Tagged: Chad Durbin

The Phils score two runs in the eighth inning to defeat the Nats, 5-3.

Philadelphia_PhilliesBefore a national television audience, the Phils break up a 3-3 tie by scoring two runs in the eighth inning, before going on to defeat the second place Nats, 5-3.

The Phils took the lead in the top of the second as, with two men out, Dom Brown hits a solo home run, his team leading ninth home run of the season, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead. The Phils then made it a 2-0 lead as Erik Kratz followed with a solo home run of his own, his fourth home run of the season. The Nats got a run back in the bottom of the third as, with runners on the corners, and with two men out, Adam LaRoche hits an RBI single, knocking in Denard Span, who had earlier singled, moved up to second base on Bryce Harper’s single, then went to third base on Ryan Zimmerman’s line out to center, cutting the Phils’ lead down to 2-1. The Nats tied the game up at two-all in the fourth as, with a man on third, and with two men out, Span hits an RBI single, scoring Steve Lombardozzi, as he reached base on an infield single, before going on to second base on shortstop Jimmy Rollins’ throwing error, then went to third on Jonathan Pettibone’s wild pitch. The Phils regain the lead in the top of the fifth as, with a man on second, and with two men out, Rollins redeemed himself with an RBI double, knocking in Pettibone, who had earlier doubled, his second career hit, and the first double of his career, giving the Phils a 3-2 lead. The Nats would retie the game at three-all in their half of the fifth as, with one man out, LaRoche hits a solo home run, his eighth home run of the season. The Phils would retake the lead in the top of the eighth as, with a man on first and with two men out, Delmon Young hits an RBI single, that went down the right field line far enough to allow Michael Young, who had just walked, to score, as he went around the backside of the plate, giving the Phils a 4-3 lead. The Phils then added an insurance run as, after D. Young was replaced by pinch-runner Michael Martinez, Brown hits an RBI double which split the right center field gap, knocking in Martinez, giving the Phils a 5-3 lead. That would end up being the final score as Jonathan Papelbon recorded his ninth save of the season as he pitched a scoreless ninth.

Jonathan Pettibone received a no-decision as he pitched six innings, giving up three runs on nine hits, a walk and a wild pitch, striking out sixth. Antonio Bastardo pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up two walks. Chad Durbin (1-0, 7.71) got the win as he also went two-thirds of an inning, giving up a hit and a walk. Jeremy Horst collected his second hold of the year as he pitched two-thirds of an inning, getting out both men whom he would face. Jonathan Papelbon would received his ninth save of the year, as he pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit, while striking out the side. Dan Haren also received a no-decision as he went six inning, giving up three runs on four hits and a walk, as he struck out ten Phils. Henry Rodriguez pitched a scoreless inning, as he hit a batter. Drew Storen (0-1, 5.21) took the lost as he went an innings, giving up two runs on two hits and a walk, as he struck out a batter. Fernando Abad pitched a scoreless inning, as he walked a batter, while striking out one.

The Phils had just six hits in the game, with Dom Brown leading the team with two hits, a home run, and a double, knocking in two runs. Jimmy Rollins (Double, RBI), Delmon Young (Single, RBI), Erik Kratz (Home Run, RBI) and Jonathan Pettibone (Double) had the other four Phils’ hits. The Phils also had three walks (Michael Young, D. Young, pinch-hitter Humberto Quintero) and a hit batter (pinch-hitter Kevin Frandsen), in the game.

The Phils (24-25, 3rd) will conclude their series with the Nats (25-24, 2nd), with an afternoon game already in progress, as they hope to win the series and put themselves in a second place tie with the Nats.

The Phils’ bullpen let one get away in extra-innings, as they lost to the Giants, 4-3.

Philadelphia_PhilliesThe Phils’ bullpen allows one to get away in extra-innings, after the offense tied it up in the ninth, as the Phils lose to the Giants, 4-3.

The Giants took the lead in the bottom of the second as Hunter Pence hits a lead-off home run, his seventh home run of the season. The Phils tied it up at one-all in the top of the fourth as Kevin Frandsen hits a lead-off home run, his first home run of the season. The Giants retook the lead in the bottom of the fifth as, with a runner on second, and with two men out, Marco Scutaro hits an RBI single, scoring Gregor Blanco, who had earlier singled, then stole second base, giving the Giants a 2-1 lead. The Giants increased their lead in the sixth as, with runners on the corners, and with two men out, Barry Zito hits an RBI single, knocking in Brandon Belt, who had started the inning off with a walk, moved up to second base on Francisco Peguero’s ground out, 5-3, and then went to third on Brandon Crawford’s ground out, 3-unassisted, giving the Giants a 3-1 lead, while sending Guillermo Quiroz, who had just been intentionally walked, up to second base. The Phils cut the Giants’ lead to 3-2 in the top of the ninth as, with runners on the corners, and with one man out, Chase Utley hits an RBI single, scoring Jimmy Rollins, who had started the inning off with a double, then stopped at third base on Frandsen’s fly out, while sending Michael Young, who had just walked, over to third base, while Utley would move up to second base on the throw to third. The Phils then tied the score up at three-all as Delmon Young hits a sacrifice fly to right, knocking in M. Young, while sending Utley over to third base. The Giants would win the game in the bottom of the tenth as, with runners on the corners, and with two men out, Andres Torres hits a walk-off single, knocking in pinch-hitter Buster Posey, who had started the inning off with a single, moved up to second base on Joaquin Arias’ sacrifice bunt, 2-3, then moved up to third base on Antonio Bastardo’s wild pitch, giving the Giants a 4-3 walk-off win.

Jonathan Pettipone received a no-decision as he threw five and two-thirds innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and four walks, while striking out a batter. Jeremy Horst pitched a third of an inning, walking a batter. Phillippe Aumont, Chad Durbin and Mike Adams combined for three scoreless innings, giving up two hits (Adams) and a walk (Horst) between them, while striking out three (Aumont (1), Durbin (2)). Antonio Bastardo (1-1, 1.69) took the lost as he pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up a run on two hits, a walk, and a wild pitch, while striking out one. Barry Zito also received a no-decision as he pitched seven strong innings plus one batter, as he gave up a run on four hits, striking out three. Santiago Casilla collected his sixth hold of the season by pitching two-thirds of an inning, getting out both men whom he would face, striking out one. Jeremy Affeldt received his fifth hold of the year as he pitched a third of an inning, getting out the one man who he would face.  Sergio Romo received his second blow save of the season as he pitched an inning, giving up two runs on two hits and a walk. Javier Lopez (1-0, 3.24) picked up the win by pitching a scoreless inning, giving up a hit, while striking out a batter.

The Phils had seven hits in the game, with Jimmy Rollins (Doubles) and Ben Revere (Single, Double) both leading the team with two hits each. Kevin Frandsen (Home Run, RBI), Chase Utley (Single, RBI) and Carlos Ruiz (Single) had the other three Phils’ hits. Delmon Young knocked in the final Phil run with a sac fly. The Phils also had a walk (Michael Young) in the game.

The Phils (16-19, 3rd NL East) will start a four-games series with the D-backs (19-15, 3rd NL West) starting with a night game tonight. The game will be played at Chase Field and will start at 9:40 pm EDT (6:40 PDT). The Phils will send to the mound Cole Hamels (1-4, 4.34), who is coming off a lost against the Marlins on May 4, as he went eight innings, giving up two runs on four hits, while he struck out six, in the Phils’ 2-0 lost. He will be trying to win his second game of the season. The D-backs will counter with Patrick Corbin (4-0, 1.80), who is coming off a win against the Padres on May 4, as he went seven innings, giving up a run on five hits and three walks, while striking out seven, in the D-backs’ 8-1 rout. He will be going for his fifth win of the season. The Phils will be trying to start off their second series out west with a win.

The Phils take the series as the offense comes out smoking as they beat the Mets, 9-4.

Philadelphia_PhilliesThe Phils’ offense comes out smoking as they take the series from the Mets, defeating New York, 9-4.

The Mats took the lead in the bottom of the second as, with a runner on second, and with two men out, Jordany Valdespin hits an RBI double, scoring Ike Davis, who had earlier doubled, giving the Mets a 1-0 lead. The Phils tied the game up at one-all in the top of the third as, with two men on, and with nobody out, Chase Utley hits a ground-rule double, knocking in Jonathan Pettibone, who had earlier singled, his first major league hit, then stopped at second base on Jimmy Rollins’ single, while Rollins, who had just singled, would stopped at third. The Phils then took the lead as, with Michael Young batting, Rollins would score on a Shaun Marcum wild pitch, giving the Phils a 2-1 lead, while Utley would move up to third base. Two batters later, after Young strikeouts for the inning’s first out, Ryan Howard hits a sacrifice fly to left, knocking in Utley, giving the Phils a 3-1 lead. The Mets would get a run back in the bottom of the fourth as, with the bases loaded, via singles by David Wright and Lucas Duda, sending Wright to third base, and a walk to John Buck, sending Duda up to second base, and with nobody out, Davis hits a sacrifice fly, for the inning’s first out, bringing in Wright, cutting the Phils’ lead down to 3-2. Pettibone then got out of the inning by first getting Valdespin to hit into a force out, 6-4, wiping out Buck at second base for the inning’s second out, while sending Duda up to third base, while Valdespin was safe at first, then striking out pinch-hitter Justin Turner, looking, for the final out. The Phils added to their lead in the top of the fifth as, with two men on, and with one man out, Howard hits an RBI single, knocking in Rollins, who had started the inning off with a double, giving the Phils a 4-2 lead, while sending Young, who had just walked, up to second base. The Phils then busted the game wide open as Dom Brown hits a three-run home run, his third home run of the season, knocking in Young and Howard, giving the Phils a 7-2 lead. The Phils then made it an 8-2 lead as John Mayberry, Jr. followed with a solo blast of his own, his second home run of the season. The Mets got the run back in their half of the fifth as, with a runner on second, and with two men out, Wright hits an RBI double, knocking in Ruben Tejada, who had earlier doubled, making it an 8-3 Phils’ lead. The Phils increased their lead in the top of the seventh as, with runners on the corners, and with two men out, Laynce Nix hits an RBI single, knocking in Young, who had started the inning off with a single, then reached third base on right fielder Mike Baxter’s fielding error of Howard’s fly ball, giving the Phils a 9-3 lead, while sending Howard, who had reached based on Baxter’s error, up to second base. The Mets would get a run back in the bottom of the ninth as Buck lead off the inning with a home run, his eighth home run of the season, making it a 9-4 Phils’ lead. That would be the final score as Jeremy Horst would get out the next three batters to end the game.

Jonathan Pettibone (1-0, 4.35) got the win, the first of his major league career, as he pitched five innings, giving up three runs on seven hits, two walks and a hit batter, while striking out four. Raul Valdes and Chad Durbin combined for three 1-2-3 innings, striking out three batters (Valdes (2), Durbin (1)) between them. Jeremy Horst pitched an inning, giving up a run on a hit. Shaun Marcum (0-1, 6.75) took the lost in his first start for 2013, as he went four innings, giving up three runs on five hits, two walks and a wild pitch, while striking out three. Robert Carson pitched an inning, tagged for five runs on four hits and a walk, while he struck out a batter. LaTroy Hawkins pitched two innings, giving up a run on two hits, striking out a batter. Scott Rice pitched two scoreless innings, giving up a hit and a walk, while he struck out two.

The Phils had twelve hits in the game, with Michael Young leading the team with three hits (Singles), followed by Jimmy Rollins (Single, Double) and Dom Brown (Single, Home Run, 3 RBIs) with two hits each. Chase Utley (Double, RBI), Howard (Single, 2 RBIs), John Mayberry, Jr. (Home Run, RBI), Laynce Nix (Single, RBI) and Jonathan Pettibone (Single), had the other five Phils’ hit, with Pettibone’s hit being his first career hit. The Phils’ other run came in on a wild pitch. The Phils also had four walks (Rollins, Young, Mayberry, Nix) in the game.

The Phils (11-14, 3rd) will conclude their series with the Mets (10-12, 3rd) with a daygame that is in progress.

The Phils drops their third straight game to the Pirates as they lose 6-4.

Philadelphia_PhilliesThe Phils’ pitching staff has another late inning meltdown as the team loses their third straight game to the Pirates, 6-4.

The Phils took the lead in the bottom of the fourth as, with one man on, and with two men out, Dom Brown hits an RBI double, knocking in Chase Utley, who had started the inning off with a walk, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead. The Pirates tied the game up at one-all in the top of the sixth as Gaby Sanchez hits a lead-off home run, his third home run of the year. The Phils retook the lead in their half of the sixth as, with two men on, and with nobody out, Ryan Howard hits an RBI single, knocking in Kevin Frandsen, who had started the inning off with a walk, then went to third on Utley’s single, giving the Phils a 2-1 lead, while sending Utley, who earlier singled, then stole second base, on to third base. Two batters later, after Utley is thrown out at the plate, 5-2, on John Mayberry, Jr.’s fielder’s choice grounder to third baseman Pedro Alvarez, for the inning’s first out, as Howard’s moved up to second base on the play, and Mayberry reaches first base, and a wild pitch by Justin Wilson sends Howard to third base, and Mayberry to second, the Phils added to their lead as, with two men on, and with one man out, Brown hits a sacrifice fly, knocking in Howard, giving the Phils a 3-1 lead. The Pirates got a run back in the top of the seventh as, with two men on, and with one man out, Sanchez hits an RBI single, knocking in Starling Marte, who had earlier walked, then moved up to second base on Andrew McCutchen’s single, making it a 3-2 Phils’ lead, while sending McCutchen, who had just singled, over to third base. One batter later, the Pirates tied the game up at three-all as Michael McKenry hits an RBI single, knocking in McCutchen, while sending Sanchez over to third base. The Pirates took the lead in the top of the eighth as, with the bases loaded, via Clint Barmes bring hit by a pitch, a single by Travis Snider, moving Barmes up to second base, and a single by Marte, moving both runners up a base, and with no one out, pinch-hitter Garrett Jones hits a two-run double, scoring Barmes and Snider, making it a 5-3 Pirates’ lead, while sending Marte up to third base. Two batters later, after McCutchen is intentionally walked, reloading the bases, and with still nobody out, Sanchez hits a sacrifice fly, scoring Marte, making it a 6-3 Pirates’ lead, while sending Jones up to third base. The Phils would get a run back in their half of the eighth as, with a man on third, and with one man out, Howard hits an RBI ground out, 6-3, knocking in Frandsen, who had started the inning off with a double, then moved up to third base on Utley’s ground out, 2-3, making it a 6-4 Pirates’ lead. That would be the final score as Tony Watson collected his first save of the season by throwing a scoreless ninth.

Cliff Lee received a no-decision as he pitched seven innings, giving up three runs on ten hits, a walk and a hit batter, while he struck out seven. Philippe Aumont (1-3 4.05) took the lost as he lasted only a third of an inning, giving up three runs on three hits, striking out a batter. Chad Durbin pitched two-thirds of an inning, walking two. Raul Valdes pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit, while striking out a batter. James McDonald also received a no-decision as he pitched five innings, giving up three runs on five hits and three walks, while striking out four. Justin Wilson (2-0, 1.29) got the win as he pitched two 1-2-3 innings, striking out two. Tony Watson recorded his first save of the year as he pitched two innings, giving up a run on two hits, while striking out a batter.

The Phils had seven hits in the game, with Ryan Howard (Single, Double, 2 RBIs) and Dom Brown (Doubles, 2 RBIs) both leading the team with two hits each. Kevin Frandsen (Double), Chase Utley (Single) and Cliff Lee (Single) had the other three Phils’ hits, as the ballclub is once again held down by opposing pitching. The Phils also had three walks (Jimmy Rollins, Frandsen, Utley) and a stolen base (Utley (4)) in the game.

The Phils (9-14, 4th) will start a three-game series with the Mets (10-10, 3rd) with a ballgame tonight. The game will be played at Citi Field and will start at 7:10 pm EDT. The Phils will send to the mound Kyle Kendrick (1-1, 3.28) who is coming off a no-decision against the Cardinals on April 21, as he threw six strong innings, giving up two runs on six hits and a walk, while striking out six, in the Phils’ 7-3 win. He will be trying for his second win of the season, hoping that the offense will finally wake up and start being more consistent. The Mets will counter with Dillon Gee (1-3, 5.95), who is coming off a win against the Nationals on April 21, as he went five and two-thirds innings, giving up just three hits and three walks, while striking out six, in the Mets’ 2-0 win. He’ll also be trying for his second win, hoping that he’ll have better luck this time against the Phils. The Phils will be trying to end their present three game losing streak, before things can get any worst.

Four runs in the eighth inning leads to the Phils splitting their series with the redbirds as they defeat the Cardinals, 7-3.

Philadelphia_PhilliesPhils scored four runs in the eighth inning as they beat the redbirds, 7-4, splitting the four games set with the Cardinals.

The Cardinals took a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first as, with one man out, Matt Carpenter hits a solo home run, his second home run of the season. The Phils tied the game up at one-all in their half of the first as, with runners on the corners, and with nobody out, Chase Utley hits an RBI single, knocking in Jimmy Rollins, who had started the inning off with a triple, while sending John Mayberry, Jr., who had just walked, on to third base. The Phils then took the lead one batter later as Ryan Howard hits a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Mayberry, giving the Phils a 2-1 lead. The Cardinals tied the game up at two-all in the top of the sixth as, with two men on, and with one man out, David Freese hits an RBI ground out, 5-3, knocking in Allen Craig, who had started the inning off with a single, then stopped at third base on Matt Adams’ single. The Cardinals took the lead in the top of the seventh as, with runners on the corners, and with one man out, Craig hits an RBI single, scoring Jon Jay, who had reached base on second baseman’s Chase Utley’s throwing error, before going on to second base, then stopping at third base on Carpenter’s sacrifice bunt, giving the redbirds a 3-2 lead, while sending Carlos Beltran, who had just walked, up to second base. The Phils would tie the score up at three-all in their half of the seventh as, with a runner on first, and with nobody out, pinch-hitter Laynce Nix hits an RBI double, scoring Erik Kratz, who had started the inning off with a single. The Phils took the lead for good in the bottom of the eighth as, with runners on the corners, and with one man out, Ben Revere hits an RBI single, knocking in Michael Young, who had earlier hit an infield single, then went to third on Dom Brown’s single, giving the Phils a 4-3 lead, while sending Brown, who had just singled, up to second base. The Phils then added to their lead as Kratz followed with a three-run home run, his second home run of the year, knocking in Brown and Revere, giving the Phils a 7-4 lead. That would be the final score as Jonathan Papelbon pitched a scoreless ninth.

Kyle Kendrick received a no-decision as he pitched six innings, giving up two runs on eight hits and a walk, striking out six. Antonio Bastardo pitched a third of an inning, giving up an unearned run on a walk. Chad Durbin pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up a hit and a walk, as he struck out one. Mike Adams (1-1, 2.25) got the win as he threw a 1-2-3 inning, striking out a batter. Jonathan Papelbon pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit, while striking out a batter. Jake Westbrook also received a no-decision as he threw six innings, plus one batter, giving up three runs on seven hits and four walks, while striking out four. Fernando Salas collected his first blown save of the season as he pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up a hit, while striking out a batter. Randy Choate pitched a third of an inning, getting out the only man whom he would faced. Mitchell Boggs (0-2, 12.46) took the lost as he pitched a third of an inning, giving up four runs on four hits and a walk. Marc Rzepczynski pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up two hits and striking out a batter.

The Phils had fourteen hits in the game, with Jimmy Rollins (2 Singles, Triple) leading the team with three hits, followed by Chase Utley (Single, Double, RBI) and Erik Kratz (Single, Home Run, 3 RBIs) with two hits apiece. John Mayberry, Jr. (Single), Ryan Howard (Single, RBI), Michael Young (Single), Dom Brown (Single), Ben Revere (Single), pinch-hitter Laynce Nix (Double, RBI) and pinch-hitter Kevin Frandsen (Single), had the other seven Phils’ hits. The Phils also had four walks (Mayberry, Young, Brown (2)) and a stolen base (Mayberry (1)) in the game.

The Phils (8-11, 4th East) is playing a home game with the Pirates (10-8, T-2nd Central), already in progress.

The Phils early season woes continue as they lose to the Mets, 7-2.

Philadelphia_PhilliesThe Phils early season pitching problems continues as Roy Halladay throws another clunker as the Phils lose to the Mets, 7-2.

The Mets took the lead in the top of the second inning as, with two men on, and with one man out, John Buck hits a three-run home run, his third home run of the season, scoring Marlon Byrd, who had earlier doubled, and Lucas Duda, who had just been hit by the pitch, giving the Mets a 3-0 lead. The Mets added to their lead in the top of the third as, with two men on, and with two men out, Duda hits an RBI single, knocking in Daniel Murphy, who had started the inning off with a walk, then moved up to second base on David Wright’s ground out, 5-3, giving the Mets a 4-0 lead, while sending Byrd, who had just walked, up to second base. The Phils would get a run back in the bottom of the fourth as, with runners on the corners, and with nobody out, Ryan Howard hits a sacrifice fly, scoring Jimmy Rollins, who had started the inning off with a double, then stopped at third base on Chase Utley’s single, making it a 4-1 Mets’ lead. The Mets increased their lead in the top of the fifth as, with a man on third, and with nobody out, Wright would hit an RBI single, scoring Murphy, who had started the inning off with a ground-rule double, then moved up to third base on Roy Halladay’s wild pitch, giving the Mets a 5-1 lead. Five batters later, with the bases loaded, via a single by Ike Davis, sending Wright to third base, and a walk to Duda, moving Davis up to second base, and with one man out, Ruben Tejada hits a two-run single, scoring Wright and Davis, giving the Mets a 7-1 lead, while sending Duda over to third base. The Phils would get a run back in the bottom of the eighth as, with a runner on third, and with one man out, Rollins hits an RBI ground out, 6-3, scoring Erik Kratz, who had started the inning off with a ground-rule double, thanks to fan interference, before moving up to third on Ben Revere’s ground out, 6-3, making it a 7-2 Mets’ lead. That would be the final score as Josh Edgin would pitch a 1-2-3 ninth.

Roy Halladay (0-2, 14.73) took the lost as he threw four innings, plus three batters, giving up seven runs on six hits, three walks, a hit batter and a wild pitch, while striking out just three. Chad Durbin pitched an inning, giving up a hit and a walk, while striking out a batter. Jeremy Horst and Raul Valdes combined for four scoreless innings, giving up two hits (one hit each) and a walk (Valdes) between them, which striking out five (Horst (3), Valdes (2)). Matt Harvey (2-0, 0.64) got the win as he pitched seven strong innings, giving up a run on three hits and a walk, while striking out two. Josh Edgin pitched two innings, giving up a run on a hit, while striking out a batter.

The Phils had only four hits in the game, a double by Jimmy Rollins (RBI), a single by Chase Utley, a single by Humberto Quintero and a ground-rule double by Erik Kratz. Ryan Howard knocked in the other Phil’s run with a sacrifice fly. The Phils also had two walks (Ben Revere, Laynce Nix) and a stolen base (Revere (4)) in the game, as the Phils once again spent most of the game trailing thanks to a bad pitching performance.

The Phils (2-5, 4th) continue their series with the Mets (5-2, 2nd) with a night game tonight. The game will be played at Citizens Bank Park and will begin at 7:05 pm EDT. The Phils will send to the mound Cliff Lee (1-0, 0.00) who is coming off a shut out against the Braves on April 4, as he pitched eight innings, giving up just two hits, while striking out eight, in the Phils’ 2-0 win. He will be trying for his second straight good start, while trying to put a stop to the Phils’ present losing streak. The Mets will counter with Dillon Gee (0-1, 1.42), who is coming off a lost against the Padres on April 4, as he went six and a third innings, giving up a run on three hits and three walks, while striking out four, in the Mets’ 2-1 lost. He will be trying to even up his record, while trying to help keep the Mets in pace with the division leading Braves. The Phils will be trying to even up the series.

The Phils end up a run short in the ninth inning, as they lose to the Royals, 9-8.

Philadelphia_PhilliesThe Phils end up a run short of their second straight walk-off win, as they lose to the Royals, 9-8.

The Phils took the lead in the bottom of the first as, win runners on the corners, and with nobody out, Chase Utley hits an RBI single, knocking in Ben Revere, who had started off the Phils’ half of the first with a single, then moved up to third base on Jimmy Rollins’ single, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead, while sending Rollins, who had just singled, over to third. Two batters later, after Ryan Howard had struck out for the inning’s first out, Michael Young gives the Phils a 2-0 lead with an RBI single, easily scoring Rollins, while sending Utley up to second base. The Phils them made it a 3-0 lead as Dom Brown hits an RBI single, knocking in Utley, while sending Young over to third base. The Phils then took a 4-0 lead as Erik Kratz hits a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Young. The Royals would get on the scoreboard in the top of the third as, with two men on, and with one man out, Alcides Escobar hits an RBI double, knocking in Chris Getz, who had got on base with a lead-off bunt single, beating Howard’s attempt to tag him out, then moved up to second base on Alex Gordon’s walk, making it a 4-1 Phils’ lead, while sending Gordon, who had just walked, over to third base. The Royal then cut the Phils’ lead down to 4-2 as Billy Butler hits an RBI ground out, 6-3, scoring Gordon. The Royal would take the lead in the top of the fifth as, with the bases loaded, via a lead-off double by Getz, a single by Gordon, sending Getz to third, and a walk to Escobar, moving Gordon up to second base, and with one man out, Butler hits a flyball to left center field which was originally called a double, as it bounce off of the wall, scoring Getz, Gordon and Escobar, giving the Royals a 5-4 lead, before it was reviewed and declared a grand-slam home run, as it had originally left the field and then bounced back in, giving Butler his first home run of the season, and his first career grand-slam home run, giving the Royals a 6-4 lead. The Royals increased their lead in the top of the six as, with the bases once again loaded, via a single by James Shields, a double by Gordon, sending Shields to third base, and a walk by Escobar, and with two men out, Butler hits a two-run single, scoring Shields and Gordon, giving the Royals an 8-4 lead, while sending Escobar on to third base. The Royals added an insurance run in the top of the eighth as, with a man on second, and with one man out, Gordon hits an RBI single, knocking in Jarrod Dyson, who had just doubled, giving the Royals a 9-4 lead. The Phils started a rally in the bottom of the ninth as, with two men on, and with one man out, Rollins hits a three-run home run, his first home run of the season, knocking in Ezequiel Carrera, who had started the inning off with a walk, then stopped at second base on Revere’s single, and Revere, who had just singled, cutting the Royals’ lead down to 9-7. Four batters later, with two men on, and now with two men out, the Phils made it a 9-8 Royals’ lead as pinch-hitter Laynce Nix hits an RBI single, knocking in Howard, who had earlier singled, then stopped at second base on Young’s single, while sending Young, who had just singled, up to second base. The Phils then had a chance to win the game as, with Kratz’s batting, Kelvin Herrera threw a wild pitch, allowing Young to reach third base, and Nix to stop at second base. But, the Phils would be denied as Herrera would strike out Kratz’s for the game’s final out.

Cole Hamels (0-2, 10.97) took the lost as he pitched five and two-thirds innings, giving up eight runs on nine hits and four walks, while striking out only two. Chad Durbin pitched an inning and a third, giving up a hit and a walk, while striking out two. Jeremy Horst pitched an inning, giving up a run on two hits. Phillippe Aumont pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit and two walks, while striking out two. James Shields (1-1, 3.75) got the win as he went six innings, giving up four runs on ten hits, while striking out eight. Tim Collins pitched two 1-2-3 innings, striking out four. J.C. Gutierrez pitched a third of an inning, giving up three runs on two hits and a walk, striking out a batter. Greg Holland collected his first hold of the year as he pitched a third of an inning, giving up a run on two hits. Kelvin Herrera received his first save of the season as he pitched a third of an inning, giving up a hit and a wild pitch, while striking out a batter.

The Phils had fifteen hits in the game, with Michael Young (3 Singles, Double, RBI) leading the team with four hits, followed by Ben Revere (Singles) with three hits and Jimmy Rollins (Single, Home Run, 3 RBIs) and Chase Utley (Singles, RBI) with two hits each. Ryan Howard (Single), Dom Brown (Single, RBI), John Mayberry, Jr. (Double) and pinch-hitter Laynce Nix (Single, RBI) had the other four Phils’ hits. Erik Kratz brought in the final Phil’s run with a sacrifice fly. The Phils also had a walk (Ezequiel Carerra) and a stolen base (Revere (3)) in the game, as the offense let Shields off the hook after the first inning, spoiling several scoring opportunities in the middle innings.

The Phils (2-4, 4th) start a three-games series with the Mets (4-2, T-2) starting with a night game tonight. The game will be played at Citizens Bank Park and is to begin at 7:05 pm. The Phils will send to the mound Roy Halladay (0-1, 13.50), who is coming off a stinker against the Braves on April 3, as he went only three and a third innings, giving up five runs on six hits and three walks, while striking out nine, in the Phils’ 9-2 lost. He will be trying to rebound from the lost. The Mets will counter with Matt Harvey (1-0, 0.00) who is coming off a win against the Padres on April 3, as he threw seven shut-out innings, giving up just a hit and two walks, while striking out ten, in the Mets’ 8-4 win. He will be out to increase his record to 2-0. The Phils will be trying to prove that they are better than they have looked so far, while hoping that Doc will regain his 2010-11 form.

Pitching let the offense down, as the Phils start the 2013 season off with a lost as they lose to the Braves, 7-5.

Philadelphia_PhilliesThe Phils’ offense is let down by the pitching as they lose their opening day game with their NL East rival, the Braves, 7-5.

The Braves took the lead in the bottom of the first as, with one man on, and with two men out, Freddie Freeman hits a two-run bomb to right field, his first home run of the season, knocking in Jason Heyward, who had earlier walked, giving the Braves a 2-0 lead. The Braves added to their lead in the second as Dan Uggla started off the bottom of the second with a solo home run, his first home run of the season, giving the Braves a 3-0 lead. The Braves then made it a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the third as, with a runner on third, and with two men out, Freeman hits an RBI single, scoring Andrleton Simmons, who had started the inning off with a double, then stopped at third base on Justin Upton’s fly out to right. The Phils then got on the board in the top of the fourth as Chase Utley started the inning off with a solo shot to straight center field, his first home run of the season, and the 200th home run of his career, cutting the Braves’ lead to 4-1. The Phils would make it a 4-3 Braves’ lead in the top of the fifth as, with the bases loaded, via a single by Cole Hamels, a walk by Ben Revere, moving Hamels up to second base, and a single by Jimmy Rollins, sending Hamels on to third base and Revere up to second base, and with one man out, Utley hits a two-run single, knocking in Hamels and Revere, while sending Rollins on to third base, beating the throw, before moving up to second base on the throw. After Braves’ manager Freddie Gonzalez replaces starter Tim Hudson with Luis Avilan, Avilan stops the damage by first striking out Ryan Howard for the inning’s second out, and after intentionally walking Michael Young to reload the bases, gets Dom Brown to ground out softly, 4-3, for the inning’s final out. The Braves would get a run back in their half of the fifth as, with one man out, Upton hits a solo home run, his first home run of the season, giving the Braves a 5-3 lead. The Braves increased their lead in bottom of the sixth as, with runners on second and third, and with nobody out, Gerald Laird hits an RBI single, knocking in Uggla, who had started the inning off with a walk, then stopped at third base on Chris Johnson’s double, giving the Braves a 6-3 lead, while sending Johnson, who had just singled, on to third base. The Braves then took a 7-3 lead as pinch-hitter Reed Johnson hits into a 1-6-3 double play, wiping out Laird at second base for the inning’s first out, scoring C. Johnson, who beat Howard’s wide and late throw to the plate. The Phils got one run back in the top of the seventh as, with a man on third, and with one man out, Howard hits an RBI ground out, three-unassisted, knocking in Utley, who had just tripled, making it a 7-4 Braves’ lead. The Phils then cut the Braves’ lead down to 7-5 in the top of the eighth as, with a runner on third, and with one man out, Erik Kratz hits an RBI single, knocking in John Mayberry, Jr., who had earlier doubled, then moved up to third on Jordan Walden’s wild pitch. That would be the final score as Craig Kimbrel would come in and collect his first save of the season as he pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, getting Howard to fly out for the game’s final out.

Cole Hamels (0-1, 9.00) took the lost as he went five innings, giving up five runs on seven hits and a walk, while striking out five. Chad Durbin pitched to three batters, getting none of them out, as he gave up two runs on two hits and a walk. Jeremy Horst pitched two innings, as he gave up a hit, while striking out two. Philippe Aumont pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a walk, while striking out a batter. Tim Hudson received a no-decision as he went four and a third-innings, giving up three runs on six hits and three walks, while striking out a batter. Luis Avilan (0-1, 0.00) picked up the win as he pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up an intentional walk, while striking out a batter. Eric O’Flaherty pitched an inning, giving up a run on a hit. Jordan Walden recorded his first hold of the year as he threw an inning, giving up a run on two hits and a wild pitch, while striking out a batter. Craig Kimbrel recorded his first save of the season as he pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out a batter.

The Phils had ten hits in the game, with Chase Utley (Single, Triple, Home Run, 3 RBIs) leading the team with three hits, being a double short of hitting the cycle. Ben Revere (Single), Jimmy Rollins (Single), Dom Brown (Single), John Mayberry, Jr. (Double), Erik Kratz (Single, RBI) and Cole Hamels (Single) had the other seven Phils’ hits. Ryan Howard knocked in the final Phil’s run with a ground out. The Phils also had a four walks (Revere, Young (2), Brown) and a stolen base (Revere (1)) in the ballgame.

The Phils (0-1, T-4th) will continue their three games series with the Braves (1-0, T-1st) with a night game tomorrow night at Turner Field. The game is to start at 7:05 pm EDT. The Phils will send to the mound Roy Halladay (0-0, -.–) who is coming off a bad 2012, and a so-so spring. Halladay and the Phils both hope that he’ll rebound from last season. The Braves will counter with Paul Malholm (0-0, -.–) who is coming off a so-so 2012 season between the Cubs and the Braves. He hopes to pitch better this season. The Phils will be trying to even up the series, while hoping that the old Doc will return.

The Phils win their final Grapefruit League road game for 2013 as they defeat the Tigers, 4-1.

Philadelphia_PhilliesBehind good pitching from Cole Hamels and the bullpen, the Phils win their last spring training game on the road, as they defeat the Tigers, 4-1.

The Phils took the lead in the first as, with a runner on third, and with one man out, Michael Young hits a sacrifice fly, knocking in Ben Revere, who started the game off with a single, moved up to second base on Justin Verlander’s throwing error on a pick-off attempt, then stopped at third base on Kevin Frandsen’s ground out, three-unassisted, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead. The Phils increased their lead in the fourth as, with two men on, and with two men out, Ender Inciarte hits an RBI single, scoring Carlos Ruiz, who had started the inning off with a single, then moved up to second base on John Mayberry, Jr’s walk, giving the Phils a 2-0 lead, while sending Mayberry, who had earlier walked, on to third base, before moving up to second base on the right fielder’s wide throw to the plate. The Tigers got on the board in the sixth as, with a runner on third, and with one man out, Austin Jackson hits a sacrifice fly, scoring Alex Avila, who had started the inning off with a single, moved up to second base on Zach Minor’s wild pitch, then went to third base on Omar Infante’s ground out, 4-3, making it a 2-1 Phils’ lead. The Phils got the run back in the seventh as, with runners on second and third, and with one man out, Young hits an RBI ground out, 6-3, knocking in Inciarte, who had started the inning off with a single, stole second base, then stopped at third base on Revere’s single, giving the Phils a 3-1 lead, while sending Revere, who had earlier singled, then stole second base, over to third base. The Phils then made it a 4-1 lead as, with runners on the corners, as Lynce Nix walked, and now with two men out, Revere would score on Bruce Rondon’s balk, while Nix moved up to second base. That would end up being the final score as Chris Nichols ended the game by getting pinch-hitter Corey Jones to ground out, three-unassisted, for the game’s final out.

Cole Hamels (3-0, 0.95) got the win as he threw three scoreless innings, giving up a hit and a walk, while striking out three. Chad Durbin recorded his second hold of the spring as he pitched a 1-2-3 inning. Zach Miner recorded his first hold of the spring as he threw two innings, giving up a run on two hits, a walk, and a wild pitch, while striking out a batter. Antonio Bastardo received his fourth hold of the spring as he threw a scoreless inning, striking out two. Brandon Erbe recorded his first hold of the spring as he went one and two-thirds innings, striking out a batter. Chris Nichols pitched a third of an inning, getting out the only man whom he would face. Justin Verlander (1-3, 4.01) took the lost as he went five and two-thirds innings, giving up two runs, only one of which was earned, on five hits, a walk and a hit batter, while striking out five. Jess Todd pitched a third of an inning, getting out the only man that he would face. Bruce Rondon pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up two runs on two hits, two walks and a balk, while striking out a batter. Darin Downs pitched one and a third innings, striking out three batters. Luis Marte pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit, while striking out one.

The Phils had eight hits in the game, with Ben Revere (Singles) and Ender Inciarte (Singles, RBI) both leading the team with two hits each. Michael Young (Double, 2 RBIs), Carlos Ruiz (Single), John Mayberry, Jr. (Double) and Troy Hanzawa (Single), had the other four Phils’ hits. The final Phil run came in on a balk. The Phils also had three walks (Laynce Nix,  Ruiz and Mayberry), a hit batter (Kevin Frandsen) and three stolen bases (Revere 2 (9) and Inciarte (2)) in the game.

The Phils (15-15) will play their final spring training game at Clearwater against the Blue Jays (14-16) tomorrow. Game time is 1:05 pm EDT. The Phils will be trying to end their Grapefruit League season on a high note.

Phils relief pitching let down the team again as they lose to the Blue Jays, 11-6.

Philadelphia_PhilliesA still leaking bullpen lets down the offense as the Phils are defeated by the Blue Jays, 11-6.

The Phils got on the scoreboard first in the first inning as, with a runner on second, and with one man out, Michael Young hits an RBI double, scoring Kevin Frandsen, who had just doubled, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead. The Phils then took a 3-0 lead as Ryan Howard hits a two-run blast, his second home run of the spring, knocking in Young. The Blue Jays cut the Phils’ lead in their half of the first as, with a runner on second, and with one man out, Melky Cabrera hits an RBI double, scoring Jose Reyes, who had started the inning off with a double, making it a 3-1 Phils’ lead. The Blue Jays then made it a 3-2 Phils’ lead as Edwin Encarnacion followed with an RBI single, scoring Cabrera. The Blue Jays then tied the game up at one-all in the second as, with two men out, Emilio Bonifacio hits a solo home run, his first home run of the spring. The Phils retook the lead in the fourth as, with one man out, Carlos Ruiz hits a solo home run, his first home run of the spring, giving the Phils a 4-3 lead. The Blue Jays retied the game in their half of the fourth as, with two men on, and with one man out, Bonifacio hits an RBI double, knocking in Adam Lind, who had started the inning off with a single, then moved up to second base on Brett Lawrie’s ground out, 6-3, while sending Moises Sierra, who had just walked, over to third base.  The Blue Jays then took the lead one batter later as Reyes hits a three-run home run, his first home run of the spring, knocking in both Sierra and Bonifacio, giving the Blue Jays a 7-4 lead. The Blue Jays increased their lead in the fifth as, with one man on, and with two men out, Sierra hits an RBI double, knocking in pinch runner Ryan Schimpf, who was pinch running for Lawrie, who had been safe at first on a force out, 5-4, as J.P. Arencibia, who had started the inning off with a single, was wiped out at second base, giving the Blue Jays an 8-4 lead. The Blue Jays then took a 9-4 lead as pinch hitter Jim Negrych hits an RBI single, scoring Sierra. The Blue Jays then made it a 10-4 lead in the sixth as, with a runner on first, and with two men out, Josh Thole hits an RBI double, knocking in Luis Jimenez, who had just singled, before moving on to third on right fielder Laynce Nix’s throwing error. The Blue Jays increased their lead once again in the seventh as, with runners on the corners, and with one man out, Ryan Goins hits an RBI ground out, scoring Schimpf, who had started the inning off with a walk, moved up to second base on Ricardo Nanita’s single, then moved up to third base on Negrych’s force out, 3-6, as Nanita was wiped out at second base, giving the Blue Jays an 11-4 lead, while Negrych, who was safe at first on the force out, would move up to second base on the out. The Phils got two runs back as, with one man on, and with one man out, Erik Kratz hits a two-run home run, his first home run of the spring, as he knocked in Jermaine Mitchell, who had started the inning off with a single, making it a 11-6 Blue Jays’ lead. That would end up being the final score, as Ryan Ortiz ended the game by striking out Tyson Gillies.

Cliff Lee received a no-decision as he threw three innings, giving up three runs on five hits, as he struck out three. Tyler Cloyd committed his first blown save of the spring, before taking the lost (0-1, 13.50), as he pitched two innings, giving up six runs on seven hits and a walk. Michael Stutes pitched an inning, giving up a run on two hits. Justin Friend pitched an inning, giving up a run on a hit and a walk, while striking out a batter. Chad Durbin pitched a 1-2-3 inning, striking out two.  R.A. Dickey also received a no-decision as he also went three innings, giving up three runs on four hits, while striking out a batter. Josh Johnson got the win (1-0, 2.25), as he threw two innings, giving up a run on one hit, as he struck out a batter. Steve Delabar, Esmil Rogers and Jeremy Jeffress combined for three scoreless innings, giving up a walk (Rogers) between them, while striking out four (Delabar (2), Rogers (1), Jeffress (1)).  Ryan Ortiz pitched an inning, giving up two runs on three hits, while striking out a batter.

The Phils collected eight hits in the game, a double by Kevin Frandsen, an RBI double by Michael Young, a two-run home run by Ryan Howard, a single by Dom Brown, a solo home run by Carlos Ruiz, a single by John Mayberry, Jr., a single by Jermaine Mitchell and a two-run home run by Erik Kratz. The Phils had only one walk (Ruiz) in the game.

The Phils (3-4-1) continued spring training as they play a pair of split squad games, one at home against the Blue Jays (5-4) and on the road against the Orioles (6-2), presently trailing in both games.