It was all about the pitching last night. Oh yes, and the bats. Joe Blanton, dissed bigtime by one and all, was again masterful, going six and giving up just two runs on four hits. Jimmy Rollins started off the first with a double, then the Phillies loaded the bases on another bungled call. This one, at third, went in favor of the Phillies. But with the bases loaded they were able only to push across one run on a Pat Burrell walk.Rays' starter Andy Sonnanstine looked tentative from the get-go. Like Garza the night before he seemed a bit overwhelmed. So was the Rays' defense. And the Phillies' bats made them pay. In the 4th, Ryan Howard went to left with a three-run homer to the Phils up 5-1. Blanton gave up a solo shot to pinch-hitter Eric Hinske, activated that day to take the place of the injured Cliff Floyd. But in the bottom of the inning, Blanton laced a ball into the left field stands for the first home run of his major league career and only his second hit of the season. Way to go, Joe! If the crowd Saturday night was electric, last night's crowd, as seen on TV, was electrifying.
So was Ryan Madson, who dispatched the heart of the Rays order in the 8th. The hometown boys then again went to work. Jayson Werth hit a 2-run homer left and Ryan Howard, yes, he's hot, hit a mammoth shot to right to tack on two more runs. J.C. Romero finished things off in the 9th. Final score: Phillies 10, Rays 2. Manager Joe Maddon looked tired and perturbed from the first inning. Several Rays' players were shown shivering in the dugout---and it was only in the 50's. The Phillies by contrast were hot, are hot.
Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena are now 0 for 29, with 15 strikeouts. Much has been made by the media about the Phillies' numbers with RISP, but less about the fact that the Rays have been hitting about .189 as a team. It has been the Phillies pitching that has showed up bigtime throughout the series and throughout the postseason. As they did throughout much of the season, the pitchers have carried the team. It's great too to hear each one credit Carlos Ruiz for his play behind the plate. And Joe Blanton is an instant hometown hero. When he hit that homer, I laughed for about two minutes. And laughed again this morning thinking about it.
It's all on Cole Hamels this evening in game 5. Tonight, on another night of iffy weather, it's Hamels vs. Kazmir.
