The Phillies were down for most of today’s game against the Pirates, but a dark horse infielder made the Buccos pay with a 9th inning homer. The Phils won 5-4.
Casey Smith went 2-3 with the homer. At 28, he’s more likely depth for AAA Allentown, but hey, you never know. Among regulars, Shane Victorino hit a triple that was almost an inside-the-park home run. Something tells me he’ll fill Rowand’s void in center field just fine.
Pitching-wise, it was a mixed bag, for sure. JD Durbin did himself no favors, allowing two runs and five hits in two innings. Shane Youman, a left-hander battling for a bullpen spot, did horribly, walking four in one inning. But Gary Knotts grabbed the win with two scoreless innings, and JA Happ showed promise with a scoreless two frames. And Joe Bisenius also performed well, putting up the same line as Happ.
What we got out of this game:
- JA Happ and Joe Bisenius are the youngsters in the lead.
- Casey Smith is a nice addition for the deepest part of the infield depth chart.
- JD Durbin can’t stumble much more than he already has.
- Shane Youman shows the need for better bullpen help was essential.
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