Tagged: Tim Byrdak

Cole Hamels is denied his eleventh win before the All-Star break as Papelbon is unable to stop a Mets’ rally in the ninth, as the Phils lose in walk-off fashion, 6-5.

The Phils’ Cole Hamels is denied his eleventh win as Papelbon is unable to put out a Mets’ rally in the ninth inning, as the Phils lose 6-5.

The Phils took the lead in the first as, with two men on, and with two men out, Shane Victorino hits an RBI single, knocking in Juan Pierre, who was safe at first on a force out, 6-4, as Jimmy Rollins, who had started the game off with a walk, is wiped out at second base, then moved on to second base as Carlos Ruiz is hit by a pitch, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead, while Ruiz, who had just been hit by a pitch, moved over to third base. The Phils added to their lead in the second as, with two men on, and with one man out, Jimmy Rollins hits an RBI double, knocking in Placido Polanco, who had started the inning off with a single, then stopped at second base on Cole Hamels’ single, giving the Phils a 2-0 lead, while sending Hamels, who had just singled, over to third base. The Mets got a run back in their half of the second as Scott Hairston hits a lead-off home run, his twelfth home run of the season, cutting the Phils’ lead down to 2-1. The Mets would tie the game-up at two-all in the third as, with two men on, and with two men out, David Wright hits an RBI single, knocking in R.A. Dickey, who had earlier singled, then stopped at second base on Daniel Murphy’s single, while sending Murphy, who had just singled, over to third base. The Phils regain the lead in the fourth as, with two men on, and with two men out, Hunter Pence hits an RBI single, knocking in Mike Fontenot, who had started the inning off with a single, then stopped at second base on Rollins’ single, giving the Phils a 3-2 lead, while sending Rollins, who had earlier singled, up to second base. The Mets took the lead in the fifth as, with one man on, and with two men out, Wright hits a two-run home run, his eleventh home run of the season, scoring Ruben Tejada, who had earlier singled, giving the Mets a 4-3 lead. The Phils would tie the game up at four-all in the sixth as, with one man on, and with one man out, Rollins hits an RBI triple, knocking in Hamels, who had earlier singled. The Phils then retook the lead as Rollins scored on Pierre’s suicide squeeze sacrifice bunt, 1-3, giving the Phils a 5-4 lead. The Phils tried to increased their lead in the eighth as, with a runner on second, and with one man out, Fontenot, who had earlier reached base with a ground-rule double, is sent home on pinch hitter Chase Utley’s single to left field, and is thrown out at the plate by a good throw by left fielder Hairston, 7-2, as catcher Josh Thole apply the tag, for the inning’s second out, while Utley would move up to second base on the play. The Mets would tie the game up at five-all in the ninth as, with the bases loaded, via a lead-off double by Ike Davis, who is then pinch run for by Ronny Cedeno, before moving up to third on Josh Thole’s sacrifice bunt, 5-4, for the inning’s first out, pinch hitter Jordany Valdespin then reaching base as he is hit by the pitch two batters later, before stealing second base, and a walk to Tejada, and with two men out, Murphy hits an RBI infield single, as Jonathan Papelbon is unable to come up with the ball, allowing Cedeno to score the tying run, while Valdespin and Tejada both moved up a base, leaving the bases loaded. The Mets then got the 6-5 walk-off win as Wright hits an RBI single, scoring Valdespin.

Cole Hamels recieved a no-decision as he went seven innings, giving up four runs on seven hits and a walk, while striking out seven. Antonio Bastardo recorded his sixteenth hold of the season as he threw a 1-2-3 inning, striking out a batter. Jonathan Papelbon blew his second save attempt of the season, before taking the lost (2-3, 3.45), as he gave up two runs on three hits, a walk and a hit batter, while striking out a batter. R.A. Dickey also received a no-decision as he threw seven innings as well, giving up five runs on eleven hits, a walk and a hit batter, as he struck out seven. Jon Rauch, Tim Byrdak and Pedro Beato combined for a scoreless inning, giving up two hits (Rauch (1), Brydak (1)) and a walk (Brydak) between them. Bobby Parnell (2-1, 2.91) got the win as he threw a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out two.

The Phils had thirteen hits in the game, with Jimmy Rollins (Single, Double, Triple, 2 RBIs) leading the team with three hits, followed by Mike Fontenot (Single, Double) and Cole Hamels (Singles) with two hits each. Hunter Pence (Single, RBI), Carlos Ruiz (Double), Shane Victorino (Single, RBI), Ty Wigginton (Single), Placido Polanco (Single) and pinch hitter Chase Utley (Single) had the other six Phils’ hits. Juan Pierre had the final Phil RBI with a suicide squeeze sacrifice bunt. The Phils also had two walks and a hit batter in the game.

The Phils (37-47, 5th) with start a three-game home stand with the Braves (43-39, 3rd), the final series before the All-Star break, starting with a night game tonight. The game will be played at Citizens Bank Park, and is to start at 7:05 pm EDT. The Phils will send to the mound Kyle Kendrick (2-8, 5.35), who is coming off a lost to the Pirates on June 28, as he went seven innings, giving up five runs on six hits and three walks, while striking out six, in the Phils’ 5-4 lost. He will be trying to improve on his last start. The Braves will counter with Tim Hudson (6-4, 3.87), who is coming off a lost to the Nationals on July 1, as he went six innings, giving up five runs on eight hits and two walks, while striking out four, in the Braves’ 8-4 win. He will be going for his seventh win of the season. The Phils will be trying to get some kind of momentum going before the All-Star break.

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.

The Phils’ offense exploded for nine runs in the last three innings, including two home runs, before defeating the Mets, 10-6.

The Phils explode for nine runs in the last three innings, including five coming in on a pair of home runs, as they defeated the Mets, 10-6.

The Mets took the lead in the first as, with one man on, and with one man out, David Wright hits an RBI double, knocking in Daniel Murphy, who had just walked, giving the Mets a 1-0 lead. The Phils tied the game up at one-all in the second as Ty Wigginton hits a lead-off home run, his fifth home run of the season. The Mets retook the lead in the sixth as, with one man on, and with two men out, Lucas Duda hits a two-run home run, his sixth home run of the year, scoring Scott Hairston, who had earlier doubled, giving the Mets a 3-1 lead. The Phils would retie the game up at three-all in the seventh as, with one man on, and with two men out, pinch hitter Carlos Ruiz hits a two-run home run, his eighth home run of the season, knocking in Brian Schneider, who had just doubled. The Phils would take the lead in the eighth as, with runners on the corners, and with one man out, Shane  Victorino hits a sacrifice fly, scoring Juan Pierre, who had started the inning off with a single, then went to third base on Hunter Pence’s single, giving the Phils a 4-3 lead. The Phils would take a commanding lead in the ninth as, with runners on the corners, and with one man out, Jimmy Rollins hits a three-run home run, knocking in pinch hitter Freddy Galvis, who had started the inning off with a walk, moved up to second base on Schneider’s sacrifice bunt, 1-4, and then stopped at third base on pinch hitter John Mayberry, Jr’s single, and Mayberry, who had just singled, giving the Phils a 7-3 lead. The Phils then added to their lead three batters later as Wigginton hits an RBI double, knocking in Pierre, who had earlier doubled, then was able to get back to second base on Pence’s fielder’s choice grounder to pitcher Chris Schwinden, avoiding the tag, giving the Phils an 8-3 lead, while sending Pence, who was safe at first on the fielder’s choice, would stop at third base. The Phils then took a 10-3 lead as Victorino hits a two-run single, knocking in both Pence and Wigginton. The Mets began a rally in their half of the ninth as Duda hits a lead-off home run, his seventh home run of the season, and his second of the game, making it a 10-4 Phils’ lead. The Mets then made it a 10-5 Phils’ lead four batters later as, with one man on, and with two men out, Andres Torres hits an RBI double, knocking in pinch hitter Kirk Nieuwenhuis, who had just singled. The Mets then cut the Phils’ lead down to 10-6 as Murphy hits an RBI single, scoring Torres. But that would be the final score as Jonathan Paplebon finally ended the inning by getting Wright to ground out, 4-3, for the game’s final out.

Cliff Lee received yet another no-decision as he pitched six innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and two walks, while striking out seven. Antonio Bastardo (2-1, 1.84) got the win as he pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit, while he struck out one. Jose Contreras collected his four hold of the season as he threw a 1-2-3 inning, striking out two. Raul Valdes pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up three runs on three hits. Jonathan Papelbon pitched a third of an inning, giving up a hit. Dillon Gee also received a no-decision as he went sixth and two-thirds innings, giving up two runs on six hits and a walk, while striking out five. Bobby Parnell collected his first blown save of the season as he pitched a third of an inning, giving up a run on one hit. Jon Rauch (3-4, 4.09) took the lost as he pitched an inning, giving up a run on two hits, as he struck out one. Tim Byrdak pitched a third of an inning, giving up a run on a walk. Ramon Ramirez pitched to three batters, getting none of them out, as he gave up three runs on three hits. Chris Schwinden pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up two runs on two hits.

The Phils had fourteen hits in the game, with Jimmy Rollins (2 Singles, Home Run, 3 RBIs) and Juan Pierre (2 Singles, Double) leading the ballclub with three hits each, followed by Ty Wigginton (Double, Home Run, 2 RBIs) with two hits. Hunter Pence (Single), Shane Victorino (Single, 3 RBIs), Mike Fontenot (Single), Brian Schneider (Double), pinch hitter Carlos Ruiz (Home Run, 2 RBIs) and pinch hitter John Mayberry, Jr. (Single) having the other six Phils’ hits. The Phils also had two walks in the game.

The Phils (27-25, 5th) have the day off.

The nightmare continue as the bullpen lets another lead slip away, as the Phils are swept by the Mets, losing 10-6.

The Phils present nightmare continues as the bullpen allows another lead to slip away, before they are swept by the Mets, losing 10-6.

The Phils took the lead in the second as, with two men on, and with two men out, Cliff Lee hits an RBI infield single, scoring Brian Schneider, who had earlier singled, then stopped at third base on Freddy Galvis’ single, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead, while sending Glavis, who had just singled, up to second base. The Mets tied the game up at one-all in the third as, with two men on, and with two men out, Daniel Murphy hits an RBI double, knocking in Dillon Gee, who had been safe on first on a 1-3 force out as Ron Johnson, who had earlier singled, is wiped out at second base for the inning’s second out, before moving up to second base on Andres Torres’ walk, while sending Torres, who had just walked, up to third base. The Phils retook the lead in the fourth as, with runners on second and third, and with one man out, Galvis hits an RBI ground out, 4-3, scoring Placido Polanco, who had started the inning off with a single, moved up to second base on John Mayberry Jr.’s singled, then went to third on Brian Schneider’s ground out, 3-unassissited, giving the Phils’ a 2-1 lead, while sending Mayberry, who had earlier singled, then moved up to second base on Schneider’s ground out, up to third base. The Mets retied the game at two-all in the sixth as, with a runner on third, and with one man out, David Wright hits an RBI single, knocking in Torres, who had started the inning off with a triple. The Phils retook the lead in their half of the sixth as, with one man on, and with two men out, Galvis hits an RBI double, knocking in Schneider, who had just singled, giving the Phils a 3-2 lead. The Phils then made it a 4-2 lead as pinch hitter Laynce Nix hits an RBI single, scoring Galvis. The nightmare than started in the seventh as the Mets cut the Phils’ lead down to 4-3 as, with a runner on first, and with nobody out, Justin Turner hits an RBI double, knocking in pinch hitter Kirk Nieuwenhuis, who had started the inning off with a walk. Two batters later, with the bases loaded, via a double by Ike Davis, sending Turner to third, as he waited to be sure whether center fielder Shane Victorino would be able to catch Davis’ fly ball or not, and a walk to Johnson, and with still no one out, Lucas Duda forces in a run as he is hit by the pitch, scoring Turner, tying the game up at 4-all, while moving up a base both Davis and Johnson, leaving the bases loaded. The Mets then took a 5-4 lead as Torres hits into a 4-6 force out, wiping out Duda at second base for the inning’s first out, as Davis scores, while moving Johnson up to third base. The Mets then increased their lead in the eighth as, with a man on second, and with nobody out, Scott Hairston hits an RBI double, knocking in Wright, who had started the inning off with a double, giving the Mets a 6-4 lead. The Mets then made it a 9-4 lead as, now with two men on, as Justin Turner reached first base on right fielder Hunter Pence’s fielding error as he took his eye off the ball at the last moment, while Hairston stayed at second base, and with one man out, Davis hits a three-run home run, his fourth home run of the year, scoring both Hairston and Turner.  The Phils would get a run back in their half of the eighth as, with one man on, and with two men out, Galvis hits an RBI triple, his first career triple, knocking in Polanco, who had earlier singled, then moved up to second base on Schneider’s ground out, 4-3, making it a 9-5 Mets’ lead. The Mets would get that run back in the ninth as Torres hits a lead-off home run, his first home run of the season, giving the Mets a 10-5 lead. The Phils would get that run back in their half of the ninth as, with a runner on second, and with two men out, Pence hits an RBI triple, scoring Jimmy Rollins, who had started the inning off with a single, then moved up to second base on pitcher D.J. Carrasco’s wild pitch as Juan Pierre strikes out, swinging, for the inning’s first out, making it a 10-6 Mets’ lead. That would end up being the final score as Carrasco got Polanco to end the game with a ground out, 6-3, for the final out.

Cliff Lee received a no-decision as he pitched six innings, giving up two runs on five hits and a walk, while striking out six. Kyle Kendrick received his first blown save of the season, before taking the lost (0-3, 7.32), as he went an inning plus two batters, giving up five runs on four hits, two walks and a hit batter. Jose Contreras pitched an inning, giving up two runs on a hit, as he struck out one. Brian Sanches pitched an inning, giving up a run on two hits, as he struck out a batter. Dillon Gee also received a no-decision as he went five and two-thirds innings, giving up four runs on ten hits, while he struck out four. Tim Brydak (2-0, 3.72) got the win as he pitched a third of an inning, getting out the only batter that he would face. Manny Acosta received his first hold of the season as he pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit, while striking out a batter. Jon Rauch pitched an inning, giving up a run on two hits, while striking out a batter. D.J. Carrasco pitched an inning, giving up a run on two hits and a wild pitch, as he struck out a batter.

The Phils had fifteen hits in the game, with Freddy Galvis leading the team with three hits, a single, double, and triple, as he knocked in three runs. Jimmy Rollins, Juan Pierre, Placido Polanco and Brian Schneider all followed with two hits each, all singles. Hunter Pence (Triple, RBI), John Mayberry, Jr. (Single), Cliff Lee (Single, RBI) and pinch hitter Laynce Nix (Single, RBI), had the other four Phils’ hits, as the offense continue to grind out hits, but are once again let down by the bullpen.

The Phils (14-18, 5th) have the day off today, although they did have a team meeting after last night’s game where Charlie gave the players a piece of his mind over how they have been playing lately.

An anemic offense, an imploding bullpen and now defensive mishaps do in the Phils as they lose to the Mets, 7-4.

An offense that seems to be mainly in neutral, a bullpen that is leaking losses and now a defense that is making mistakes, help the Phils lose their second straight series, as they lose to the Mets, 7-4.

The Phils jumped off to a quick 2-0 lead as, with one man on, and with two men out, Hunter Pence hits a two-run home run, his seventh home run of the season, knocking in Juan Pierre, who had earlier singled. The Phils added to their lead in the second as, with a runner on third, and with nobody out, Pete Orr hits an RBI single, scoring John Mayberry, Jr., who had reached first base on shortstop Jordany Valdespin’s throwing error, before stopping at second base on the error, then moving to third base on pitcher Miguel Batista’s throwing error on his pickoff attempt, giving the Phils a 3-0 lead. The Phils then made it a 4-0 lead as, with two men on, and with two men out, Shane Victorino hits an RBI double, scoring Orr, who had stolen second base, while sending Jimmy Rollins, who had earlier walked, on to third base. The Mets got a run back in the fourth as, with runners on the corners, and with one man out, Daniel Murphy hits an RBI single, knocking in Kirk Nieuwenhuis, who had started the inning off with a double, then moved up to third base on David Wright’s fly out to right, making it a 4-1 Phils’ lead, while sending Lucas Duda, who had just walked, up to second base. The Mets cut the Phils’ lead down to 4-2 in the seventh as, with runners on the corners, and with two men out, Nieuwenhuis hits an RBI single, knocking in Valdespin, who had started the inning off with a walk, then went to third base on Andres Torres’ single, while sending Torres, who had just singled, up to second base. The Mets then made it a 4-3 Phils’ lead as Wright hits an RBI single to right, scoring Torres, while sending Nieuwenhuis to third on the late throw to the plate, before the Mets would tied it up a four-all as the Phils blew an attempt to end the inning as Carlos Ruiz tried to cut down Wright as he tried to move up to second base on the throw, as he threw the ball to Orr, but the rundown that followed, involving Orr and Rollins, is messed up by Orr worrying a bit too much about Nieuwenhuis at third, before Orr, as he tried to pick off Nieuwenhuis, committed a throwing error as the ball gets past third baseman Placido Polanco into the left field foul area, allowing Nieuwenhuis to score the tying run, and for Wright to reach third base on the error. The Mets then took a 5-4 lead as Duda hits an RBI single, scoring Wright. The Mets added to their lead in the ninth as, with runners on the corners, and with nobody out, Nieuwenhuis hits a sacrifice fly, scoring pinch hitter Mike Baxter, who had earlier walked, then moved up to third on Torres’ single, giving the Mets a 6-4 lead, while sending Torres up to second base. The Mets then made it a 7-4 lead two batters later as Duda hits an RBI single, knocking in Torres. That would be the final score as Jon Rauch recorded his first save of the year as he pitched a scoreless ninth, getting Pence to end the ballgame by grounding out, 5-3, for the final out.

Joe Blanton received a no-decision as he threw six and two-thirds innings, giving up four runs on five hits and three walks, while striking out seven. Chad Qualls committed his third blown save attempt of the season, before taking the lost (1-1, 3.48), as he faced only one batter, giving up an unearned run on a hit. Antonio Bastardo pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up a hit. Jose Contreras pitched two-thirds of an inning, getting out both men that he would face. Michael Schwimer pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up two runs on a hit and a walk, as he struck out a batter. Joe Savery pitched a third of an inning, giving up a hit. Miguel Batista also received a no-decision as he pitched five and one-third innings, giving up four runs, only two of which were earned, on eight hits and two walks, while striking out a batter. Manny Acosta (1-2, 8.59) got the win as he pitched two-thirds of an inning, getting out both men that he would face, as he struck out a batter. Ramon Ramirez received his first hold of the season as he threw one and two-thirds scoreless innings, giving up a hit and a walk, while striking out two. Tim Brydak received his seventh hold of the year as he got out the only man that he would face. Jon Rauch received his first save of the season as he threw a scoreless ninth, giving up a hit.

The Phils had ten hits in the game, with Juan Pierre (Singles), John Mayberry, Jr. (Singles) and Pete Orr (Single, Double, RBI) all leading the team with two hits apiece. Shane Victorino (Double, RBI), Hunter Pence (Home Run, 2 RBIs), Placido Polanco (Single) and Carlos Ruiz (Double), had the other four Phils’ hits, as the offense was once more (this is starting to sound like a BROKEN RECORD) unable to get the big hit that would’ve help put the game away before the Mets’ four-run rally in the seventh. The Phils also had three walks and two stolen bases (Pierre (5), Orr (1)) in the ballgame.

The Phils (14-17, 5th) will conclude their series with the Mets (17-13, 3rd) 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 ( 0-1, 1.96), who is coming back from an injury in early April. In his last start, a no-decision against the Giants on April 18, he went ten scoreless innings, giving up seven scattered hits, as he struck out eight, in the Phils’ 1-0 extra-innings lost. He will be trying to stop the Phils’ present losing streak, while trying to capture his first victory of the season. The Mets will counter with Dillon Gee (2-2, 4.50), who is coming off a no-decision against the D-backs on May 4, as he went six innings, giving up two runs on four hits and three walks, while striking out six, in the Mets’ 5-4 lost. He will be trying to lead the Mets to a series sweep. The Phils will be out to keep from being swept, as they try to get out of their present rut.

The Phils blow another lead, before losing in the ninth, as they are downed by the Mets, 5-2.

The Phils watch yet another lead slip away before losing it in the ninth on a three-run home run by a rookie, as they dropped the series’ opener to the Mets, 5-2.

The Phils took a quick lead in the first as, with a man on third, and with nobody out, John Mayberry, Jr. hits a sacrifice fly, knocking in Jimmy Rollins, who had started the game off for the Phils with a double, then went to third on center fielder Andres Torres’ fielding error, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead. The Phils added to their lead in the second as, with a man on first, and with nobody out, Placido Polanco hits an RBI double, scoring Carlos Ruiz, who had started the inning off with a walk, giving the Phils a 2-0 lead. The Mets would tie the game up at two-all in the sixth as, with two men on, and with two men out, David Wright hits a two-run double, knocking in Torres, who had earlier walked, then stopped at second base on Kirk Nieuwenhuis’ single, and Nieuwenhuis, who had just singled. The Mets then took the lead in the ninth as, with two men on, and with two men out, Jordany Valdespin hits a three-home run, his first career home run, as well as his first career hit, knocking in Ike Davis, who had earlier walked, then stopped at third on Mike Nickeas’ double, and Nickeas, who had just doubled, giving the Mets a 5-2 lead. That would end up being the final score as Frank Francisco recorded his eighth save of the year as he threw a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth, getting Shane Victorino to ground out, 4-3, for the game’s final out.

Roy Halladay received a no-decision as he threw seven strong innings, giving up two runs on five hits and a walk, while striking out seven. Antonio Bastardo pitched a scoreless inning, walking two batters. Jonathan Papelbon (0-1, 3.00) took the lost as he pitched an inning, giving up three runs on two hits and a walk, while striking out two. Jon Niese also received a no-decision as he went five innings, giving up two runs on four hits and four walks, while striking out five. Manny Acosta pitched a 1-2-3 inning, striking out a batter. Bobby Parnell pitched one and two-thirds scoreless innings, giving up four hits, and a walk. Tim Brydak (1-0, 4.00) got the win as he pitched a third of an inning, striking out the only man that he would face. Frank Francisco collected his eighth save of the year as he threw a 1-2-3 ninth, as he struck out a batter.

The Phils had eight hits in the game, with Jimmy Rollins (Single, Double) and Shane Victorino (Singles) both leading the team with two hits each. John Mayberry, Jr. (Single, RBI), Ty Wigginton (Single), Carlos Ruiz (Single) and Placido Polanco (Double, RBI) had the other four Phils’ hits, as the offense is once again unable to capitalize when given the chance to regain the lead late in the game. The Phils also had five walks, showing a bit more patient at the plate.

The Phils (14-16, 5th) continue their series with the Mets (16-13, 3rd) with a night game tonight. The game will be played at Citizens Bank Park and is to start at 7:05 pm EDT. The Phils will be sending to the mound Joe Blanton (3-3, 2.83), who is coming off a complete-game, shutout win against the Braves on May 3, as he gave up only three hits, while striking out six, in the Phils’ 4-0 win. He will be trying to help the Phils tie up the series at a win apiece. The Mets will counter with Miguel Batista (0-1, 6.92), who is coming off a relief appearance against the Astros on May 1, as he threw two and two-thirds innings, giving up a run on three hits and four walks, while he struck out a batter, in the Mets’ 6-3 lost. He will be trying to pitch the Mets to a series win. The Phils will be out to even up the series.

The Phils lose to the Mets, 7-4.

The Phils are unable to catch up after allowing four Mets runs to score in the first, as they lost to New York, 7-4.

The Mets took the lead in the first as, with the bases loaded, via a single by Angel Pagan, who was then safe at second base on a miss catch error by shortstop Michael Martinez as he botched a throw for a doubleplay, allowing Ruben Tejada to be safe at first on the error, and a single by David Wright, moving both runners up a base, and with nobody out, Lucas Duda hits an RBI force out, wiping out Wright at second base, 4-6, while scoring Pagan, giving the Mets a 1-0 lead, while sending Tejada over to third. The Mets then took a 4-0 lead as Nick Evans hits a three-run home run, his second home run of the year, knocking in both Tejada and Duda. The Phils got on the board in the second as, with two men on, and with two men out, Shane Victorino hits a two-run single, scoring Carlos Ruiz, who had earlier singled, would stop at second base on Martinez’s single, then moved up to third on Kyle Kendrick’s sacrifice bunt, and Martinez, who had earlier singled, then moved up to second base on Kendrick’s sac bunt, cutting the Mets’ lead down to 4-2. Two batters later, with runners on the corners, as Placido Polanco’s single sent Victorino to third, and with still two men out, Chase Utley hits an RBI single, scoring Victorino, making it a 4-3 Mets’ lead, while sending Polanco up to second base. The Mets got a run back in the third as Wright hits a lead-off home run, his eleventh home run of the year, giving the Mets a 5-3 lead. The Mets then added to their lead in the fourth as, with runners on the corners, and with one man out, Wright hits a sacrifice fly, knocking in Pagan, who had earlier walked, then stole second base, before going to third on Tejada’s single, giving the Mets a 6-3 lead. The Mets then took a 7-3 lead in the fifth as, with one man on, and with nobody out, Evans hits an RBI single, scoring Jason Bay, who had started off the inning with a walk. The Phils would get a run back in the seventh as, with a runner on third, and with one man out, Hunter Pence hits an RBI single, knocking in Chase Utley, who had earlier doubled, then went to third on Pagan’s throwing error, making it a 7-4 Mets’ lead. That would be the final score as Bobby Parnell would collect his first save of the year with a scoreless ninth.

Kyle Kendrick (7-6, 3.29) took the lost as he went four innings, giving up six runs, only two of which were earned, on seven hits and a walk, while striking out one. Michael Schwimer pitched an inning, giving up a run on a hit and two walks. Brad Lidge, Antonio Bastardo, David Herndon and Ryan Madson combined for four scoreless innings, giving up three hits (Herndon (2), Madson (1)) and three walks (Lidge (1), Bastardo (2)) , while striking out six (Lidge (2), Bastardo (2), Herndon (1), Madson (1)) batters between them. Mike Pelfrey (7-10, 4.60) got the win as he went six innings, giving up three runs on nine hits and two walks, while striking out two. Tim Byrdak pitched a third of an inning, giving up a run on a hit, striking out a batter. Manny Acosta pitched one and two-thirds innings, giving up two hits, while striking out two batters. Bobby Parnell recorded his first save of the season as he pitched a scoreless inning, giving up two walks, while striking out two.

The Phils had twelve hits in the ballgame, with Chase Utley leading the team with three hits, two singles and a double, knocking in a run. Placido Polanco, Hunter Pence (RBI) and Carlos Ruiz all followed with two hits each, all singles. Shane Victorino (Single, 2 RBIs), Michael Martinez (Single) and pinch hitter Ross Gload (Double), had the other three Phils’ hits, as the offense was unable to overcome the Mets four runs first.

The Phils (83-45, 1st) have tomorrow off, before they start a three-game series with the Marlins (58-71, 5th).

The Phils’ offense continue to roll as they defeat the Mets, 9-4.

The Phils’ bats continue to roll along as they defeat the Mets, 9-4.

The Mets tried to take the lead in the first as, with runners on the corners, via singles by Angel Pagan and Ruben Tejada, with Pagan stopping at third, and with nobody out, before Vance Worley got out of trouble by first getting David Wright to hit into a fielder’s choice ground out, forcing out Pagan at home, 5-2, while moving Tejada to second base, before striking out Lucas Duda looking, for the inning’s second out, and then, after loading the bases via a walk to Jason Bay, moving up both runners, striking out Nick Evans looking. The Mets tried again in the second as they put runners on second and third, via a single by Josh Thole, and a double by Justin Turner, sending Thole to third, with nobody out, but Worley got out of the inning by striking out Jon Niese, Pagan and Tejada, all looking. The Phils took the lead in the third as, with one man out, Shane Victorino hits a solo home run, his fourteenth home run of the season, giving the Phils a 1-0-lead. The Phils then took a 4-0 lead as, with two men on, and with two men out, John Mayberry, Jr. hits a three-run home run, his twelfth home run of the year, scoring Placido Polanco who had earlier singled, then moved up to second base when Chase Utley was hit by the pitch, and Utley, who was just hit by a pitch. The Phils added to their lead in the fourth as, with one man on, and with two men out, Polanco hits an RBI single, scoring Worley, who had earlier singled, then moved up to second base on Victorinio’s ground out, 3-unassisted, giving the Phils a 5-0 lead. The Phils increased their lead in the fifth as, with the bases loaded, via singles by Hunter Pence and Mayberry, with Pence stopping at second base, and a walk to Ben Francisco, moving up both runners, and with nobody out, Wilson Valdez hits a sacrifice fly, scoring Pence, making it a 6-0 Phils’ lead, while sending Mayberry to third base. Two batters later, after Brian Schneider had hit into a fielder’s choice ground out, 3-2, with Mayberry being tagged out at home plate, and Francisco moving up to second base, Worley hits an RBI single, knocking in Francisco, giving the Phils a 7-0 lead, while sending Schneider up to second base. The Phils then made it a 9-0 lead as Victorino hits a two-run triple, knocking in both Schneider and Worley. The Mets would finally get on the scoreboard in the seventh as, with a runner on third, and with one man out, Turner hits an RBI ground out, 4-3, scoring Evans, who had earlier doubled, then went to third on Thole’s ground out, 4-3, making it a 9-1 Phils’ lead. The Mets then cut the Phils’ lead down to 9-3 in the eighth as, with one man on, and with two men out, Duda hits a two-run home run, his seventh home run of the season, knocking in Willie Harris, who had just singled. The Mets then made it a 9-4 Phils’ lead in the ninth as, with one man on, and with nobody out, Thole hits an RBI ground out, 5-3, scoring Evans, who had earlier tripled. That would end up being the final score as Michael Stutes got the last two outs to end the ballgame.

Vance Worley (9-1, 2.65) gets the win, as he pitches seven inning, giving up a run on five hits and a walk, while striking out nine. Michael Stutes pitched two innings, giving up three runs on four hits. Jon Niese (11-11, 4.40) took the lost as he lasted only four innings plus three batters, giving up eight runs on ten hits and a walk, while striking out six. Pedro Beato pitched two innings, giving up a run on two hits. Ryota Igarashi, Tim Byrdak and Bobby Parnell combined for two scoreless innings, giving up a hit (Igarashi), while striking out two (Byrdak) between them.

The Phils had thirteen hits in the ballgame, with Ben Francisco leading the team with three hits, two singles and a double. Shane Victorino (Triple, Home Run, 3 RBIs), Placido Polanco (Singles, RBI), John Mayberry, Jr (Single, Home Run, 3 RBIs) and Vance Worley (Singles, RBI), all followed with two hits each. Hunter Pence (Single) and Wilson Valdez (Double, RBI), had the other two Phils’ hits.

The Phils (83-44, 1st) will conclude their series with the Mets (60-68, 4th) with an afternoon game today, already in progress.

After a wild eighth inning, the Phils hold on to defeat the Mets, 8-5.

After getting through a very wild eighth inning, the Phils hold on to leave New York with a series win, as they defeat the Mets, 8-5.

The Phils took the lead in the first as, with a runner on second, and with two men out, Ryan Howard hits an RBI single, scoring Chase Utley, who had earlier walked, then stole second base, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead. The Phils then took a 4-0 lead in the fifth as, with two men on, via singles by Kyle Kendrick and Jimmy Rollins, with Kendrick stopping at second base, and with one man out, Michael Martinez hits a three-run home run, his first home run of the season, and of his career, knocking in both Kendrick and Rollins. The Phils then added to their lead in the seventh as, with runners on the corners, and with one man out, Martinez hits a sacrifice fly, knocking in Brian Schneider, who had earlier singled, moved up to second base on Kendrick’s sacrifice bunt, 2-4, and then stopped at third on Rollins’ single, giving the Phils a 5-0 lead. The Mets finally got on the scoreboard in their half of the seventh as, with a runner on second, and with one man out, pinch hitter Scott Hairston hits an RBI single, knocking in Ronny Paulino, who had earlier doubled, making it a 5-1 Phils’ lead. The Phils then took advantage of a defensive mistake by the Mets in the top of the eighth as left fielder Jason Bay committed a fielding error on Howard’s fly ball as it hit his glove, allowing Howard to reach first base safely. After Raul Ibanez popped out to the first baseman in foul territory for the inning’s first out, Dom Brown walked, sending Howard to second base. Then, after John Mayberry, Jr., popped out to the first baseman in foul territory for the second out of the inning, Schneider walked, loading up the bases, moving up a base both Howard and Brown, with two men out, while bringing up to the plate pinch hitter Ross Gload. Gload proceeded to walk, forcing in Howard to make it a 6-1 Phils’ lead, while sending Brown on to third base and Schnieder up to second base, as the bases remained loaded. The next batter, Rollins, then hits a two-run single, scoring both Brown and Schneider, giving the Phils an 8-1 lead, while sending Gload all the way to third. Martinez then ended the inning by striking out, swinging. The Mets then started to make things close in their half of the eighth as Phils’ reliever Juan Perez would load up the bases by walking Willie Harris, Daniel Murphy and Bay, with nobody out. Charlie Manuel then came out, and replaced Perez with Ryan Madson. Madson then proceeded to get Lucas Duda to hit into a 4-6-3 doubleplay, wiping out Bay at second base, as Harris scored, making it an 8-2 Phils’ lead, while Murphy would reach third base. Paulino then followed with an RBI single, knocking in Murphy, making it an 8-3 Phils’ lead. After Madson hits Ruben Tejada with a pitch, sending Paulino up to second base, he reloaded the bases as he walked pinch hitter Nick Evans, moving up a base both Paulino and Tejada. The Mets then made it an 8-4 Phils’ lead as Angel Pagan hits an RBI single, scoring Paulino, while sending Tejada to third, and Evans to second, leaving the bases loaded. Manuel then came out, and called in Antonio Bastardo to attempt a four-out save. Bastardo finally ended the inning by striking out Justin Turner, swinging, as the Mets batted around in the inning. In the ninth, the Mets cut the Phils’ lead down to 8-5 as, with one man on, and with two men out, Luca hits an RBI triple, scoring Murphy, who had earlier doubled. But that would be the final score as Bastardo recorded his sixth save of the year by getting Paulino to ground out, 5-3, for the game’s final out.

Kyle Kendrick (5-4, 3.34), got the win as he pitched seven strong innings, pitching his way out of a couple of early jams, as he gave up just one run on six hits and three walks. Juan Perez pitched to three batters, giving up two runs, as he walked all three of the men that he would face. Ryan Madson pitched two-thirds of an inning, as he gives up a run on two hits, a walk and a hit batter. Antonio Bastardo collected his sixth save of the year as he went an inning and a third, giving up a run on two hits, while striking out a batter. Mike Pelfrey (5-9, 4.67) took the lost as he went five innings, giving up four runs on six hits and a walk, while striking out two. D.J. Carrasco pitched an inning and a third, giving up a run on three hits. Tim Byrdak pitched two-thirds of an inning, getting out both men that he would face. Pedro Beato pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up three unearned runs, as he walked three batters. Ryota Igarashi pitched a third of an inning, giving up a hit, while he struck out one. Jason Isringhausen pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit and a walk, while striking out two.

The Phils had eleven hits in the ballgame, with Jimmy Rollins leading the team with three hits, all singles, knocking in two runs, as he raised his batting average to .271. Raul Ibanez (Singles), Brian Schneider (Singles) and Kyle Kendrick (Singles), all followed with two hits each. Michael Martinez (Home Run, 4 RBIs) and Ryan Howard (Single, RBI), had the other two Phils’ hits. Ross Gload had the other Phil RBI with a bases loaded walk.

The Phils (59-35, 1st East) will start a three-game series with the Cubs (38-58, 4th Central) with a game tonight. The game will be played at Wrigley Field and will start at 8:05 pm EST (7:05 pm CST). The Phils will send to the mound their ace Roy Halladay (11-3, 2.45), who is coming off a no-decision against the Braves on July 8, as he went seven innings, giving up two runs on six hits, while striking out seven, in the Phils’ 3-2 win. He will be going for win no. 12 on the season. The Cubs will counter with Rodrigo Lopez (1-2, 4.02), who is coming off a no-decision against the Pirates on July 8, as he pitched six innings, giving up three runs on eight hits and a walk, while striking out three, in the Cubs’ 7-4 lost. He will be trying to beat his old team. The Phils will be trying to start off the series with another opening series victory.

The Phils start the second half where they have left off as they routed the Mets, 7-2.

The Phils start off the second half in the same manner that they had ended the first half as they proceed to rout the Mets, 7-2.

The Phils took the lead in the second as, with the bases loaded, via singles by Raul Ibanez and Carlos Ruiz, with Ibanez stopping at third base, and a walk to Dom Brown, which moved Ruiz up to second base, and with one man out, John Mayberry, Jr. hits a two-run singles, scoring both Ibanez and Ruiz, giving the Phils a 2-0 lead, while sending Brown on to third. The Phils then took a 3-o lead as Vance Worley hits into an RBI ground out, 5-3, his first career RBI, knocking in Brown, while sending Mayberry up to second base. The Phils then added to their lead in the sixth as, with one man out, Ibanez hits a solo home run, his thirteenth home run of the season, giving the Phils a 4-0 lead. The Mets got onto the scoreboard in their half od the sixth as, with the bases loaded, via a walk to Carlos Beltran, a single by Daniel Murphy, sending Beltran on to second base, and a walk by Jason Bay, moving both runners up a base, and with one man out, Juan Perez, who was pitching for Worley, struck out pinch hitter Scott Hairston for the inning’s second out, but uncorking a wild pitch, which allowed Beltran to score, cutting the Phils’ lead to 4-1, and allowing both Murphy and Bay to move up a base. But Perez then ended the threat by getting pinch hitter Ronny Paulino to ground out, 5-3.  The Phils then put the game out of reach in the eighth as, with the bases loaded, via a walk to Ryan Howard, who then moved up to second base on an Ibanez ground out, 4-3, an intentional walk to Ruiz, and then a force attempt fielding error by shortstop Ruben Tejada on a ground ball by Brown, allowing Howard to reach third, and Ruiz to be safe at second base, while Brown reached first base, and with two men out, Mayberry, Jr. hits a bases clearing double, knocking in Howard, Ruiz and Brown, giving the Phils a 7-1 lead.  The Mets then made it a 7-2 Phils’ lead in their half of the eighth as, with one man out, Beltran hits a solo home run, his fourteenth home run of the year. That would end up being the final score as Antonio Bastardo pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.

Vance Worley (5-1, 2.15) got the win as he pitched five and a third innings, giving up a run on three hits and four walks, while striking out four. Juan Perez collected his first hold of the season as he pitched two-thirds of an inning, striking out a batter. Ryan Madson, who had just come off the disabled list, collected his third hold of the year as he pitched a 1-2-3 inning, striking out two batters. Michael Stutes pitched an inning, giving up a run on two hits and a walk, while striking out one. Antonio Bastardo pitched a 1-2-3 inning, striking out a batter. R.A. Dickey (4-8, 3.70) took the lost as he went seven innings, giving up four runs on six hits and two walks, while striking out five. Tim Byrdak pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up three runs on two walks. Ryota Igarashi pitched a third of an inning, giving up a hit, while striking out a batter. D.J. Carrasco pitched a 1-2-3 inning, striking out a batter.

The Phils had seven hits in the game, with Raul Ibanez (Single, Home Run, RBI), Carlos Ruiz (Singles) and John Mayberry, Jr. (Single, Double, 5 RBIs), all leading the team with two-hits apiece, with Mayberry, Jr. knocking in a career high 5 RBIs. Chase Utley had the other Phil hit, a double, while Vance Worley brought in the other Phil run, with an RBI ground out, his first RBI as a major leaguer.

The Phils (58-34, 1st) will continue their series with the Mets (46-46, 3rd), with an afternoon game at Citi Field, that will be nationally televised on Fox. Game time will be 4:10 pm EDT. The Phils will send to the mound Cole Hamels (11-4. 2.32), who is coming off a win against the Braves on July 10, who pitched eight innings, giving up a run on three hits and two walks, as he struck out six, in the Phils’ 14-1 rout. He will be going for win no. 12. The Mets will counter with Jon Niese (8-7, 3.88), who is coming off a relief appearance against the Giants on July 10, as he pitched a third of an inning, giving up two runs on two hits, in the Mets’ 4-2 win. He will be trying to even the series. The Phils will be going out to win the present series.