The Phillies lost the most recent three game series against the Florida Marlins in what has become the not so friendly confines of Citizen’s Bank Park in 2009. The Marlins took two of the three games and sunk the Phillies home record to 9 wins and 14 losses. Home Cooking has to improve if the boys are gonna have any chance of repeating.
Game 1 – Monday, May 25th – Florida 5 Phillies 3
Jamie Moyer made his fifth attempt to gain career win number 250 and once again came up short. Moyer did not pitch badly as he went six innings and limited the Marlins to four runs on seven hits. The only problem was that Chris Volstad was better for Florida. Ryan Howard accounted for all three of the Phillie runs as he blasted two home runs giving him 12 for the season. Pedro Feliz also had a two hit game but the duo accounted for two thirds of the Phillies offense as they could only muster a total of six hits. Chan Ho Park pitched well in relief for the Phillies as he tossed the final three frames but the Fightin’s came up short in this one. Ex Phillie Wes Helms had a huge game offensively for the Marlins as he homered and knocked in four of the five runs.
Game 2 – Tuesday, May 26th – Phillies 5 Florida 3
Joe Blanton was dominant in this game as he had by far his best outing in a Phillie jersey. Blanton threw shutout ball thru seven innings and struck out 11 batters, a new career high. He limited the Marlins to only five hits and also only walked two batters. Blanton attacked the strike zone in this one with little regard for the hitters as he trusted his stuff and it worked very well! Offensively Shane Victorino had a big day as he collected four hits and Pedro Feliz stayed hot by stroking another two hits. The game got interesting in the ninth as Chad Durbin loaded the bases with only one out and forced skipper Charlie Manuel to go to closer Brad Lidge after the Marlins scored three runs. Lidge was given a very warm reception by the fans as he entered the game and did the job as he recorded the final two outs to earn his ninth save. He is the closer and Charlie has made it very clear that it will remain that way, that is the beauty of the skipper and of this team, they do not panic and stay the course even if sometimes the fans divert course!
Game 3 – Wednesday, May 27th – Florida 6 Phillies 2
Brett Myers started the game and pitched effectively thru five frames but was knocked out in the sixth. It was later reported that Myers left the game due to soreness and discomfort in his hip, he has been pitching very well lately and an injury is not something the team can really afford at this point. Myers was tagged for home runs by Dan Uggla and Cody Ross and gave up five runs. Old reliable Clay Condrey took the hill after Myers and held the Marlins at bay for two and 1/3 innings. The Phillies struggled offensively as they tallied eight hits, two of which were off the bat of Ryan Howard. Matt Stairs blasted a solo pinch hit home run to right field in the home eighth. Jack Taschner gave up the sixth run in the ninth and is the most likely candidate to be released at this point when J.C. Romero returns to the active roster on June 3rd.
Chatter
Rumblings are that the Phillies are very interested in acquiring another starting pitcher. If Brett Myers is indeed injured and goes on the disabled list then that search may intensify. Names being bandied about as potential acquisitions are Erik Bedard and Jarrod Washburn of the Mariners, Jason Marquis of the Rockies, Brad Penny and perhaps Clay Bucholtz of the Red Sox and Roy Oswalt of the Astros. Any of those trades would require the Phillies to give up a portion of the minor league talent they have accumulated, folks like Jason Donald, Lou Marson, Carlos Carrasco, Sergio Escalona, Joe Savery, Kyle Drabek, Drew Carpenter, etc. would have to be dangled so G.M. Ruben Amaro must be cognizant of not mortgaging the entire future. It is refreshing though that the team realizes they have a great nucleaus and is willing to go for it now! Time will tell what happens. Keep in mind also that old standbys like Paul Byrd and Pedro Martinez are also still out there as free agents. Oswalt would be my choice if you could get him but the others would be very good additions as well. Reports are that the team does not plan to sign Myers this offseason so whomever they might trade for would be figured into 2010 plans as well.
