opened the game with a triple to rightfield and scored on shortstop Michael Young’s ground out to shortstop.

In the second inning, after Moyer got former Phil centerfielder Marlon Byrd on strikes, 1st baseman Chris Davis hit his 2nd homer in 3 starts since being called up from the minors last Thursday.  Davis went yard on Moyer to centerfield for the Ranger’s 2nd run.

In the third inning, shortstop Michael Young opened with a double and
DH Josh Hamilton followed with a single to right for the Ranger’s 3rd run.

The Phils managed to plate a run in the sixth as 2nd baseman Chase Utley slammed a 1 out double to rightfield.  After leftfielder Pat Burrell struck out, 1st baseman Ryan Howard drove in Utley with a single to left.

Hurley, who was credited with the win after pitching 5 2/3 innings after throwing 105 pitches and giving up 1 run, 5 hits while walking 2 and striking out 3, was replaced by reliever Jamey Wright after Howard’s single.  Wright got DH Greg Dobbs to ground out to end the inning.  Wright, who was also in for the seventh inning, as well as two other Rangers relievers set the Phillies down in order the rest of the way (totally 3 1/3 innings) striking out 4. 

Losing pitcher Moyer, although he did not manage a clean 1-2-3 inning through 5 2/3 innings, held Texas off the board in the fourth and fifth innings before being replaced by reliever Ryan Madson with 2 on and 2 out in the sixth. Madson got Michael Young to ground out to short to end the inning.

Moyer’s line for the game; 117 pitches, 3 runs, 7 hits, 4 walks and 6 strikeouts.

Madson finished the game going 2 1/3 innings for the Phils and was touched-up in the eighth inning for the final 2 Rangers’ runs on an RBI single by 3rd baseman Ramon Vazquez and Michael Young’s bases loaded groundout.

AP Sports Writer David Jimenez recounts the Phillies’ offensive woes for Yahoo sports;

Philadelphia did not have a base hit the rest of the way. The Phillies, who had 15 runs in the first two games against the Rangers, has scored three runs or fewer in eight of their last 14 games.

“We’re not swinging the bat well,” Utley said. “We had a few opportunities, but just not enough.”

For all of the scores, boxscores and recaps on Sunday’s games, click here.

The Phillies have an off-day on Monday before facing Atlanta for 3 huge games with the NL lead, just a few weeks ago looking safely in the Phils’ grasp by 7 1/2 games, now essentially up for grabs.

In Tuesday’s series opener with the Braves, 2nd year hurler Kyle Kendrick, 2ith a 7-3 record is opposed by rookie Charlie Morton who is 1-1 in 3 starts.  On Wednesday, Adam Eaton faces Jorge Campillo.  In the series final, Brett Myers apparently gets another chance (subject to change) to perform and skirt demotion out of the rotation against a very hot Jair Jurrjens who has given up but 3 runs in 22 1/3 innings in his last 3 starts.

For the scores, boxscores and recaps on Monday’s games, click here.

The Phillies scored 3 runs in each of the second and third innings, including third inning homers by 2nd baseman Chase Utley’s 23rd homer and 1st baseman Ryan Howard’s 20th and ace lefthander Cole Hamels pitched well enough for 7 innings to pick up his 8th win as the Phils held on Saturday to beat the Texas Rangers by 8-6 to even their series.

The win, combined with losses by Florida, the Mets and Atlanta enabled the Phillies to put some room between them and their 3 competing clubs in the NL East.  The Phils now lead Forida by 2 games and the Mets and Braves by 4 games.

former Phillie Vicente Padilla put the Phils down in order in the first inning.  But in the Rangers’ first, 2nd baseman Ian Kinsler, who was a big thorn in the Phillies’ sides throughout Friday’s opener including his lead-off homer, opened with a single to centerfield and was followed by shortstop Michael Young’s 2 run rightfield shot to put Texas up 2-0 before Hamels registered an out.

But Hamels got the next 3 hitters in order to end the first inning and went on to retire 9 in a row before walking rightfielder Josh Hamilton to open the fourth inning.  But then a ground 3rd-to-2nd-to-first double-play rubbed out Hamilton and Hamels struck out former Phillies centerfielder Marlon Byrd to end the inning.
  
Meanwhile, the Phillies went to work on Padilla in the second and third innings scoring 3 in each frame to take a 6-2 lead.   AP Sports Writer Stephen Hawkins describes the second and third frames for Yahoo sports;

After Padilla walked Howard and allowed consecutive singles to load the bases in the second, [rightfielder] Jayson Werth hit a two-run single to tie it at 2.  [3rd baseman] Pedro Feliz then scored the tiebreaking run on a wild pitch by Padilla that put the Phillies ahead to stay. 

Chase Utley and Ryan Howard hit 400-foot home runs only pitches apart in the third inning, both ending long homerless droughts…

“I’ve said it all along, we’ve got to hit to win,” manager Charlie Manuel said. “Our big boys have to hit.”

This time, they did.

Utley had two doubles and his first homer in 12 games, his 23rd of the season matching Florida’s Dan Uggla for tops in the majors.

After Utley hit a 418-foot shot into the Rangers’ bullpen in right-center field and leftfielder Pat Burrell drew a walk, Howard hit a blast that landed in the second deck of seats above the bullpen for a 6-2 lead.

Helped by 2nd baseman Utley’s throwing error on a fielder’s choice grounder in the fifth inning, Texas got to Hamels to narrow the Phils’ lead to 6-4 as catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia pounded an RBI double to rightfield and Kinsler singled through the middle scoring Saltalamacchia.

In the sixth inning, catcher Chris Coste, batting in the normal pitcher’s 9th spot, solved Padilla clubbing a 2 out double to leftfield and shortstop  Jimmy Rollins followed driving in what proved to be the winning run, an RBI triple to right centerfield which he tried to stretch into an inside-the-park homer after the drive took a crazy bounce off of the wall past Hamilton.

AP’s Hawkins recounts the play;

Rollins never slowed down, but the right fielder retrieved the ball and got it to Kinsler for a perfect relay throw to Saltalamacchia, who made a sweeping tag of the sliding Rollins for the inning-ending out.

After 6 innings, losing pitcher Padilla, who tossed 101 pitches in allowing 7 runs on 7 hits while walking 3 and striking out 3, was doe.
Reliever Joaquin Benoit took over to pitch the seventh. 

Centerfielder Shane Victorino, who has shown a serious proficiency for bunting, led off with a bunt single to the pitcher.  Utley followed with an RBI double scoring Victorino from 1st base with an insurance run as the Phils’ lead built to 8-4.

Meanwhile Hamels retired the Rangers in order in the sixth and seventh innings before leaving the game.  The young ace lefthander threw 107 pitches allowing runs on 6 hits while walking 2 and striking out 8 in another quality effort.

Reliever Chad Durbin replaced Hamels to open the eighth inning.  He gave up a lead-off single to Kinsler who was rubbed out on picked off play.  Durbin got shortstop Young to ground out before the Rangers loaded the bases on two singles with a catcher’s interference call sandwiched in-between.

1st baseman Max Ramirez then singled in the 5th Rangers run as Durbin was replaced by lefthanded J.C. Romero who walked in the 6th run before stiking out Saltalamacchia to retire the side.

Reliever Luis Mendoza took care of the Phillies in the ninth, giving up only one hit.

Closer Brad Lidge got into some hot water in the ninth giving up a lead-off double and a single with a ground out in-between.  Lidge escaped unscathed striking out Hamilton and DH Mitlon Bradley to end the game to notch his 19th save in 19 attempts.

For all of the scores, boxscores and recaps on Saturday’s games, click here.

In Sunday’s final, veteran 45 year old lefthander Jamie Moyer is opposed by rookie Eric Hurley.

The Phillies have an off-day on Monday before heading to critical 3 game set with Atlanta followed by an equally critical 10 game homestand starting with 4 games against the Mets. 

For the scores, boxscores and recaps on Sunday’s games, click here.

Phillies 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz pounded a 2 out Grand Slam Homer to leftfield off of lefthander Kason Gabbard to cap a 5 run third inning, but  Brett Myers couldn’t stand the prosperity of a 5-1 lead. With help from reliever Clay Condrey, the Phils gave all 5 runs back in the Texas third inning.  After catcher Chris Coste tied the game in the fourth, the Rangers got single runs in the fifth and eighth innings to edge the Phils by an 8-7 score in Friday’s series opener.

With the loss, the Phillies lead in the NL East dwindled to a single game over Florida, who won and 3 games over both the Mets, who split a home and home Friday doubleheader with the Yankees, and Atlanta.  The Phillies are 4-12 since June 10 and 11-13 for the month of June having lost 8 of their last 9 games and miraculously still in 1st place.

Texas lead-off hitter 2nd baseman Ian Kinsler got the Rangers on the board against Myers to start the game but Myers got through the first inning, despite a walk, on a double-play grounder. 

After retiring the Phils in order in the first, Gabbard found himself in a 2 on, 2 out pickle in the second inning having surrendered 2 walks but emerged unscathed.  Myers then also got out of a jam, 1st and 2nd base on a double and a walk with one out, on 2 strikeouts and a ground out.

But then Gabbard walked 2, with his error on a grounder sandwiched in-between, as the Phillies loaded the bases with none out in the third.  They had yet to get a hit.  Then shortstop Jimmy Rollins grounded out to drive in a run followed by an intentional walk to Pat Burrell to reload the bases for Feliz whose slam was the first Phillies hit.  Centerfielder Shane Victorino then ended the inning by grounding out to 2nd base; 5-1 Phillies.

But then the Rangers went to work on Brett Myers.  After Kinsler led off with a double to right and shortstop Michael Young followed with a single past third, rightfielder Josh Hamilton drove home the 2nd Texas run with a single past 1st baseman Eric Bruntlett.  Bruntlet was playing 1st base in Charlie Manuels AL-style lineup which had Ryan Howard as DH.  Then Myers walked DH Milton Bradley to load the bases and followed by walking leftfielder David Murphy to force in the 3rd Texas run. At this point, Myers hit the showers relieved by Condrey who coaxed former Phillie centerfielder  Marlon Byrd into a 3rd-to-2nd-to-1st doubleplay which scored Hamilton with the 4th run.

Then recently called up 1st baseman Chris Davis pounded a 2 run homer to leftfield scoring Bradley with him to give the Rangers a 6-5 lead.  Condrey got the final out on a line out to leftfield.

The Phils came right back in the fourth inning as Coste led off with a leftfield solo shot sending Gabbard to the showers as the game started taking on the look of a wild one; 6-6.

With one out in the fifth, Bradley’s solo shot put the Rangers ahead for good at 7-6.  After the Rangers loaded the bases with 2 outs, Condrey too hit the showers and was charged with the loss.  Reliever Ryan Madson entered and recorded a strikeout to end the threat.

Both teams went down in the sixth and seventh with no damage done. 
Hamilton’s one out sacrifice fly to left off of Rudy Seanez in the eighth gave Texas an insurance 8th run which they turned out to need as rightfielder Jayson Werth went yard to left centerfield leading off the ninth inning against closer C.J. Wilson.  Wilson got the next 2 outs before the Phils threatened rightfield double by Burrell and single by Howard put runners at the corners.  But Greg Dobbs, a late game replacement at 1st base, grounded to 2nd base to end the game as Wilson was credited with his 17th save in 19 attempts.

Texas reliever Josh Rupe, who relieved Gabbard in the third and pitched 2 1/3 effective innings during which the Rangers took the lead, was awarded the win. 

It become ever more apparent the Brett Myers is not long for the starting rotation.  AP Sports Writer Stephen Hawkins notes for Yahoo sports;

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said Myers could soon find himself out of the starting rotation.

“First, you have to get somebody to do the job. When things go bad, those are things we discuss,” Manuel said. “I told you two a few outings ago, we’d try to get him right and go from there.”

The Phillies are 1-11 in the last 12 games started by Myers, who is 1-8 in that stretch.

For all of the scores, boxscores and recaps on Friday’s games, click here.

Ace lefthander Cole Hamels shoots for his 8th win opposing former Phillie  Vicente Padilla (10-3) in Saturday’s game 2.  In Sunday’s final, veteran 45 year old lefthander Jamie Moyer is opposed by rookie Eric Hurley.

The Phillies have an off-day on Monday before heading to critical 3 game set with Atlanta followed by an equally critical 10 game homestand starting with 4 games against the Mets. 

For the scores, boxscores and recaps on Saturday’s games, click here.

Despite the loss, the Phils remained in the NL East lead over the 2nd place  Florida Marlins by 2 games as the Marlins lost. But the Phils saw their lead drop to 3 1/2 and 4 game respectively over the Mets and Braves who both had open dates.

For the Phillies, it was their 7th loss in 8 games as the offense has scored a total of 15 runs in 8 games, 1.875 runs per game, 31 runs in the 11 games (2.82 runs per game) since the June 13th 20-2 rout of St. Louis.  Since June 10th, they have been in a certified tailspin, winning 4 while losing 11.

Harden opened by striking out shortstop Jimmy Rollins and 2nd baseman Chase Utley enroute to fanning 11 Phillies in eight innings of work mounted no offense at all.

Meanwhile, Eaton was down 2-0 after facing the first 3 hitters in the first inning on a leadoff walk and an RBI double by rightfielder Ryan Sweeney followed by an RBI single by leftfielder Jack Cust.  But Eaton settled down after falling behind and was only touched for a sixth inning one out solo homer by rightfielder Carlos Gonzalez.

Eaton finished up throwing 111 pitches through his seven innings, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits while walking 3 and striking out 6 in losing his 6th game against 2 wins.

Reliever Tom Gordon, who seems at or near the end of the line careerwise, was once again roughed-up in the eighth inning as Oakland scored 2 more  inconsequential insurance runs as the Phillies offense was moribund.

To show just how dominant Harden was, the first 14 Phillies went down before Shane Victorino singled to rightfield in the fifth.  Then Harden got next 7 of 8 Phillie hitters, only walking catcher Carlos Ruiz in the sixth, before Victorino singled to open the eighth inning.  The “Flyin’ Hawaiian” who tried real hard to breath life into the Phils offense on Wednesday, stole second but was stranded there as Harden struck the side.  Regarding Victorino’s stolen base, the AP recap for Yahoo sports notes;

The Phillies have been successful on 23 consecutive steal attempts and lead the majors with a 90 percent success rate.

The AP recap also records these comments on Harden’s performance;

“I’ve had games where I’ve felt better,” Harden said. “In the past I’ve always had that one inning when I’d lose command suddenly. I want to get away from that. I was able to locate pitches and I felt good.”

Harden’s previous best for strikeouts was 10 against Tampa Bay on Aug. 31, 2003. He is the first A’s pitcher to start a season 5-0 since Billy Koch in 2002, and he improved to 18-3 in 29 starts when pitching at least seven innings.

“I can’t think of a more dominating performance than that one,” A’s manager Bob Geren said. “When he’s on, he’s almost unhittable.”

“He pitched one of the better games against us this year if not the best,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. “We got beat by a good pitcher. They outhit us and outpitched us.”

Harden threw 95 pitches, easily his most proficient outing of the season.

“He didn’t leave too much over the plate for us,” Phillies second baseman Chase Utley said. “It seemed like he could have gone longer.”

Harden was replaced by lefthanded reliever Alan Embree who easily got the first 2 outs on a foul out and and a ground out before leftfielder Pat Burrell tripled to leftfield.  He was stranded when 1st baseman Ryan Howard grounded to 3rd base to end the game.

For all of the scores, boxscores and recaps on Thursday’s games, click here.

On Friday, the Phils head to Texas to play 3 games with the Texas Rangers while desperately needing turn things around and to end June on winning notes.  Brett Myers, who hopes to build on the momentum of his previous start after a couple of poundings, is opposed by 26 year old lefthander Kason Gabbard in Friday’s opener.   Ace lefthander Cole Hamels shoots for his 8th win opposing former Phillie Vicente Padilla (10-3) in Saturday’s game 2.

For the scores, boxscores and recaps on Friday’s and Saturday’s games,  click here and here.

Young Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick threw an eight inning 4 hit shutout gem in the longest start of his career, lefthanded reliever J.C. Romero finished off Oakland in the ninth. The slumbering Phils offense, led by 2nd baseman Chase Utley’s 4 for 5 game and catcher Chris Coste’s 2 for 3 with 2 RBIs, awakened with 4 runs and 11 hits as the Phillies broke their 6 game losing string Wednesday with a 4-0 win.

With the win, the Phils finally picked up some lost ground in the NL East as they extended their lead to 2 full games over the 2nd place Florida Marlins who lost and maintained their 4 and 4 1/2 game leads over the Mets and  Braves who both won.

Kendrick went right to work on the A’s retiring 13 of the firat 14 hitters he faced, issuing only 1 first inning walk, before 3rd baseman Jack Hannahan’s fifth inning 1-out ground-rule double.  From there, the youngster retired the next 7 hitters in a row before shortstop Bobby Crosby’s seventh inning 2-out single.  The only time that Oakland put 2 runners on base in the same inning was with 1 out in the eighth, Kendrick’s final inning.  But Kendrick got a strikeout and a ground out to the pitcher to end the inning.   Kendrick threw 113 pitches in eight innings in what may have been his finest, of quite a few fine performances over the past 2 seasons.  He walked 1, allowed 4 hits and struck out 4 to earn his 7th win against 3 losses.

The AP recap for Yahoo sports discusses Kendrick’s performance;

“Each inning we were trying to figure out exactly what he was throwing,” A’s manager Bob Geren said. “Hitters were coming back saying they weren’t getting much over the middle of the plate. He was sinking the ball well, living on the corners and showing good command.”

“My command was good throwing inside to the left-handers,” said Kendrick, who threw a career-high 113 pitches. “You have to throw inside to get them moving a little and I was using my sinker and slider.”

Meanwhile, the Phillies offense, previously flatter than Israeli lafa during the 6 game losing string, reawakened, led by Utley’s 4 for 5 game.

Rightfielder Jayson Werth opened the game against rookie lefthander  Greg Smith by drawing a walk. Then Utley singled to rightfield pushing Werth to 2nd base.  After shortstop Jimmy Rollins popped out to shallow right centerfield, Werth and Utley executed a double-steal putting runners at 2nd and 3rd base.  Leftfielder Pat Burrell drove in Werth with the Phillies 1st run on a sacrifice fly to center.  Utley, however, was stranded at 2nd base as DH Ryan Howard struck out to end the inning.

The Phils added 2 more runs on Smith in the fourth inning on 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz’s RBI triple to leftfield and Coste’s first of two RBIs on a sacrifice fly to rightfield.

Losing pitcher Smith surrendered one more Phillies run with two outs in the sixth inning when centerfielder Shane Victorino bunted safely.  The “Flyin’ Hawaiian” then charged around the bases, scoring from 1st base on Coste’s single on a short fly which fell just in front of centerfielder Carlos Gonzalez.

Smith pitched well over 5 2/3 innings, giving up 4 runs on 7 hits.  But the Phils offense did what it had to do in the clutch and hopefully, Victorino’s made dash around the bases on Coste’s shallow single re-lit the fire for games to come.

Manager Charlie Manuel shook up his lineup and adjusted to the AL DH rule.  He led off with Werth, moved Utley to the #2 slot, batted Rollins 3rd, put Burrell at cleanup dropping DH Howard to 5th, Victorino to 7th and put  Eric Bruntlett at 1st base and hitting 9th, in the normal pitcher’s spot.

J.C. Romero finished off what Kendrick started, making short work of the A’s despite issuing a 2-out walk.

For all of the scores, boxscores and recaps on Wednesday’s games, click here.

In Thursday’s final, Adam Eaton goes against Rich Harden as the Phils hope to leave Oakland with winning momentum of having taken 2 of 3 games after having lost 6 in a row.

On Friday, the Phils head to Texas to play 3 games with the Texas Rangers and are hoping to end June on a winning note.  Brett Myers, who hopes to build on the momentum of his previous start after a couple of poundings, is opposed by 26 year old lefthander Kason Gabbard in Friday’s opener.   Ace lefthander Cole Hamels shoots for his 8th win opposing former Phillie Vicente Padilla (10-3) in Saturday’s game 2.

For the scores, boxscores and recaps on Thursday’s games, click here.