Phils playing good enough to knock your Sox off
June 14 2007
An unlikely group of pitchers, including Kyle Kendrick, Mike Zagurski and Yoel Hernandez, carried the pitching load for the Phillies yesterday as the team hit its high water mark for the season.
If the pitching was a surprise, nobody who has been watching the Phillies all season could have been surprised to see the biggest hit of the night come off the bat of Aaron Rowand as he faced his former mates. His seventh-inning grand slam put the Phillies up to stay on a day they started a pitcher called up from Double-A to make his major league debut.
The Phillies beat the
Chicago White Sox yesterday, winning 8-4 to improve to 35-31 on the year.
They are four games above .500 for the first time this season. With
the sweep of the Sox in the three-game series, they
move into a tie with the Braves for second-place in the NL East. Both
teams are two games behind the Mets, who lost their fifth straight last
night.
Kyle Kendrick got the start for the Phillies, making his major league
debut. He was impressive, going six innings and allowed three runs on six
hits and two walks. Three of the hits went for extra-bases and he struck
out four. He settled down nicely after allowing a run in each of the
first three innings he pitched.
In the first, Kendrick got Jerry Owens on a ground ball to short for the
first out. Alex Cintron followed and he doubled into right off the tip of
the glove of Howard at first. Jim Thome was next and he hit one in front of
the plate. Barajas threw him out at first as Cintron went to third.
Jermaine Dye was next and he doubled out of the reach of Victorino in
center, scoring Cintron to put Chicago up 1-0. AJ Pierzinski grounded to
short for the third out.
With the score tied at 1-1 in the second, Luis Terrero led off and was hit
by a pitch. He stole second and Josh Fields scored him with a single into
center to put the White Sox back up 2-1. Victorino's throw home was off
line and Fields went to second. Kendrick struck out Juan Uribe and pitcher
John Danks and got Owens on a fly ball to left to end the frame.
The Phils tied the game at 2-2 again in the bottom of the second. Cintron
started the top of the third with a single into center and Thome followed
and hit one under the glove of Howard at first. It was the second play on
the day that it looked like Howard could have made -- neither were called an
error. This one also cost the Phils a run. Cintron went to third on
Thome's single. Dye followed and hit into a double-play with Cintron
scoring from third to put Chicago up 3-2. Pierzinski grounded to first to
end the frame.
In the fourth, Kendrick issued the first walk of his career. It came to
Fields with one out, but Kendrick followed it up by getting Uribe to hit
into a double-play, also a first of Kendrick's career, giving Kendrick the
first scoreless inning of his career.
Kendrick got the first two in the fifth before Cintron doubled to right for
his third hit of the day. With a base open, the Phillies walked Thome to
pitch to the righty Dye. Dye hit one into right and Werth made a diving
catch for the third out -- Kendrick gets back a
little of the defense he missed with Howard.
Kendrick threw a 1-2-3 sixth, striking out Fields for his fourth strikeout
on the day to end the frame.
Madson started the seventh. Uribe led off and reached on an error by Helms
at third. With the score tied at 3-3, Thornton hit for himself and struck
out trying to bunt. Thanks. Owens was next and Uribe was running
as he grounded to short. Rollins could only get one out at first. With two
down and a runner on second, Cintron grounded to second to end the frame.
Mike Zagurski started the eighth with an 8-3 lead and the first two men he
faced hit their way aboard. Thome singled and Dye moved him to third with a
double. Zagurski got the lefty Pierzinski on a ground ball that scored
Thome from third and made the score 8-4. Dye
went to third on the play. With the righty Terrero due to hit, Hernandez
came in to pitch and got Terrero on a popup to second. Hernandez struck out
Fields to end the inning. Great job by Hernandez to turn the White Sox away
after entering the game with one
down and a man on third.
With no game today, Alfonseca started the ninth with an 8-4 lead. He walked
the leadoff man, but narrowly avoided self-destructing with the help many a
Phil. He didn't like the call on the pitch he walked Uribe on to start the
inning, but got the next batter, Rob Mackowiack, to hit into a double-play.
Owens singled to right with two outs, but Alfonseca got Cintron on a fly
ball to left to end the game.
The Phillies' lineup against lefty John Danks went (1) Rollins (2) Victorino
(3) Utley (4) Howard (5) Burrell (6) Werth (7) Helms (8) Barajas. Great
lineup, maybe my favorite of the season. Victorino in center, Werth in
right and Helms at third. Four righties in a row
after the first four go switch/switch/left/left. Burrell hitting fifth with
Rowand on the bench. Nice to see Victorino in center, where he belongs, and
I'd love to see Helms and Werth play all the time against lefties.
With one out in the
first, Victorino walked and stole second. Utley singled into right, scoring
Victorino and tying the game at 1-1. Howard popped to third for the second
out Burrell grounded to third to end the inning.
Werth led off the second and flew out to left but Helms followed and homered,
his first of the year, to left to tie the game at 2-2. Barajas struck out
for the second out, but Kendrick followed and singled into right off the
glove of Dye for a hit in his first career at-bat. Rollins grounded back to
the pitcher for the final out of the inning.
With two outs in the third, Howard singled into center and Burrell followed
with a walk. It put men on first and second with two down for Werth, who
struck out on a pitch high and outside to end the inning.
The Phils went 1-2-3 in the fourth.
In the fifth, with one out Victorino singled into right and Utley followed
with a walk. Howard struck out for the second out. With two down and two
men on and Burrell due to hit, the White Sox pulled the lefty Danks and
brought in righty Ryan Bukvich to Burrell. Bukvich got Burrell on a ground
ball to third with the help of a nice diving play by Fields to end the
inning.
With the Phils down 3-2 in the sixth, Werth led off with a ground ball to
short. Uribe took longer than he had, double-pumping, and Werth was called
safe at first with a single on a close play. Huge play and a huge call,
cause Helms followed with a single to center that gave the Phils men on
first and third with nobody out for Barajas. Barajas was caught looking for
the first out. With the righty Bukvich on the mound and the lefty Matt
Thornton in the pen, Rowand hit for Kendrick against the righty. The other
choice was Dobbs, which would have no doubt forced the White Sox to call on
Thornton, so the choice came down to Rowand against Bukvich with Bukvich
still in the game or Dobbs against Thornton. Or the Phillies could have
announced Dobbs and pinch-hit Rowand for him against Thornton, burning
Dobbs. Rowand hit a ground ball to third and the only play for Fields was
to first base. Helms went to second with two outs and the game tied at
3-3. Thorton did come in and pitch to Rollins and walked him. Victorino
followed and grounded to short, called out on a close play with a nice scoop
from Thome. Tough call on who to pinch-hit there, especially so early in
the game. It worked out for the Phillies, but I think I would have
announced Dobbs and let Rowand pinch-hit for him against Thornton even
though it
wastes Dobbs so early in the game. But Rowand would get a chance against
Thornton later in the game and things worked out just fine. Barajas'
strikeout with first and third and nobody out hurt.
Utley started the seventh with a double. Howard was next and struck out
swinging at ball four for the first out. With the lefty Thornton still on
the bump, Chicago walked Burrell intentionally to put men on first and
second with one down. Nunez pinch-hit for Madson and looped one over the
head of Thome and into right. Utley scored and Burrell went to third with
the Phils up 4-3. Bourn ran for Burrell at third, and with two out and men
on the corners, Helms popped to second for the second out. Barajas walked
to load the bases and Rowand, who had stayed in the game to play center
after pinch-hitting in the sixth, hit a grand slam to left to put the Phils
up 8-3. Rollins flew to left to end the inning. The White Sox sure left
Thornton in for a while -- he pitched the whole inning, facing righties
Helms and Barajas with men aboard before Rowand finally killed him with the
big home run.
Boone Logan struck out Victorino, Utley and Howard in the eighth. Still
don't think the Phils are trading Rowand for him. Thornton probably didn't
wow a lot of people in the Phils' front office, either, come to think of
it. He was the victim of some odd decisions, though, hitting for himself in
the top of the seventh in a tie game and going and going in the bottom of
the inning. Even if his bunt works in the top of the seventh, I don't
think I'd bet on the Chicago pen to hold a one-run lead against the Phils for
three innings.
Rollins was 0-for-4 with a walk. 2-for-13 with a double and a homer in
the series. 278/324/503 on the year.
Victorino 1-for-4 with a walk. 3-for-12 with three singles and a walk
in the series. Stole three bases. 269/339/386 on the year.
Utley 2-for-4 with a walk, a double and an RBI. 6-for-11 with a
double, a home run and five RBI in the set. 313/393/566 on the year,
all career highs.
Howard had an awful game with the bat and the glove. 1-for-5 with three
strikeouts and four men left on base. 3-for-11 with two walks and a
home run in the series. 239/389/521.
Burrell was 0-for-2 with two walks and three men left on base. 1-for-6
with a home run and fives walks in the series. 219/386/401 on the year
and 162/319/378 in June.
Werth was 1-for-3 with a big catch in right field in the fifth.
1-for-4 in the series. 243/333/386.
Helms was 2-for-4 with, finally, a home run. 2-for-5 with a home run
in the series. 252/306/329. The Phillies are among the best
offensive teams in baseball this season despite the miserable year for Helms
-- if he heats up the Phils are going to be tough on lefties especially.
Barajas was 0-for-3 with a walk and a big strikeout in the sixth.
1-for-9 with a double and two walks in the series. 214/365/393.
Ruiz and his sore wrist last got an at-bat on June 10.
Rowand was 1-for-2 with a grand slam and five RBI. 1-for-8 in the
series. 318/389/492.
Dobbs never did get into today's game. He was 2-for-7 in the series. 284/323/526 on the year.
Bourn has two at-bats since May 29, none of which came in this series. It's hard to feel like the Phillies think he's a real prospect given the way they're using him. Needs some at-bats, even if they're at Ottawa.
Nunez came off the bench to deliver a big hit yesterday. Just 1-for-1 in the series with his fourth hit in 27 June at-bats (.148). 258/317/320 on the year as his numbers continue to tumble -- he was hitting 315/370/402 after going 2-for-3 on May 23.
No game today. Tigers tomorrow.