Baseball is indeed a team sport but it also avails opportunity for individuals to shine in the things that they do.  In Sunday’s series finale against the Yankees the Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz indeed shined! Ruiz doubled in the 11th inning to score Chase Utley with the game winning run as the Fightin’s outlasted the Bronx Bombers 4-3 to take the series two game to one.

Cole Hamels matched super expensive Yankees ace C.C. Sabbathia thru six frames, in fact left leading the contest 3-2.    Hamels struck out five and walked none in a very impressive outing.  The Fightin’s had jumped to an early two run lead in the first inning and added another run in the sixth. Shane Victorino had a three hit game against Sabbathia and Ryan Howard and Superman Raul Ibanez each had two hits………..but the offensive and defensive story and star of the game was Carlos Ruiz.  

Ruiz had a three hit game as he battled thru each at bat and produced the game winner.  He also had a stellar game catching as he threw out two Yankee attempted base stealers at second base with laser perfect tosses !   Ruiz also made a huge play at the plate as left fielder Jayson Werth threw out Johny Damon at the plate,  Ruiz set up a roadblock and actually knocked Damon back a bit to record the out!  Excellent performance by the Phillies catcher!

Now the bad news, Brad Lidge could not hold the 3-2 lead in the ninth and recorded his fourth blown save of the season.  He did persevere to keep the game tied and turn it to extra innings.  Lidge gave up two singles up the middle in the game and then the Yankees stole bases on him like nobody’s business, he does not hold runners well at all, like old closer Billy Wagner!  Guess those boys don’t have to hold ‘em if they can strike out the hitters.   Lidge seems to be suffering from very informed scouting reports, hitters are attacking him early in the count as he pitches to get ahead so he can use his devastator, the slider in the dirt…….that approach has worked in the last few games, Charlie will stick with him I believe and I also believe that he will come back to form.

Now the good news out of the pen, Chad Durbin, Ryan Madson, Scott Eyre and Clay Condrey all pitched very very well…….. Condrey picked up the win with two scoreless extra innings of work, he wiggled out of a two on nobody out jam by getting super expensive Mark Texeria to ground into a double play and then coaxing a fly ball to end the inning.  Condrey is often unnoticed on this club but he is an invaluable commodity as he eats up alot of bullpen innings and does it very well!

Chatter

Kudo’s to the Phillies defense thus far this season, while pitching and offense has struggled at time the gloves have been super consistent.  Pedro Feliz is a gold glover at third base and the big man at first Ryan Howard is surely playing like one, it is night and day from last season when he had little or no confidence.    A team that can throw leather out there consistently will definitely keep itself in games and these boys sure can “pick it”.  

The Phillies ended this road trip with and 8 and 2 record by winning all three series, they are now at home for the next six against the Marlins and Nationals before heading out to the west coast.  They need to improve on the 8 and 12 home record and now is as good a time as any!   The Fightin’s are now 24 and 18 on the season and lead the National League East by a game and a half over second place Atlanta.

How ’bout that Trevor Hoffman of the Brewers, perfect in save chances so far this year, is he the 2009 version of 2008 Brad Lidge ?