The Phillies optioned R.J. Swindle to Triple A Lehigh Valley and recalled pitcher Joe Bisenius.  Swindle was ineffective in his short stint with the Phillies.  Bisenius was on the big league roster last season as he made the opening day roster.  Once thought of as a potential closer Bisenius is a hard throwing right hander.  The Phillies were caught short in the bullpen after extended innings were needed both in Friday and Saturday’s games.  Bisenius was available for action on Sunday but was not used. 

Game two of the Arizona series was played as a late afternoon contest so that it could be carried as a regional broadcast on FOX Sports.  Adam Eaton toed the rubber for the Fightins against the Big Unit Randy Johnson.

 The Snakes bit first by scoring two runs in their first at bat as Chad Tracey and Mark Reynolds collected RBI’s.  The Phillies tied the game in the third frame as Shane Victorino blasted a two run home run to the left field seats.

 Things exploded in the fourth inning as Eaton ran into a bout of wildness after two outs. Alex Romero lined a single and Robby Hammock then walked.  Eaton went to 3-2 on mound opponent Randy Johnson before hanging a slider that Johnson smoked down the left field line to score both runners.  Stephen Drew then walked and Conor Jackson lined a double to left scoring Johnson.  Orlando Hudson was issued an intentional walk and then Eaton was lifted in favor of RJ Swindle. It marked the second consecutive short outing for Eaton. Tracey produced two more runs on a broken bat single to center field. Mark Reynolds then blasted a three run home run as Arizona’s tenth hitter in the frame to make the score 10 to 2!  All tolled the D-Backs sent 12 hitters to the plate as they took the eight run lead.

 The Phillies scored two runs in the fifth inning highlighted by Shane Victorino’s second home run of the game.  No more scores occurred and the game ended 10 to 4. 

 Chatter

 Philly fans have lost their patience with Adam Eaton.  Eaton was given a large contract before last season as a free agent acquisition.  He has yet to produce in the blue collar town and has been a consistent target of the “Boo Birds”.  RJ Swindle has been mediocre since getting the call from Triple A.  The soft tossing lefty must be perfect in pitch placement or is subject to being blasted by major league hitters. With the stretch drive looming the Phillies are in need of a steady starter in the rotation along with someone who can pitch at the top.  Perhaps the steady starter is Eaton but he has not shown results thus far.   Eric Bruntlett got the start at second base as manager Charlie Manual gave All-Star Chase Utley the day off against Johnson.

The Phillies opened the last series of play before the All-Star break at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Kyle Kendrick took the hill vs. Doug Davis for Arizona.

Ryan Howard got the scoring started by clubbing his major league leading 28th home run in the second inning to give the Fightins a one run lead. The Diamondbacks answered with the game tying run in the top of the sixth inning as Chad Tracey plated Orlando Hudson.

In the Phillies half of the sixth with two outs Pedro Feliz reached on a walk and advanced to third on a double by Shane Victorino. The struggling Carlos Ruiz came to the plate batting out of the eight hole. Rather than walk Ruiz to get to the pitchers spot Arizona chose to pitch to him. This ended up burning the D-backs as Doug Davis unfurled a wild pitch allowing Feliz to score and Victorino to advance to third. The D-Backs then chose to intentionally walk Ruiz. With pitcher Kyle Kendrick batting the Phillies executed a delayed steal with Ruiz breaking from first, getting caught in a rundown and allowing Victorino to scamper home with the third run!

Arizona took the game lead in the top of the seventh frame as consecutive hits by Miguel Montero, Alex Romero and a double by pinch hitter Emilio Bonifacio plated two runs. Starter Kendrick was lifted in favor of left handed specialist RJ Swindle. Swindle’s task was to get Stephen Drew and keep Bonifacio from scoring. After working an 0-2 count Swindle hung a 55 mph curve ball over the plate and Drew lined it into right field to give Arizona the lead. Chad Durbin then was brought into the game by Manager Charlie Manual and retired the next two hitters to limit the Diamondback lead to 4-3.

The Phillies threatened in the bottom of the seventh with one out as consecutive singles by Jimmy Rollins and Jayson Werth put runners on first and third. Chase Utley then hit a scorched ground ball that looked destined for center field but D-Back second basemen Orlando Hudson made an incredible diving stop, flipped the ball to shortstop Drew at second who then completed the inning ending double play with a throw to first base!

Arizona added another run in the eighth as Montero got his third hit of the game with two outs. Romero then hit a deep drive to center field that Victorino just missed making a spectacular leaping catch of against the fence. He was able to recover in time to throw out Romero via shortstop relay at third base trying to stretch the hit.

The Phillies tied the game in their half of the eighth as a Shane Victorino triple plated Ryan Howard and Eric Bruntlet (pinch running for Pat Burrell who singled). Arizona hurler Tony Pena was able to pitch out of the inning without further damage.

The game advanced to extra innings as the game remained tied at regulation end. The Phillies finally prevailed in the twelfth inning as So Taguchi led off with a single, was sacrificed to second base and scored on a line single to right field by Jayson Werth.

Rudy Seanez gained the win in relief as the Phils used all available position players and all but Ryan Madsen out of the bullpen.

Chatter

Pat Burrell was disappointed by the naming of David Wright instead of him to replace injured Alfonso Soriano on the All-Star team but consider this; it has been sixty years since the Major League home run leader at the break was not on either team. Ryan Howard leads the majors in taters and the N.L. in RBI’s. Howard’s average is below .240 which may have been part of the consideration but truth be told if not robbed of about 20 hits by the infield shift deployed by many teams against him his average would be .290. As it stands Howard came into the game with more RBI’s than hits! The game marked the 29th sellout crowd of the season for attendance.  Mike Cervenak made his major league debut with a pinch hitting appearance in the 11th inning.  He hit a hard line drive to left field but it was caught.