Tagged: Stolen Bases

Home runs once again hurt the Phils as they lose the series opener to the Brew Crew, 7-4.

The Phils’ bullpen allows another game to get away in the eighth inning, via a grand slam home run, as the Phils lose to the Brew Crew, 7-4.

The Brewers took the lead in the first as, with two men out, Ryan Braun hits a solo home run, his thirtieth home run of the season, giving the Brewers a 1-0 lead. The Brewers then made it a 2-0 lead as Aramis Ramirez followed with a solo home run of his own, his sixteenth home run of the year. The Phils got a run back in the third as, with runners on the corners, and with one man out, Jimmy Rollins, who had started the inning off with a double, then stole first second base, and then third base, would score on Ryan Howard’s grounder to second baseman Rickie Weeks, who threw to second base in an attempt to start a double play, except that shortstop Jean Segura would make a missed catch error on the force attempt, allowing Chase Utley, who had earlier walked, to be safe at second base, while Howard would reach first base, making it a 2-1 Brewers’ lead. The Brewers added to their lead in the fourth as Braun hits a lead-off home run, his thirty-first home run of the season, and his second of the ballgame, giving the Brewers a 3-1 lead. The Phils took the lead in the fifth as, with the bases loaded, via a single by Howard, a walk by Dom Brown, moving Howard up to second base, and a single by Laynce Nix, moving Howard to third base, and Brown to second base, and with two men out, Kevin Frandsen hits a bases clearing double, scoring Howard, Brown and Nix, giving the Phils a 4-3 lead. The Brewers retook the lead in the eighth as, with the bases loaded, via Weeks reaching first base on Frandsen’s throwing error, an intentional walk to Braun, moving Weeks up to second base and a walk to Aramis, moving up both runners, and with two men out, Corey Hart hits a grand slam home run, his twenty-third home run of the year, scoring Weeks, Braun and Aramis, giving the Brew Crew a 7-4 lead. That would end up being the final score as Jim Henderson picked up his third save of the year as he got Erik Kratz to hit into a 5-3 ground out with the bases loaded, ending the game.

Cliff Lee got a no-decision as he pitched seven and two-thirds innings, giving up four runs, only three of which were earned, on five hits, while striking out twelve. Josh Lindblom blew his third save attempt of the season, before taking the lost (2-3, 3.76) as he pitched a third of an inning, giving up three runs on a hit and two walks. Marco Estrada also received a no-decision as he pitched five innings, giving up four runs on eight hits and three walks, while striking out a batter. Jose Veras pitched two scoreless innings, giving up a hit and two walks, while striking out four. Livan Hernandez (4-1, 5.06) got the win as he pitched a 1-2-3 inning, striking out two. Manny Parra received his sixth hold of the season as he pitched a third of an inning, giving up two hits, while striking out a batter. Jim Henderson collected his third save of the season as he pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up a hit, while striking out a batter.

The Phils had twelve hits in the game, with Ryan Howard (Singles, RBI) and Kevin Frandsen (2 Singles, Double, 3 RBIs) both leading the team with three hits apiece, followed by Juan Pierre (Singles) with two hits. Jimmy Rollins, Dom Brown, Laynce Nix and Cliff Lee had the other four Phils’ hits, all singles. The Phils also had five walks and three stolen bases (Rollins (2, 19 and 20) and Pierre (29)) in the game, as they left too many men on base.

The Phils (54-64, 4th East) will continue their series with the Brewers (53-64, 4th Central) with a night game tonight. The game will be played at Miller Park and is to start at 8:10 pm EDT (7:10 CDT). The Phils will send to the mound Vance Worley (6-7, 3.97), who is coming off a no-decision against the Cardinals on August 12, as he went five and a third innings, giving up four runs on nine hits and two walks, while striking out four, in the Phils’ 8-7 extra-innings win. He will be trying to improve on his last start. The Brewers will counter with Yovani Gallardo (11-8, 3.78), who is coming off a win against the Astros on August 12, as he threw seven and two-thirds innings, giving up three runs on nine hits and a walk, while striking out eight, in the Brewers’ 5-3 win. He will be trying to trying to give the Phils’ some fits. The Phils will be trying to even up the series.

The retooled Phils come out smoking as they blank the first-place Nats, 8-0.

The newly rebuilt Phils came out smoking as they, behind Cliff Lee’s pitching, end up blanking the first-place Nats, 8-0.

The Phils took the lead in the second as, with a runner on second, and with two men out, Kevin Frandsen hits a two-run home run, his first home run of the season, knocking in Carlos Ruiz, who had started the inning off with a double, giving the Phils a 2-0 lead. The Phils took a 3-0 lead in the third as, with one man on, and with one out, Juan Pierre, who had earlier singled, then stole second, would then steal third base, before heading on home to score on catcher Jesus Flores’ throwing error to third base. The Nats then tried to get on the scoreboard in their half of the third as they loaded up the bases on singles by Stephen Strasburg, Steve Lombardozzi, moving Strasburg up to second base, and Michael Morse, moving both runners up a base, and with two men out, before being denied as Phils’ starter Cliff Lee got Tyler Moore to ground out, 3-1, for the inning’s final out. The Phils added to their lead in the fourth as, with a runner on second, and with one man out, Lee helps his own cause by hitting an RBI single, knocking in John Mayberry, Jr., who had earlier doubled, giving the Phils a 4-0 lead. One batter later, after Lee had stolen second base, Jimmy Rollins hits a deep fly ball to right, which bounces off the wall, as Bryce Harper hit against the wall as he was unable to make the catch, allowing Lee to score, giving the Phils a 5-0 lead, before Rollins crosses the plate with an inside-the-park home run, his tenth home run of the season, making it a 6-0 Phils’ lead. The Phils added to their lead in the ninth as, with runners on second and third, and with one man out, Ruiz hits an RBI ground out, 4-3, knocking in Pierre, who had started the inning off with a single, moved up to second base on Chase Utley’s walk, then went to third base on Ryan Howard’s ground out, 4-3, as he is for the second time in the game robbed of a base hit by the Nats’ second baseman Lombardozzi, giving the Phils a 7-0 lead, while sending on to third base Utley, who had earlier walked, then moved up to second base on Howard’s ground out. The Phils then took an 8-o lead as Laynce Nix hits an RBI single, scoring Utley. That would be the final score as Michael Schwimer would come in to pitch a scoreless ninth, striking ou the side.

Cliff Lee (2-6, 3.73) got the win as he pitched his best start of the season, as he threw seven scoreless innings, giving up only five hits and a walk, while striking out seven Nats. Antonio Bastardo, Kyle Kendrick and Michael Schwimer would combine for two 1-2-3 innings, striking out five batters (Bastardo (1), Kendrick (1), Schwimer (3)) between them. Stephen Strasburg (11-5, 3.12) took the lost as he lasted only four innings, giving up six runs on four hits and a walk, while striking out three. Tom Gorzelanny threw three scoreless innings in relief, giving up two hits, while striking out two. Henry Rodriguez pitched an inning and a third, giving up two runs on two hits and two walks, while striking out a batter. Drew Storen pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up a hit.

The Phils had thirteen hits in the ballgame, with Juan Pierre leading the team with three hits, all singles, followed by John Mayberry, Jr. with two hits, a single and a double. Jimmy Rollins (Home Run, 2 RBIs), Chase Utley (Single), Ryan Howard (Single), Carlos Ruiz (Double, RBI), Laynce Nix (Single, RBI), Kevin Frandsen (Home Run, 2 RBIs), Cliff Lee (Single, RBI) and pinch hitter Dom Brown (Single), had the other eight Phils’ hits. The final Phil run can in on a throwing error. The Phils also had three walks, and three stolen bases (Pierre (24 & 25), Lee (1)) in the game.

The Phils (46-57, 5th) will continue their series with the Nats (61-41, 1st) with a night game tonight. The game will be played at Nationals Park and is to start at 7:05 pm EDT. The Phils will send to the mound Vance Worley (5-6, 3.88) who is coming off a no-decision against the Brewers on July 25, as he pitched five and one-third innings, giving up three runs on ten hits and a walk, while striking out six, in the Phils 7-6 extra-innings win. He will be trying to continue the Phils’ present momentum, while also trying to give them the series win. The Nats will counter with Edwin Jackson (6-6, 3.52), who is coming off a win against the Brewers on July 26, as he threw seven innings, giving up just eight hits and a walk, while striking out four, in the Nats’ 8-2 win. He will be trying to even up the series. The Phils will be trying to win the present series behind Worley.

The Phils have just traded Shane Victorino (Dodgers) and Hunter Pence (Giants), in exchange for Josh Lindblom, Nate Schierholtz and three prospects.

The Phils have earlier this afternoon announced that they have traded Shane Victorino to the Dodgers in exchange for relief pitch Josh Lindblom and one prospect, and Hunter Pence to the Giants for outfielder Nate Schierholtz and two prospects, before announcing that they had called up Dom Brown from Lehigh Valley.

Shane Victorino, who had been with the Phils since 2005, which would include him being a member of the 2008 World Championship team, as well as spending part of 2003 playing for the Padres, had played in 1023 games, compiling a career batting average of .277 (1009 for 3644), while collecting 183 doubles, 63 triples and 88 home runs, along with 394 RBIs, 316 walks and 186 stolen bases, while crossing the plate a total of 590 times. He also has a career slugging percentage of .434 and an OBP of .342. This season, Victorino, before the trade, had played in 101 games, compiling a .261 batting average (101 for 387) including 17 doubles, 5 triples and nine home runs, the latest of which occurred this past Sunday against the Braves, as well as knocking in 40 RBIs, while walking 36 times and stealing 24 bases, while being caught only 4 times. He also crossed the plate 46 times. For Victorino, the Phils will be getting relief pitcher Josh Lindblom, who had pitched for the Dodgers during the last two seasons, including this year, appearing in a total of 75 games, compiling a record of 3-2 with a 2.91 ERA and a WHIP of 1.18, as he pitched in 77.1 innings, giving up 25 runs on 63 hits and 28 walks, while striking out a total of 71 batters. This year, his record is 2-2 with a 3.02 ERA, as he had appeared in 48 games, throwing 47.2 innings, giving up 16 runs on 42 hits and 18 walks, while striking out 43. The Phils will also receive minor league pitching prospect Ethan Martin, who was pitching for AA Chattanooga in the Southern League before the trade.

After trading Victorino, the Phils then sent Hunter Pence, who they had gotten last year in a trade with the Astros for four prospects, to the Giants for outfielder Nate Schierholtz and two minor leaguers. Pence, who, until last year around this time, had played with the Astros, starting in 2007. Careerwise, Pence had batted .290 (943 for 3254), as he had appeared in 835 games, compiling a total of 172 doubles, 28 triples and 131 home runs, knocking in 471 runs, while scoring 447 times, as he had also complied 258 walks. For this season, he had appeared in 101 games, batting .271 (108 for 398), as he had 15 doubles, 2 triples and 17 home runs (at the time the Phils’ leader in that category), knocking in 59 RBIs, while crossing the plate 59 times. He also had 37 walks. In return for Pence, the Phils will get Nate Shierholtz, who had been playing for the Giants since 2007, as he had appeared in 503 games, with a .270 batting average (327 for 1209), collecting 72 doubles, 15 triples and 23 home runs, while knocking in 119 RBIs, while crossing the plate 145 times. He also has 80 walks. This season, Schierholtz has hit .257 (45 for 175), including 5 doubles, triples and home runs, while knocking in just 17 RBIs, while scoring only 15 times. He has walked just 18 times. The Phils also got from the Giants catching prospect Tommy Joseph, the Giants’ number 5 pick in the 2009 draft and pitching prospect right-hander Seth Rosin.

The Phils also announced that they will be calling up Dom Brown from the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, to take one of spots just opened up by the two trades.

I wished you luck Shane and Hunter, welcome to the club Josh and Nate, and welcome back Dom (you better have a good idea what is expected of you). Ruben, I really hope that you know what you’re doing trading tw0 of our three starting outfielders.

The Phils scored four runs in their last at-bat to defeat the Brewers, 7-6.

The Phils score four times in their last at-bat to come back from behind to beat the Brew Crew, 7-6.

The Brewers took the lead in the first as, with a runner on second, and with two men out, Aramis Ramirez hits an RBI double, knocking in Carlos Gomez, who was earlier hit by a pitch, then stole second base, giving the Brewers a 1-0 lead. The Brewers then made it a 2-0 lead as Corey Hart hits an RBI single, scoring Ramirez. The Phils got a run back in their half of the first as, with two men out, Chase Utley hits a solo home run, his fourth home run of the season, and his second home run in two days, making it a 2-1 Brewers’ lead. The Phils then tied it up at two-all as Ryan Howard’s long fly to left center field, originally called a double, is called a home run by the umpires after seeing that it had cleared the home run line along the fence, giving Howard his fourth home run of the season, and his third home run in the last four games. The Brewers regain the lead in the third as, with a man on second, and with nobody out, Ryan Braun hits an RBI single on a ball that bounces off of Howard’s glove, knocking in Gomez, who had started the inning off with a single, then stole second base, for his second steal of the night, giving the Brew Crew a 3-2 lead. The Brewers then made it a 6-2 lead in the fourth as, with two men on, and with two men out, Gomez hits a three-run home run, on a ball that hits the left field foul pole, his sixth home run of the season, knocking in Randy Wolf, who had earlier singled, then stopped at second base on Norichika Aoki’s single, and Aoki, who had just singled. The Phils would get a run back in the seventh as, with the bases loaded, via walks to Jimmy Rollins and Juan Pierre, who then perform a double steal, moving up to third and second base respectively, and a walk to Utley and with one man out, Rollins would score on catcher George Kottaras’ passed ball, cutting the Brewers’ lead down to 6-3, while allowing Pierre to move up to third base, and Utley to go to second base. The Phils then began a rally in the ninth as, after pinch hitter Laynce Nix struck out for the inning’s first out, Rollins  would get on base with a walk. Pierre followed with a single to right, sending Rollins all the way to third, putting runners on the corners. While Utley was batting, Pierre stole second base, his second steal of the game. Utley then walked, loading up the bases. Howard then came to the plate, and after falling behind in the count, 0-2, hits a single up the middle, knocking in Rollins and Pierre, cutting the Brewers’ lead down to 6-5, while sending Utley to third base. The Phils then tied the game up at six-all as Carlos Ruiz hits an RBI single, knocking in Utley, while moving Howard up to second base. Hunter Pence then worked a walk, reloading the bases, as Howard and Ruiz both moved up a base. Erik Kratz is then sent in to pinch run for Howard. Ty Wigginton then comes to the plate and hits a fly ball to left, that would score Kratz from third, beating the off-line throw to the plate, for the walk-off 7-6 win.

Roy Halladay received a no-decision as he threw six innings, giving up six runs on eight hits, a hit batter and a walk, while striking out three. Michael Schwimer and Jake Diekman would combine for two scoreless innings, walking two batters (one each) between them, while striking out four (two batters each). Joe Savery (1-2, 5.63) gets the win, his first career win, as he pitched a 1-2-3 inning, striking out a batter. Randy Wolf also got a no-decision as he also went six innings, as he gave up two runs on five hits and three walks, while striking out five. Manny Parra pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up an unearned run on three walks and a passed ball. John Axford received his first hold of the season as he threw one and one-third scoreless innings, striking out a batter. Francisco Rodriguez received his fifth blown save of the year before taking the lost (2-5, 4.47), as he pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up four runs on three hits and three walks, while striking out a batter.

The Phils had eight hits in the game, with Ryan Howard leading the team with three hits (Single, Double, Home Runs, 3 RBIs), followed by John Mayberry, Jr. who had two hits (Single, Double). Chase Utley (Home Run, RBI), Juan Pierre (Single) and Carlos Ruiz (Single, RBI) had the other three Phils’ hit. Ty Wigginton had the final Phil RBI, via a sacrifice fly, while the final run came in on a passed ball. The Phils also had nine walks and three stolen bases (Rollins (16) & Pierre (22 & 23)) in the game.

The Phils (43-54, 5th East) will continue their series with the Brew Crew (44-51, 4th Central) with a night game tonight. The game will be played at Citizens Bank Park, and will start at 7:05 pm EDT. The Phils will send to the mound Cliff Lee (1-6, 3.72), who is coming off a no-decision against the Dodgers on July 18, as he went eight strong innings, giving up just a run on two hits and a walk, while striking out four, in the Phils’ 5-3 extra-innings lost. He will once more be trying to record his second win of the season. The Brewers will counter with Zack Greinke (9-3, 3.57), who is coming off a no-decision against the Pirates on July 13, as he pitched five innings, giving up five runs on seven hits and two walks, while striking out six, in the Brewers’ 10-7 win. He will be going for his tenth win of the season. The Phils will be going for their third straight win at home.

The Phils are unable to complete the sweep as they lose to the Dodgers in extra-innings, 5-3.

The Phils are not able to sweep the Dodgers as they lose a tough one in extra-innings, losing to the Dodgers, 5-3.

The Dodgers took the lead in the second as Juan Rivera hits a lead-off home run, his fourth home run of the year, giving the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. The Phils tied the game up at one-all in the fourth as, with a man on second, and with one man out, Carlos Ruiz hits an RBI single, knocking in Shane Victorino, who had started the inning off with a single, then stole second base. The game would stay a pitchers’ duel until the tenth when the Phils took the lead as, with the bases loaded, via a walk to Jimmy Rollins, who is then moved up to second base on Victorino’s sacrifice bunt, 1-4, Chase Utley being intentionally walked and a walk to Ruiz, moving up a base both Rollins and Utley, and with one man out, Hunter Pence hits a two-run single, scoring Rollins and Utley, giving the Phils a 3-1 lead, while sending Ruiz up to second base. The Dodgers would cut the Phils’ lead down to 3-2 in their half of the tenth as, with a runner on second base, and with one man out, pinch hitter Bobby Abreu hits an RBI single to left that was out of the reach of shortstop Rollins, scoring Luis Cruz, who had started the inning off with a double. Three batters later, after Abreu had stolen second base, and then stopped at third base on Tony Gwynn, Jr’s infield single, and with two men out, the Dodgers tied the game up at three-all as Matt Kemp hits an RBI infield single, as he just beat Rollins’ throw to first base, knocking in Abreu, while Gwynn would move up to second base on the play. The Dodgers then won the game in the twelfth as, with one man on, and with one man out, Kemp hits a two-run home run, his thirteeth home run of the season, knocking in Mark Ellis, who had just walked, giving the Dodgers a walk-off 5-3 win.

Cliff Lee received a no-decision as he pitched eight strong innings, giving up just one run on two hits and a walk, while striking out four. Antonio Bastardo, Kyle Kendrick, Jeremy Horst (pitching to one batter) and Michael Schwimer would combine for a scoreless inning, giving up two hits (Bastardo (1), Horst (1)) and a walk (Schwimer) between them, while striking out three batters (Bastardo (1), Kendrick (1), Schwimer (1)). Jonathan Papelbon committed his third blown save of the season as he pitched an inning, giving up two runs on four hits, while striking out two. Jake Diekman (1-1, 5.03) took the lost as he pitched an inning and a third, giving up two runs on two hits and two walks, while striking out a batter. Clayton Kershaw also received a no-decision as he pitched eight strong innings, giving up a run on five scattered hits, while striking out seven. Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless inning, as he gave up a hit and two walks, while striking out a batter. Javy Guerra pitched a third of an inning, giving up two runs on a hit and three walks. Scott Elbert pitched two-thirds of an inning, getting out both men that he would face. Josh Lindblom pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit, while he struck out two. Jamey Wright (4-2, 3.58) got the win as he threw a scoreless inning, giving up a hit and a walk.

The Phils had nine hits in the ballgame, with Shane Victorino leading the team with three hits, two singles and a double, followed by Carlos Ruiz (Singles, RBI) with two hits. Chase Utley, Hunter Pence (2 RBIs), John Mayberry, Jr. and pinch hitter Ryan Howard had the other four Phils’ hits, all singles. The Phils also had six walks, and two stolen bases (Victorino (20 & 21)) in the game.

The Phils (41-52, 5th East) have the day off today.

The Phils’ 2012 season keeps getting worst as they enter the All-Star being swept by the Braves as they lose the last two games of the series, by the scores of 6-3 and 4-3.

The Phils enter the All-Star as they are swept at home by the Braves, losing the last two games of the series by the scores of 6-3 and 4-3.

On Saturday, the Braves took the lead in the second as, with two men out, Brian McCann hits a solo home run, his twelfth home run of the season, and his second home run of the series, giving the Braves a 1-0 lead. The Phils tried to tie the game up at one-all in their half of the second as, with runners on the corners, and with nobody out, Carlos Ruiz, who had started the inning off with a double, then stopped at third base on Hunter Pence’s single, is thrown out at home plate on a fielder’s choice ground ball hit to third baseman Chipper Jones by Placido Polanco, 5-2, as McCann applied the tag, while Pence, who had earlier singled, moved up to second base, while Polanco is safe at first. The Phils then tied the game up at one-all one batter later as Juan Pierre hits an RBI double, scoring Pence, while sending Polanco to third base. Two batters later, after John Mayberry, Jr. is intentionally walked to load the bases, the Phils take the lead as Joe Blanton helps his own cause by hitting an RBI single, knocking in Polanco, giving the Phils a 2-1 lead, while moving up a base both Pierre and Mayberry. The Phils increased their lead as Jimmy Rollins hits an RBI force out, 4-6, wiping out Blanton at second base for the inning’s second out, while Pierre scores, giving the Phils a 3-1 lead, as Mayberry moved up to second base, while Rollins reaches first base. The Braves got a run back in the third as, with one man on, and with two men out, Martin Prado hits an RBI double, scoring Michael Bourn, who had just singled, making it a 3-2 Phils’ lead. The Braves tied the game up at three-all in the fourth as, with two men on, and with nobody out, McCann hits an RBI single, knocking in Jones, who had started the inning off with a single, then moved up to second base on Freddie Freeman’s single, while sending Freeman, who had just singled, up to second base, before going on to third base on Pence’s fielding error. Two batters later the Braves took the lead as, with runners still on the corners, and now with one man out, Andrelton Simmons hits a sacrifice fly, knocking in Freeman, giving the Braves a 4-3 lead. The Braves increased their lead in the seventh as, with two men on, and with one man out, Prado hits an RBI single, scoring Simmons, who had started the inning off with a walk, then moved up to second base on Tommy Hanson’s sacrifice bunt, 3-unassisted, for the inning’s first out, giving the Braves a 5-3 lead, while sending Bourn, who had just walked, up to second base. One batter latter, after Bourn and Prado were involved in a double steal, Bourn would score as Jason Heyward strikes out, swinging, going to the plate as Ruiz was throwing to first to complete the strikeout, giving the Braves a 6-3 lead. That would be the final score as Craig Kimbrel collected his twenty-fourth save of the year with a 1-2-3 ninth.

Joe Blanton (7-8, 4.98) took the lost as he pitched six and a third innings, giving up six runs, only five of which were earned, on nine hits and a walk, while striking out six. Jake Diekman pitched an inning and a third, walking a batter, while striking out one. Jeremy Horst pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit, while striking out two. Tommy Hanson (10-5, 3.71) got the win as he pitched seven innings, plus one batter, giving up three runs on eight hits and a walk, while striking out six. Eric O’Flaherty received his fifteenth hold of the year as he threw a 1-2-3 inning. Craig Kimbrel converted his twenty-fourth save of the season throwing a 1-2-3 inning, striking out two batters.

The Phils had eight hits in the game, with Hunter Pence leading the team with two hits, both singles. Carlos Ruiz (Double), Juan Pierre (Double, RBI), John Mayberry, Jr. (Single) and Joe Blanton (Single, RBI) had the other six Phils’ hits. Jimmy Rollins had the other Phil RBI on a force out. The Phils also had a walk in the ballgame.

In Sunday’s game, the Phils took a quick 2-0 lead in the second as, with one man on, and with one man out, Jason Pridie hits a two-run home run, his first home run of the season, knocking in Carlos Ruiz, who had started the inning off with a single. The Braves tied the game up at two-all in the fourth as, with a man on second, and with one man out, Dan Uggla hits a two-run home run of his own, his twelfth home run of the year, knocking in Freddie Freeman, who had just doubled. The Phils retook the lead in their half of the fourth as, with one man on, and with one man out, Pridie hits an RBI double, knocking in Hunter Pence, who had just walked, giving the Phils a 3-2 lead. The Braves would retied the game at three-all in the fifth as, with runners on the corners, and with one man out, Brian McCann hits an RBI single, scoring Martin Prado, who had earlier singled, then stopped at third base on Jason Heyward’s single, while sending Heyward, who had just singled, up to second base. The Braves took the lead in the seventh as, with two men out, McCann hits a solo home run, his thirteenth home run of the year, and his third home run of the series, giving the Braves a 4-3 lead. That would end up being the final score as Craig Kimbrel recorded his twenty-fifth save of the season as he pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.

Vance Worley got a no-decision as he pitched six innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and four walks, while striking out five. Raul Valdes (2-2, 3.80) took the lost as he went two-thirds of an inning, giving up a run on two hits, while striking out a batter. Michael Schwimer pitched a third of an inning, getting out the only batter that he would face. Jeremy Horst and Jonathan Papelbon would combine for two scoreless innings, giving up a hit (Papelbon), while striking out two batters (Papelbon) between them. Jair Jurrjens (3-2, 4.97) got the win as he went seven innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk, while striking out four. Kris Medlin collected his fifth hold of the year as he pitched a 1-2-3 inning. Craig Kimbrel collected his twenty-fifth save of the year as he threw a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out two.

The Phils had only six hits in the game, with Carlos Ruiz (Singles) and Jason Pridie (Double, Home Run, 3 RBIs) both leading the ballclub with two hits each. Chase Utley (Single) and Mike Fontenot (Single), had the other two Phils’ hits. The Phils also had a walk in the game.

The Phils enter the All-Star break with a 37-50 record, in fifth place in the NL East, fourteen games behind the Nats. The team will be off until Friday night.

Saturday: The Phils are unable to give Cole Hamels some run support as they lose to the Marlins, 3-2.

Cole Hamels receives no run support, as the Phils lose to the Marlins, 3-2.

The Marlins took the lead in the first as, with two men out, Giancarlo Stanton hits a solo home run, his eighteenth home run of the year, giving the Marlins a 1-0 lead. The Phils tied the game up at one-all in the second as, with runners on the corners, and with nobody out, Shane Victorino hits a sacrifice fly, scoring Carlos Ruiz, who had started the inning off with a double, then stopped at third base on Hunter Pence’s single. The Marlins retook the lead in the third as, with a runner on second, and with two men out, Stanton hits an RBI single, scoring Jose Reyes, who had earlier doubled, giving the Marlins a 2-1 lead. The Marlins added to their lead in the fifth as, with runners on second and third, and with one man out, Justin Ruggiano hits a sacrifice fly, scoring Reyes, who had earlier singled, then stole second base, before stealing third as the lead man of a double steal, giving the Marlins a 3-1 lead, while Stanton, who had been intentionally walked, then stole second base in the double steal, would move up to third base. The Phils got a run back in the seventh as, with one man out, Pence hits a solo home run, his sixteenth home run of the season, making it a 3-2 Marlins’ lead. But that would end up being the final score as Heath Bell recorded his sixteenth save by pitching a scoreless ninth.

Cole Hamels (10-4, 3.08) took the loss as he pitched seven innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and three walks, while striking out five. Michael Schwimer threw a scoreless inning, giving up two hits. Mark Buehrle (7-8, 3.48) got the win as he pitched seven innings, giving up two runs on seven hits and a walk, while striking out seven. Mike Dunn collected his four hold of the season as he pithced a 1-2-3 inning. Heath Bell received his sixteenth save of the season as he pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit, while striking out a batter.

The Phils had eight hits in the game, with Hunter Pence leading the team with three hits, two singles and a home run, knocking in a run, followed by Carlos Ruiz (Single, Double) with two hits. Chase Utley, Shane Victorino (RBI) and Cole Hamels had the other three Phils’ hits, all singles. The Phils also had a walk in the game, as the offense was unable to get a key hit in the game.

Cliff Lee is once again unable to win his first start as the Phils fall to the fish, 6-2.

Cliff Lee was once again denied his first victory of 2012 as the Phils fall to the Marlins, 6-2.

The Marlins took a 1-0 lead in the first as, with runners on the corners, and with one man out, Logan Morrison hits an RBI ground out, 1-4-3, scoring Jose Reyes, who had earlier doubled, then went to third base on Hanley Ramirez’s fly out to center, while sending Giancarlo Stanton, who had just walked, up to second base. The Marlins added to their lead in the third as, with a man on second, and with one man out, Stanton hits an RBI single, knocking in Ramirez, who had just doubled, giving the Marlins a 2-0 lead. The Marlins made it a 3-0 lead two batters later as Omar Infante hits a sacrifice fly, scoring Stanton, who had moved up to third on Justin Ruggiano’s single. The Phils would get a run back in the fourth as Hunter Pence hits a lead-off home run, his fifteenth home run of the season, making it a 3-1 Marlins’ lead. The Marlins increased their lead in the fifth as, with runners on second and third, and with one man out, Ruggiano hits a two-run double, knocking in Stanton, who had earlier singled, then stopped at third on Morrison’s ground-rule double, and Morrison, who had just hit a ground-rule double, giving the Marlins a 5-1 lead. Three batters, with runners on the corners, as Ruggiano had stolen third base, and Gaby Sanchez had walked, and with two men out, John Buck hits an RBI single, knocking in Ruggiano, giving the Marlins a 6-1 lead, while sending Sanchez up to second base. The Phils would cut the Marlins’ lead down to 6-2 in the ninth as, with a man on second base, and with one man out, Pence hits an RBI single, knocking in Chase Utley, who had earlier singled, then moved up to second base on Carlos Ruiz’s ground out, 6-3. That would end up being the final score as Ryan Webb got Placido Polanco to ground out, 5-3, for the game’s final out.

Cliff Lee (0-5, 4.13) took the lost as he went four and two-thirds innings, giving up six runs on ten hits and two walks, while striking out three. Raul Valdes and Jeremy Horst combined for three and one-third scoreless innings, giving up one hit (Valdes) between them, while striking out four (two batters each). Josh Johnson (5-5, 3.80) got the win as he went six innings, giving up a run on four hits and two walks, while striking out six.  Edward Mujica and Mike Dunn combined for two scoreless inning, giving up just a hit (Mujica) between them. Ryan Webb pitched an inning, giving up a run on two hits.

The Phils had just seven hits in the ballgame, with Hunter Pence (Single, Home Run, 2 RBIs) and Placido Polanco (Singles) both leading the club with two hits each. Juan Pierre, Chase Utley and Shane Victorino had the other three Phils’ hits, all singles. The Phils also had two walks and two stolen bases (Pierre (19), Jimmy Rollins (14)) in the game.

The Phils (36-43, 5th) continue their series with the Marlins (36-40, 4th), playing an afternoon game. The game will be played at Marlins Park and will start at 4:10 pm EDT. The Phils will send to the mound Cole Hamels (10-3, 3.03), who is coming off a no-decision against the Rays on June 24, as he went seven scoreless innings, giving up three hits and three walks, while striking out seven, in the Phils’ 3-2 lost. He’ll be going for his eleventh win of the season. The Marlins will counter with Mark Buehrle (6-8, 3.66) who is coming off a win against the Blue Jays on June 24, who pitched seven scoreless innings. giving up seven hits and two walks, while striking out seven, in the Marlins’ 9-0 blow out. He will be trying to give the fish the series win. The Phils will be trying to even up the series this afternoon.

The Phils are unable to overcome a five-run first as they drop one to the Pirates, 5-4.

The Phils are unable to overcome a five-run first inning as they end up splitting the series with the Pirates, losing 5-4.

The Pirates took the lead in the first as, with runners on the corners, and with one man out, Garrett Jones hits an RBI single, knocking in Drew Sutton, who had started the game off with a single, moved up to second base on Neil Walker’s walk, then went to third on Andrew McCuthen’s fly out to right, giving the Pirates a 1-0 lead, while sending Walker, who had earlier walked, up to second base. The Pirates then took a 4-0 lead as Casey McGehee hits a three-run home run, his fifth home run of the year, knocking in both Walker and Sutton. The Pirates then made it a 5-o lead as Pedro Alvarez followed with a solo home run, his fourteenth home run of the season. Phils’ starter Kyle Kendrick would then settle down, and keep the Pirates off the scoreboard for the next six and two-thirds innings, while the Phils tried to chip away at the Pirates’ lead. The Phils made it a 5-2 Pirates’ lead in the second as, with one man on, and with two men out, Erik Kratz hits a two-run home run, his second home run of the season, knocking in Ty Wigginton, who had earlier singled. The Phils then cut the Pirates’ lead down to 5-3 in the sixth as, with runners on the corners, and with one man out, Placido Polanco hits into an RBI force out, 5-4, scoring Shane Victorino, who had earlier singled, then went to third base on Hunter Pence’s single, as Pence, who had just singled, is forced out at second base for the inning’s second out. The Phils then made it a 5-4 Pirates’ lead in the eighth as Pence hits a lead-off home run, his fourteenth home run of the season. That would end up being the final score as Joel Hanrahan collected his twentieth save of the season by pitching a scoreless ninth.

Kyle Kendrick (2-8, 5.35) took the lost as he pitched seven innings, giving up five runs on six hits and three walks, while striking out six. Brian Sanches and Jeremy Horst combined for two scoreless innings, giving up a hit (Sanches) and three walks (Sanches (1), Horst (2)) between them, while striking out two batters (one batter each). A.J. Burnett (9-2, 3.31) got the win as he pitched six and two-thirds innings, giving up three runs on six hits and two walks, while striking out seven. Juan Cruz collected his thirteenth hold of the season as he threw a third of an inning, walking a batter. Jason Grilli received his eighteenth hold of the year as he pitched an inning, giving up a run on two hits, striking out two batters. Joel Hanrahan recorded his twentieth save of the year as he pitched a scoreless ninth, giving up a hit, while striking out a batter.

The Phils had nine hits in the game, with Shane Victorino (Singles) and Hunter Pence (Single, Home Run, RBI) leading the ballclub with two hits each. Jimmy Rollins (Single), Juan Pierre (Single), Ty Wigginton (Single), Mike Fontenot (Single) and Erik Kratz (Home Run, 2 RBIs) had the other nine hits, as the offense was unable to get the key hit to either tie or win the game. The Phils also had three walks and two stolen bases (Pierre (18), Rollins (13)) in the game.

The Phils (36-42, 5th) will go on the road to start a series with the Marlins (35-40, 4th), starting with a night game tonight. The game will be played at Marlins Park and will start at 7:10 pm EDT. The Phils will send to the mound Cliff Lee (0-4, 3.72), who is coming off a lost against the Rays on June 24, as he went seven innings, giving up five runs on six hits and three walks, while striking out nine, in the Phils’ 7-3 lost. Lee will be out to finally end his long winless streak. The Marlins will counter with Josh Johnson (4-5, 3.96), who is coming off a no-decision against the Blue Jays on June 23, where he went seven innings, giving up a run on two hits and two walks, while striking out seven, in the Marlins’ 7-1 lost. He’s be trying to even up his record. The Phils will be out to win their first game since Chase Utley’s return to the line-up.

The Phils’ bullpen ruin Chase Utley’s return, as the Phils lose to the Pirates, 11-7.

The Phils’ bullpen spoil Chase Utley’s return to the club as they can not hold down the Pirates, as the Phils lose to the Bucos, 11-7.

The Phils took the lead in the first as, with two men out, Chase Utley hits a dramatic solo home run, his first home run of the season, as well as his first hit of the year, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead. The Phils then took a 2-0 lead as Carlos Ruiz followed with a solo home run of his own, his eleventh home run of the year. The Pirates took the lead in the second as, with two men on, and with two men out, Michael McKenry hits a three-run home run, knocking in Neil Walker, who had earlier walked, then moved up to second base on Jose Tabata’s single, and Tabata, who had just singled, giving the Pirates a 3-2 lead. The Pirates added to their lead in the fourth as Casey McGehee hits a lead-off home run, his fourth home run of the season, giving the Pirates a 4-2 lead. The Pirates then took a 5-2 lead as, with runners on the corners, and with two men out, James McDonald hits an RBI single, scoring Walker, who had earlier doubled, then reached third base on Pedro Alvarez’s ground out, 4-3, while moving McKenry, who had just been intentionally walked, on to third base. The Pirates increased their lead in the fifth as, with two men on, and with one man out, Walker hits an RBI single, knocking in Drew Sutton, who had lead-off the inning with a walk, then moved up to second base on Andrew McCutchen’s single, giving the Pirates a 6-2 lead, while sending McCutchen, who had earlier singled, up to third base. The Pirates then made a 7-2 lead as Tabata hits an RBI single, scoring McCutchen, while sending Walker on to third base. The Pirates then took an 8-2 lead as McKendry hits an RBI single, scoring Walker, while sending Tabata up to third base. The Phils started a comeback in the sixth as, with one man on, and with one man out, Hunter Pence hits an RBI double, knocking in Ruiz, who had been safe at first as Utley, who had reached first base on an infield single, is wiped out at second base on a 6-4 force out, cutting the Pirates’ lead down to 8-3. The Phils then made it an 8-4 Pirates’ lead as Shane Victorino hits an RBI single, knocking in Pence. The Phils cut the Pirates’ lead down to 8-5 in the seventh as, with a man on first, and with nobody out, Jimmy Rollins hits an RBI triple, knocking in Hector Luna, who had started the inning off by reaching base on third baseman’s Alvarez’s fielding error. The Phils then made it an 8-6 Pirates’ lead as Juan Pierre hits an RBI single, scoring Rollins. Two batters later, with runners on the corners, as Utley send Pierre to third base with a single to right, and with still nobody out, Ruiz hits an RBI single, scoring Pierre, cutting the Pirates’ lead down to 8-7, while sending Utley up to second base. The Pirates then increased their lead in the eighth as, with one man on, and with one man out, Sutton hits an RBI double, scoring pinch hitter Alex Presley, who had started the inning off with a walk, giving the Pirates a 9-7 lead. The Pirates then made it an 11-7 lead as McCutchen hits a two-run home run, his fourteenth home run of the year, knocking in Sutton. That would end up being the final score as Joel Hanrahan pitched a scoreless ninth.

Raul Valdes (2-1, 3.24) took the lost as he only pitched two innings, giving up three runs on two hits and two walks, while striking out two. Joe Savery pitched two and two-thirds innings, giving up five runs on five hits and two walks, while striking out two. Michael Schwimer pitched an inning and a third, giving up four hits, while striking out three. Jake Diekman pitched a 1-2-3 inning, striking out two. Chad Qualls pitched an inning, giving up three runs on three hits and a walk. Antonio Bastardo pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a walk. James McDonald (7-3, 2.44) got the win as he pitched five and two-thirds innings, giving up four runs on six hits and two walks, while striking out three. Jared Hughes pitched a third of an inning, plus two batters, giving up two runs, one of which was earned, on a hit and a walk. Tony Watson pitched to three batters, getting none of them out, as he gave up a run on three hits. Brad Lincoln collected his first hold of the year as he threw a scoreless inning. Jason Grilli pitched a 1-2-3 inning, striking out a batter. Joel Hanrahan pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a walk.

The Phils had ten hits in the game, with Chase Utley (2 Singles, Home Run, RBI), leading the team as he played in his first game after coming off the dl, followed by Jimmy Rollins (Single, Triple, RBI) and Carlos Ruiz (Single, Home Run, 2 RBIs) with two hits each. Juan Pierre (Single, RBI), Hunter Pence (Double, RBI) and Shane Victorino (Single, RBI) had the other three Phils’ hits. The Phils also had four walks and two stolen bases (Pierre (17), Victorino (19)) in the ballgame.

The Phils (36-41, 4th East) conclude their series with the Pirates (39-35, 2nd Central) with an afternoon game at Citizens Bank Park, already in progress.