On Sunday I witnessed, along with many other fans, a true rarity in Major League Baseball.  Eric Bruntlett pulled off an unassisted triple play to end the game and give the FIghtin’s a 9 to 7 win over the Mets in New York !  It was only the 15th time in major league history that an unassisted triple play has occured and the second time in history that it has occured to end a ballgame!  The last and only other time in major league history that an unassisted triple play occured to end a game was May of 1927!   The feat is so extraordinary that the Baseball Hall of Fame asked Bruntlett to provide a piece of memorabilia to be added as part of the Hall of Fame collection,  Eric the Great donated his jersey to the hall as a momento.

Prior to the trip the New York the Fightins completed a three game sweep of Arizona as Joe Blanton tossed eight innings in a 12 to 3 win.  Blanton could have went nine but Phillies skipper Charlie Manuel chose to give Chad Durbin an inning of work to close the game.  Jayson Werth, Carlos Ruiz and Ryan Howard each homered in the game as the Fightins pounded 12 hits.

The four game series in New York began on Friday night with a loss as the Metropolitans beat the Phillies 4 to 2 behind Mike Pelfrey.  Cole Hamels continued to struggle as he was able to only go five innings giving up ten hits, Chan Ho Park and Ryan Madson pitched scoreless relief behind Hamels.  The Phillies had ten hits in the game but left 11 runners on base.  Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard had six of the hits, each with two hits apiece.

On Saturday the Phillies bounced back with a 4 to 1 win over the Mets as J.A. Happ went seven innings to earn his 10th win of the season.   Madson earned hold number 21 on the season and Brad Lidge tossed a perfect ninth to earn save number 24.  Chase Utley belted a two run home run to provide the game winner in the sixth inning.  Old nemesis Tim Redding started for the Mets and once again held the Fightins at bay by only giving up one hit thru five frames, Redding was on a pitch count and was taken out after five else this may have been a loss!

On Sunday Pedro Martinez made his Citi Field debut and was given a six run cushion before he even took the hill as Jayson Werth and Carlos Ruiz each belted three run home runs in the first inning to chase Mets starter Oliver Perez.  Perez was so bad that his own manager showed him up by pulling him with a 3-0 count to batter Martinez rather than let him finish out the at bat!   Martinez earned his second Phillies win of the season as he tossed six frames and was relieved by Durbin and Madson before Lidge closed to earn his 25th save on the Bruntlett triple play!  It must be noted that if Bruntlett had not committed two errors prior to the Triple play it would not have been needed!  Strange game is baseball sometimes.

In the series Finale on Monday staff ace Cliff Lee tossed seven strong innings and Ryan Howard belted two home runs to lead the Phillies to a 6 to 2 win.  Chan Ho Park earned his 8th hold in relief of Lee who is 5 and 0 as a Phillie and 12-9 overall as he won his ninth consecutive start!  Sweet!

Chatter

Greg Dobbs was put on the disabled list on monday and  Miguel Cairo was brought back up from Triple A.  Clay Condrey and J.C. Romero made rehab appearances in Clearwater and may rejoin the team in early September.  Brett Myers made a rehab start at single A Lakewood and is also on target to join the team in September.  It will be interesting to see whom the team recalls when rosters expand on September 1, e.g. will folks like Michael Taylor and Kyle Drabek be given major league service time ?  It may depend on how close or far the race is at that time.    With the win on Monday and prior to other results the team heads to Pittsburgh with a seven game lead in the division and two games in hand.  Great time to be a Phillies Fan!

With Howard’s homers on Monday he once again eclipsed 100 RBI in a season, the big guy has hit at least 30 bombs and driven in 100 or more for four consecutive seasons ! 

What perhaps could have been a series sweep turned into a series split as the Fightins won 2 of 4 in Tinseltown.  Closer Brad Lidge had his difficulties in finishing two of the games albeit hindered by an error committed by usually reliable third sacker Pedro Feliz in one of them.   The starting pitching continued to excel, both young arms and old which is a positive from early season woes.  Mr. Lidge will come around, have faith Phillie fans, not time to panic just yet!   Did I mention we are in first place in NL East ?  Here is a recap of the Dodger series.

Thursday, June 4 – Phillies 3 Dodgers 0

Cole Hamels was the story as he threw a complete game shutout limiting LA to only five hits while striking out five and issueing zero free passes!   Hamels had excellent command, great velocity and super movement……all those ingredients equate to a shutout!  Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez each had an RBI and Carlos Ruiz and Werth had two hits in the game.  Hamels was the bottom line to the win though.

Friday, June 5 – Dodgers 4 Phillies 3

The Phillies were within one out of the win when Russell Martin hit a ground ball to third basemen Pedro Feliz in what would normally be a routine out but Pedro kicked it allowing Andre Ethier to come to the plate with the bases juiced and the Dodgers trailing by one.  Ethier smoked Brad Lidge’s first offering to him for a double over right fielder Eric Bruntlett’s head to plate two mates and produce the walk off Dodger win.  What was lost in the equation was a tremendous performance by Phillies starter Jamie Moyer who went seven strong innings giving up only four hits and two runs.  J.C. Romero pitched a scoreless eighth to earn his first 2009 hold but in the end Mr. Lidge got blown save number 5 on the season.  Bruntlett, Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth, Chase Utley and Feliz had two hits each to lead the Phillie offense.

Saturday, June 6 – Dodgers 3 Phillies 2

Once again the FIghtins took a one run lead into the ninth with closer Brad Lidge on the hill and once again the Dodgers tagged Mr. Lidge with a blown save.  Rafael Furcal hit a solo pinch hit home run to send the game to extra innings where Andre Ethier would eventually win it with a home run off of Chad Durbin in the 12th inning.   Joe Blanton gave the Phillies another strong start by going five innings limiting the Dodgers to one run on five hits.  Clay Condrey, J.C. Romero and Ryan Madson all earned holds in setting it up for closer Brad Lidge but Mr. Lights Out was lit up instead for his sixth blown save of the year.  The Phillies only had six hits in the whole 12 innings led by Pedro Feliz with two.

Sunday, June 7th – Phillies 7 Dodgers 2

The Fightins exacted revenge in the Sunday Night nationally televised contest on Fox Sports.  Rookie Antonio Bastardo pitched five innings in his second big league start to earn win number 2.  Bastardo struck out four while giving up two runs on seven hits.   Chan Ho Park was booed by the Dodger faithful when he came onto the field in relief of Bastardo but Chan Ho pitched three scoreless innings to earn his first hold of the season, Ryan Madson finished the contest in the ninth.  Home runs were hit by Ryan Howard, Carlos Ruiz and Shane Victorino.   Victorino, Ruiz and Jimmy Rollins, ( hitting out of the six hole for first time since 2006), had two hits each to account for two thirds of the Phillies total of nine for the game. 

Chatter

After an off day on Monday J.A. Happ will take the mound in New York against the Mets on Tuesday to kick off a 3 game series and end the 10 game road swing.  The Phillies are 5 and 2 thus far on the trip, the three game series may mean more for the Mets than the Phillies as the New Yorkers are severely banged up but to their credit are still only 3 games out of first place behind the Philies.  A series win by the Phillies could be a demoralizer to the New Yorkers but it is far too early in the season I think.  Should at the least be an entertaining series, usually is when these two teams get it on.

Ok so now I am starting to get annoyed a bit.  Joe Blanton started things well enough by striking out the first two hitters in the game but then got tagged for a double followed by a two run bomb by Bryan McCann.  For the third straight game in 2009 the FIghtins trailed in a home game before ever swinging a bat !   Is it a sign that our starting staff may be an achilles heel or do we stay with the standard theme that it is early and no worries yet, a bit of both but these games do count so it is time to wake up boys else we dig a hole too deep!

Raul Ibanez tied the game in the Phillies second with his own two run dinger scoring Ryan Howard in front of him but Blanton could not hold the score as Atlanta exploded for five runs in the third.  Blanton was done after four frames being tagged for seven runs on nine hits !  J.A. Happ got tagged for two runs in his stint, one a bomb by rookie Jordan Schafer, his second of the young season already!    Chad Durbin could not find the plate in the seventh and actually walked in a run before being replaced.   Not good indeed!  Down 10 to 3 after six and one half  of play not something to brag about !

And then…… we woke up, sort of.  Bobby Cox had to use four relievers in the home seventh including his normal fifth starter as the Fightins batted around plus four to score 8 runs while only collecting four hits!  The Atltanta pen walked in four runs with the bases juiced and collectively walked five batters and hit another!   Key singles were delivered by Ibanez, Shane Victorino and Pedro Feliz. Phillie batters showed alot of patience in their at bats en route to gaining the team’s first lead of the season.

Ryan Madson pitched a perfect eighth to set up his bullpen buddy Brad Lidge.   Raul Ibanez led off the home eighth with yet another walk!  Pedro Feliz was giving himself up attempting to bunt Ibanez over but Jorge Campillo (Atlanta’s fifth starter) could not throw him a strike and the count went to 3-0 and Charlie gave Pedro a green light, he promptly doubled to left to knock Campillo out of the game !  Jeff Bennett came in for Atlanta and gave up a sacrifice fly RBI to pinch hitter Eric Bruntlett before working out of the inning. 

Lidge worked the ninth to earn his first save of the season, he was tagged by Mike Diaz for a solo bomb but struck out two to close it!  FInal Count :  Phillies 12 Braves 11……. my wife said in the sixth that alot of game was left and to not count our boys out!  She is quite the prophet eh!

Javier Vazquez pitched six effective innings for the Braves and should have earned the win.  The statement of the series still was that Atltanta starters did what was expected and ours did not,  the Phillies had many poor at bats in the series which were a combination of good Atlanta starting  pitching and poor approach by the Fightin’s.   The seventh inning comeback erased some of that especially the at bat by Ibanez who showed his hitting prowess by taking an outside pitch to left for a single rather than attempting to pull it.  Now the team goes on the road and must do more of what they showed in the later stages of this game.  The Atlanta pen could be their issue this year in light of what we saw in this series in games one and three.

Chatter

Pat Gillick was clearly overcome with emotion during the pre-game ring ceremony as he greeted each player, coach and clubhouse staff member to give them their rings.  Gillick’s tears symbolized heart felt emotions in conclusion of a great feat.  It was great to watch !  GIllick and team president David Montgomery will personally deliver the rings to each coach or player who could not attend the event, a real touch of class.  Speaking of a class act, So Taguchi did not attend the ceremony out of respect for his teammates this season on the Triple A Iowa Cubs, he felt that he should honor his committment to this year’s team instead, that is a team player truly defined ! 

Philly fans showed both sides of our colors by booing Adam Eaton and roundly cheering Pat Burrell.  Sometimes I just shake my head.   Cole Hamels takes the ball on Thursday in Colorado, perhaps the young ace can find our first starter’s win!  Stay tuned, still 159 to play.

Opening games always include alot of pre-game ceremony but especially when you are the defending champs.  The World Series Trophy was on prominent display as the team came onto the field from the stands amidst high fives from the fans!  Skipper Charlie Manuel helped raised the 2008 championship flag and player introductions were conducted for both teams.  It is time to play ball again and we as Phillies fans are more than ready!

Brett Myers toed the rubber for the opener for the Fightins vs Derek Lowe for the visiting Atlanta Braves.  Myers got juiced on a hanging changeup by Bryan McCann in the first inning for a two run homer scoring Chipper Jones in front of him.  Jeff Francour drilled a fastball over the left field wall to lead off the second and give Atlanta a three run lead, rookie Jordan Schafer then belted a solo home run as well in his first major league at bat!   Carlos Ruiz got the first 2009 Phillie hit as he doubled down the left field line in the bottom of the third.   At end of three though the count was 4-0 Braves.

Myers pitched six innings before being pulled for a pinch hitter.  He settled down after the second and held the Braves scoreless innings three thru six.   His curveball had that familiar bite in those innings as he went more to it and laid off the straight change which hurt him earlier.    Jack Taschner made his Phillies pitching debut in the 7th  and pitched a perfect inning striking out Chipper Jones to end the frame.    Scott Eyre and Chad Durbin combined to pitch a perfect eighth for the Fightins.  Lowe held the Phillies to only two hits thru eight frames as he excelled at being a ground ball machine by keeping the ball down in the zone whether it be sinkers or sliders.   He was excellent, would have looked nice in red pinstripes!   Brad Lidge pitched a perfect ninth for the Phillies.  

 Mike Gonzales came on for the ninth for Atlanta and was greeted by an Eric Bruntlett pinch double, after a flyout  he then scored on a Jayson Werth single.  Gonzales then made it interesting by walking Chase Utley but struck out Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez to end the game.

  Final score Braves 4 Phillies 1, there goes the undefeated season !

Chatter

Jordan Schaffer became the 99th man in history to hit a home run in his first major league at bat.  Ryan Madson changed his uniform number to 46 instead of number 63 he has wore last season.  Jamie Moyer makes his 2009 debut on Tuesday night in game two going against Jair Jurrjens for the Braves. 

As spring training approaches in February General Manager Ruben Amaro and his staff are hard at work regarding filling out the bench for the defending champs.  The team is top heavy with left handed bench strength as Greg Dobbs, Geoff Jenkins and Matt Stairs all swing from the left side.  Eric Bruntlett and either Chris Coste or Ronny Paulino would represent pinch hitting potential from the right side.   The team did recently sign Marcus Giles to a minor league deal but he is coming off a year of inactivity.

Rumor has it that the team is at least discussing the possibility of Nomar Garciaparra or Gabe Kapler as potential right hand hitters off the bench.  Kapler could also spell either Raul Ibanez or Shane Victorino in the outfield as needed.  Garciaparra would have to accept a far more limited role than he has even had in recent years with the Dodgers.   Personally I would be pleased with either option and am glad to see the team is working on giving skipper Manual some right handed options to consider.

Chatter

Derek Lowe apparently has met in recent days with the Atlanta Braves who appear to be very interested in his services especially in light of John Smoltz going to the Red Sox, previous reports stated that the Mets were also seeking to sign him.  Depending on what you read the Phils are also at least interested in Lowe and monitoring the situation.   I would love to see Lowe in the Phillies rotation next year and if they were able to sign him would put them, at least on paper, in clear control of winning their third straight division title!  Having him sign with either the Braves or Mets is not a show stopper in that regard but having him with us would be a definite plus!

NFL Chatter

I know this is a baseball blog but being a Philly fan I can’t help but put my two cents in on this weekend’s playoff games.  I am strongly rooting for my Eagles to stomp those little Giants from New York!   I don’t know why but I have a feeling that the Arizona Cardinals will beat the Carolina Panthers tommorrow night.  I also think the Ravens and Steelers come out victorious however I don’t discount those San Diego Chargers to provide a potential upset over those Stillers!

Jimmy Rollins started game three in a different way, he stroked a single to center! Rollins advanced to second on a walk to Jayson Werth, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a ground out by Chase Utley to put the Fightins up by one. The Rays tied the score in the top of the second as Carl Crawford scored.

Carlos Ruiz hit a solo home run in the Phillies second to put the home team back ahead. That score held till the bottom of the sixth when Chase Utley and Ryan Howard hit back to back home runs to make the count 4 to 1.

The Rays scored two in the seventh to chase Phililes starter Jamie Moyer. Moyer was outstanding and gave the young Rays a schooling by hitting spots consistently. He actually made a great play on a bunt by Carl Crawford in the seventh but the first base umpire blew the call. Crawford would score one of the runs.

Ryan Madson was touched for one run in the eighth as the speed of B.J. Upton scored the tieing run. Upton beat out an infield hit, stole second and third and scored on a errant throw to third by Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz.

The Phillies won the game in the bottom of the ninth as Eric Bruntlett was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Shane Victorino was attempting to bunt Bruntlett to second but a wild pitch did it for him as Bruntlett went to second and even advanced to third as the Rays catcher threw the ball into center field! Rays skipper Joe Maddon then elected to walk both Victorino and pinch hitter Greg Dobbs to load the bases. He brought his right fielder in behind second base and dared hitter Carlos Ruiz to be able to hit a fly ball! Ruiz hit a squibber down the third base line and Bruntlett scored the winning run!

Chatter

Jamie Moyer was outstanding in this game and showed how a true professional plays the game. The game did not start till after 10 pm EDT due to heavy rains in the Philadelphia area all day and early evening Saturday. The game concluded around 1:30 AM!! Philly fans stayed thru the whole thing though and showed their faith in the Fightins! Joe Blanton will go for the Fightins on the mound Sunday night. Give the Rays credit, they are a very good team and have alot of fight in them………sounds like our Phililes! All three games thus far could have went either way, these two teams are matched very well!

Tampa Bay jumped out early in game two of the series as they plated two runs in the first inning. Akinora Iwamura led off with a walk, B.J. Upton then singled to right field and Jayson Werth kicked the grounder allowing Iwamura and Upton to advance an extra base. Two consecutive ground ball outs scored the two runs for the Rays. Tampa added the third run in the second frame on an RBI single by Upton. The Phillies continued to squander chances to score in the first four frames as they put leadoff runners on in both the second and third frames and two runners on in the fourth but could not score. The Rays added another run in the fourth on a safety squeeze by shortstop Jason Bartlett.

The Phillies made some bonehead plays early in the game, twice following walks by swinging at the first pitch to make outs, getting picked off first base on a fly ball to right field and making two fielding/throwing errors! Not playing smart usually leads to getting beat. Thru seven offensive innings the Fightins had left eleven runners on base without scoring. Brett Myers didy not pitch that badly and completed seven innings but with no support offensively was in a losing spot.

The Phillies finally scored in the top of the eighth as pinch hitter Eric Bruntlett slammed a solo home run off of David Price. Carlos Ruiz scored in the ninth as he led off the inning with a double, Jayson Werth knocked him in with what was scored an error on the Rays third sacker. Jimmy Rollins was hit by a pitch in the ninth but the home plate umpire missed the call which hurt as he would eventually fly out to shortstop. The Phillies can attribute this loss to too many squandered chances, hopefully in game three things turn around.

Carlos Ruiz had a very good game offensively as he belted two doubles down the left field line and also worked two walks.

Chatter

I believe there is a major adjustment for hitters in thier first at bats in the Dome that the Rays play in regarding the hitting background, the reason I say that is Phillies contact hitters like Greg Dobbs looked feeble in early swings almost as if they did not see the ball! I know that the Rays have some great young hurlers but I don’t believe that hitters that normally make contact would look so bad on thier hacks! The series shifts to Philadelphia for game 3, rain is forecast for Saturday night when the game is scheduled that puts it in doubt of being played, if rained out the series would finish on consecutive nights without a travel date allowance. Might actually be an advantage for the Fightins as Cole Hamels could go in game four on four days rest or in game 5 with an extra day of rest. He seems to thrive on the extra day off.

B.J. Upton dogged running out a ground ball again in the seventh inning as he hit into a 6-4-3 double play, the young man has alot of talent but needs to get the cadilac image out of his head!

With the division won yesterday the final game of the regular season became one that allowed skipper Charlie Manuel to rest his core players and play callups and reserves.  Kyle Kendrick was given the start and he pitched four innings but had similiar struggles as he displayed during the stretch drive.  Kendrick gave up three runs on four hits while walking one.

The Phillies bats though stayed hot as rookie catcher Lou Marson, the Phillies minor league player of the year,  collected his first big league hit in his first at bat in the game and later belted his first major league home run.  It is expected that Marson will make a strong push to make the ballclub next spring.  So Taguchi had a good game out of the leadoff spot as he had three hits.  Eric Bruntlett and Tadahito Iguchi also had two hit game.  The Phillies prevailed by an 8 to 3 count capped off by a pinch home run by Matt Stairs.  Les Walrond got the win in relief.  The Fighins finished the season with a record of 92 wins and 70 losses.

Chatter

Kendrick will be sent to Clearwater, Florida to work at the spring training complex.  He will not be on the initial playoff roster but as needs arise may be added later.  Management must decide who they are going to place on the playoff roster as the NLDS will start on Wednesday.  The Milwaukee Brewers will be in town Wednesday to kick off the best of five series, their ace C.C. Sabbathia threw today in the clincher so he will not be available till at the earliest the second game.  Cole Hamels will take the ball for the Phillies, lets hope he does not psyche himself out like he did last year. 

Great time to be a Phillies fan!  Sure hope our team stays fired up and approaches the playoffs to win, team members admit that last year they were pretty happy to just make it, this year there is an urgency to do some damage!

Prior to the beginning of the game the Fightins already knew that the “streakin” Mets had won their game played earlier in the day and had swept the Brewers series so once again the importance of winning the game at hand was magnified.   Ryan Howard got the team started on the right track as he blasted a two run home run to center field in the first inning.  Chase Utley scored in front of Howard, Utley was drilled by a pitch in his at bat which prompted plate umpire Brian Gorman to immediately issue a warning to Nats pitcher Odalis Perez and both benches.  Inferred was that the HBP was for the play at the plate the night before where Utley slammed into the Nats catcher. 

Phils starter Joe Blanton gave the lead right back though in the bottom of the first as Washington scored two runs of their own.   In the Phillies third Jimmy Rollins singled and was plated by a triple to center field by Chase Utley to put the Phillies back ahead by one.  That lead held up till the Nationals fifth……… when

Blanton continued to show us nothing in regards to proving he can step up as a winner when he walked the bases loaded to start the fifth and a very angry  Charlie Manuel came and got him in favor of Ryan Madson.  A  ”lack of guts” was shown by two of our starters in this series and Charlie’s body language clearly showed his displeasure with the approach taken by the big right hander in this one!   The Nationals then took the lead on fielding blunders by the Phils; first a ground ball hit to first baseman Howard where he double clutched on the throw and instead of coming home immediately to cut off the tieing run he soft tossed the ball to second base which also took away any chance of a double play !  Elijah Dukes then hit a sure fire double play to third base but  Chase Utley took the throw in front of the bag and was taken out of the DP turn by the sliding Lastings Milledge.  The Nationals scored two runs on just one base hit!  Sorry, sorry,sorry  half inning of play by the good guys!

Jayson Werth led off the Fightin’s sixth inning with a single and scored ahead of Ryan Howard’s 39th home run of the season as Howard blasted the ball over the right center field wall.  Howard, like the Mets 1st sacker Carlos Delgado, can be a butcher in the field but can erase mistakes with the way he swings the bat!  Washington changed pitchers and the Phillies allowed reliever Jesus Colome to get out of the inning on three pitches, one each to the next three batters!   Ryan Madson showed some moxy by striking out the side in the Nationals sixth inning. 

Ryan Zimmerman tied the game in the Nats seventh with a solo home run hit off of Chad Durbin.  Durbin got hammered in the eighth inning as he gave up three hard singles, the key blow delivered by pinch hitter Ronnie Belliard that put the Nationals ahead.  J.C. Romero came in and walked the first hitter he faced, the immortal Emilio Bonifacio, to load the bases.  Christian Guzman then belted a bases clearing double to put the game away.  Washington batted around in the inning.   The Phillies scored two in the ninth but it was not enough……..FInal count 9 to 7 Washington.

The loss left the Phillies on the outside looking in regards to the playoff chase as they now trail the New York Mets by three full games in the division race and are four and 1/2 behind Milwaukee in the Wild Card chase.  This series loss was a major blow and puts the team in a corner that they will either battle out of or go down for the count from.  They head to New York with their tail between their legs, time to see what the boys are made of.

Chatter

Shane Victorino was given the start off as Jayson Werth started in center field and Eric Bruntlett got the start in right field.  VIctorino has been scuffling a bit lately so Charlie gave him a rest at the beginning albeit Victorino did get in later as a pinch hitter and defensive replacement.  Cole Hamels will start Sunday in the series finale against the Mets as Kyle Kendrick will be skipped this turn in the rotation.    The Phillies must take it to the Mets this weekend in New York, winnng the series is an absolute and a series loss would be devasting in regards to any playoff hopes.  I personally do not think the Mets are that good a ballclub but somehow they continue to win games and show no signs of letting up, if the Fightins are to make the playoffs they must take care of business themselves in these last three head to head contests.  It is make or break time !  Just a note of comparison…….. last year in September  the Mets were coming off a sweep and an offday when they faced the Phillies in a series at Shea and were swept by the Fightins!  As Yogi would say I sure hope it is “dejavu all over again”  this go round.

Question

How many of you value watching the opening day game for the Eagles on Sunday higher than the Mets Phillies contest ? 

Jose Reyes is a hot dog but he is a very talented player as well.  Reyes led off the game with a triple off of Phillies starter Jamie Moyer and scored on a single by Damien Easley.  Easley scored the second run of the initial Mets at bat as Fernando Tatis singled him in.  The Phillies put two runners on with one out in their half of the first but Mets starter Pedro Martinez struck out Ryan Howard on three pitches and then also k’d Shane Victorino.   Damien Easley extended the New York lead in the second inning as he belted a solo home run to left center field with two outs.

The Mets busted the game open in the third inning as Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado got back to back singles and then Fernando Tatis belted a three run home run.  Tatis skipped across the plate when he crossed it, someone is gonna get this hot dog somewhere down the road, not wise to show up opponents!   The key to the Mets success against Moyer was the approach, they laid off pitches out of the zone and forced Moyer to come in when behind in the count and then pounded him.   Even Pedro Martinez got a hit in his second at bat!  Moyer gave up six earned runs and nine hits in the three innings he worked.  He was lifted for a pinch hitter in the Phillies third at bat.

Damien Easley tripled to lead off the Mets fourth and scored the seventh New York run when David Wright grounded out to second base.  Despite being down six runs the Phillies did not play the infield in and conceded the run.  The Phillies scored a run in the bottom of the fourth as Pedro Feliz hit a sacrifice fly to center field to knock in Victorino.

Relief pitcher Clay Condrey started the Phillies fifth as he doubled down the left field line, it was Condrey’s first career extra base hit and only his third hit ever!  Jimmy Rollins then belted a Martinez hanging curve into the right field seats to plate two for the Fightins.  Chase Utley followed by drawing a walk, Ryan Howard then hit a  bomb to left field to score Utley ahead of him and make the count 7 to 5. 

The Mets loaded the bases in the sixth inning with one out but Scott Eyre was able to get Carlos Delgado to ground into a double play without allowing a score!  The two teams had already played for 2 and 1/2 hours by the middle of the sixth inning!  Pedro was pulled after five as Mets skipper Jerry Manuel went to his bullpen, first call Brian Stokes.  Jimmy Rollins singled with two outs in the sixth inning which marked the ninth consecutive plate appearance where he reached base! 

Stokes threw two shutout innings for New York and was replaced by Duaner Sanchez in the eighth. Sanchez only got one out before yielding a single to Carlos Ruiz and was lifted in favor of Pedro Feliciano.  Chris Coste greeted Feliciano with a single and Jimmy Rollins then singled to right field to score Ruiz.  Nobody booed Rollins as he reached base for the 10th consecutive time going 5 for 5 in the contest!  Feliciano did strike out Chase Utley with runners on first and third to temporarily keep the Phillies at bay.  Jerry Manuel then brought in Joe Smith to face Pat Burrell.  Smith got Burrell to fly out to left field to end the inning.

Brad Lidge pitched the ninth and buzzed Fernando Tatis with a fastball before striking him out on two low and away sliders.  Message served.  Eric Bruntlett smoked a pinch hit double with two outs in the Phillies ninth and scored Jayson Werth who had singled earlier in the inning to tie the game!  The Mets bullpen once again blew a save opportunity!  Jose Reyes saved a ninth inning loss for the Mets by making a diving stop on a grounder up the middle to throw out Ruiz and send the contest to extra frames.

This was a great game to watch but I thought it would never end!  As the stroke of midnight came and wenth the two teams had played over five hours!  Shane Victorino led off the 13th inning with a triple down the right field line to force the Mets hand.  They walked the next two hitters to load the bases.  Brett Myers was used as a pinch hitter for Rudy Seanez and was obviously told to not swing as he watched six pitches in striking out.  Chris Coste smoked a liner to center, his fourth hit of the game to score Victorino with the game winner !

Chatter

The Phillies offense struggles with pitchers who feature off speed pitches as their primary, Pedro at one point in the game sat down seven consecutive hitters spotting an 84 to 88 mph fastball but mostly working on changeups.  Jimmy Rollins was the only Phillie to solve him early as he had two hits in his first two at bats.  Pedro had five strikouts thru three innings and never broke 90 mph!  They did get to him in the fifth as they forced him to come up in the zone by laying off pitches and putting him in fastball counts.   Both these teams can hit but it sure is a chess match as to how!

The game was once again sold out, the 44th time this season which ties a Phillies club record. Carlos Ruiz made his major league debut at third base in the ninth inning as the Phillies saved Eric Bruntlett to pinch hit in the home ninth, made Charlie look like a genius, Bruntlett then played third base in the extra innings!  The Phillies carry twelve pitchers on the roster and many times are caught short with position players in late innings.