Rauuuul! Fifth Homer Completes Comeback
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Sun, April 19, 2009 04:25 PM | Comments: 37
2009 Recaps, Posts
In the third inning, a ball struck by Edgar Gonzalez to Raul Ibanez faded quickly to the grass. Ibanez dove to make a great play — instead, the ball got through and rolled to the wall, scoring a runner and allowing a triple. That run would score, costing Ibanez two runs.He got them back.
The new left fielder struck a game-winning two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth. The Phils won on a great comeback, 5-4. Ibanez leads the team with five home runs in 11 games.
The Phils comeback started with a two-run Chase Utley home run. It continued with a pinch-hit homer from Jimmy Rollins, who was sitting because of his paltry offensive output to start the season. Somehow it came together, and finally. Moreover, pitching was much better, as Chan Ho Park gave up four runs in five innings (he battled, but he wasn’t as bad as his line indicated), and the collection of JA Happ (3 IP, 3 H) and Clay Condrey (IP, H, W) kept things close.
Close enough for Ibanez to completely redeem himself.
Posts: 1650 Tim Malcolm
Before I get any comments on this, it’s five homers by Ibanez. I’m trying to edit it, but I’m under a tree in a park.
Posted: 04:31 PM on April 19, 2009
Posts: 0 Greg V.
Upon losing Burrell, Ibanez had to prove himself and boy is he ever! What a phenominal comeback!
Posted: 04:38 PM on April 19, 2009
Posts: 0 Al in Seattle
Mariners fan here. Glad to see Raul is having great success in Philly (along with coming up in the clutch today). hope you guys win the NL again and beat the pants out of the Mets (can’t stand them). Anyways, great win and good luck with the rest of the season. I’ve got a lot of respect for the Phils.
Posted: 04:42 PM on April 19, 2009
Posts: 0 PhanIN
WOW!!! Thank you Raul! Hopefully this will spark a run of 5-6 games. Utley has been great as well, with his key homeruns over the past couple games. Good to see J-Roll getting a hit (a homer) too. Lets get a win tomorrow and split the series. I feel a lot better about things after this afternoon.
Posted: 04:42 PM on April 19, 2009
Posts: 0 Jason G
Once he got up to the plate, I knew he had to be thinking “time to get those 2 runs back!”.. and once he hit that, I couldn’t help but just say “good thing we got him!”
Posted: 04:51 PM on April 19, 2009
Posts: 0 Brian of CO
“Outta here”… Everyone is entitled to make a mistake. Raul has had one HELL OF A YEAR honestly. He made a mistake and redeemed himself all in the same day (hence the outta here). I am VERY pleased with the production of Ibanez and Utley has been steadily improving back to last years Utley, which is a very good thing. Maybe sitting Rollins was the best thing for him and the team, because he has been horrible this season so far. This team did just fine last year (obviously) and it just seems they tried to change things, whether losing weight, or changing timing. If it ait broke dont fix it. We werent broke, why fix it.
Posted: 05:13 PM on April 19, 2009
Posts: 0 shag beta sigma delta
Almost didn’t want to look at this today at work have the game on dvr at home I hate working sundays. But i Regress, Looks like Stairs did ok in outfield, and it is nice to see rollins not pouting cause he was sat. I think this will pick him up and get him on a jroll, (ok that is a bad one) and Park line isn’t great but four runs is ok with me until he gets comfortable pitching in phila. Also looks like JA did a good job out of the pen, maybe Charlie will try him again soon, Nice win. I always like the Raul signing, he is a RBI machine, and looks like he likes hitting at the Bank. He may hit 30hr and will definatly drive in 100 runs. He has made some good plays in the outfield so far this year, looking forward now to watching the game tonight on dvr. So far this MLB exra innings thing here in Vermont is working out I love getting to see the entire game. Let win a few in a row now.
Posted: 05:42 PM on April 19, 2009
Posts: 0 Manny
RAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUULLLLL!!!
Posted: 05:53 PM on April 19, 2009
Posts: 0 Gavin
I’ve been impressed with Ibanez since ST. he’s a high intensity professional hitter. Our kinda guy.
Of the Raul topic….I’d like to see them give Happ a shot at starting. He couldnt be worse than what we’ve had so far. Phils are on pace to give up 400 HR this year. Hard to believe….
Posted: 06:13 PM on April 19, 2009
Posts: 0 Gavin
I’d like to make a suggestion for the website.
It would be cool to have a “Harry the K” award. It would be given to the biggest “bright spot” of the game. Harry was the type of guy who always found something positive with how the Phils were playing.
ex. the Phils lose 8-5 to the monks, but Ryan Howard hit an oppo HR, etc.
Just a thought.
Posted: 06:16 PM on April 19, 2009
Posts: 0 ryan
Ibanez is such a major upgrade over Burrell. its not even close
Posted: 06:23 PM on April 19, 2009
Posts: 0 CT
Ibanez – clutch. although Pat will be missed, Raul is definitely and upgrade. the way he speeds around on the bases, the way he hustles to make catches, and his clutch hitting are leaps and bounds better than what Pat would be able to do at this point in his career.
Let’s not forget about Ryan Howard here. if he keeps up his defensive abilities, he’s on pace to earn himself a golden glove at first base.
still worried about our rotation though. and even our bullpen. pitching needs to get fixed somehow, because we can’t come from behind every game like this.
Posted: 06:35 PM on April 19, 2009
Posts: 0 cxl72
All the experts in the offseason dumped on the Phils for signing Raul. Who would have guessed the pitching would fail them so thoroughly through 2 weeks. Plenty of time left for the pitching to right itself.
Posted: 06:40 PM on April 19, 2009
Posts: 0 Chuck P
Hey guys… listened to the entire game on the way home from NJ stuck on the 42 freeway so I have some things to say.
First, J-Roll might be ready to rock. He has responded well to getting benched in the past and this is the type of humbling/ego-boosting experience that could get J-Roll going. I think that the WBC success got to his head… in a way, this benching/pinch hit HR is a wake-up call and a boost to his confidence.
Second, Raul is the type of guy that is going to give everything he’s got and that’s why he is (and always has been) the right guy for this team… sometimes he’s going to miss in a big way but he’s a professional and he’s a great teammate. He’s going to go all out for balls that he’s not going to get but he’s also going to give us plenty of clutch hits this season. After the game, he got shaving creamed and he took it great, saying in the postgame that he would take one every night and seemed genuinely laughable about it. Some veterans don’t handle it that way. Also, he didn’t want to talk about himself AT ALL. He spent most of the time talking about Howard’s at bat and how important that was. He also spoke very respectfully about Howard. I’m happy that he’s a part of this team and I hope that he tells everyone in that clubhouse that he came here to win one of those rings and that this year is a new year.
Posted: 07:11 PM on April 19, 2009
Posts: 0 cem
Raaaaoooooooooooooooooooolll !!!!
Posted: 07:31 PM on April 19, 2009
Posts: 0 Phillies Phan SC
Gavin, I second the idea for Harry the K award. OUTSTANDING idea! I also said it to my wife today that Happ should start. I am not sure which starter should be send to the pen right now though. None stand out to be banished to the pen, yet none have sparkled…
Posted: 07:38 PM on April 19, 2009
Posts: 0 Manny
Thanks for your support, Al in Seattle… good luck to the Mariners this year!
Posted: 07:40 PM on April 19, 2009
Posts: 0 Jim D.
Good Job Bob!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted: 08:03 PM on April 19, 2009
Posts: 0 Doug D.
Yep…look at how everybody is on the Rauk bandwagon! I tried to tell everyone before that he will plug the black hole that was Burrell’s spot in the lineup. Great walk-off for Raul!! It made up for (1) missing the ball because he had his sunglasses down on a dark and cloudy day and (2) getting tagged out on that horrible slide into 3rd where he dug his cleats into the ground short of the bag instead of actually hitting the bag with his foot…Speaking of sunglasses, what was Greg Dobbs thinking wearing his to pinch-hit in the 8th? There was no Sun, and the house lights had been on all day…Happ came in and shut ‘em down for 3 innings by throwing strikes. A few more starts like this for Seoul Man and a few more long relief stints like this for JA, we may see a changing of the #5 starter.
Posted: 08:14 PM on April 19, 2009
Posts: 0 Matt
Wow, is anyone watching the Sixers? What a comeback. Marc Zumoff is nuts.
Posted: 08:20 PM on April 19, 2009
Posts: 0 chitown phillyfan
Wow, what a day for Philadelphia…Flyers win, combined with dramatic comeback victories for both Phillies and Sixers!
Posted: 08:24 PM on April 19, 2009
Posts: 0 Grrrumpy Miner
Al……don’t worry,J J Putz is doing fine in the land of Amazin.With him and the addition of K-Rod in our bullpen so far so good.Hear Endy is doing good in Seattle thus far.I hope our trade with youse guys and Cleveland help everybody out. LETS GO METS!
Posted: 08:38 PM on April 19, 2009
Posts: 0 Grrrumpy Miner
After reading this Ibanez lovefest…..I’m just wondering when youse guys are gonna start pondering and blogging “Pat WHO”?
Posted: 08:40 PM on April 19, 2009
Posts: 0 Gavin
Hey Phillies Phan SC….where in SC do you live? I’m in Spartanburg.
Posted: 09:01 PM on April 19, 2009
Posts: 0 Mark
Raul is playing well but calm down brian. one hell of a year is strong after 10 games…
Posted: 09:17 PM on April 19, 2009
Posts: 0 Argive
Al in Seattle:
Seriously, Phillies fans have a lot to thank the Mariners for. Greg Dobbs, Jamie Moyer, Pat Gillick, and so far, Raul Ibanez.
Posted: 10:55 PM on April 19, 2009
Posts: 0 Phil
i also thank the m’s for giving me the opportunity to see a great player play the game for so long…ken griffey jr.
Posted: 11:07 PM on April 19, 2009
Posts: 558 Brian Michael
Raul is a class act and I think has already embraced his new team. When we met him at the Moyer Foundation event in Clearwater, he was the first guy there and last to leave – a great family man and teammate….as long as he keeps hitting!
And yes, Matt, I noticed Zumoff getting a little crazy at the end of the Sixers game too.
Posted: 11:21 PM on April 19, 2009
Posts: 0 jimmy
Pumped to see the phils get a win. But it is disturbing that all the runs came on hrs
Posted: 02:01 AM on April 20, 2009
Posts: 0 Phillies Phan SC
Gavin – Columbia area
Posted: 06:13 AM on April 20, 2009
Posts: 0 Ed
To piggy back off of Gavin’s idea…why not make the Ashburn award for the game’s top hitter and the Harry K for the games top pitching performer? You don’t have to give out both awards for the same game…say Cole throws a CG and they win like 2-0…give the Harry K to Cole and the Ashburn just sits there for a day. Just a tought.
Also…anyone else ready to get Chan Blow out of the rotation and give the spot to Happ and see how he does?
Posted: 07:17 AM on April 20, 2009
Posts: 0 MeatBalls
My wife and I were at the game yesterday: left field Row 1 right on the wall behind the flowers. Killer win! The Phillies needed that one badly and boy did they get it! Very exciting win. Raul Ibanez……….”You are the Man!” (HK RIP)
Posted: 07:45 AM on April 20, 2009
Posts: 0 Chuck P
Park didn’t pitch terribly… if Ibanez doesn’t botch that fly ball, who knows what his line might have looked like. He got up on batters and then nibbled… he put himself into situations where he had to throw strikes after being up in the count. A few of those hits were bloops. I’m not making excuses and Happ pitched well but it’s still a little early to put the brakes on the Seoul Train… I need to see one or two more starts. In any event, it’s nice to have them both around because they will both be motivated to finish the job if the other one falters.
Posted: 08:26 AM on April 20, 2009
Posts: 0 fanman
Thank god Padres have no bullpen….as for Zumoff…wow him and Tmac should drive off a cliff…get them away from the mic…gotta do something, nothing is gonna come close to HK but we need something better in both areas….
Posted: 08:31 AM on April 20, 2009
Posts: 0 reddeath
even if raul played that ball on a hop, i think at least one run is still scoring no matter what. i was at the game and when he charged it i thought he had a shot at it.
Posted: 09:43 AM on April 20, 2009
Posts: 0 Mazinman
What a win for the phightins. Ibanez is a early candidate for best free agent signing this off season.
Posted: 08:12 PM on April 20, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
“Ibanez is a early candidate for best free agent signing this off season.”
Derek Lowe scoffs at you.
Posted: 10:06 PM on April 20, 2009