Rookie J.A. Happ, at the center last week of swirling trade rumors, threw the second complete game shut-out of his career, holding the Rockies to four hits, striking out 10 (nine swinging), and walking two. He threw 127 pitches, and his manager thought he could have thrown more. Said Charlie, "He showed me he wanted to stay in the rotation." Happ is now 8-2 on the year.
Everyone in the line-up, including Happ, had at least one hit in the 7-0 win. Happ got his, a sharp double over the head of Rockies' center fielder Dexter Fowler, in the bottom of the 8th, after coming out to the plate to a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 45,000+. It was very cool.
In Reading, meanwhile, Pedro Martinez was also pitching in front of a sellout crowd, of some 10,000. Martinez went six innings, striking out 11 and giving up three runs. Hot prospect Domonic Brown had his first home run at Double-A. As I write, the R-Phils are up 8-4.
Ruben Amaro Jr. and Charlie Manuel now face some very tough, sticky decisions about the rotation. Who exactly is the odd man out?
