Results tagged ‘ Rick Ankiel ’
Phillies lose their fourth straight game as the offense vanishes, losing to the Cardinals, 2-0.
Cole Hamels pitches a very good game as he only gives up three hits in seven innings of work. Unfortunately, two of those hits would be solo home runs. And even worst, the Phillies’ offense disappeared completely, as they got only six hits, as they lose their fourth straight game, falling to the Cardinals, 2-0. The game would be a pitchers’ duel between Hamels and Cardinals’ starter, Joel Pineiro, as the Phillies would squander a chance to take the lead in the second, while Hamels would keep the redbirds off-balanced. That is until the fifth, when Hamels gives up a solo home run to Rick Ankiel, his nineteenth home run of the year, giving the Cardinals a 1-0 lead. One inning later, with two men out, he would give up another solo home run, this one to Ryan Ludwick, his eighteenth home run of the year, to make it 2-0 Cardinals. That would be it, as the Phillies would be unable to mount much of an offense, as the batters would blow a rally in the seventh. Ryan Franklin would pitch the ninth, recording his twelfth save of the year.
Cole Hamels would take the lost, in spite of pitching seven innings of three hit ball as he gives up two earned runs. Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge would both pitch a scoreless inning, giving up a hit each. Joel Pineiro would pitch six and one thirds innings of shut out ball, giving up only five hits. Ron Villone would pitch two-thirds innings of scoreless, hitless pitching. Kyle McClellan would pitch a hitless, scoreless inning. Ryan Franklin would pitch a scoreless night as he gives up only one hit while recording his twelfth save of the year.
Once again, the offense vanishes after showing a sign of life the previous day. This is getting to be a real annoyance. The Phillies are suppose to be one of the best runs producing teams in baseball, but I sometimes wonder if its really is, considering how much they seem to prefer letting their big men do all of their scoring and not even show a willingness to do some small ball. What is it with this team and creating runs when the big men can’t seem to get going? Are they afraid of looking like an ordinary team? If they are, then shame on them. They need to get off their individual high horses and start playing some small ball, and in that way put some pressure on the defense. Otherwise, start saying hello to the Nationals if they keep playing like this.
The Phillies (48-43) continue their three games series with the Cardinals (51-40, 2nd National League Central), with a night game at Citizens Bank Park. The game will start at 7:05 pm Eastern. The Phillies’ starter will by rookie J.A. Happ (0-0, 3.86), who is coming off a no-decision against the Mets on July 4, where he pitched four and two-thirds innings, giving up two earned runs on three hits, in the Phillies’ 3-2 victory. He will be trying for his first major league victory while seeing if he will be able to pitch good enough to stay in the majors. The Cardinals will counter with rookie Mark Mulder (0-0, 13.50), who is making his first start of the year, after spending time in the bullpen. His last appearace, on July 2 against the Mets, he would only go a third of an inning, giving up two earned runs on two hits. He will be seeing if he can do well as a starter, while trying to keep the Phillies’ bats quiet.
The lost leave the Phillies with a one game lead over the Marlins, who are presently losing to the Padres. Their lead over the Mets is now at a game and a half as the Mets crushed the Giants. The Phillies lead the Braves by five and a half games, as they are presently involved in a scoreless game with the Dodgers. The Phillies will once again try to find out where their defense have disappeared to so that they can get back to winning and leading their division.
Edit: The Phils lead is still at a game and a half as the Marlins are defeated by the Padres. The defeat now placed the Marlins in a tied for second with the Mets. Wheee I say in sarcastically. Come on offense, wake up, blast it!!!!
Thw Phillies’ bats reawaken as the offense scores 20 runs for the second time this season as the Phillies rout the Cardinals, 20-2.
For the second time this season the Phillies’ offense would knock in twenty runs as they routed the Cardinals, 20-2. The Phillies would start their scoring in the first inning, when, with two outs, Chase Utley would hit a solo shot off of Cardinals’ starter Todd Wellemeyer, his twenty-second home run of the year, to give the Phils a quick 1-0 lead. Ryan Howard would follow with a solo shot of his own for his sixteenth home run of the season to make it 2-0 Phillies. Pat Burrell would then follow with his seventeenth home run of the year, another solo shot, to give the Phils a 3-0 lead, as the middle of the lineup hit back-to-back-to-back home runs. The Phils would then add to their lead in the second as Carlos Ruiz would hit a RBI double, scoring Pedro Feliz who has singled earlier, making it 4-0 Phils. The Cardinals would get a run back in the third as Skip Schumaker hit his third home run of the year, a solo shot, to make it 4-1 Phillies. The Phils would then bust the game wide open as they send fifteen men to the plate to score nine runs while sending Wellemeyer to the showers. After Ruiz starts the inning off by grounding out, Kyle Kendrick would get on base with a ground-rule double. Jimmy Rollins would then walk. Shane Victorino would then follow with a single, loading the bases. Utley would then follow him with a RBI single, scoring both Kendrick and Rollins and sending Victorino to second, as the Phillies now lead 6-1. That would be it for Wellemeyer as he would be replaced by Ron Villone. Howard would welcome Villone with a RBI single, scoring Victornio, to give the Phillies a 7-1 lead, while sending Utley over to second. Burrell would then walk, reloading the bases. Geoff Jenkins would then hit a sacrifice fly for the second out of the inning, scoring Utley, to make it 8-1 Phils, with Utley becoming the last run to be charged to Wellemeyer. Feliz would then walk to reload the bases. Ruiz, who has started the inning, would continue it by hitting a double, scoring both Howard and Burrell while sending Feliz to third, giving the Phils a 10-1 lead. Kendrick would come up and get his second hit of the inning, a RBI single, scoring both Feliz and Ruiz to make the score 12-1 Phillies. Kendrick would meanwhile go to second on Rick Ankiel’s throwing error to cut down Ruiz. Rollins would then follow with his second walk of the inning. Victorino would follow him with his second hit of the inning, a double, which would score Kendrick, to make it a 13-1 Phillies lead, and move Rollins to third. After giving up a walk to Utley to yet again reload the bases, Villone would finally stop the slaughter by striking out Howard. The Phillies would score another run in the fifth on a RBI double by Feliz, scoring Burrell, who has earlier walked to make it 14-1 Phils. Three more Phillies’ runs would score in the sixth on Howard’s three-run home run, his seventeenth home run of the year, scoring Victorino and pinch hitter Eric Bruntlett, who has both singled, to give the Phils a 17-1 lead. The Cardinals would score their second and last run of the game in the bottom of the sixth, as Troy Glaus singles in Ryan Ludwick, who has earlier reached base on a fielding error by Feliz, making it 17-2 Phillies. The Phillies would then score the game’s final runs in the eighth, as, with two outs, Ryan Howard is hit by the pitch, going to first. After Cardinals’ pitcher Russ Springer and Cardinals’ manager Tony LaRussa are both ejected by the home plate umpire for intentionally hitting Howard and for arguing about the ejection respectively, So Taguchi would single, moving Howard to second. Jenkins would follow with a double, scoring both Howard and Taguchi, making it 19-2 Phils. After a Feliz’s single moves Jenkins to third, he would score on a single by Ruiz, making it 20-2 Phillies. That would be how the game would end as first Rudy Seanez and then Clay Condrey would pitch the final two innings, keeping the Cardinals off of the scoreboard.
Kyle Kendrick would get the win, as he goes seven strong innings, giving up only two runs, one of which was earned, on eight hits. His record is now 6-2 with a 4.54 ERA. Rudy Seanez and Clay Condrey would both pitch an inning, each giving up no runs on one hits. Todd Wellemeyer would get the lost, as he would get rock for eight earned runs on eight hits while going only three and one third innings. Ron Villone would pitch an inning and a third, getting crush for six earned runs on five hits and five walks. Mark Worrell would pitch two innings, giving up three earned runs on four hits. Russ Springer would pitch only a third of an inning, as he would be thrown out of the game for intentionally hitting Ryan Howard, giving up an earned run on no hits. Ryan Franklin would pitch two-thirds of an inning, giving up two earned runs on four hits. Aaron Miles, normally a second baseman, was the only Cardinal not to give up a run to the Phils, as he goes an inning, giving up no run on no hits.
For the second time this season, the Phillies’ offense would score twenty runs, while also getting twenty-one hits. Every Phillies’ starter, except for Jimmy Rollins, would get at least one hit, with Carlos Ruiz leading the way as he would go four for six. Next would be Shane Victorino who would hit three for seven, followed by Ryan Howard and Pedro Feliz, who both went three for five. Even Kyle Kendrick would get into the act as he would go two for five. Of their twenty-one hits, ten would be for extra-base hits (6 (2B), 4 (HR)). The win gives the Phillies a winning road trip. The back-to-back-to-back home runs hit in the first inning was the seventh time that it has occurred in Phillies’ history.
The Philles (41-28) will continue their series against the Cardinals (40-29 2nd National League Central) tomorrow afternoon at the new Busch Stadium, as one of the games to be shown on Fox Saturday Baseball Game of the Week. The game will start at 3:55 pm Eastern (2:55 pm Central). The Phillies’ starter will be Adam Eaton (2-3, 4.62), who is coming off a no-decision against the Braves on June 8, where he would go six innings, giving up three earned runs on six hits, in the Phillies’ 6-3 win. His career record against the Cardinals isn’t very good, as he is 1-4 with a 6.82 ERA. Eaton plans to improve his record while helping to improve the team’s record on the road. Kyle Lohse (7-2, 3.92), will be send to the mound by the Cardinals. He is coming off a win against the Astros on June 8, where he pitched six innings, giving up three earned runs on five hits, in the Cardinals’ 5-4 win. He has won his last four starts, going a combined twenty-three innings, giving up five earned runs on twenty hits. He will be trying to improve on his record while trying to stop the explosive Phillies’ offense.
The first place Phillies lead increased to four games with the Marlins’ lost to the Rays. The Braves and the Mets are both still seven and a half games behind the Phils as they both won their games. The Phillies hope that their offense will still be as potent for the rest of their weekend series in St. Louis before going back home to Philadelphia.
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