Results tagged ‘ Dodgers ’

Two errors in one inning do in the Phils as they lose to the Dodgers, 6-2.

Two errors in the third inning do in the Phils before they drop one to the Dodgers, 6-2.

The Dodgers took the lead in the second as, with two men on, and with one man out, Dioner Navarro hits an RBI single, scoring Matt Kemp, who had earlier doubled, giving the Dodgers a 1-0 lead, while sending James Loney, who had just walked, on to second base.  The Phils tried to tie up the score in their half of the third as they loaded the baes via walks to Carlos Ruiz and Dom Brown, and then an infield single to Wilson Valdez, moving up both runners, and with one man out, Shane Victorino hits a grounder to the pitcher, Dodgers’ starter Rubby De La Rosa, who then threw home, forcing out Ruiz, 1-2, for the inning’s second out, while both Brown and Valdez would move up a base, while Victorino would stop at first. The Phils then tied the game up at one-all as Placido Polanco forced in Brown with a walk, while both Valdez and Victorio would move up a base.  The Dodgers regained the lead in the third as, with runners on the corners, and with nobody out, Casey Blake hits an RBI single, knocking in De La Rosa, who had earlier walked, then went on to third on Dee Gordon’s single, giving the Dodgers a 2-1 lead, while sending Gordon, who had earlier singled, up to second base. The Dodgers then took a 3-1 lead as Phils’ starter Roy Oswalt commited a throwing error, trying to pick-off Gordon at second, who then scored, while Blake would move to third on the error. It then became a 4-1 Dodgers’ lead as Andre Ethier knocked in Blake with a single. The Phils cut the lead down to 4-2 in the seventh as, with one man on, and with two men out, Chase Utley hits an RBI triple, scoring Victorino, who was earlier safe at first on a force out as Ross Gload, who had gotten on base with a pinch hit walk, is wiped out at second base, 4-6.  The Dodgers would make it a 6-2 lead in the  eighth as, with a runner on first, and with no one out, Kemp hit a two-run home run, his seventeenth home run of the year, scoring Ethier, who had earlier walked. That would be the  final score as the Phils went down easily in the ninth.

Roy Oswalt (3-4, 3.05) went six innings, giving up four runs on eight hits and two walks, striking out a batter. J.C. Romero pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a walk, while striking out a batter. Michael Stutes pitched an inning, giving up two runs on a hit and a walk, striking out a batter. David Herndon pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit. Rubby De La Rosa (2-0, 1.80) gets the win as he pitched five inning. giving up a run on four hits and five walks, while striking out four. Blake Hawksworth received his third hold of the season as he pitched a 1-2-3 inning. Matt Guerrier collected his ninth hold of the year as he pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up a run on a walk. Scott Elbert collected his third hold of the year as he pitched a third of the inning, giving up a hit, while striking out one. Javy Guerra pitched a 1-2-3 inning.

The Phils had just five hits in the ballgame, with Wilson Valdez leading the team with two hits, both singles. Chase Utley (Triple, RBI), Raul Ibanez (Single) and Carlos Ruiz (Single) had the other three Phils’ hits. Placido Polanco had the other Phil RBI as he forced in a run with a bases loaded walk, as the Phils did not take advantage of Rubby De La Rosa’s early wildness.

The Phils (36-25, 1st) will conclude their series with the Dodgers (29-33, 4th West) with a night game tomorrow night at Citizens Bank Park. The game will start at 7:05 pm EDT.  The Phils will send to the mound Cole Hamels (7-2, 2.83) as he received a no-decision against the Pirates on June 3, as he went eight innings, giving up just one run on a hit and three walks, while striking out four, in the Phils’ 2-1 extra-inning lost. He will be going for his eighth win of the season. The Dodgers will counter with Hiroki Kuroda  (5-6, 3.46), as he is coming off a lost against the Reds on June 3, as he went six innings, giving up two runs on six hits and four walks, while he struck out three, in the Dodgers’ 2-1 lost. He will be trying to end his three-game losing streak. The Phils will be trying to win the series.

Cliff Lee threw a seven-hitter while striking out ten as the Phils defeat the Dodgers, 3-1.

Cliff Lee starts off the home stand by throwing a seven-hitter against the Dodgers as the Phils defeat their old rival, 3-1.

The Phils took the lead in the third as, with runners on the corners, and with one man out, Placido Polanco hits an RBI single, scoring Wilson Valdez, who had earlier doubled, then went to third on Cliff Lee’s sacrifice bunt, 5-3, giving the Phils a 1-o lead, while sending Shane Victorino, who had earlier walked, to second base. Two batters later, with two men on, and with two men out, with both man running, Ryan Howard hits an RBI single, scoring Victorino, giving the Phils a 2-0 lead, while sending Polanco on to third. The Phils then made it a 3-0 lead in the eighth as, with two men on, and with two men out, Carlos Ruiz hits an RBI double, knocking in Chase Utley, who had earlier walked, then moved up to second on Ben Francisco’s walk, while sending Francisco, who had just walked, on to third. The Dodgers got on the scoreboard in the ninth as, with runners on the corners, and with nobody out, pinch hitter Andre Either hits into an RBI force out, knocking in pinch runner Dee Gordon, who was running for Juan Uribe, who had earlier singled, before he (Gordon) went to third on James Loney’s single, as Loney, who had just singled, is forced out at second base for the inning’s first out. That would be the final score as Ryan Madson collected his thirteenth save of the season as he struck out the next two batters, Rod Barajas swinging, and then pinch hitter Dioner Navarro on a foul tip.

Cliff Lee (5-5, 3.62) got the win as he pitched seven innings, giving up seven hits and a walk, while striking out ten. Antonio Bastardo collected his fifth hold of the season as he threw a 1-2-3 inning, striking out a batter. Ryan Madson recorded his thirteenth save of the year as he pitched an inning, giving up a run on two hits, as he struck out two. Ted Lilly (4-5, 4.13) took the lost as he went six innings, giving up two runs on five hits and a walk, while striking out four. Blake Hawksworth pitched a 1-2-3 inning. Mike MacDougal pitched an inning, giving up a run on a hit and two walks, while striking out a batter.

The Phils had only six hits in the ballgame, with Carlos Ruiz leading the team with two hits, a single and a double, with an RBI. Placido Polanco (Single, RBI), Ryan Howard (Single, RBI), Dom Brown (Single) and Wilson Valdez (Double) had the other four Phils’ hits, as the offense did just enough tonight to win.

The Phils (36-24, 1st East) will continue their series with the Dodgers (28-33, 4th West) with a night game tomorrow night. The game will be played at Citizens Bank Park and will start at 7:05 pm EDT. The Phils’ starter will be Roy Oswalt (3-3,  2.70), who is coming off a lost against the Nats on June 1, as he went five innings,  giving up two runs on six hits and two walks, while striking out three, in the Phils’  2-1 lost. He will be trying to put a stop to his present three-game losing streak. The Dodgers will counter with Rubby De La Rosa (1-0, 1.80),  who is coming off a relief appearance against the Rockies on May 31, as he went two innings, giving up a hit, while striking out two, in the Dodgers’ 8-2 win. He hope that he will give the Phils fits in his spot start. The Phils hope to finally give Roy O his first win since coming back to the rotation after seeing to his family.

The Phils finally get a win at PNC Park as they defeat the Pirates, 7-3.

The Phils leave PNC Park with a win as they defeat the Pirates, 7-3.

The Pirates take a quick 2-0 lead in the first as, with one man on, and with two men out, Neil Walker hits a two-run home run, his eighth home run of the season, knocking in Xavier Paul, who had earlier singled, moved up to second on Josh Harrison’s sacrifice bunt, 1-4, then went to third on Andrew McCutchen’s ground out, 6-3.  The Phils got a run back in the fourth as, with runners on second and third, thanks to a pair of walks to Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, and a wild pitch by Pirates’ starter James McDonald that had allowed Utley to move up to second as Howard was batting, and then a passed ball by Pirates’ catcher Dusty Brown while Raul Ibanez was batting, that allowed Utley and Howard to both move up a base, and with nobody out, Ibanez hits a sacrifice fly, scoring Utley, making it a 2-1 Pirates’ lead, while Howard would move up to third. Two batters later, after Carlos Ruiz is hit by the pitch to put runners on the corners, the Phils tried to tie up the game as Dom Brown hit a ball up the middle, which hits the umpire, becoming a dead ball, giving Brown a single, and putting Ruiz on second base, but sending Howard back to third, loading up the bases, which would come back to haunt the Phils as Wilson Valdez hit into a 4-3 double play, wiping out Brown at second base, to end the inning. The Phils threaten to tie the game once again in the fifth as they loaded up the bases via walks to Roy Halladay, Shane Victorino and Placido Polanco, and with nobody out, Utley hits a grounder to first baseman Lyle Overbay, who then threw home, forcing out Halladay at the plate, 3-2, for the inning’s first out, as Utley is safe at first, while Victorino and Polanco both moved up a base. The Phils then finally tied it up at two-all as, with the bases still loaded, and now with one man out, after a long battle, Howard hits a sacrifice fly to deep center field, just missing a home run, scoring Victorino, while both Polanco and Utley would move up a base. Two batters later, after Ibanez was intentionally walked to reload the bases, and now with two men out, Ruiz forced in a run as he is hit by the pitch for the second time in the game, scoring Polanco, giving the Phils a 3-2 lead, while both Utley and Ibanez would move up a base. The Phils then took a 4-2 lead in the sixth as, with a runner on second, and with two men out, Polanco hits an RBI single, scoring Halladay, who had earlier singled, then moved up to second on Victorino’s ground out, 1-3. The Pirates tried to cut the Phils’ lead in the seventh as, with two men on, via a single by Brandon Wood, and a single by pinch hitter Matt Diaz, while Wood would go on to third on a fielding error by Howard on Polanco’s throw to first, with two men out. But, Halladay would get out of the inning as pinch hitter Jose Tabata hits a liner that was caught by Utley for the inning’s final out. The Phils added a run in the eighth as, with two men on, and with one man out, Howard hits an RBI single, knocking in Polanco, who had earlier singled, than stopped at second on Utley’s single, giving the Phils a 5-2 lead, while sending Utley, who had just singled, up to second base. The Pirates got a run back in their half of the eighth as, with one man on, and with one man out, McCutchen hits an RBI single, knocking in Harrison, who had earlier doubled, making it a 5-3 Phils’ lead. The Phils then made it a 6-3 lead in the ninth as, with runners on the corners, and with nobody out, Victorino hits an RBI single, knocking in Valdez, who had earlier singled, then went on to third on pinch hitter Ben Francisco’s single, while sending Francisco, who had just singled, on to second base.  Three batters later, with now two men out, Howard hits an RBI single, scoring Victorino, giving the Phils a 7-3 lead, while sending Francisco on to third. That would be the final score as Ryan Madson put down the Pirates in the ninth.

Roy Halladay (8-3, 2.56) got the win as he went seven innings, giving up two runs on six hits and a walk, while striking out six. Jose Contreras collected his third hold of the season as he pitched a third of an inning, giving up a run on two hits. Antonio Bastardo collected his fourth hold of the year, as he pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up a hit, while striking out a batter. Ryan Madson pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit, while striking out two. James McDonald (3-4, 4.97) took the lost as he went four innings, plus three batters, giving up three runs on three hits, five walks, two hit batters, a wild pitch and a passed ball, while striking out three. Chris Resop pitched an inning, giving up a walk. Evan Meek pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up a run on three hits. Daniel Moskos pitched an inning and a third, giving up a hit and a walk, while striking out two. Jose Ascanio pitched a third of an inning, giving up a run on three hits. Jose Veras pitched two-thirds of an inning, striking out a batter. Daniel McCutchen pitched an inning, giving up two runs on four hits.

The Phils had fourteen hits in the ballgame, with Chase Utley leading the team with three hits, all singles, as he raised his batting average to .239. Shane Victorino (Singles, RBI), Placido Polanco (Singles, RBI), Ryan Howard (Singles, 3 RBIs) and Dom Brown (Single, Double), all followed with two hits each. Wilson Valdez (Single), Roy Halladay (Single) and pinch hitter Ben Francisco (Single), had the other three Phils’ hits. Raul Ibanez knocked in one Phil run with a sacrifice fly, while Carlos Ruiz would have the other Phil RBI, as he got hit by the  pitch with the bases loaded.

The Phils (35-24, 1st East) will go home to start a three-game series with the Dodgers (28-32, 3rd West) at Citizens Bank Park with a ballgame tomorrow night. The game will start at 7:05 pm EDT. The Phils will send to the mound Cliff Lee (4-5, 3.94), who is coming off a lost to the Nats on May 31, as he went five and one-third innings, giving up six runs on seven hits and three walks, as he struck out four, in the Phils’ 10-2 lost. He will be trying to get the home stand off on a winning start. The Dodgers will counter with Ted Lilly (4-4, 4.22), who is coming off a win against the Rockies on May 31, as he went seven innings, giving up two runs on four hits, as he struck out eight, in the Dodgers’ 8-2 win. He’ll be trying to give the Phils some fits. The Phils will be trying to start off their long home stand on a good note with a win.

Philadelphia Phillies – Team History: Second Place Finishes.

In the Phillies’ 128-year history as a member of the National League, they have spent most of that time being either a cellar dweller or as a member of the second division. But, the team has spent some time in the first division, winning two World Series Championship, seven National League pennants, with two in consecutive seasons (2008-2009) and ten National League Eastern Division flags, including winning the last four (2007-2010). The team has also finished in second place in either the National League (1883-1968) or in the National League Eastern Division (1969 to the present) a grand total of thirteen time.

The first time they would end up in second place would be in 1887, the fifth year of the team’s existence, as they would finish the season behind the first place Detroit Wolverines with a record of 75-48 for a winning percentage of .610, finishing 3.5 games behind the Wolverines in a league of eight teams, before the expansion to twelve teams in 1892. For the Phils, who were also called the Quakers at the time, this would be their only second place finish in the 19th Century. The next time the Phils would finish in second place, and the first time in the 20th Century, would occur in 1901, as they fell behind the Pittsburgh Pirates, who were at the beginning of winning three straight NL pennants (1901-1903), as they finish the season with a record of 83-57, with a .593 winning percentage, finishing 7.5 games behind the Bucos. The next time that the Phils would end up in second place would occur in 1913, as they finished behind the New York Giants, who had won their third straight NL pennant (1911-1913), ending the year with a record of 88-63 for a winning percentage of .583, ending up 12.5 games behind the Giants. The Phils would then finished second for the two seasons after they had won their first NL pennant in 1915. The first time, for the fourth time overall, would occur in 1916, when they would finish behind the Brooklyn Robins, now Dodgers, with a 91-62 record, winning one game more than they did the year that they won the pennant, with a winning percentage of .595, finishing 2.5 games behind the Robins. The following season, 1917, they would finish in second place again, this time behind the Giants, with a record of 87-65, with a .572 winning percentage, trailing the Giants by 10 games. The Phils would then spend most of the next 47 years in the second division before once again finishing second. The Phils would then end up tied for second place with the Cincinnati Reds in 1964, after collapsing in September, finishing behind the St. Louis Cardinals with a record of 92-70, with a winning percentage of .568, a game out of first. This would be the sixth and final time that they would finish in second place in the National League before the two major leagues split into divisions in 1969, with the Phils becoming a member of the NL East. The first time the Phils would end up in second place in the NL East would occur in 1975, when they finished second to the Pirates, finishing the year with a record of 86-76, with a .531 winning percentage, finishing 6.5 games before the Pirates. The second time they would end up in second place in the NL East would happen in 1982, as they trail the Cardinals, ending up with a record of 89-73, with a winning percentage of .549, finishing 3 games behind the redbirds. The third time they would finish second in the NL East would be in 1986, as they finished behind the New York Mets with a record of 86-75, with a .534 winning percentage, trailing by 21.5 games. The fourth time they would finish the season in second place in the NL East would not occur until 2001, when they finished behind the Atlanta Braves with an 86-76 record, a winning percentage of .531, ending up 2 games out of first. The Phils will then end up in second place in the East, missing being the wild card winner each season, in 2004, 2005, and 2006, finishing behind the Braves in 2004 and 2005 and then behind the Mets in 2006. In 2004, they finished the season with an 86-76 record, a .531 winning percentage, as they finished 10 games behind the Braves. In 2005, they finished the year with a record of 88-74, with a winning percentage of .543, 2 games behind the Braves. In 2006, they would end the baseball season with a record of 85-77, a winning percentage of .525, 12 games in back of the Mets.

Of their thirteen finishes in second place, six occurred as a member of the NL, and the other seven as a member of the NL East. They would finish in second place once in the 19th Century, eight times in the 20th Century (5 (NL), 3 (NL East)), and four, so far, in the 21st Century as a member of the NL East. Their best record in second place was when they finished second in 1964, when they finished with a record of 91-70. Their worst second place finish was in 1887, the first time they would finish second, as they had a record of 75-48. Their highest winning percentage would be the .610 of 1887, while the worst would be the .525 of 2006. Their best game behind finish was when they ended a game behind (with the Reds) in 1964, while their worst was when they fell 21.5 games behind (the Mets in the East) in 1986.

With the way the Phils are presently structured, they could remain as either a first or a second place team in the NL East for several more seasons.

The Phils have hired Juan Samuel as their new third base coach. Huh?!?

Samuel joins Phillies as third-base coach

By Todd Zolecki / MLB.com

Wait, I thought that he was going for Davey Lopes’ job???

PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies announced on Thursday they have hired  Juan Samuel to be their third-base coach and outfield instructor.

Sam Perlozzo, who served as the team’s third-base coach the previous two  seasons, will move from third to first base and handle the club’s  baserunning instruction. The Phillies hired Samuel because Davey Lopes,  who handled the team’s outfield and baserunning duties as first-base  coach the previous four seasons, left the organization following a  stalemate during contract negotiations.

Samuel and Perlozzo join pitching coach Rich Dubee, hitting coach Greg  Gross, bench coach Pete Mackanin and bullpen coach Mick Billmeyer on the  2011 coaching staff.

“I feel fortunate that we were able to add someone of Juan’s stature to  our coaching staff,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said in a  statement. ”He was a tremendous Major League player and a big part of  Phillies history, and I’m looking forward to him passing on his  knowledge of the game to our players. He’s a great addition to our  organization.”

There were indications Samuel would return to Baltimore next season as  its third-base coach, but the sides never finalized a deal, and the  Phillies wooed him to Philadelphia.

Samuel, 49, was the Orioles’ third-base coach from 2007-10. He also  served as interim manager this season after the Orioles dismissed Dave  Trembley. Samuel also served as a first- and third-base coach with the  Detroit Tigers (1999-2005).

Samuel, a three-time National League All-Star, played with the Phillies  from 1983-89 and was inducted into the organization’s Wall of Fame in  2008. He hit .259 with 161 home runs, 703 RBIs and 396 stolen bases in  1,720 games for the Phillies, Mets, Dodgers, Royals, Reds, Tigers and  Blue Jays.

He is the 34th man in franchise history to both play and coach for the Phillies.

H/T Phillies.com

Okay. Let me get this straight: Juan is joining the staff to replace Davey Lopes, but, he is going to be the team’s third-base, not first-base, coach, and will also work with the outfielders, while Sam Perlozzo will now become the team’s first-base coach and will be handling the baserunning duties?!? Anyone else besides me confused by this arrangement? Okay, guys, you better know what you’re doing since I think Juan should be the one handling the baserunning duties and vice versa. I’ll guess we’ll all see how it works out during the ’11 season.

With that said, welcome back, Juan.

Philadelphia Phillies – Team History: 90 + wins.

In the team’s 128 years history, the Phils would win 90 games or more only fourteen times.

The team has won 100 games or more only twice in its history, as they would win 101 games twice. The first time occurred in 1976, when the team would win 101 games, losing only 61, as they would win the first of three straight NL Eastern Division titles, before losing to the World Champions Cincinnati Reds 3-0 in the NL Championship Series. They would duplicate that record the following year, 1977, as they would win their second straight NL Eastern Division crown, before falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series, 3-1.

Their third highest victory total would be 97 games, which they would do twice. The first time would occur in 1993, when they would unexpectively win the Eastern Division that season with a record of 97-65, then win the NL title by defeating the National League Champions Braves in the NL Championship Series, 4-2, before finally falling to the World Champions Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series, 4-2. They would then duplicate the record this year as they would win their fourth straight NL Eastern Division crown, the first time that they would do that in the team’s history, before defeating the Cincinnati Reds in the NL Divisional Series, 3-0, and then losing to the San Francisco Giants in the NL Championship Series, 4-2.

The fifth best team was the 1899 Phillies, who finished that season in third place with a 94-58 record, the team’s best record for the 19th Century, ending up nine games behind the first place Brooklyn Superbas. The sixth best team was the 2009 team which finished with a record of 93-69, winning the team’s third straight Eastern Division title, doing so for the second time in the team’s history, before defeating the Colorado Rockies in the Divisional Series, 3-1, then beating the Dodgers in the NL Championship Series, 4-1, winning the team’s second straight NL title, doing so for the first time in the team’s history, before losing their World Series crown to the American League Champions New York Yankees in the World Series, 4-2.

The next two teams ended up with identical records of 92-70, giving them both the seventh best winning total. The first one was the 1964 team, the one that had the most infamous late season collapse in baseball history, until the Mets team of 2007. That team would end up being tied for second place with the Reds, a game behind the St. Louis Cardinals. The other team to win 92 games was the 2008 Phils, who would win their second straight Eastern Division title, before defeating first the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Divisional Series, 3-1, then the Dodgers in the NL Championship Series, 4-1, and then the American League Champions Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series, 4-1, winning the team’s second World Championship.

The team with the ninth best record was the 1980 Phils, who ended the season with a record of 90-72, finishing first in the Eastern Division, before first defeating the Houston Astros in the NL Championship Series, 3-2, then defeating the American League Champions Kansas City Royal, 4-2, winning the team’s first World Championship. The tenth best team was the 1916 team which ended the season with a 91-62, finishing in second place, two and a half-games behind the Brooklyn Dodgers.

The eleventh team to win at least 90 games was the 1950 ‘Whiz Kid’ who won the pennant in 1950 with record of 91-63, only to lose the World Series to the World Champions Yankees, 4-0. The twelfth team was the 1915 team, which won the Phils’ first National League pennant with a record of 90-62, only to lose the World Series to the Boston Red Sox, 4-1. The final two teams would end up with identical records of 90-72. The first one was the 1978 team, which won the National League Eastern Division title, the third straight for the team, doing so for the first time in the team’s history, before losing the NL Championship Series to the National League Champions Dodgers, 3-1. The fourteenth, and final team, with 90 or more wins, was the 1983 team, nicknamed the ‘Wheeze Kids’, who would win the NL East, then defeat the Dodgers in the NL Championship Series, 3-1, before losing the World Series to the American League Champions Baltimore Orioles, 4-1.

Will the 2011 team become the fifteen team to win 90 games or more? Maybe, maybe not, but we won’t know for sure until next year comes and goes.

Cole Hamels pitches another gem as the Phils defeat the Brewers, 1-0, while cutting the Braves’ lead in the East to a game.

The Phils win Cole Hamels’ latest pitching gem. 1-0, as they cut the Braves’ lead in the NL East to a single game.

The Phils took the lead in the second as, with a man on third, and with one man out, Carlos Ruiz hits an RBI ground out, 6-3, scoring Shane Victorino, who had earlier doubled, and then went to third on Raul Ibanez’s ground out, 4-3, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead. The Phils tried to increase their lead in the fourth as they loaded up the bases via singles by Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth and a walk to Victorino, and with nobody out. But Brewers starter Chris Capuano got out of the inning by first striking out Ibanez swinging for the inning’s first out, then getting out Ruiz on a lined out-doubleplay to second baseman Rickie Weeks, 4-unassisted, as he stepped on second base, beating Werth back to the bag to end the inning. Meantime, Cole Hamels, in spite of giving up two walks, had a no-hitter going into the fifth, before he gave up a single to Casey McGehee with one man out, before he is wiped out at second on a 5-4-3 doubleplay ball hit by Lorenzo Cain, before he ran into real trouble in the seventh. The Brewers started off the inning with a walk to Ryan Braun and then a single to Prince Fielder, with Braun stopping at second base, with nobody out. But Hamels then got down to business and got out of the inning by first getting McGehee to fly out to left for out number one, then he got Cain to pop out to foul territory to Howard for the second out on the infield fly rule, before finally ending the threat by getting Alcides Escobar to strike out, swinging. The bullpen then took over, getting out all six batters that they would face, with Ryan Madson nailing down his fifth save of the year by getting Fielder to fly out to left center field for the game’s final out.

Cole Hamels gets the win as he pitches seven scoreless innings, giving up just three hits and three walks, while striking out seven. His record is now 9-10 with a 3.18 ERA. Jose Contreras collects his twelfth hold of the season as he pitches a 1-2-3 inning, striking out two. Ryan Madson receives his fifth save of the year as he also pitches a 1-2-3 inning, striking out a batter. Chris Capuano picks up the lost as he pitches five innings, giving up a run on four hits and two walks, while striking out four. His record is now 2-3 with a 4.62 ERA. Kameron Loe and John Axford combine for three 1-2-3 innings, as they strike out two (one batter each) between them.

The Phils had a total of four hits in the game, singles by Placido Polanco, Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth and a double by Shane Victorino, who would score the game’s only run, on an RBI ground out by Carlos Ruiz. The offense blew a chance to give Hamels a comfortable lead, but Hamels was able to buckle down and keep the Brewers off-balance.

The Phils (77-58, 2nd East) will continue their series with the Brewers (62-72, T-3 Central) with a night game tonight. The game will be played at Citizens Bank Park and will start at 7:05 pm Eastern. The Phils will send out their ace Roy Halladay (16-10, 2.27), who is coming off a lost against the Dodgers on August 30, as he went seven innings, giving up three runs on ten hits and a walk, while striking out four, in the Phils’ 3-0 lost. In his last three starts, his record is 1-2, as he had pitched twenty-one innings, giving up six runs on twety-four hits and four walks, while striking out fifteen. He will be trying to win his seventeenth start of the season, while hoping that the bats will once again give him some runs support. The Brewers will counter with Dave Bush (7-11, 4.71) who is coming off a win against the Pirates on August 29, as he pitched seven innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and two walks, while striking out four, in the Brewers’ 8-4 win. In his last three starts, his record is 2-1, as he had pitched nineteen innings, giving up ten runs, nine of which were earned, on twenty-one hits and four walks, while striking out ten. He will be trying to out-pitch the Doc. The Phils will be trying to win the series while hoping to keep the pressure on the Braves in the East.

The Phils once again are unable to score runs behind Roy Halladay, while just escaping being no-hit, as they lose to the Dodgers, 3-0.

The Phils once again give their ace no runs support while just barely escaping being no-hit as they lose to the Dodgers, 3-0. They are now once again trailing the Braves by three games in the NL East race.

The Dodgers took the lead in the first as, with two men on, and with two men out, James Loney hits an RBI single, scoring Ryan Theriot, who had earlier walked, and then went to second on Andre Ethier’s single, giving the Dodgers a 1-0 lead, before Ethier, who had earlier singled, was thrown out, 9-5, trying to reach third base, to end the inning. The Dodgers increased their lead in the second as, with runners on the corners, and with nobody out, Rod Barajas hits into a 5-4-3 doubleplay, wiping out at second James Carroll, who had just singled, while scoring from third Casey Blake, who had earlier singled, then went to third on Carroll’s single, giving the Dodgers a 2-0 lead. The Dodgers then made it 3-0 in the fifth as Barajas hits a lead-off home run, his fifteenth home run of the season. That would be all the runs that Dodgers’ starter Hiroki Kuroda would need, as he would no-hit the Phils for seven and one-third innings, striking out six, while allowing two walks (Carlos Ruiz in the sixth, Jayson Werth in the eighth) and a hit batter (Werth in the second) to reach base, before, with a runner on first (Raul Ibanez, after hitting into a force out, 6-4, as Werth, who had just walked, takes out second baseman Theriot with a take-out slide to stop the doubleplay attempt) and with one man out, Shane Victorino gets a single, breaking up the no-hit bid, while sending Ibanez up to second base. But the Phils would be denied a change to score as Kuroda strikes out Ruiz, swinging, for his seventh strike out of the game, before Hong-Chih Kuo is brought in, getting pinch hitter Mike Sweeney to hit into a force out, 6-4, wiping out Victorino at second base, to end the inning. The Phils would then go down 1-2-3 in the ninth, with Placido Polanco ending the game by lining out to Loney.

Roy Halladay took the lost as he pitches seven inning, giving up three runs on ten hits and a walk, while striking out four. His record is now 16-10 with an ERA of 2.27. David Herndon and J.C. Romero combine for a scoreless inning, giving up a hit (Romero), while striking out a batter (Romero). Hiroki Kuroda gets the win as he pitches seven and two-thirds shut out inning, giving up a hit, two walks and hitting a batter, while striking out seven. His record is now 10-11 with a 3.39 ERA. Hong-Chih Kuo pitches an inning and a third, recording his seventh save of the year.

The Phils had only one hit, a single by Victorino in the eighth, as they once again just avoid being no-hit, as the bats were a bit too aggressive at the plate for their own good.

The Phils (73-58, 2nd East) continue their three-game series with the Dodgers (68-64, 4th West) with a night game tonight. The game will be played at Dodgers Stadium and will start at 10:10 pm Eastern (7:10 pm Pacific). The Phils will send to the mound Kyle Kendrick (8-7, 4.64), who is coming off a lost to the Astros on August 26, when he went six innings, giving up four runs on nine hits, while striking out one, in the Phils’ 5-1 lost. In his last three starts, his record is 1-2, as he pitched eighteen and a third innings, giving up ten runs on twenty-four hits and five walks, while striking out seven. He will be trying to end his personal two game losing streak, while hoping that the bats will finally wake up and do some real damage. The Dodgers will counter with Carlos Monasterios (3-4, 3.54), who is coming off a no-decision against the Brewers on August 26, when he went four and a third innings, giving up a run on two hits and a walk, while striking out three, in the Dodgers’ 7-1 win. In his last three appearances on the mound, two of which were starts, his record is 0-1 with two no-decisions, as he pitched ten and a third innings, giving up five runs, three of which were earned, on twelve hits and three walks, while striking out ten. He will be trying to even up his record against a cold Phils’ offense. The Phils will be trying to break out of their present slump, so that they can stay close to the Braves while continuing to hold their present lead in the wild card chase.

The Phils sweep the best in the west as they ‘gasp’ score runs for Hamels, as they beat the Padres, 5-0.

The Phils finally scored some runs for Coel Hamels as they sweep the Padres during the weekend, winning the third game of the series, 5-0.

The Phils took the lead in the third as, with a runner on third, and with two men out, Jimmy Rollins hits an RBI single, knocking in Carlos Ruiz, who had earlier reached first on an infield single, went to second on Dodgers’ starter Clayton Richard’s throwing error on a pickoff attempt, and then went to third on Cole Hamels’ ground out, 3-1, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead. The Phils added to their lead in the seventh as, with one man on, and with two men out, Mike Sweeney hits a two-run home run, his seventh home run of the season, and his first as a Phil, knocking in Jayson Werth, who had earlier walked. The Phils made it 4-0 in the eighth as, with two men on, and with nobody out, Rollins hits a fly ball to right that was caught by Ryan Ludwick, who then threw to first base to try and double up Hamels, who had been safe on first on a force attempt error to second base by Richard on Hamels’ bunt attempt, who tried to throw out Ruiz, who had earlier singled, and was safe at second because of the error, at first, but threw the ball into the Padres’ dugout, with Ruiz being awarded home plate, while Hamel would go to third. In the ninth, the Phils made it a 5-0 lead as, with one man out, Werth hits a solo home run, his eighteenth home run of the year. That would be the final score as Ryan Madson got Chase Headley to fly out to center for the final out.

Cole Hamels gets the win as he pitches eight shut out innings, giving up just four hits, as he strikes out six. His record is now 8-10 with an ERA of 3.31. Ryan Madson pitches a scoreless inning, giving up a hit, while he strikes out a batter. Clayton Richard gets the lost as he pitches seven and two-thirds innings, giving up four runs, only two of which were earned, on four hits and a walk, while striking out five. His record is now 12-6 with a 3.50 ERA. Edward Mujica pitches a third of an inning, getting out the only man he would face. Luis Pedromo pitches an inning, giving up a run on one hit.

The Phils had only five hits in the game, with Carlos Ruiz leading the team with two hits, both singles. Jimmy Rollins, Mike Sweeney and Jayson Werth had the other three Phils’ hits, with Rollins’ hits being an RBI single, Sweeney’s a two-run home run and Werth’s a solo home run. The Phils’ offense continue to get few hits, but still found a way to sweep the Padres.  

The Phils (73-57, 2nd East) are now involved in a three-game series with the Dodgers (67-64, 4th West), with the first game already in progress, with the Phils trailing.

Phils defeat the Giants, 9-3, as they take control of the wild card, while looking to win the NL East.

A five-run eight give the Phils control of the wild card race, as they defeat the Giants, 9-3. The Phils would prefer having control of the NL East.

The Giants took the lead in the first as, with runners on the corners, and with nobody out, Aubrey Huff hits into a doubleplay, 4-6-3, scoring Andres Torres, who had earlier doubled, then went to third on Buster Posey’s single, giving the Giants a 1-0 lead, while Posey, who had just singled, was wiped out at first. The next batter, former Phil Pat Burrell, made it a 2-0 Giants’ lead as he hits a solo home run, his thirteenth home run of the season. The Phils would tie up the game at two-all in the fifth as, with two men on, and with two men out, Jimmy Rollins hits an RBI single, knocking in Mike Sweeney, who had earlier singled, went to second on Carlos Ruiz’s walk, and then went to third on Roy Oswalt’s sacrifice bunt, and Ruiz, who had earlier walked, and then went to second on Oswalt’s sac bunt. The Phils took the lead in the sixth as, with runners on the corners, and with nobody out, Shane Victorino hits a two-run double, knocking in Placido Polanco, who had earlier singled, then went to third on Jayson Werth’s double, and Werth, who had earlier doubled, giving the Phils a 4-2 lead. The Giants would get a run back in the seventh as, with one man out, Jose Guillen hits a solo home run, his seventeenth home run of the year, making it a 4-3 Phils’ lead. The Phils then put the game out of reach in the eighth as, with the bases loaded via a Victorino single, who then stole second, a walk to Sweeney and a single by Raul Ibanez, moving both Victornio and Sweeney up a base, and with nobody out, Ruiz hits a two-run double, scoring both Victorino and Sweeney, making it a 6-3 Phils’ lead, while sending Ibanez up to third base. Two batters later, with runners still on second and third, and now with one man out, the Phils took a 7-3 lead as Rollins hit an RBI single, scoring Ibanez, while sending Ruiz on to third base. The Phils then made it an 8-3 lead as, Ruiz would score on a Ramon Ramirez balk, when it was originally thought that he had caught Rollins off first base, but it turned out that his fake move to third, then throw over to first base was a balk because he did not move his leg in the move, thus allowing Ruiz to cross the plate, while allowing Rollins, who was tagged out, to instead be safe at second. The end result is that Giants manager Bruce Bochy would be ejected from the game by home plate umpire Mark Carlson for arguing the play. It then became a 9-3 Phils’ lead as, after Ramirez had thrown a wild pitch, allowing Rollins to reach third, Chase Utley hits a grounder to second baseman Mike Fontenot, who first bobble the ball, before committing a throwing error to first, allowing Rollins to score, and for Utley to reach second base. That would be the final score as Chad Durbin would easily handle the Giants in the ninth, getting Juan Uribe to end the game by flying out to left.  

Roy Oswalt gets the win as he pitches seven innings, giving up three runs on six hits, while striking out seven. His record is now 2-1 (8-13) with a 3.08 (3.36) ERA. Ryan Madson records his sixth hold as he pitches a scoreless inning, striking out two batters, one of whom would get on base because of a passed ball by Carlos Ruiz. Chad Durbin pitches a scoreless inning as well, giving up a hit, while striking out one. Barry Zito took the lost as he pitches five innings plus three batters, giving up four runs on eight hits and a walk. His record is now 8-7 with a 3.56 ERA. Santiago Casilla pitches a scoreless inning, giving up a hit, while striking out two. Chris Ray pitches to four batters, giving up four runs on three hits and a walk. Ramon Ramirez pitches an inning, giving up an unearned run on a hit, a balk and a wild pitch.

The Phils had thirteen hits in the game, with Placido Polanco leading the team with four hits, all singles, as he went 4-5, as he raised his average to .325. He was followed by Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino and Raul Ibanez, who each had two hits, with Rollins and Ibanez’s hits being singles, with Rollins knocking in three runs, while Victorino’s hits were a single and a double, knocking in two runs. Jayson Werth, Mike Sweeney and Carlos Ruiz had the other three Phils’ hits, with Werth and Ruiz’s hits being doubles, with Ruiz knocking in two runs, while Sweeney’s hit was a single. The other two Phils’ runs came in on a balk and an error. The offense once again took advantage of opponents’ mistakes in the field while making few of their own.

The Phils (67-51, 2nd NL East) wil continue their three-game series with the Giants (67-53, 2nd NL West) with a night game tonight. The game will be played at Citizens Bank Park, weather permitting, and will start at 7:05 pm Eastern. The Phils will send to the mound Joe Blanton (4-6, 5.69), who is coming off a no-decision against the Dodgers on August 12, when he pitched five and two-thirds innings, giving up four runs on eight hits and four walks, while striking out three, in the Phils’ dramatic 10-9 walk-off win. In his last three starts, he has three no-decisions, as he had pitched eighteen and two-thirds innings, giving up ten runs on twenty-four hits and five walks, while striking out fifteen. He will be trying for his first win in about a month. The Giants will counter with Matt Cain (9-9, 3.11), who is coming off a no-decision against the Cubs on August 12, as he went six innings, giving up three runs on eight hits and a walk, while he struck out nine, in the Giants’ 8-7 win. In his last three starts, his record is 1-1 with a no-decision, as he pitched eighteen and two-thirds innings, giving up six runs on eighteen hits and four walks, while striking out twenty batters. He will be trying for his tenth win of the year, and to get the Giants once again even in the wild card race. The Phils will be going for the series win, while hoping to once again shrink the Braves’ lead in the East.

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