Vance Worley picked up where Cole Hamels left off, pitching another six solid innings Wednesday night and contributing a timely single that keyed the offense. Worley allowed just one run on four hits, while striking out seven. He left with the score 7-1, but Danys Baez gave up some runs in the 9th. Final score: 7-4. Raul Ibanez continued hitting. See: homer deep to right.
Last night Roy Halladay finished off the sweep of the Nationals, facing John Lannan. A six-run third, led by Jimmy Rollins, sent Lannan packing. Raul Ibanez hit some more. Maybe he just needed a Natty dose to come out of his slump. His most dramatic hit last night was a second-deck solo homer (yes, another home run) to right. Halladay went seven, a slow night for him. Final score: 7-3. With that, the Phillies swept out the Nationals and now welcome in the Braves.
During the game I switched at one point to the Nats' radio coverage and caught the two announcers discussing a Halladay fan group wearing hospital gowns over their clothes. Last night, in honor of Cinco de Mayo, they were also wearing sombreros and their banner was in Spanish: Los pacientes de Doc. What does it mean, queried one announcer. Must mean Doc's strikeouts, opined the other. Later, when Halladay got a strike-out and the group started chest-bumping, the announcers chimed in again about another 'pacientes' for him. The group is, of course, 'Doc's patients'. But I've often found the Nat announcers to be a step behind.
