The Phillies opened up their series with the worst team in the National League and calmly dispatched them with a solid all-around showing, winning game one of the series, 7-3.
WORLEY NOT BAD
-The line: 6 innings, 6 hits, 3 runs (all earned), 2 walks, 9 strikeouts (93 pitches/58 strikes). Overall a very good outing.
-His trouble spot came in the fourth inning when he gave up two runs on a walk and three singles. He got out of it after a Ty Wigginton error loaded the bases, which could have cost him the lead. Worley induced an inning-ending double-play.
-Worley allowed another run in the sixth as Yonder Alonso blasted a shot off the Budweiser sign in right field to make it 4-3, Phillies. After a one out single, Worley got Nick Hundley to ground into a twin-killing. Minimizing the damage was crucial.
BULLPEN NICE
-Antonio Bastardo allowed a walk to the first batter he faced, but calmly retired the next five in succession, including three straight strikeouts in the eighth inning. Man, they needed that.
-Chad Qualls came in with a four run lead in the ninth and allowed just a double while fanning two. Before the game he said he was completely healthy and it appeared he wasn’t lying. A nice night for the bullpen.
HOT CHOOCH
-Man, is Carlos Ruiz on fire or what? The dude cannot be stopped right now. He hit another home run and drew a walk in the sixth. His numbers right now are staggering: .340, 6 HR, 22 RBI, 7 BB, 10 K, .977 OPS.
-His RBI single in the seventh was beautiful. Chooch calmly poked it to right field, with the moral of that story being that he didn’t try to do to much.
-Vote for this guy for all-star, will ya?
MAYBERRY FREE
-John Mayberry finally stepping up, huh? That’s nice to see. JMJ has been pretty awful so far this year, but stepped up big on Friday night slamming a two-run home run and knocking in another run with a single in the seventh. Let’s hope this is the first step to busting out big.
PENCE AT-BATS
-I hate to be a downer on an otherwise positive night, but too many runs were left on the bases. Hunter Pence began the night with two brutal at-bats. He might be the only power threat the Phillies have in this order, but it doesn’t make it any less frustrating when he hacks and hacks early. In the third inning, with runners at second and third base, Pence swung through three straight pitches. The third one was a ripper that he was trying to place in the stands. Instead of going the other way and attempting to place the ball, he just went hacking.
-In the fifth inning, he again swung at the first pitch with runners on first and third with one out, fouling it off. The second pitch he – you guessed it – swung, and softly chopped one back to the pitcher for the second out. Two awful at-bats from Pence with two runners on each time.
-What happened to preaching patience? Hell, Charlie Manuel just reamed the team out in a closed-door meeting because the team isn’t performing to their high standards. It’s at-bats like these that are causing the team harm.
NOTES
-Roy Halladay and Edinson Volquez go at it tomorrow night at 7:05.
