Over the years, the Phillies have taught us to never give up on them. We may not always listen, but even if they are down 5-0, they are capable of a big comeback.
Good start. Bad start. Good start. Bad start. That has been the pattern for Cole Hamels and Ross Ohlendorf. If the pattern continued, Hamels was due for a bad start, and the opposite for Ohlendorf. That was exactly what happened.
The Pirates took a 5-0 lead on home runs by Garrett Jones, Delwyn Young, and Andrew McCutchen. Cole Hamels’ line: 6 innings, 7 hits, five earned runs, no walks, six strikeouts. The long balls hurt him.
The Phillies didn’t get to Ohlendorf until the sixth inning. In his first start since coming off the disabled list, Raul Ibanez’s RBI double put the Phillies on the board. Greg Dobbs’ sacrifice fly and Paul Bako’s RBI single made it a 5-3 game. Ohlendorf’s line: 5.2 innings, five hits, three earned runs, four walks, five strikeouts.
The bullpen was not able to have a “shutdown inning” in the seventh. Chad Durbin loaded the bases (with the help of few mental mistakes by third basemen Dobbs), and Scott Eyre could not clean up his mess. The Pirates extended their lead, 7-3.
Trailing in the ninth, the Phillies had no chance against Matt Capps. It would take a miracle. Matt Stairs hit a meaningless home run. 7-4. But was it? The rally caps broke out and the fans rose to their feet. They didn’t sit for the remainder of the game.
Jimmy Rollins walked and Chase Utley singled. With one out and two on, Ryan Howard gave us all a preview of the Home Run Derby. His three-run home run tied the game at seven.
Ibanez followed with a double and Pedro Feliz singled. With the bases loaded and one out, Bako was due up, with Stairs on-deck. It was time for Bako to show why the Phillies kept him on the roster. Bako’s walk-off single scored Ibanez to cap off an unbelievable five-run ninth inning.
Bako was deservedly mobbed at first base by his teammates. The 8-7 come-from-behind win once again proved why to never give up on the Phightin’ Phils. Will Pittsburgh’s announcer be walking home tonight?
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