Results tagged ‘ Denver ’

The Phils’ home stand end on a high note as the Phils defeat the Braves, 5-3.

The Phils end their ten-game home stand by defeating the Braves, 5-3, as the bullpen throw four scoreless innings on the Braves’ bats.

The Braves try to take the lead in the bottom of the first as, with a runner on second, and with two men out, Omar Infante, who had lead-off the game with a double, tried to score on a Troy Glaus single to right, but was thrown out at home by Jayson Werth, 9-2, with Carlos Ruiz applying the tag. The Phils then took the lead in their half of the first as, with the bases loaded via a single by Placido Polanco, a double by Chase Utley, sending Polanco on to third, and an intentional walk to Ryan Howard, Werth was hit by the pitch, forcing in Polanco, while sending Utley up to third and Howard to second, giving the Phils’ a 1-0 lead. The Phils made it 2-0 as Utley scored from third on a Raul Ibanez sacrifice fly to right, as Melky Carbrera did not attempt to make a throw to the plate. The Phils increased their lead in the second as, with two out, Polanco hits a solo home run, his fifth home run of the season, giving the Phils a 3-0 lead. The Phils then made it 4-0 in the third as, with one man out, Werth hits a solo home run, his seventh home run of the season and the 100th of his career. The Braves then came back in the fifth as, with the bases loaded via a walk to Kenshin Kawakami, and singles to Infante and Martin Prado, and with no one out, Carbrera hits an RBI single, knocking in Kawakami, cutting the Phils’ lead to 4-1, while sending Infante to third and Prado over to second, leaving the bases loaded. The Braves then made it a 4-3 Phils’ lead as Glaus hits a two-run single, knocking in both Infante and Prado, while sending Carbrera on to second base. The Phils then made it 5-3 in the seventh as, with one man out, Shane Victorino hits a solo home run, his seventh home run of the year. That would be the final score as Brad Lidge pitch a 1-2-3 ninth on seven pitches, recording his first save of the season.

Coel Hamels got the win as he pitches five innings, giving up three runs on eight hits and four walks, while striking out five. His record is now 3-2 with a 4.53 ERA. Chad Durbin records his fifth hold of the year as he pitch two 1-2-3 innings, striking out four. Jose Contreras then follows with a 1-2-3 inning of his own, striking out a batter, as he records his second hold of the year. Brad Lidge also pitches a 1-2-3 inning, as he records his first save of the year. Kenshin Kawakami takes the lost as he pitches six and two-thirds innings, giving up four runs on seven hits, two walks and a hit batter, while striking out five. His record is now 0-6 with an ERA of 5.73. Eric O’Flaherty pitches a scoreless inning and a third, striking out a batter.

The Phils had only seven hits in the game, with Placido Polanco leading the team with two hits, a single and a solo home run, knocking in a run. Shane Victorino, Chase Utley, Jayson Werth, Raul Ibanez and Carlos Ruiz had the other five Phils’ hits, with Victorino and Werth’s hits being solo home runs, with Victorino knocking in a run, while Werth knocked in two, with the other coming in as he was hit by the pitch with the bases loaded. Utley and Ibanez’s hits were doubles, while Ruiz’s hit was a single.

The Phils (19-12, 1st East) will now go on the road where they will play a three-game series with the Rockies (15-16, 3rd West) in Denver. The game will be played at Coors Field and will start at 8:40 pm Eastern (6:40 pm Mountain). Kyle Kendrick (1-1, 5.87) will start for the Phils, coming off a win against the Cardinals on May 5, as he threw seven shut out innings, giving up six hits and two walks, while striking out three, in the Phils’ 4-0 win. He will try to continue what he did in his previous start. The Rockies will counter with Greg Smith (1-2, 6.35), who is coming off a no-decision against the Padres, as he went five innings, giving up a run on four hits and five walks, while striking out two, in the Rockies’ 3-2 lost. He will be trying to even his record. The Phils will be trying to continue their winning way as they play in Denver.

Joe Blanton has another strong start but still ends up with the lost as the Phils lose to the Braves, 4-1.

Despite throwing his second straight strong outing since coming off the disable list, Joe Blanton takes the lost as the Phils’ offense is unable to capitalize on several scoring opportunities as the Phils lost to the Braves, 4-1.

The Phils took the lead in the second as, with two men on, and with two men out, Shane Victorino hits an RBI single, knocking in Brian Schneider, who had earlier singled, and then moved up to second on Joe Blanton’s single, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead, while sending Blanton, who had earlier singled, up to second base. Blanton then took control, stopping several Braves’ rallies, while not giving up a hit, until Braves’ starter Kris Medlen got a lead-off single in the fifth, while first Medlen, and then reliever Eric O’Flaherty, kept the Phils from getting any more runs. Then the Braves got back into the game in the sixth as, with runners on the corners, and with one man out, Eric Hinske hits an RBI double, knocking in Chipper Jones, who had earlier singled, moved up to second on Brian McCann’s single, then went to third on Troy Glaus’ fly out to center, tying the game up at one-all, while sending McCann up to third. One batter later, the Braves took the lead on an RBI single by Melky Cabrera, scoring McCann, giving the Braves a 2-1 lead, while sending Hinske over to third. The Braves then made it 3-1 as Omar Infante hits a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Hinske, while Cabrera moved up to second. The Braves then added an insurance run in the ninth as, with runners on the corners, and with two men out, Glaus hits an RBI single, scoring Nate McLouth, who had earlier singled, went to second on Martin Prado’s sacrifice bunt, then moved up to third on Jones’ ground out, 4-3, giving the Braves a 4-1 lead, while sending McCann, who had just walked, up to second base. That would be the final score as Billy Wagner put the Phils’ down 1-2-3, to records his fourth save of the year.

Joe Blanton took the lose as he pitches six innings, giving up three runs on five hits and two walks, while striking out three. His record is now 0-2 with a 4.97 ERA. J.C. Romero, Chad Durbin and Jose Contreras combine for two scoreless innings, giving up only three walks (Romero (2), Contreras (1)), while striking out two batters (Romero and Chad one batter each). Danys Baez pitches an inning, giving up a run on two hits and a walk. Kris Medlen receives a no-decision as he pitches four and a third innings, giving up a run on nine hits, as he strikes out three. Eric O’Flaherty got the win as he pitches two-thirds of an inning, getting out both men that he would face. His record is now 2-1 with an ERA of 2.19. Craig Kimbrel records his first hold of the season as he goes a third of an inning, giving up two walks. Peter Moylan records his fifth hold of the year as he pitches one and one-third scoreless innings, giving up two walks. Jonny Venters records his first hold of the year as he pitches a third of an inning, getting out the only man he would face. Takashi Saito records his second hold of the season as he pitches a scoreless inning, striking out two batters. Billy Wagner records his fourth save of the year as he throws a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out a batter.

The Phils had nine hits, all singles, in the game, unable to deliever a key hit to take an early commanding lead. Placido Polanco had three hits. Shane Victorino, Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez, Brian Schneider, Carlos Ruiz and Joe Blanton had the other six hits, with Victorino knocking in the only Phil run.

The Phils (18-12, 1st) will conclude their series and the home stand with an afternoon game against the Braves (13-17, 5th). The game will be played at Citizens Bank Park. The Phils will send to the mound Cole Hamels (2-2, 4.42), who is coming off a no-decision against the Cardinals on May 4, when he went eight plus innings, giving up just one run on eight hits and two walks, as he struck out eight, in the Phils’ 2-1 extra-innings walk-off win. He will try to build on his two previous strong starts while trying for his third win of the season. The Braves will counter with Kenshin Kawakami (0-5, 5.47), who is coming off a lost against the Nationals on May 4, as he went only five innings, giving up three runs on seven hits, while he struck out one, in the Braves’ 6-3 lost. He will be trying to gain his first win of the season. The Phils will be trying to end their good home stand on a high note before going on the road to face the Rockies in Denver. 

The Phils are unable to come back from an early hole as they lose to the Rockies, 5-4. The divisional series is now tied at one game apiece.

The Phils are unable to pull off a come from behind win after being put behind early as they lose to the Rockies, 5-4. The series now go to Colorado with the series tied at one to one.

The Rockies took a 1-0 lead in the first as, with a runner on third, and with one man out, Todd Helton scored Carlos Gonzalez. who had earlier singled, stole second base after being picked off by Phils’ starter Cole Hamels, as Ryan Howard’s throw to second wasn’t in time, and then moved to third on Dexter Fowler’s sacrifice bunt, 1-4, on a fielder’s choice grounder to Hamels, as Gonzalez beat Carlos Ruiz’s tag, while Helton was safe at first. The Rockies then increased their lead in the fourth as, with a man on, and with two men out, Yorvit Torreabla hits a two-run home run, his first home run of the post-season, knocking in Hilton, who had earlier singled, making it 3-0 Rockies. The Rockies then made it 4-0 in the fifth as, with two men on, and with one out, Fowler hits a sacrifice fly, scoring Rockies’ starter Aaron Cook, who had earlier singled, and then went to third on Gonzalez’s double, while Gonzalez, who had earlier doubled, would move up to third. The Phils then started to come back in the sixth as, with runners on the corners, and with nobody out, Howard hits an RBI double, knocking in Shane Victorino, who had earlier hit an infield single and had moved up to second on second baseman’s Clint Barmes’ throwing error, and then went to third on Chase Utley’s single, making it a 4-1 Rockies’ lead, while sending Utley, who had earlier singled, up to third base. Two batters later, with runners still on second and third, and now with one man out, Raul Ibanez hits a two-run single, knocking in both Utley and Howard, making it a 4-3 Rockies’ lead. The Rockies then added a run in the seventh as, with the bases loaded, via a Ryan Spilborghs double, Barmes hitting a sacrifice bunt, in which Joe Blanton, who was pitching in relief of Hamels, tried to throw Spilborghs out at third, but was unsuccessful, while Barmes would be safe at first, and an infield single for pinch hitter Seth Smith, off of J.A. Happ’s knee, after he was brought in in relief of Blanton, and with one man out, Fowler hits his second sac fly of the game, scoring Spilborghs, giving the Rockies a 5-3 lead, while sending Barmes over to third. The Phils would get the run back in the eighth as, with two men out, Jayson Werth hits a solo home run, his first home run of the post-season, making it a 5-4 Rockies’ lead. The Phils made a last threat to tie the game in the ninth, with two men on base, with Cliff Lee on second, pinch running for Matt Stairs, who had earlier gotten on base with a pinch hit walk, and Jimmy Rollins on first with a single, moving Lee up to second, with two men out. But Victorino would end the game by lining out to Barmes for the final out.

Cole Hamels took the lost, as he pitched five innings, giving up four runs on seven hits, while he struck out five. His divisional series record is now 0-1 with a 7.20 ERA. Joe Blanton pitched an inning plus two batters, giving up a run on one hit, as he struck out one. J.A. Happ pitched to one batter, giving up a hit before taken out for an injury. Scott Eyre pitched an inning, striking out a batter. Brett Myers pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up two walks and hitting a batter. Antonio Bastardo pitched a third of an inning, striking out the only man he would face. Ryan Madson pitched a 1-2-3 ninth. Aaron Cook got the win, as he went five innings plus three batters, giving up three runs on seven hits and two walks, while striking out four. His record in the divisional series is now 1-0 with a  5.40 ERA. Jose Contreras converted his first hold as he pitched an inning, giving up two hits, while striking out a batter. Matt Belisle received a hold as he pitched a 1-2-3 inning, striking out a batter. Rafael Betancourt received a hold as he pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up a run on one hit. Franklin Morales recieved a hold as he pitched a third of an inning, getting out the one man he would face. Huston Street recorded his first save of the post-season as he gave up only a hit and a walk.

The Phillies got eleven hits in the game, with Shane Victorino leading the team with three hits, all singles. Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez both followed with two hits apiece, with one of Howard’s hits being a double, as between them they knocked in three of the Phils’ runs (Howard (1), Ibanez (2)). Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Jayson Werth and Pedro Feliz had the other four Phils’ hits, with Werth’s hit being a solo home run. Between them, so far, Howard, Werth and Ibanez has been the Phils’ offense, with a combined record of eleven for twenty-three, with six singles, three doubles, a triple and a home run, with eight RBIs (Howard (2), Werth (2) Ibanez (4)) and six runs scored. The only other Phil hitting, at the moment, is Victorino, who is hitting four for nine, with three singles and a double, but with only one run scored. If Rollins and Utley can get their bats to wake up, especially Rollins, if he would become a bit more selective in his pitch count, the Phils might still have a chance to win the series, if they can get men on base for the presently hot middle part of their line-up.

The Phils (1-1) will now journey to Denver to play games three and four of the divisional series with the Rockies (1-1). The third game is to be played on Saturday, weather permitting, at Coors Field, and is suppose to start at 9:37 pm Eastern (7:37 pm Mountain). The Phils still have yet to announce their starter for game three, although it will most likely be Pedro Martinez. The Rockies’ starter will be Jason Hammel (10-8, 4.33), who is coming off a no-decision against the Dodgers on October 4, as he pitched two innings in relief, giving up just two hits, while striking out two, in the Rockies’ 5-3 lost. He will be trying to give the Rockies the lead in the series. The Phillies will be trying to come back from the lost, while coming out smoking at the start of game three. 

Phils starts off the playoffs with a masterpiece by Cliff Lee as the Phils defeat the Rockies, 5-1, taking a 1-0 lead in the NLDS.

Behind the strong pitching of Cliff Lee, the Phils begin the defense of their 2008 World Series Championship by defeating the Rockies in game one of the National League Divisional Series, 5-1.

For the first four and and half innings, the game was a pitchers’ duel between Phils’ starter Cliff Lee and Rockies’ starter Ubaldo Jimenez. For the first five innings, Lee game up only three hits, while striking out three, as he survives a two on, two men out threat in the first, and then got out of a runner on second, with only one out, situation in the second as Clint Barmes hits into a fly out-doubleplay, 9-5, as Jayson Werth’s throw from right beats Yorvit Torreabla, who had earlier doubled, to the third base bag. Meanwhile, Jimenez was handling the Phils in the first four innings, as he struck out four batters, although also giving up three hits. But, things would change in the Phils’ half of the fifth. With a runner on first, and with nobody out, Raul Ibanez hits an RBI double, knocking in Jayson Werth, who had earlier walked, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead. Two batters later, with a runner on third, and with one man out, Carlos Ruiz hits an RBI single, scoring Ibanez, who had moved up to third on Pedro Feliz’s ground out, 4-3, making it a 2-0 Phils’ lead, while Ruiz would end up on second as right fielder Brad Hawpe misplayed the ball for a fielding error. The Phils would add to their lead in the sixth. With a runner on second and with two men out, Ryan Howard hits an RBI double, knocking in Chase Utley, who had earlier singled, and then stole second, giving the Phils a 3-0 lead. The next batter, Werth, then followed with an RBI triple, scoring Howard, making it a 4-0 Phils’ lead. That would be it for Jimenez, as Rockies’ manager Jim Tracy took him out of the game, and replaced him with Joe Beimel. Ibanez would greet Beimel with an RBI single, knocking in Werth, giving the Phils a 5-0 lead. Lee would take it from there, shutting the Rockies down until the ninth. In the ninth, the Rockies would finally get on the scoreboard as, with a runner on second, and with two men out, Troy Tulowitzki hits an RBI single, knocking in Carlos Gonzalez, who had earlier singled, and then moved up to second on a wild pitch. But that would be the final score as Lee would strike out Garrett Atkins swinging for the final out.

Cliff Lee pitched a complete game, giving up a run on six hits and a wild pitch, as he struck out five. His divisional series record is now 1-0 with a 1.00 ERA. Ubaldo Jimenez took the lost as he pitched five innings plus three batters, giving up five runs on nine hits and a walk, as he struck out four. His series record is now 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA. Joe Beimel pitched to only one batter, giving up a hit. Matt Daley pitched an inning plus one batter, giving up just a hit and a walk, while striking out a batter. Franklin Morales pitched a scoreless inning, as he got out both man that he would face. Jason Marquis also pitched a scoreless innings, as he gave up a hit.

The Phillies’ offense had twelve hits in the game, with all of the starters, including Cliff Lee, getting at least one hit. The middle part of the Phils’  lineup, Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez, led the attack with two hits each, as they went a combined six for eleven with a walk, collecting three singles, two walks and a triple (Werth), as they knocked in four of the Phils’ run (Howard (1), Werth (1), Ibanez (2)) and scored four runs. Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Chase Utley, Pedro Feliz, Carlos Ruiz and Cliff Lee had the other six Phils’ hits, with Victorino’s hit being a double, while Ruiz knocked in the other Phil run. The Phils also had three stolen bases, with, surprise, Lee having one of them, as the Phils went about making an early statement.

The Phils (1-0) will continue the divisional series against the Rockies (0-1), this afternoon. The game is to be played at Citizens Bank Park and is to start at 2:37 pm Eastern. The Phils will send to the mound Cole Hamels (10-11, 4.32), who is coming off a lost against the Marlins on October 3, as he pitched only three innings, after the Phils had clinched home field advantage for the divisional series as the Cardinals lost, as he went only three innings, giving up three runs on three hits and two walks, while striking out two, in the Phils’ 4-3 lost. He will be trying to regain his 2008 post-season form, and put the Rockies in a 2-0 hole. The Rcokies will counter with Aaron Cook (11-6, 4.16), who is coming off a win against the Brewers on October 1, as he pitched eight innings, giving up just a run on four hits and a walk, while striking out two, in the Rockies’ 9-2 win. He will be trying to even up the series before it moves on to Denver for the weekend. The Phils will be trying to take a commanding 2-0 lead before the series moves to Colorado. 

Matt Stairs’ pinch hit, two-run home run in the top of the ninth help propel the Phils into their first series win as they defeat the Rockies, 7-5.

The bullpen’s five and one-third innings of shut out pitching allowed the Phillies to come from behind, capped off by Matt Stairs’ pinch hit two-run home run in the ninth inning, to defeat the Rockies, 7-5. The victory gave the Phils their first series win in the 2009 season as they head to the nation’s capital to face the winless Nationals.

 After Rockies’ starter, Aaron Cook, had put the Phils down easily in the top of the first inning, Chan Ho Park took the mound to begin his first start as a Phil. He started off nicely by getting the lead-off hitter, Dexter Fowler, to ground out, 4-3, for the inning’s first out. Everything would then go badly after that, as Park’s breaking balls wouldn’t break within Denver’s higher attitude. After Ryan Spilborghs got on base with an one-out single, Brad Hawpe followed him with an RBI double, scoring Spilborghs, and giving the Rockies a quick 1-0 lead. After Park threw a passed ball, allowing Hawpe to reach third, Garrett Atkins brought him home with an RBI single, making the score 2-0 Rockies. Ian Stewart followed him with a single, sending Atkins over to second. The next batter, Troy Tulowitzki, walked, loading the bases with still only one man out. Park then struck out Chris Iannetta for the inning’s second out, thus seeing his chance to get out of the inning with very little damage. Sadly, it was not to be as Clint Barmes hit a two-out single, scoring both Atkins and Stewart, while sending Tulowitzki to third, giving the Rockies a 4-0 lead. Cook, the ninth batter of the inning, finally ended it by grounding out, 1-3. The Phillies got a run back in the top of the second, as, with a runner on second and one man out, Raul Ibanez hit a line drive that bounced off of Cook’s butt and then headed into the hole between shortstop and third for a single, as Ryan Howard, who had earlier double, quickly rounded third and scored on a heads up play, as Rockies’ shortstop, Tulowitzki, is unable to make a good throw to home plate, thus allowing Ibanez to reach second on the throw, making it 4-1 Rockies. The Rockies got that run back in the bottom half of the inning, as Fowler hit a lead-off solo home run, his second home run of the year, giving the Rockies a 5-1 lead. After nobody scored a run in the third, the Phillies got their second run in the fourth, as Jayson Werth knocked in Chase Utley, who had earlier singled, and had stole second when Howard struck out swinging, cutting the Rockies lead to 5-2. In the bottom half of the inning, after Park had given up a single to Spilborghs and had walked Hawpe, with one out, Charlie Manuel took him out of the game, and brought in Chad Durbin to keep the game close. Durbin did his job as he got Atkins to fly out to center for the second out of the inning and then struck out Stewart, swinging, to end the threat. The Phillies made it 5-3 Rockies in the sixth, when, with two men on base and one out, Werth knocked in his second RBI of the game, scoring Utley, who had earlier walked and had gone to second on Howard’s single, as Howard stopped at second base. In the bottom half of the inning, the Rockies would threathen again, as, with one out, Durbin gave up a single to Fowler, and then walked Spilborghs. Manuel then came out of the dugout and replaced Durbin with Scott Eyre. Eyre proceeded to do his job as he got Hawpe to fly out to left for the inning’s second out and then got Atkins to foul out to Howard to end the inning. Then in the eighth, the Phillies tied the game up at five all as Utley hit a two-run home run off of Manuel Corpas, his first home run of the year, as he knocked in Shane Victorino, who has earlier singled. Ryan Madson came in to pitched the bottom of the inning, and he pitched a 1-2-3 inning. In the ninth inning, with a runner on third and one man out, pinch hitter Matt Stairs would come to the plate and hit a 1-1 fastball into the right center field for a pinch hit two-run home run, giving the Phils a 7-5 lead, as he scored Pedro Feliz, who had earlier double and had gone to third on Chris Coste’s sacrifice bunt. In the bottom of the ninth, Brad Lidge took the mound for the Phils. After getting the first two men out, Lidge gave up a single to pinch hitter Jeff Baker, and then walked Stewart, bringing up the winning run to the plate in the person of Tulowitzki. On a 1-2 pitch, he got Tulowitzki to ground out, 4-3, for the final out, as he records his second save of the season.

Chan Ho Park received a no-decision, as he was only able to pitch three and a third innings, giving up five runs on seven hits and three walks, while striking out two. Chad Durbin pitched two scoreless innings, giving up no runs on one hit and a walk, as he struck out two. Scott Eyre pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up no runs or hits. Clay Condrey pitched a scoreless inning, striking out a batter. Ryan Madson got the win as he pitched a 1-2-3 inning, striking out a batter. His record is now 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA. Brad Lidge pitched an inning, as he recorded his second save in two tries, giving up no runs on a hit and a walk, as he struck out a batter. Aaron Cook also received a no-decision as he pitched six strong innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and a walk, while striking out two. Jason Grilli pitched a third of an inning in relief, giving up no runs on one hit, while striking out one. Alan Embree pitched two thirds of an inning, giving up no runs or hits. Manuel Corpas blew the save, as he gave up two runs on three hits, while striking out a batter. Huston Street took the lost as he gave up two runs on two hits, while striking out a batter. His record is now 0-1 with a high ERA of 10.13. The Phils’ starters are still looking for their first quality start after two full series.

The Phillies had thriteen hits in the ballgame, with Ryan Howard leading the way as he went 3 for 4 (2 singles, 1 double), and scored a run as he raised his batting average for the season to .333. Chase Utley, Jayson Werth and Pedro Feliz followed with each man getting two hits in the game. Utley had a single and a home run, his first of the season, as he knocked in two runs and scored three, raising his batting average to .476, placing him fourth among the league leaders in batting. Werth had two singles, knocking in two runs, as he increased his batting average to .348. Feliz had a single and a double, scoring a run, as he increased his batting average to .368. Shane Victorino, Raul Ibanez, Chad Durbin and Matt Stairs had the other four Phillies’ hit, with Ibanez knocking in one run and Stairs hitting a pinch-hit two-run home run. Through six games, the Phillies’ team batting average is .271, presently fifth in the National League.

The Phillies (3-3), continue their six-games road trip by going to the nation’s capitol, Washington, D.C. for a three-games series with the presently winless Nationals (0-6). The first game of the series will be played this afternoon at Nationals Park. Game time will be 3:05 pm Eastern. The Phillies’ starter will be Jamie Moyer, who will be trying to recover from his bad outing against the Braves on April 7, when he gave up four runs on eight hits and two walks, as he struck out two batters, as he pitched for five innings. His record is presently 0-1 with a 7.20 ERA. Moyer willing be trying to give the Phillies their first quality start by one of their starters. His opponent will be Daniel Cabrera, who lost his first start against the Marlins, as he went six innings, giving up five runs on seven hits, with an ERA of 7.50 in the Nationals’ 6-1 lost on April 8. He will be trying to give the Nationals their first win of the season.

Matt Stairs’ pinch hit, two-run home run in the top of the ninth help propel the Phils into their first series win as they defeat the Rockies, 7-5.

The bullpen’s five and one-third innings of shut out pitching allowed the Phillies to come from behind, capped off by Matt Stairs’ pinch hit two-run home run in the ninth inning, to defeat the Rockies, 7-5. The victory gave the Phils their first series win in the 2009 season as they head to the nation’s capital to face the winless Nationals.

 After Rockies’ starter, Aaron Cook, had put the Phils down easily in the top of the first inning, Chan Ho Park took the mound to begin his first start as a Phil. He started off nicely by getting the lead-off hitter, Dexter Fowler, to ground out, 4-3, for the inning’s first out. Everything would then go badly after that, as Park’s breaking balls wouldn’t break within Denver’s higher attitude. After Ryan Spilborghs got on base with an one-out single, Brad Hawpe followed him with an RBI double, scoring Spilborghs, and giving the Rockies a quick 1-0 lead. After Park threw a passed ball, allowing Hawpe to reach third, Garrett Atkins brought him home with an RBI single, making the score 2-0 Rockies. Ian Stewart followed him with a single, sending Atkins over to second. The next batter, Troy Tulowitzki, walked, loading the bases with still only one man out. Park then struck out Chris Iannetta for the inning’s second out, thus seeing his chance to get out of the inning with very little damage. Sadly, it was not to be as Clint Barmes hit a two-out single, scoring both Atkins and Stewart, while sending Tulowitzki to third, giving the Rockies a 4-0 lead. Cook, the ninth batter of the inning, finally ended it by grounding out, 1-3. The Phillies got a run back in the top of the second, as, with a runner on second and one man out, Raul Ibanez hit a line drive that bounced off of Cook’s butt and then headed into the hole between shortstop and third for a single, as Ryan Howard, who had earlier double, quickly rounded third and scored on a heads up play, as Rockies’ shortstop, Tulowitzki, is unable to make a good throw to home plate, thus allowing Ibanez to reach second on the throw, making it 4-1 Rockies. The Rockies got that run back in the bottom half of the inning, as Fowler hit a lead-off solo home run, his second home run of the year, giving the Rockies a 5-1 lead. After nobody scored a run in the third, the Phillies got their second run in the fourth, as Jayson Werth knocked in Chase Utley, who had earlier singled, and had stole second when Howard struck out swinging, cutting the Rockies lead to 5-2. In the bottom half of the inning, after Park had given up a single to Spilborghs and had walked Hawpe, with one out, Charlie Manuel took him out of the game, and brought in Chad Durbin to keep the game close. Durbin did his job as he got Atkins to fly out to center for the second out of the inning and then struck out Stewart, swinging, to end the threat. The Phillies made it 5-3 Rockies in the sixth, when, with two men on base and one out, Werth knocked in his second RBI of the game, scoring Utley, who had earlier walked and had gone to second on Howard’s single, as Howard stopped at second base. In the bottom half of the inning, the Rockies would threathen again, as, with one out, Durbin gave up a single to Fowler, and then walked Spilborghs. Manuel then came out of the dugout and replaced Durbin with Scott Eyre. Eyre proceeded to do his job as he got Hawpe to fly out to left for the inning’s second out and then got Atkins to foul out to Howard to end the inning. Then in the eighth, the Phillies tied the game up at five all as Utley hit a two-run home run off of Manuel Corpas, his first home run of the year, as he knocked in Shane Victorino, who has earlier singled. Ryan Madson came in to pitched the bottom of the inning, and he pitched a 1-2-3 inning. In the ninth inning, with a runner on third and one man out, pinch hitter Matt Stairs would come to the plate and hit a 1-1 fastball into the right center field for a pinch hit two-run home run, giving the Phils a 7-5 lead, as he scored Pedro Feliz, who had earlier double and had gone to third on Chris Coste’s sacrifice bunt. In the bottom of the ninth, Brad Lidge took the mound for the Phils. After getting the first two men out, Lidge gave up a single to pinch hitter Jeff Baker, and then walked Stewart, bringing up the winning run to the plate in the person of Tulowitzki. On a 1-2 pitch, he got Tulowitzki to ground out, 4-3, for the final out, as he records his second save of the season.

Chan Ho Park received a no-decision, as he was only able to pitch three and a third innings, giving up five runs on seven hits and three walks, while striking out two. Chad Durbin pitched two scoreless innings, giving up no runs on one hit and a walk, as he struck out two. Scott Eyre pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up no runs or hits. Clay Condrey pitched a scoreless inning, striking out a batter. Ryan Madson got the win as he pitched a 1-2-3 inning, striking out a batter. His record is now 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA. Brad Lidge pitched an inning, as he recorded his second save in two tries, giving up no runs on a hit and a walk, as he struck out a batter. Aaron Cook also received a no-decision as he pitched six strong innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and a walk, while striking out two. Jason Grilli pitched a third of an inning in relief, giving up no runs on one hit, while striking out one. Alan Embree pitched two thirds of an inning, giving up no runs or hits. Manuel Corpas blew the save, as he gave up two runs on three hits, while striking out a batter. Huston Street took the lost as he gave up two runs on two hits, while striking out a batter. His record is now 0-1 with a high ERA of 10.13. The Phils’ starters are still looking for their first quality start after two full series.

The Phillies had thriteen hits in the ballgame, with Ryan Howard leading the way as he went 3 for 4 (2 singles, 1 double), and scored a run as he raised his batting average for the season to .333. Chase Utley, Jayson Werth and Pedro Feliz followed with each man getting two hits in the game. Utley had a single and a home run, his first of the season, as he knocked in two runs and scored three, raising his batting average to .476, placing him fourth among the league leaders in batting. Werth had two singles, knocking in two runs, as he increased his batting average to .348. Feliz had a single and a double, scoring a run, as he increased his batting average to .368. Shane Victorino, Raul Ibanez, Chad Durbin and Matt Stairs had the other four Phillies’ hit, with Ibanez knocking in one run and Stairs hitting a pinch-hit two-run home run. Through six games, the Phillies’ team batting average is .271, presently fifth in the National League.

The Phillies (3-3), continue their six-games road trip by going to the nation’s capitol, Washington, D.C. for a three-games series with the presently winless Nationals (0-6). The first game of the series will be played this afternoon at Nationals Park. Game time will be 3:05 pm Eastern. The Phillies’ starter will be Jamie Moyer, who will be trying to recover from his bad outing against the Braves on April 7, when he gave up four runs on eight hits and two walks, as he struck out two batters, as he pitched for five innings. His record is presently 0-1 with a 7.20 ERA. Moyer willing be trying to give the Phillies their first quality start by one of their starters. His opponent will be Daniel Cabrera, who lost his first start against the Marlins, as he went six innings, giving up five runs on seven hits, with an ERA of 7.50 in the Nationals’ 6-1 lost on April 8. He will be trying to give the Nationals their first win of the season.

Brett Myers win his first game of the year as the Phillies defeated the Rockies, 8-4.

In his second start of the 2009 season, Brett Myers won his first game of the year in spite of once again giving up four runs on three long balls as the Phils defeated the Rockies at Coors Field, 8-4, tying up the three games series at a victory apiece.

The Rockies took a quick 2-0 lead in the second inning as Myers gave up a two-run home run to Troy Tulowitzki, his third home run of the year, as he knocked in Brad Hawpe, who had earlier doubled. The Phillies struck back in the top of the third, as Ryan Howard knocked in three runs as he hit a bases clearing, two-out double, scoring Jimmy Rollins, who had earlier singled, Shane Victorino, who had also singled, and Chase Utley, who had walked, giving the Phils the lead, 3-2. In the fourth, the Rockies tied the game up at three all as Garrett Atkins hit a hard to believe solo home run off of Myers, his second home run of the season. The Phillies regained the lead in the fifth, as Jayson Werth hit a two-out, two-run triple, scoring Utley, who had earlier singled and had gone to third on Howard’s single, and Howard, making it a 5-3 Phillies’ lead. The Rockies got one of the runs back in the bottom of the fifth as Clint Barmes hit a lead-off, solo home run off of Myers, his first home run of the season, cutting the Phils lead down to 5-4. But that turned out to be the Rockies’ last hit, as first Myers and then the Phils’ bullpen would get out the next fifteen Rockies. Meanwhile, the Phillies slowly added to their lead. In the seventh, Raul Ibanez made it 6-4 Phils as he hit a two-out solo home run, his second home run of the year. Then in the eighth, the score became 7-4 Phillies as Utley hit a two-out RBI single, scoring Victorino, who had earlier doubled. The Phillies then scored their last run in the ninth, as Pedro Feliz knocked in Ibanez, who had earlier doubled, making it an 8-4 Phillies’ lead. Brad Lidge then came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth, pitching a 1-2-3 inning.

Brett Myers won the game for the Phils as he pitched a seven-inning four hitter against the Rockies, although giving up four runs on three home runs, and a walk, as he struck out six batters. His record is now 1-1 with a 5.54 ERA, thanks to the fact that he has given up eight earned runs on six home runs. Myers will need to cut down on the gopher balls to get his ERA lower. Ryan Madson followed Myers and pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning, striking out two. Brad Lidge then came in to pitched the ninth, also pitching a 1-2-3 inning, striking out a batter. Jorge De La Rosa took the lost for the Rockies, only able to go four and two-thirds innings, giving up five runs on six hits and two walks, while he struck out three. His record is now 0-1 with a 9.64 ERA. Ryan Speier followed him, pitching a third of an inning, giving up no runs on one hit. Jason Hammel then came in for two and two-third innings, as he gave up two runs on five hits and two walks, while he struck out a batter. Jason Grilli pitched a third of an inning, giving up just a walk as he struck out one. Huston Street then pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up a run on three hits as he struck out a batter. Manuel Corpas then came in for a third of an inning, getting out the only man he would face.

The Phillies had fifteen hits in the game, with Shane Victorino and Pedro Feliz leading the attack with both man going three for five. Victorino had two singles and a double as he raised his average to .250, while Feliz had three singles, raising his average to .333. Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez then followed with two hits each, with Utley’s two hits raising his batting average to .444. Jimmy Rollins, Jayson Werth and Chris Coste had the other three Phillies’ hits. Howard knocked in three of the Phils’ eight runs, Werth brought home two, and Ibanez, Utley and Feliz each knocked in a run. The Phillies’ batters also had five walks.

Carlos Ruiz has been placed on the fifteen-games disabled list because of his injured right oblique. While he’s out, Coste will be performing the catching duties as Lou Marson is called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to be the back-up catcher.

The Phillies (2-3) will this afternoon conclude their three games series with the Rockies (3-2). The game will be played at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. Game time is at 3:10 pm Eastern time (1:10 pm Mountain). The Phillies will send to the mound Chan Ho Park, who will be starting his first game in 2009. Last year he went 4-4 with a 3.40 ERA in 54 games, including five starts with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He has already pitched an inning in relief in 2009, with a record of 0-0 with an 0.00 ERA. He will be trying for his first win of the year while also attempting to pitch the rotation’s first quality start. The Rockies will send to the mound Aaron Cook, who pitched a two and one-third innings no-decision against the Diamonbacks on April 6, giving up six earned runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out two. His record is presently 0-0 with a rather high ERA of 23.14. Cook will be trying to improve on that bad start.

The Phillies hope to leave Denver with a series win and a .500 record in the standings, before they go on to Washington for a three games series with the Nationals in the Nation’s capitol.

Cole Hamels gets crushed as the Phils are defeated by the Rockies, 10-3.

The Phillies starting rotation is still looking for its first quality start of 2009 as the Rockies crush the rotation’s ace, Cole Hamels, for seven runs, as the Phils lose to the Rockies, 10-3.

The Phils, for the first time this season, took the lead, as Pedro Feliz, in the second inning, hit a sacrifice fly, knocking in Jayson Werth, who had earlier doubled, and had gone to third base on shortstop Troy Tulowitzki’s fielding error of Raul Ibanez’s groundball, making it 1-0 Phillies. Hamels, meanwhile, threw two good innings, before getting pummeled by the Rockies in the third. Clint Barmes started the inning off with a double. Opposing pitcher Jason Marquis then followed him with an RBI single, scoring Barmes, tying up the game at one all. After Dexter Fowler is called out for batter interference on a bunt attempt for the inning’s first out, Ryan Spilborghs followed with a double, moving Marquis to third base, putting runners on second and third with one out. The next batter, Todd Helton, then hit into a 4-3 ground out for the inning’s second out, scoring Marquis, giving the Rockies a 2-1 lead, while sending Spilborghs over to third. Garret Atkins then followed with a two-run home run, his first home run of the season, scoring Spilborghs, and making it 4-1 Rockies. Brad Hawpe then got on base with a ground-rule double. Tulowitzki followed him with a triple, scoring Hawpe, and giving the Rockies a 5-1 lead. Chris Iannetta, the ninth batter of the inning, would finally end the nightmare by poping out to Carlos Ruiz in foul territory. The Phillies cut the Rockies’ lead to 5-2 as Feliz knocked in his second RBI of the game, this time with a 6-3 ground out, the second out of the inning, as he scored Werth, who had earlier doubled and had moved over to third base on an Ibanez 4-3 ground out. In the bottom half of the inning, the Rockies got the run back as Spilborghs doubled in Barmes, who had gotten on base with a single, had move over to second base on Marquis’ sacrifice bunt and had gone to third on Fowler’s 6-3 ground out, making it 6-2 Rockies. Helton followed with an RBI single, scoring Spilborghs, and giving the Rockies a 7-2 lead. After Hamels gave up a single to Atkins, putting runners on second and first, manager Charlie Manuel came to the mound and relieved Hamels, bringing in J.A. Happ. Happ ended the inning by getting Hawpe to ground out, 3-1, after earlier throwing a wild pitch which moved the runners up to third and second respectively. The score remained 7-2 until the bottom of the eighth, when the Rockies increased their lead with a three-run outburst. With Chad Durbin on the mound in relief, Fowler made it 8-2 Rockies with an one-out RBI single, as he knocked in Barmes, who had earlier reached base after being hit by the pitch and had moved up to second on pinch hitter Seth Smith’s walk, while Smith stopped at second base. Spilborghs then singled in Smith, making it 9-2 Rockies, while sending Fowler over to third, putting runners on the corners. Helton then followed with a sacrifice fly, scoring Fowler, and giving the Rockies a 10-2 lead. In the ninth, Werth made it a 10-3 Rockies’ lead as he hit a lead-off home run, his first of the season, off of Rockies’ reliever Matt Belisle. But that would be it for the Phils, as Belisle got Ibanez to ground out to first, Greg Dobbs to strike out and Chris Coste to ground out, 6-3, to end the ballgame.

Cole Hamels took the lost for the Phils, as he pitched only three and two-thirds innings, giving up seven runs on eleven hits and a walk, while striking out only one batter. His record is now 0-1 with a high ERA of 17.18. J.A. Happ followed him and pitched an inning and a third of relief, giving up only one hit as he struck out one. Clay Condrey came to the mound next and pitched a 1-2-3 inning, striking out a batter. Chad Durbin then pitched an inning, giving up three runs on two hits, a walk, and a hit batter, while striking out one. Jason Marquis got the win for the Rockies, as he pitched a quality start, going seven innings, giving up just two runs on five hits and two walks, while striking out two. Marquis’ record is now 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA. Alan Embree followed with a scoreless inning, giving up just one hit and a walk. Matt Belisle then pitched an inning of relief, giving up a run on one hit, Werth’s home run, as he struck out a batter.

Jayson Werth led the team by going four for four, with two singles, a double and a home runs, scoring all three Phillies’ run, increasing his batting average to .333. Chase Utley also had a good day, as he went two for three with a walk, increaing his average to .429. Carlos Ruiz, who went 0 for 2, with his average dropping down to .273, was taken out of the game for an injury to his right oblique.

The Phillies (1-3) will continue their three-game series with the Rockies (3-1) in Denver with a night game tonight at Coors Field. The game will start at 8:10 pm Eastern Time (6:10 pm Mountain). The Phillies’ starter will be Brett Myers (0-1, 6.00), who will be looking for his first win of the young season, trying to improve on his start last Sunday against the Braves. The Rockies will counter with Jorge De La Rosa, who will be starting his first game of the year. Last season, in twenty-eight games, twenty-three of which were starts, he went 10-8 with a 4.92 ERA. This season, his record is 0-0 with a -.– ERA. The Phillies will be trying to tie the series with a win tonight.

Preview: Phillies v. Rockies at Coors Field – Friday afternoon, 2:10 pm Mountain Time.

The Philadelphia Phillies (1-2) will begin their first road trip of the 2009 season this afternoon by facing the Colorado Rockies (2-1) at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. The game will begin at 2:10 pm mountain time. The Phillies, who are now looking for their first series win, will send their ace, Cole Hamels, to the mound. Hamels, who was perfect in the post-season last season, going 4-0 in five starts, with a 1.80 ERA, as he won the 2008 National League Championship Series and the 2008 World Series MVP Awards, coming of age as one of baseball’s elite starters. During the regular season, he was 14-10 with a 3.09 ERA in 33 starts, including two complete games. His 2009 record is presently 0-0 with a -.– ERA. He will be gunning for his first victory of the season, and to pitch the first quality start by one of the Phils’ starters. The Colorado Rockies will counter with Jason Marquis, who will be pitching his first game as a member of the Rockies pitching staff. Last season, as a member of the 2008 National League Central Division Champions Chicago Cubs, Marquis went 11-9 with a 4.53 ERA in 29 games, with 28 of them being starts. He will be looking to get rid of the sour taste left in his mouth being a member of a Cubs team that got swept in the Divisional Championship Series by the Los Angeles Dodgers. His 2009 record is also 0-0 with a -.– ERA. He will also be going for his first win of the season.

The Phillies, with 2008 finally behind them, as they have finally received their 2008 World Series rings on Wedensday, will be trying to put together both their first winning streak and their first series win for 2009. Chase Utley is presently leading the team in batting average among the regulars with a .364 batting average (4-11), followed by Carlos Ruiz at .333 (3-9), Raul Ibanez at .273 (3-11) and Ryan Howard at .250 (3-12). Utley also leads the team in hits with 4, followed by Ruiz, Ibanez and Howard with 3 hits apiece, while Ibanez leads the team in RBIs with 3, followed by Utley with 2. Ibanez also has the team’s only home run.

Phillies’ eight-run seventh inning help lead to first victory of the season, 12-11, as Brad Lidge remains perfect in relief.

After trailing the Braves for the third straight game, the Phillies’ eight-run rally in the seventh inning lead to their first win of the 2009 season, as they defeat the Atlanta Braves, 12-11, ending the three-game series on a high note.

The Phillies began the afternoon by receiving their world series ring. After the ring ceremony, Joe Blanton started the game for the Phils, and right from the start was in for a long day as he gave up a two-out two-run home run to Brian McCann, his second home run of the young season, knocking in Yunel Escobar, who had earlier reached second base with a double, giving the Braves an early 2-0 lead. The Phils tied the game up in their half of the second as Raul Ibanez hit a two-run home run, his first homer as a Phil, and the team’s first home run of the season, scoring Ryan Howard, who had earlier doubled. The Braves retook the lead in the top of the third as they torched Blanton for five runs. After loading the bases via a single to Omar Infante, a walk to Kelly Johnson and another single to Escobar, with nobody out, McCann made the score 3-2 Braves by knocking in Infante with an RBI single, while moving Johnson and Escobar up to third and second respectively, leaving the bases loaded. After Casey Kotchman strikes out for the inning’ first out, Jeff Francoeur made it 5-2 Atlanta with a two-run single to center, knocking in both Johnson and Escobar, while McCann would move safely to third on Shane Victorino’s throw to home plate. Matt Diaz followed with a two-run double, scoring both Francoeur and McCann, giving the Braves a 7-2 lead. The Phils would get one of the runs back in the bottom half of the third, as Victorino, who had started the inning off with a triple, scored on an Infante throwing error of a Chase Utley ground ball to third base, making it 7-3 Atlanta. The Braves increased their lead to 9-3 in the fifth as rookie Jordan Schafer hit his second home run of his young career, a two-run shot to right, scoring Diaz, who had gotten on base earlier with a walk. Both runs came off of J.A. Happ, pitching in relief of Blanton, thus ending with one swing of the bat both the bullpen’s hitless and scoreless streak. The Braves added to their lead in the seventh, making it 10-3 Braves, as Chad Durbin gives up a bases loaded walk to Infante, forcing in Kotchman, who had earlier doubled and had moved over to third on Greg Norton’s walk, while moving Schafer to third, who had also walked, and moving Norton over to second base. Clay Condrey then came into the game in place of Durbin and got out of the inning by striking out Johnson. Now trailing 10-3, the offense decided to come to life. Victorino started off the Phils’ half of the seventh by grounding out, 5-3, for the inning’s first out. Utley followed with a single to center. Howard was then hit by the pitch, putting runners on first and second, as Utley moved up to second. The next batter, Jayson Werth, is then walked by Peter Moylan, who was pitching in relief of Eric O’Flaherty, loading the bases with still only one man out. Ibanez followed Werth with a single, knocking in Utley, as he collected his third RBI of the afternoon, making the score 10-4 Atlanta, while sending Howard over to third base, and Werth to second, leaving the bases loaded. Pedro Feliz then singled in Howard, making it 10-5 Braves, while Werth and Ibanez both moved up a base, leaving the bases loaded with Phils. Matt Stairs, pinch hitting for Carlos Ruiz, is given a four pitch walk, forcing in Werth with the third Phils’ run in the inning, reducing the Braves lead to 10-6, as the bases remained loaded. The next batter, pinch hitter Chris Coste, batting for Condrey, also walks, bringing home Ibanez, as the Phils now trailed 10-7, while the bases remained loaded for Jimmy Rollins, who became the ninth batter of the inning. Rollins received a four-pitch free pass, the third straight walk to a Phil batter, and the fourth walk of the inning, forcing in Feliz, as the bases stay loaded, making the score 10-8 Braves. The next batter, Victorino, followed with a single, scoring Stairs, making the score now 10-9 Atlanta, moving Coste and Rollins over to third and second base, respectively, as the bases remained loaded. The eleventh batter of the inning, Utley, walks, the fifth Phil to walk in the inning, tying the ballgame up at 10 all, as Coste crosses the plate, while Rollins and Victorino both moved up a base. Howard comes up to the plate, and with the count 1-1, hit the ball on a bounce towards Braves’ first baseman, Kotchman. Kotchman, having only one play, threw the ball over to relief pitcher Jorge Campillo, the fourth Braves reliever to pitch in the inning, who tagged the bag in front of Howard for the second out of the inning, as Rollins scored the go ahead run, giving the Phils their first lead of 2009, 11-10. Victorino and Utley both moved up a base on the play. Werth ended the inning by flying out to right. The Phils sent thirteen men to the plate, as they scored eight runs in the inning on four hits, five walks and a hit batter. Ryan Madson took over in the top of the eighth, pitching a strong 1-2-3 inning, throwing only seven pitches. The Phils added an insurance run in their half of the eighth, as Eric Bruntlett, pinch hitting for Madson, hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Ibanez, who had earlier walked and had gone to third on Feliz’s double, with nobody out, making it a 12-10 Phillies’ lead. In the ninth, Brad Lidge took the mound. Although he gave up a one-out solo home run to Diaz, his first home run of the season, Lidge recorded his first save of the 2009 season, as he struck out pinch hitter Garret Anderson for the final out, for the moment staying perfect in save opportunities as a Phil.

Joe Blanton received a no-decision as he got pummeled by the Braves, giving up seven runs on nine hits and two walks, while striking out six in four innings of work. J.A. Happ pitched two innings, giving up two runs on one hit and a walk, while he struck out two Braves. Chad Durbin pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up a run on one hit and three walks. Clay Condrey received the win as he pitched a third of an inning, striking out the one man he would face. His record for 2009 is 1-0 with an ERA of 0.00. Ryan Madson pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning, as he held the lead. Brad Lidge recorded his first save of the season as he pitched an inning, giving up a run on one hit, as he struck out one. Javier Vazquez also received a no-decision, as he pitched six innings for the Braves, giving up just three runs on five hits and four walks, as he struck out five batters. Eric O’Flaherty followed him, pitching only a third of an inning, as he gave up two runs on one hit. Peter Moylan pitched to four batters, getting none of them out, as he gave up four runs on two hits and two walks. Blaine Boyer took the lost as he faced only two batters, with both of them scoring, as he gave up two runs on no hits and two walks. Jorge Campillo blew the save, giving up a run on two hits and two walks, in two-thirds of an inning. Jeff Bennett pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit while striking out a batter.

The Phillies had eleven hits in the game, with Victorino, Utley, Ibanez and Feliz each getting two hits. Howard, Ruiz and Coste had the other three hits. Ibanez knocked in three runs, Utley brought home two, while Feliz, Stairs, Coste, Rollins, Victorino, Howard and Bruntlett each knocked in a run, with Bruntlett’s coming in on a sacrifice fly. The Phillies collected five extra-base hits in the game, three doubles (Howard, Utley and Feliz), a triple (Victorino) and a home run (Ibanez). After three games, Utley leads the team in hitting with a .364 batting average, followed by Ruiz with a pleasently surprising .333 average.

The Phils (1-2) are off today. Their next game will be on the road against the Colorado Rockies (2-1) in Denver, Colorado, at Coors Field. The game will start at 2:10 pm Mountain Time tomorrow afternoon. The Phillies will send to the mound their ace, Cole Hamels, who ended 2008 with a record of 14-10 in 33 starts with an ERA of 3.09 in the regular season. His record for this season is presently 0-0 with a -.– ERA. The Rockies will oppose him with Jason Marquis, who last season had a record of 11-9 for the Chicago Cubs, with an ERA of 4.53 in 29 games (28 of which were starts). His record for this season is also 0-0 with a -.– ERA. The Phillies will be trying to even their season record tomorrow.

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