Home cooking has not been so great for the Fightins this year and this weekend’s series against the Boston Red Sox and their nation provided yet another home series loss for the 2009 season. The Phillies battled back to win the series finale on Sunday but lost an extra innings game in the opener and a lop sided one in game two. Here is the recap.
Friday, June 12th – Red Sox 5 Phillies 2
Joe Blanton had yet another strong outing in this start as he pitched seven innings giving up five hits and two runs. Blanton struck out seven in the outing, unfortunately his opponent was super lefty Jon Lester who struck out 11 Phillies in seven innings allowing only two hits and one run. Ryan Howard belted a solo home run in the home ninth to knot the game at two and send it to extra innings. The teams battled for 13 frames before the Sox broke thru in the top of the thirteenth to score three off of recently recalled pitcher Kyle Kendrick to put the game away. The two teams combined to strike out 34 times in the contest ! The Phillies could only manage five hits in the game, two by Raul Ibanez. Boston kept bringing studs out of the pen, all of whom seemed to toss in the mid to high nineties ! They are indeed loaded.
Saturday, June 13th – Red Sox 11 Phillies 6
Rookie Antonio Bastardo could only last one inning in this start, mostly due to an hour and one half rain delay at the end of inning one but also due to giving up a five spot in frame one. The usually reliable fielding Phils made three first inning errors behind Bastardo but he also did not have good command and Jason Bay tagged him for a two run bomb in the first. The Phillies did battle back to within one after four but Boston put the game away with three in the fifth and two more in the seventh. Chase Utley and Jayson Werth had three hit games for the Phillies and Raul Ibanez, Werth and Pedro Feliz went yard but this was the Sox night and they won going away.
Sunday, June 14th – Phillies 11 Red Sox 6
J.A. Happ vs Josh Beckett would sure seem like a mismatch but someone forgot to tell the young Phillie lefthander as he battled thru five and two thirds innings and kept his club in the game. Meanwhile the FIghtins tagged Beckett for seven runs on eleven hits thru six innings to tag him with his third loss of the season. Chan Ho Park earned the win in relief by tossing two and one third innings and Ryan Madson closed the game out. Pedro Feliz had three hits for the Phillies while two hit games were turned in by Shane Victorino, Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth and Chase Utley. Jimmy Rollins belted the sole home run for the home team.
Chatter
Kyle Kendrick’s stay in the big leagues this time lasted only one game as he was optioned back to Triple A after Friday’s game and Sergio Escalona was recalled. Escalona stayed for one game as well as he was optioned by to triple A on Sunday and veteran Tyler Walker was recalled by the Phillies. The Phillies needed fresh arms after using the bullpen alot in games one and two of the series. Walker was 5 and 8 last season with San Francisco and has six years of big league experience. He was in the Mariners camp this spring but failed to make the team out of spring training and signed a minor league deal with the Phillies, Walker has made 15 appearances this season at Triple A Lehigh Valley.
