Tagged: Citi Field

The Phils are swept in Cincinnati as the pitching staff continues being unable to hold leads, as the Phils lose to the Reds, 10-6.

Philadelphia_PhilliesThe Phils’ pitchers are once again unable to hold onto a lead as the Phils get swept in Cincinnati by the Reds, losing 10-6.

The Phils took the lead in the top of the third as, with two men on, and with two men out, Ryan Howard hits a single to right, moving Charlie Morton, who had started the inning off with an infield single, then moved up to second base on Freddy Galvis’ single, up to third base, while sending Galvis, who had earlier singled, on to second base, before Morton would score on right fielder Jay Bruce’s fielding error, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead. The Reds would tie the game up at one-all in their half of the third as, with a man on first, and with two men out, Scott Schebler hits an RBI double, scoring Tucker Barnhart, who had earlier walked. The Phils retook the lead in the top of the fourth as Cedric Hunter hits a lead-off home run, his first home run of the season, giving the Phils a 2-1 lead. The Reds then took the lead in their half of the fourth as, with two men on, via a lead-off infield single by Joey Votto, and a single by Adam Duvall, moving Votto up to second base, and with nobody out, Bruce hits a three-run home run, his first home run of the season, knocking in Votto and Duvall, giving the Reds a 4-2 lead. The Reds added to their lead six batters later as, with the bases loaded, via an one-out walk by Ivan DeJesus, who then stole second base, a single by Barnhart, sending DeJesus over to third base, a sacrifice bunt by Robert Stephenson, 1-4, for the inning’s second out, sending Barnhart up to second base, and a walk to Schebler, loading the bases, and with two men out, Eugenio Suarez busted the game open with a grand slam home run, his second home run of the season, knocking in DeJesus, Barnhart and Schebler, giving the Reds an 8-2 lead. The Reds then took a 9-2 lead three batters later as, with two men on, via walks to Votto and Duvall, with Votto moving up to second base, and with still two men out, Bruce hits an RBI single, scoring Votto, while sending Duvall on to second base, before moving up to third base, while Bruce would move up to second base, on center fielder Odubel Herrera’s fielding error. The Phils would get two runs back in the top of the fifth as, with one man on, and with two men out, Howard would hit a two-run home run, his first home run of the year, knocking in Maikel Franco, who had just walked, making it a 9-4 Reds’ lead. The Reds would get one of those runs back in the bottom of the seventh as Bruce hits a lead-off home run, his second home run of the season and of the game, giving the Reds a 10-4 lead. The Phils got two more runs back in the top of the eighth as, with one man on, and with one man out, Carlos Ruiz hits a two-run home run, his first home run of the year, knocking in Hunter, who had just walked, making it a 10-6 Reds’ lead. That would end up being the final score as Ross Ohlendorf pitched a scoreless ninth, getting Andres Blanco to hit into a force out, 4-6, forcing out Franco, who had earlier reached base after being hit by a pitch, at second base for the game’s final out.

Charlie Morton (0-1, 14.73) took the lost as he pitched just three and two-thirds innings, giving up six runs on five hits and two walks, while striking out three. Daniel Stumpf pitched to three batters, getting none of them out, as he gave up three runs on a hit and two walks. Brett Oberholtzer pitched three and a third innings, giving up a run on four hits and a walk, while striking out five. Dalier Hinojosa pitched a scoreless inning, giving up two hits, while striking out a batter. Robert Stephenson (1-0, 5.40) got the win as he pitched five innings, giving up four runs, three of which were earned, on six hits, two walks and a hit batter, while striking out one. Jumbo Diaz and Tony Cingrani would combine for two scoreless innings, giving up a hit (Cingrani) and a walk (Diaz) between them, while striking out three (Diaz (1), Cingrani (2)). Keyvius Sampson pitched an inning, giving up two runs on two hits and a walk, while striking out one. Ross Ohlendorf would pitch a scoreless ninth, hitting a batter, while striking out one.

The Phils had nine hits in the game, with Ryan Howard (Single, Home Run, 2 RBIs) and Carlos Ruiz (Double, Home Run, 2 RBIs) both leading the team with two hits. Freddy Galvis (Single), Maikel Franco (Double), Cedric Hunter (Home Run, RBI), Peter Bourjos (Double) and Charlie Morton (Single) had the other five Phils’ hits, while the final Phil run would come home on an error. The Phils also had four walks (Franco (2), Hunter, Ruiz) and two hit batters (Andres Blanco, Franco) in the ballgame, while the defense committed an error (Odubel Herrera) and picked off a Red runner (Hinojosa).

The Phils would move on to New York to start a three-game weekend series with the Mets at Citi Field starting with an afternoon game this Friday afternoon, which is presently in progress.

The Phils get swept by the Blue Jays as they lose the final game of the home-home interleague play series, 12-6.

Philadelphia_PhilliesThe Phils lose their 20,000th game as a franchise as they end up getting swept by the Jays as they lose the final game of the home-home interleague play series, 12-6.

The Phils took the lead in the top of the second as, with a runner on second, and with nobody out, Dom Brown hits an RBI double, knocking in Marlon Byrd, who had started the inning off with a single, then moved up to second base on catcher Josh Thole’s passed ball, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead. The Blue Jays tied the game up at 1-all in their half of the second as Edwin Encarnacion hits a lead-off home run, his fifth home run of the season. The Blue Jays took the lead two batters later as, with a runner on third, and with still nobody out, Adam Lind hits into an RBI ground out, 3-1, knocking in Juan Francisco, who had earlier doubled, then moved up to third base on pitcher A.J. Burnett’s wild pitch, giving the Blue Jays a 2-0 lead. The Blue Jays then took a 3-0 lead one batter later as, with now one man out, Colby Rasmus hits a solo home run, his ninth home run of the year. The Blue Jays increased their lead in the bottom of the third as, with a runner on third, and with one man out, Jose Bautista hits a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Jose Reyes, who had started the inning off with a ground-rule double, then stole third base, giving the Blue Jays a 4-1 lead. The Phils would get a run back in the top of the fifth as, with a runner on second, and with nobody out, Jimmy Rollins hits an RBI single, knocking in Tony Gwynn, Jr., who had started the inning off with a walk, then moved up to second base on pitcher R.A. Dickey’s wild pitch, making it a 4-2 Blue Jays’ lead. The Blue Jays would get the run back in their half of the fifth as, with a man on third, and with one man out, Bautista hits an RBI ground out, 6-3, knocking in Reyes, who was hit by a pitch, after the original ball call was overturned, then stole second base, his second steal of the night, then moved up to third base on Wil Nieves’ passed ball, giving the Blue Jays a 5-2 lead. The Blue Jays then took a 7-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth as, with one man on, and with nobody out, Lind hits a two-run home run, his second home run of the season, knocking in Francisco, who had started the inning off with a walk. The Phils would get a run back in the top of the seventh as, with a runner on third, and with one man out, Chase Utley hits an RBI triple, knocking in Rollins, who had earlier doubled, then moved up to third base on Aaron Loup’s wild pitch, making it a 7-3 Blue Jays’ lead. The Blue Jays increased their lead in their half of the seventh as, with one man on, and with two men out, Encarnacion hits a two-run home run, his sixth home run of the season, and his second of the night, knocking in Bautista, who had just singled, giving the Blue Jays a 9-3 lead. The Blue Jays then made it a 10-3 lead one batter later as Francisco hits a solo home run, his fifth home run of the season. The Blue Jays added to their lead in the bottom of the eighth as, with runners on the corners, and with two men out, Melky Cabrera hits a two-run double, knocking in Steve Tolleson, who had started the inning off with a walk, moved up to second base on second baseman’s Jayson Nix’s fielding error of Chris Getz’s grounder, then stopped at third base on Reyes’ force out, 4-6, as Getz is thrown out at second base for the inning’s second out, and Reyes, who was safe at first base on the force out, beating the throw home, giving the Blue Jays’ a 12-3 lead, before moving up to third base on the throw home. The Phils would get a run back in the top of the ninth as, with a runner on second, and with two men out, Ben Revere hits a single to right which right fielder Tolleson would boot for a fielding error, allowing Freddy Galvis, who had started the inning off with a walk, then moved up to second base on pitcher Esmil Rogers’ wild pitch, to score, making it a 12-4 Blue Jays’ lead. The Phils then made it a 12-6 Blue Jays’ lead one batter later, after Revere has stolen second base, as Ryan Howard hits a two-run home run, his seventh home run of the year, knocking in Revere. That would end being the final score as Rogers would strike out Nix, swinging, for the game’s final out.

A.J. Burnett (2-2, 2.90) took the lost as he pitched six innings, giving up seven runs, six of which were earned, on nine hits, two walks, a hit batter, a wild pitch and a passed ball, while striking out four. Luis Garcia pitched two innings, giving up five runs, three of which were earned, on four hits and a walk, while striking out two. R.A. Dickey (3-3, 4.91) got the win as he threw six and one-third innings, giving up three runs on seven hits, three walks, a wild pitch and a passed ball, while striking out eight. Aaron Loup pitched a third of an inning, giving up a hit and a wild pitch, while striking out a batter. Marcus Stroman pitched a scoreless inning and a third, striking out a batter. Esmil Rogers pitched an inning, giving up three runs on two hits, a walk and a wile pitch, while striking out two.

The  Phils had ten hits in the game, with Jimmy Rollins (Single, Double, RBI), Chase Utley (Double, Triple, RBI) and Marlon Byrd (Single, Double) all leading the team with two hits apiece. Ryan Howard (Home Run, 2 RBIs), Dom Brown (Double, RBI), Wil Nieves (Single) and Ben Revere (Single), would have the other four Phils’ hits. The final Phil run came in on an error. The Phils also had four walks (Tony Gwynn, Jr., Brown, Cody Asche, Freddy Galvis), and a stolen base (Revere (11)) in the game, while the defense committed an error (Jayson Nix (2)), a passed ball (Nieves), caught a runner stealing (Burnett/Nieves), as well as perform two doubleplays.

The Phils (15-18, 5th) will start a three-game series with the Mets (16-17, 4th). The game will be played at Citi Field, and will start at 7:10 pm. The Phils will start Roberto Hernandez (2-1, 4.50), who is coming off a win against the Nats on May 4, as he pitched seven and a third innings, giving up four hits and three walks, while striking out three, in the Phils’ 1-0 win. He’ll be trying to stop the Phils’ four-game losing streak. The Mets will counter with Jenrry Mejia (3-0, 5.23), who is coming off a no-decision against the Rockies on May 3, as he went four and a third innings, giving up eight runs on nine hits and two walks, while striking out three, in the Mets’ 11-10 lost. He will be trying to add to the Phils’ present woes. The Phils will be trying to end their present losing streak.

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.

The Phils slim playoff hopes stay alive as they come from behind to defeat the Mets, 3-2.

A two-run blast in the top of the ninth by Ryan Howard keeps the Phils slim playoff hopes alive as they come from behind to defeat the Mets, 3-2.

The Phils took a quick 1-0 lead in the first as Jimmy Rollins starts off the game with a lead-off home run, his twenty-second home run of the season. The Mets tied the game up at one-all in the third as, with a runner on second, and with two men out, Daniel Murphy hits an RBI single, knocking in Ruben Tejada, who had earlier singled, then stole second base. The Mets took the lead in the sixth as David Wright hits a lead-off home run, his eighteenth home run of the year, giving the Mets a 2-1 lead. The Phils regain the lead in the ninth as, with one man on, and with two men out, Ryan Howard hits a two-run bomb into the right field seats, his eleventh home run of the season, scoring Chase Utley, who had just walked, giving the Phils a 3-2 lead. That would be the final score as Jonathan Papelbon came in and collected his thirty-sixth save of the season as he threw a scoreless ninth.

Cole Hamels received a no-decision as he pitched sixth innings, giving up two runs on six hits and a walk, while striking out ten. Antonio Bastardo, Justin De Fratus and Phillippe Aumont would combine for one and one-third scoreless innings, giving up two hits (Aumont) and a walk (Bastardo) between them, while striking out four (Bastardo (2), De Fratus (1), Aumont (1)). Jeremy Horst (2-0, 1.11) got the win as he pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up a walk. Jonathan Papelbon received his thirty-sixth save of the year as he threw a scoreless inning, giving up a hit, while striking out a batter. Matt Harvey also received a no-decision as he pitched seven innings, giving up a run on a hit and three walks, while striking out seven. Bobby Parnell collected his seventeenth hold of the season as he pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit, as he struck out two. Josh Edgin committed his second blown save of the season before taking the lost (1-2, 3.86) as he pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up two runs on a hit and a walk, while striking out two. Jon Rauch pitched a third of an inning, striking out the only man that he would face.

The Phils had only three hits in the ballgame, a home run by Jimmy Rollins (RBI), a single by John Mayberry, Jr. and a two-run home run by Ryan Howard (2 RBIs), as they were otherwise handled by Mets’ pitching. The Phils also had four walks in the game.

The Phils (75-74, 3rd) will conclude their series with the Mets (66-82, 4th) with a nightgame tonight, the make-up game for this Tuesday’s rainout. The game will be played at Citi Field and is to start at 7:10 pm EDT. Tyler Cloyd (1-1, 4.95) will start the game for the Phils, coming off a no-decision against the Astros on September 13, as he went only three innings, giving up three runs on five hits, as he struck out four, in the Phils’ 6-4 lost. He will be trying to improve on his last two starts. The Mets will counter with Jeremy Hefner (2-6, 4.99), who last pitched, in relief, against the Brewers on September 15, as he went an inning, giving up a run on a hit, in the Mets’ 9-6 lost. He will be trying to keep the Mets from being swept. The Phils will be going for the series sweep.

The Phils gives some runs support to Cliff Lee as they defeat the Mets, 3-1.

The Phils give Cliff Lee some much needed runs support as they defeat the Mets, 3-1.

The Phils took a quick 1-0 lead in the first as, with a runner on third, and with one man out, Chase Utley hits a sacrifice fly, knocking in Jimmy Rollins, who had started the game off by reaching first base on a strikeout-passed ball, moved up to second base on R.A. Dickey’s pickoff attempt throwing error, then went to third base on John Mayberry, Jr.’s soft ground out, 1-3. The Phils increased their lead in the fifth as, with one man out, Rollins hits a deep fly ball to right center field, which was originally thought to have bounce off of center fielder’s Andres Torres’ glove, ending up as a triple. But, one of the umpires thought that the ball might have actually left the ballpark and had bounced back onto the field of play and called for the play to be reviewed. After the review, it was declared that the ball had indeed left the ballpark, and Rollins was rewarded with a solo home run, his team-leading twenty-first home run of the season, giving the Phils a 2-0 lead. The Mets would get a run back in their half of the fifth as, with a man on third, and with two men out, Daniel Murphy hits an RBI single, scoring Mike Nickeas, who had started the inning off with a single, moved up to second base on Dickey’s sacrifice bunt, 3-4 and then went to third on Ruben Tejada’s ground out, 4-3, making it a 2-1 Phils’ lead. The Phils got the run back in the seventh as Dom Brown smashed a lead-off home run to right, his fourth home run of the season, giving the Phils a 3-1 lead. That would end up being the final score as Jonathan Papelbon recorded his thirty-fifth save of the season as he threw a 1-2-3 ninth.

Cliff Lee (6-7, 3.27) got the win as he pitched eight strong innings, giving up a run on seven scattered hits and a walk, while striking out ten. Jonathan Papelbon received his thirty-fifth save of the year as he recorded a 1-2-3 inning, striking out a batter. R.A. Dickey (18-6, 2.67) took the lost as he pitched seven innings, giving up three runs on five hits, two walks and a passed ball, while striking out eight. Robert Carson, Josh Edgin and Ramon Ramirez combined for two scoreless innings, giving up a hit (Carson) between them, while striking out a batter (Edgin).

The Phils had six hits in the game with Chase Utley (Singles, RBI) and Dom Brown (Triple, Home Run, RBI) both leading the team with two hits each. Jimmy Rollins (Home Run, RBI) and Carlos Ruiz (Single) had the other two Phils’ hits, as they made their hits count against the kuckleballer. The Phils also had two walks in the ballgame.

The Phils (74-74, 3rd) will continue their series with the Mets (66-81, 4th) with a game tonight, weather permitting. The game will be played at Citi Field, and is suppose to start at 7:10 pm EDT. The Phils will send to the mound Tyler Cloyd (1-1, 4.95), who is coming off a no-decision against the Astros on September 13, as he went only three innings, giving up three runs on five hits, as he struck out four, in the Phils’ 6-4 lost. He will be trying to improve over his last two starts. The Mets will counter with Matt Harvey (3-5, 2.92), who is coming off a lost to the Nationals on September 12, as he pitched five innings, giving up a run on five hits and three walks, while striking out ten, in the Mets’ 2-0 lost. He will be trying to even up the series for the Mets. The Phils will be going for the series win.

The Phils allow another game to slip away as they lose late to the Astros, 7-6.

The bullpen once again falters as the Phils lose yet another late season game to the Astros, as they lose 7-6.

The Phils took the lead in the first as, with a runner on third, and with one man out, Chase Utley hits a sacrifice fly, knocking in Jimmy Rollins, who had started the game off with a double, then moved up to third base on Juan Pierre’s sacrifice bunt, 1-3, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead. The Astros took the lead in the third as, with one man on, and with one man out, Scott Moore hits a two-run home run, his eighth home run of the season, knocking in Jimmy Paredes, who had just singled, giving the Astros a 2-1 lead. The Phils tied the game up at two-all in the fifth as, with a man on third, and with two men out, Pierre hits an RBI double, scoring Rollins, who had earlier singled, stole second base, then went to third base on catcher Carlos Corporan’s throwing error. Two batters later, after Chase Utley is intentionally walked, and with still two men out, the Phils would retake the lead, as Ryan Howard hits a two-run double, knocking in both Pierre and Utley, giving the Phils a 4-2 lead, before being thrown out at third base trying to stretch the double into a triple, 7-6-5, for the inning’s final out. The Astros would cut the Phils’ lead down to 4-3 in the sixth as, with two men out, Corporan hits a solo home run, his fourth home run of the season. The Astros would retake the lead in the seventh as, with the bases loaded, via Jose Altuve reaching first base on third baseman Michael Martinez’s throwing error, who then steals second base, a walk to Paredes, and a walk to pinch hitter Brandon Laird, and with one man out, Justin Maxwell hits a two-run bloop double to right, as the ball just dropped in fair, scoring Altuve and Paredes, giving the Astros a 5-4 lead, while sending Laird all the way to third base. The Astros then took a 7-4 lead as Matt Dominguez hits a two-run single, knocking in both Laird and Maxwell. The Phils got two of the runs back in the eighth as, with two men on, and with one man out, Dom Brown hits a two-run double, scoring Carlos Ruiz, who had earlier been hit by a pitch, and then stopped at second base on John Mayberry, Jr.’s single, and Mayberry, who had just singled. That would end up being the final score as Wilton Lopez collected his sixth save of the season as he pitched a scoreless ninth.

Roy Halladay received a no-decision as he pitched six innings, giving up three runs on six hits and two walks, while striking out seven. Antonio Bastardo collected his twenty-second hold of the season, before taking the lost (2-5, 4.63) as he pitched a third of an inning, giving up two runs, one of which was earned, on a walk, while striking out one. Phillippe Aumont committed his first blown save of the season, as he faced three batters, getting none of them out, as he gave up two runs on two hits and a walk. Justin De Fratus pitched one and two-thirds scoreless innings, giving up a walk. Jordan Lyles also received a no-decision as he pitched five innings, giving up four runs on five hits and four walks, striking out six. Hector Ambriz pitched an inning, plus a batter, giving up a hit, while striking out two. Wesley Wright (2-2, 3.19) got the win as he pitched an inning, striking out a batter. Xavier Cedeno pitched a third of an inning, striking out the only batter whom he would face. Mickey Storey pitched to three batters, getting none of them out, as he gave up two runs on two hits and a hit batter. Wilton Lopez recorded his sixth save of the year as he pitched one and two-thirds scoreless innings, giving up a hit and a walk, while striking out a batter.

The Phils had nine hits in the game, with Jimmy Rollins leading the team with three hits, two singles and a double, followed by Michael Martinez (Single, Double) with two hits. Juan Pierre (Double, RBI), Ryan Howard (Double, 2 RBIs), John Mayberry, Jr. (Single) and Dom Brown (Double, 2 RBIs) had the other four Phils’ hits. Chase Utley knocked in the final Phil’s run with a sac fly. The Phils also had five walks, a hit batter (Carlos Ruiz) and a stolen base (Rollins (30)) in the ballgame.

The Phils (73-74, 3rd) will start a three-game series with the Mets (66-80, 4th) starting with a game tonight. The game will be played at Citi Field and is to start at 7:10 pm EST. The Phils will send to the mound Cliff Lee (5-7, 3.36), who is coming off a win against the Marlins on September 12, as he pitched seven innings, giving up an unearned run on four hits and a walk, while striking out six, in the Phils’ 3-1 win. He will be trying to end the Phils’ present losing streak. The Mets will counter with R.A. Dickey (18-5, 2.68), who is coming off a lost against the Nats on September 11, as he went seven innings, giving up three runs on eighth hits and three walks, while striking out two, in the Mets’ 5-3 lost. He will be going for win no. 19. The Phils will be trying to keep their playoff hopes alive with a win tonight.

Cliff Lee finally records his first victory of 2012 as the Phils crush the Mets 9-2.

Cliff Lee finally wins his first start of 2012 as the Phils’ bats decide to come to life as they crush the Mets, 9-2.

The Mets took the lead in the fourth as Scott Hairston hits a solo home run, his eleventh home run of the season, giving the Mets a 1-0 lead. The Mets added to their lead in the fifth as, with runners on the corners, and with two men out, David Wright hits an RBI single, knocking in Ruben Tejada, who had earlier singled, then stopped at third base on Daniel Murphy’s single, giving the Mets a 2-0 lead, while sending Murphy, who had just singled, on to third base. The Phils tied the game at two-all in the seventh as, with one man on, and with nobody out, Chase Utley hits a two-run home run, his second home run of the year, knocking in Juan Pierre, who had started the inning off with a single. The Phils then took the lead on batter later as Carlos Ruiz hits a solo home run, his thirteenth home run of the year, giving the Phils a 3-2 lead. The Phils added to their lead in the eighth as, with a runner on second, and with one man out, Jimmy Rollins hits an RBI ground-rule double, scoring John Mayberry, Jr., who had earlier singled, then moved up to second base on Cliff Lee’s sacrifice bunt, 1-4, giving the Phils a 4-2 lead. Three batters later, with two men on, and now with two men out, Ruiz hits an RBI single, knocking in Rollins, giving the Phils a 5-2 lead, while sending pinch hitter Ty Wigginton, who had earlier been intentionally walked, up to second base. The Phils then made it a 6-2 lead as Hunter Pence hits an RBI infield single, beating shortstop Tejada’s throw to first, as Wigginton ran all the way from second base to score, while Ruiz would stop at second base. The Phils increased their lead in the ninth as, with runners on the corners, and with one man out, Rollins hits into an RBI force out, 4-6, forcing out at second base pinch hitter Jason Pridie, who had earlier singled, as Mayberry, who had earlier been safe at first on an earlier force out, 5-4, as Placido Polanco, who had started the inning off with a single, is wiped out at second base, giving the Phils a 7-2 lead. The Phils then took a 9-2 lead as Wigginton hits a two-run home run, his ninth home run of the season, scoring Rollins. That would end up being the final score as Jonathan Papelbon pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.

Cliff Lee (1-5, 3.98) got the win as he threw eight strong innings, giving up two runs on seven hits and a walk, while striking out nine. Jonathan Papelbon threw a 1-2-3 inning. Chris Young (2-2, 3.41) took the lost as he went seven innings, giving up three runs on five hits, while striking out three. Miguel Batista pitched to one batter, giving up a run on a hit. Tim Brydak pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up two runs on a hit and a walk. Jeremy Hefner pitched an inning and a third, giving up three runs on five hits.

The Phils had twelve hits in the ballgame, with Juan Pierre (Singles), Carlos Ruiz (Single, Home Run, 2 RBIs) and Hunter Pence (Singles, RBI) all leading the team with two hits apiece. Jimmy Rollins (Double,  2 RBIs), Chase Utley (Home Run, 2 RBIs), Placido Polanco (Single), John Mayberry, Jr. (Single), Ty Wigginton (Home Run, 2 RBIs) and pinch hitter Jason Pridie (Single), had the other six Phils’ hits, as the offense came alive in their last three at-bats. The Phils also had a walk and a stolen base (Pierre (20)) in the game.

The Phils (37-46, 5th) will conclude their series with the Mets (44-38, 2nd) with a night game later today. The game will be played at Citi Field and will start at 7:10 pm EDT. The Phils will send to the mound Cole Hamels (10-4, 3.08), who is coming off a lost to the Marlins on June 30, as he went seven innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and three walks, while striking out five, in the Phils’ 3-2 lost. He will be going for his eleventh win of the season, while trying to help the Phils win the series. The Mets will counter with R.A. Dickey (12-1, 2.15), who is coming off a win against the Dodgers on June 29, as he pitched eight innings, giving up just three hits and a walk, while striking out ten, in the Mets’ 9-0 shutout. He will be trying for his thirteenth win of the season. The Phils will be going for the series win, while trying to keep from being contained by Dickey.

Joe Blanton has his third straight bad outing, as the Phils lose to the Mets, 6-3.

Joe Blanton has his third staright bad start, giving up six runs this time, as the Phils drop one to the Mets, 6-3.

The Phils took the lead in the first as, with a runner on third, and with one man out, Jimmy Rollins, who had started the ballgame off with a double, then went to third on Juan Pierre’s sacrifice bunt, 1-3, would score on Jeremy Hefner’s wild pitch, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead. The Mets would tie the game up at one-all in their half of the first as, with runners on the corners, and with nobody out, David Wright hits an RBI single, scoring Mike Baxter, who had started the inning off by being hit by a pitch, then going to third on Kirk Nieuwenhuis’ single, while sending Nieuwenhuis, who had just singled, up to third base. The Mets then took the lead three batters later as, with runners on the corners, and now with two men out, Ike Davis hits an RBI single, knocking in Nieuwenhuis, who had reached third base on Daniel Murphy’s force out, 4-6, as Wright is wiped out at second base on Murphy’s grounder, giving the Mets a 2-1 lead, while sending Murphy, who was safe at first on the force out, up to second base. The Phils would tie the score up at two-all in the second as, with two men out, Brian Schneider hits a solo home run, his second home run of the season. The Mets retook the lead in their half of the second as, with a runner on third, and with one man out, Baxter hits an RBI double, knocking in Omar Quintanilla, who had started the inning off with a double, then went to third base on Hefner’s sacrifice bunt, 5-4, giving the Mets a 3-2 lead. The Mets added to their lead in the fourth as, with two men out, Hefner hits a solo home run, his first home run of the season and of his career, as well as his first major league hit. The Phils would get a run back in the sixth as, with one man on, and with nobody out, Hunter Pence hits a double to left, sending Pierre, who had started the inning off with a single, to third base, before he would head home on left fielder Baxter’s fielding error, making it a 4-3 Mets’ lead, while Pence would go on to third on the error. The Mets would increase their lead in their half of the sixth as, with one man on, and with nobody out, pinch hitter Scott Hairston hits a two-run home run, his sixth home run of the season, knocking in Quintanilla, who had started off the inning with a double, giving the Mets a 6-3 lead. That would end up being the final score as Frank Francisco recorded his fourteenth save of the year as he threw a scoreless ninth, striking out Schneider on a called third strike.

Joe Blanton (4-5, 5.05) took the lost as he pitched five innings, plus two batters, giving up six runs on nine hits, two walks and a hit batter, while striking out four. Raul Valdes threw a scoreless inning, striking out a batter. Jake Diekman and Joe Savery combined for two scoreless innings, giving up a hit (Savery) between them, while striking out three (Diekman (2), Savery (1)). Jeremy Hefner (1-2, 5.60) got the win, the first of his career, as he went six innings, giving up three runs on six hits, as he struck out four. Bobby Parnell collected his eleventh hold of the year as he pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Jon Rauch received his fifth hold of the season as he threw a scoreless inning, giving up a hit. Frank Francisco collected his fourteenth save of the year as he pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit, while he struck out two.

The Phils had eight hits in the game, with Jimmy Rollins (Single, Double) and Placido Polanco (Singles) both leading the team with two hits each. Juan Pierre (Single), Hunter Pence (Double), Ty Wigginton (Single) and Brian Schneider (Home Run, RBI) had the other four Phils’ hits. The 0ther two Phils’ runs came in on a wild pitch and an error.

The Phils (26-25, 5th) will conclude their series with the Mets (28-22, T-2nd) with a night game tonight. The game will be played at Citi Field, and will start at 7:10 pm EDT. The Phils will send to the mound Cliff Lee (0-2, 2.82), who is coming off a no-decision against the Cardinals on May 25, as he pitched seven innings, giving up three runs on eight hits and three walks, while striking out seven, in the Phils’ 5-3 extra-innings win. He is still looking for his first win of the 2012 season. The Mets will counter with Dillon Gee (4-3, 4.92), who is coming off a win against the Padres on May 25, as he threw seven innings, giving up a run on four hits and three walks, while striking out nine, in the Mets’ 6-1 win. He will be trying to lead the Mets to a series win. The Phils will be going for the series win, while trying to give Lee his first victory of 2012.

The Phils defeat the Mets, as Cole Hamels becomes the majors first eight game winner, as they win 8-4.

Despite giving up two two-runs home run, Cole Hamels becomes the major leagues’ first eight game winner as Ty Wigginton had a big day at the plate, as the Phils defeat the Mets, 8-4.

The Phils took a 2-0 lead in the fourth as, with two men on, and with two men out, Ty Wigginton hits a two-run double, scoring Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino, who had both reached base via walks. The Mets would tie the game up at two-all in the fifth as, with a runner on first, and with nobody out, Vinny Rottino hits a two-run home run, his second home run of the season, knocking in Lucas Duda, who had started the inning off with a walk. The Phils would retake the lead in the sixth as, with one man on, and with nobody out, John Mayberry, Jr. hits a two-run home run, his second home run of the year, scoring Wigginton, who had started the inning off with a walk. The Mets would retie the game up at four-all in their half of the sixth as, with one man on, and with two men out, Scott Hairston hits a two-run home run, his fifth home run of the season, knocking in Kirk Nieuwenhuis, who had started the inning off with a single. The Phils would regain the lead for good in the seventh as, with runners on the corners, and with two men out, Wigginton hits an RBI single, scoring Jimmy Rollins, who had started the inning off with a single, moving up to second base on Placido Polanco’s ground out, 1-6-3, as he reached second base as shortstop David Wright’s foot never touched the bag, then moved up to third on Victorino’s fly out to center field, giving the Phils a 5-4 lead, while sending Pence, who had just walked, up to second base. The Phils then took an 8-4 lead in the ninth as, with two men on, and with one man out, Wigginton hits a three-run home run, his fourth home run of the season, knocking in Polanco, who had started the inning off with a single, then stopped at second base on Pence’s single, and Pence, who had earlier singled. That would be the final score as Jonathan Papelbon would come in and pitch a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out Rottino, swinging, for the game’s final out.

Cole Hamels (8-1, 2.43) gets the win, as he becomes the majors’ first eight game winner, as he threw eight innings, giving up four runs on seven hits and a walk, while striking out six. Jonathan Papelbon threw a 1-2-3 inning, striking out a batter. Jon Niese received a no-decision as he went five innings, giving up four runs on two hits and five walks, while striking out seven. Ramon Ramirez pitched a 1-2-3 inning, striking out two. Bobby Parnell (1-1, 3.05) took the lost as he threw an inning, giving up a run on two hits and a walk, as he struck out a batter. Jon Rauch pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit. Manny Acosta pitched a third of an inning, giving up three runs on four hits, as he struck out a batter. Jack Egbert pitched two-thirds of an inning, getting out both men that he would face.

The Phils had nine hits in the game, with Ty Wigginton leading the ballclub with three hits, a single, a double and a three-run home run, knocking in six runs, as he lifted his batting average back up to .256. John Mayberry, Jr. followed with two hits, a single and a two-run home run, knocking in two runs. Jimmy Rollins, Placido Polanco, Hunter Pence, and Cole Hamels had the other four Phils’ hits, all singles. The Phils also had six walks in the game.

The Phils (26-24, T-4th) will continue their series with the Mets (27-22, T-2nd) with a night game tonight. The game will be played at Citi Field and will start at 7:10 pm EDT. The Phils will send to the mound Joe Blanton (4-4, 4.55) who is coming off a no-decision against the Cardinals on May 24, as he went four and one-third innings, giving up seven runs on ten hits and a walk, while striking out five, in the Phils’ 10-9 win. He will try to pitch out of his present slide of two straight bad starts. The Mets will counter with Jeremy Hefner (0-2, 6.17), who is coming off a lost against the Padres on May 24, as he went just three and two-thirds innings, giving up six runs on nine hits, while striking out three, in the Mets’ 11-5 lost. He is still looking for his first major league win. The Phils hope to win the series, while trying to put themselves back into the middle of the pack in the NL East.

33 games in 31 days: Game #28: The Phils now have seven straight losts as they lose to the Mets, 2-1.

The Phils continue to forget what a win feels like, as they dropped their seventh straight, setting a major league record for most loses since clinching a pennant, as they lose to the Mets, 2-1. I hope you guys are real proud of that achievement in inepitude. Morons!!

The Phils break up a pitcher’s duel in the seventh as, with one man out, and with one man on, Ryan Howard hits an RBI single, scoring Shane Victorino, who had earlier doubled, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead. The Mets tied it up at one-all in their half of the seventh as, with two men out, pinch hitter Valentino Pascucci hits a solo home run, his first home run of the year. The Mets took the lead in the eighth as, with one man on, and with one man out, David Wright hits an RBI double, scoring Ruben Tejada who had earlier singled, then stole second base, giving the Mets a 2-1 lead. That would end up being the final score as Manny Acosta collected his third save of the year by pitching a scoreless ninth.

Cole Hamels took a no-decision as he went seven innings, giving up a run on four hits and three walks, while striking out seven. Brad Lidge took the lost (0-2, 1.56) as he went an inning, giving up a run on two hits, while striking out a batter. R.A. Dickey also received a no-decision as he went seven innings, giving up a run on three hits and a walk, while striking out four. Miguel Bastista pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up a hit and a walk, while striking out a batter. Bobby Parnell got the win (4-6, 3.83) as he pitched a third of an inning, getting out the only man that he would face. Manny Acosta recorded his third save of the season, as he gave up a hit and a walk, while striking out one.

The Phils had just five hits in the ballgame, with Raul Ibanez leading the team with two hits, both singles. Shane Victorino (Double), Ryan Howard (Single, RBI) and Carlos Ruiz (Single), had the other three Phils’ hits as the offense continues to forget how to score runs, or to get hits for that matter.

The Phils (98-59, 1st) continue their series with the Mets (75-82, 4th) as they play the night half of the day/night doubleheader. The game will be played at Citi Field, and will start at 7:10 pm EDT. The Phils will send to the mound Joe Blanton (1-2, 5.30), who is making his first start since mid-May. His last appearance was on September 21 against the Nats, as he pitched a scorelesss inning in relief, giving up a hit, while striking out a batter, in the Phils’ 7-5 lost. He will be out to pitch a good game, while hoping that the offense will now be embarrassed enough to do something about the losing streak. (Yeah, right. They don’t want to know what winning feels like before the playoffs. Yeah, I’m being sarcastic and grumpy. Thanks for asking.) The Mets will counter with Dillon Gee (12-6, 4.48), who is coming off a no-decision against the Braves on September 18, as he went only four and one-third innings, giving up four runs on eight hits and five walks, striking out four, in the Mets’ 7-5 win. He will be seeing if he can give the Mets a doubleheader win against the presently clueless Phils. The Phils will be seeing how much worst things can get for them before they, as a team, decide to stop being a bunch of idiots and start playing to win ballgames, before its too late.