Top Moment #10: Comeback in Los Angeles
For several years in recent history, the Phillies were known for their offense rather than their pitching. The Phillies were in the top ten in runs scored from 2004-2010. For the first time since 2003, the Phillies did not end up as one of MLB’s top ten run-producing teams.
For a change, the Phillies were known for their pitching rather than their offense. So when the 2011 Phillies found themselves in a 5-0 deficit, they were less likely to comeback than they were in 2007, for example. Just because they were less likely doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.
August 10 was a rare bad outing for Vance Worely. He surrendered five runs in the first inning, and a total of six in the four innings he pitched.
It turned out that Chad Billingsley didn’t bring his “A” game either. Hunter Pence put the Phillies back in the game with a two-run shot in the fourth. An inning later, the Phillies tied it.
The Dodgers regained the lead, but the Phillies responded with a huge inning. Chase Utley knocked in two with a single, and Ryan Howard added another two runs with a home run.
The Phillies ended up winning 9-8, but the victory seemed unimaginable when the team was down 5-0. Although the Phillies weren’t known for their offense in 2011, they still had the potential to be very damaging. Beating the Dodgers not only marked an amazing comeback, but it completed an impressive 9-1 roadtrip, one of many hot streaks the 2011 Phillies went on.
