Cole Hamels pitched pretty well yesterday but Tim Lincecum was better, albeit somewhat aided by a jumpy Phillies' line-up. Hamels struck out 10, but left after the 6th, having given up four runs. Lincecum struck out 11; the only run he gave up was an oppo to Howard. Walking Shane Victorino, though, with one out in the 9th was cause for manager Bruce Bochy to pull the plug on Timmy. In came closer Brian Wilson, a guy who seriously needs a new hair-do. With two outs and the bases loaded, "who else but" Jayson Werth had a tremendous at-bat, running the count full and fouling off pitches before hitting a double down the right field line. Well, actually just on the line. Three runs scored and the game was, improbably, tied. When Rule 5 guy David Herndon came in to pitch the bottom of the 9th, I confess that, much as I like Herndon, I had little faith. But Herndon got out of the inning, giving up just one hit. In the 10th, the Phillies too had one hit but Brian Schneider, part of a double switch, scored the go-ahead run on a two-out passed ball/wild pitch.
When the camera panned to Ryan Madson warming up in the bullpen, screaming symmetry reared its awful head. This nine-game road trip had, after all, started with a Madson blown save that ended in a loss to the Braves. And yes, soon enough the Giants had tied the game at five, but Madson did hold them to just that.
On to the 11th and some more two-out magic. Down to that last out, Wilson Valdez (the old double-switch factor again) stung a ball to the wall in left. Though outfielder Eugenio Velez made a valiant running effort, it went for an RBI double. Then Shane Victorino lifted a soft fly to left. This time Velez nonchalanted it--and the ball glanced off his glove. If you were a Phillies' fan, you could hear Jamie Moyer leading the chorus: two hands, two hands! Anyway, Victorino scored on the error to make it 7-5.
More drama came in the bottom of the frame, when journeyman starter Nelson Figueroa came in to close. Gulp. Figueroa gave up one RBI. Juan Uribe was then thrown out at the plate on a tremendous defensive play by Brian Schneider, who snagged a high throw by Howard, wheeled, fell stretched out to home, and just covered the plate with his glove. Uribe slid into home, hitting the glove, with ball, before the plate. Out! Schierholtz, at 2nd, inexplicably did not advance on the play. But Figueroa got Velez to ground out to Utley to end it and the Phillies won a much-needed game 7-6.
If you were at the park yesterday, you got two for the price of one. The first eight innings were well-pitched and sped by in two hours. The next three were a day at the circus, with all kinds of weird things going on. Consider that the Phillies had three unlikely heroes, all bench guys: Schneider, Valdez, and Figueroa. If not for the injuries to Rollins and Happ, Valdez and Figueroa would not even be on the team.
Chase Utley had his 1000th hit, a single in the 9th. Congratulations to the guy who is the best.
