The ootton candy guy is always busy at First Energy Stadium, because there are always lots and lots of children in the park. Same could be said for Coca-Cola Park in Allentown and Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. In Reading yesteday afternoon righty Phillippe Aumont overpowered the Richmond Flying Squirrels with a steady diet of fastballs. Aumont went six strong innings, giving up two walks and striking out four. He allowed no runs. Chance Chapman and Michael Schwimer finished the 2-0 shutout. Chapman allowed the only hit that Richmond had all game. Aumont looks like a wreck out on the mound but yesterday he also looked aggressive and in control.
In Phoenix, Kyle Kendrick did the dive in five, giving up hits and homers to give the D'backs a 5-3 lead. They later lost it briefly but came back again in the 7th on Joan, I mean, Danys Baez. David Herndon proved in the eighth that he can be hit around with the best of them in the 8-6 Arizona win. That means the Phillies lost two of three in games started by Kris Benson, Ian Kennedy, and Rodrigo Lopez--not to mention the awful Arizona bullpen. On to San Francisco, where the pitching gets tougher. I miss Roy Halladay tonight but maybe it's just as well I couldn't make the San Francisco trip this year.
