Like I said, it was a match-up made in heaven. Ubaldo Jimenez never recorded an out in the 3rd. The hard-throwing Jimenez came into the game with a 15-1 record. He threw hard today, too, but not for strikes. The Phillies took advantage and punished him for six runs in the 3rd. The scoring started with a bases-clearing triple by Ryan Howard, his fifth of the season. (Wrap your head around that stat.) He then scored on a bizarre wild pitch. Later in the game Raul Ibanez chipped in with a two-run homer that bounced off the second-deck facing; Jimmy Rollins went 3-5, with three RBI, and Jayson Werth, 2-4 with two walks. Shane Victorino made a spectacular defensive play.
Kyle Kendrick, demoted after his dreadful game in St. Louis on Monday, then recalled after the Moyer injury, pitched seven innings of sturdy baseball, allowing just one run, a solo homer to Ian Stewart, on six hits. His lone walk came in the 7th on a brutally hot day with temps around 100, when he loaded the bases but got out of the jam. When throwing six or more innings in a game, Kendrick is now 25-4 for his career. He is also the recipient of outstanding run support. Final score today: 10-2.
Jose Contreras pitched the 8th and allowed a run. Double-A call-up Vance Worley pitched the 9th for his major league debut. He had a 1-2-3 inning. After the game he was assigned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Good news all round.
FOX had the broadcast, with Tim McCarver and Dick Stockton in the booth. It was like old-timers week with the two of them and much funnier and looser than when McCarver is with Buck, when he seems to be trying too hard. Stockton was a much better foil for him. Or maybe it was that they sounded like two old guys gassing about things. At one point McCarver brought up the t-shirt that a Phillie fan had sent Jim Tracy after the silliness with the binoculars out in Colorado in May. Tracy had it in his office at the park today and told McCarver he takes it with him all over the league. It was of course the Zoo With Roy shirt: "We have *84 home game *tasers *Roy Halladay *your signs". Classic.
