The Phillies won their sixth straight game on Friday night, taking down the Boston Red Sox 6-4. The team jumped out to an early 4-0 lead, and tacked on two runs later in the game to preserve the win.
- Major League Baseball couldn’t ask for a more dramatic start to the series, a tight game featuring a save opportunity for Jonathan Papelbon against his former ballclub.
- Although Papelbon got a little help from a blown call, he still finished off his former teammates to earn his 12th save of the season.
- Another fine start by Cole Hamels. The lefthander went seven innings, allowing three runs on six hits, striking out nine. The only downside to his outing was that he did give up two homeruns.
- Give it up for Carlos Ruiz. Ever since he’s been moved the five-hole, the offense has been much more effective. Chooch drove in two more runs tonight, giving him a total of six RBI’s and eight hits in the last three games.
- If Ruiz keeps producing in the five-hole, would the Phillies consider keeping him there even after Ryan Howard and Chase Utley return? It isn’t ridiculous to picture the team batting Jimmy Rollins first, Utley second, Hunter Pence third, Howard fourth, and Ruiz fifth.
- It’s time to stop handing the ball to Chad Qualls in the eighth inning. He’s a better pitcher than what he’s shown in the last few weeks, but right now his confidence is shot, and he just doesn’t have a lot to offer. The reliever allowed Boston to pull within one run by giving up a solo homer to the first batter he faced.
- The good news out of the bullpen (other than Papelbon) was Antonio Bastardo, who recorded to final out of the eighth inning. He now has not allowed a run in his last 10 performances, and is slowly recapturing his effectiveness from a year ago. The Phillies need him to step up, and establish a firm hold as the primary setup man.
- Give credit to Rollins and Shane Victorino tonight. Both showed rare discipline at the plate tonight, working out a total of four walks, including two in the first inning, which helped set up a two-run single by Ruiz.
- Cody Ross is just one of those guys that seems to be a lock to cause the Phillies some kind of problem anytime he faces them. The outfielder, notorious for his strong series against the team in the 2010 NLCS, hit a solo homerun tonight.
Cngrats to the Phils for stayign with it and winning the game tonight..
This was a type of game they have been losing ealier in the Season and getting this Bullpen straightened out is the key to protecting their leads..
Phils are 1-0 in the 23 game Sequence that started tonight and ends with the Baltimore Orioles in Early June.. If the Phils can go 15-8 or better over the next 23 games, they will have righted the ship and will be poised for a strong 2nd Half as they usually have..
Check your schedules fans, over these next 23 games, Phils will be facing the Red Sox,Nationals,Cardinals,Mets,Marlins,Dodgers and Orioles will tell us all how good this Phillie Team can be and how good they actually are..
The time is now, and the Phils are getting hot at the right time…
Paulman — shutup. They’re doing all this without their big boppers. Utley and Howard will be back in a month or so and it’s going to be on and popping then!
6 game winning streak —Go PHIGHTING PHILS — I watched the Sixers/Celtics game and the only play I saw was Pence’s homerun — but I’m on the Paulman 23 game plan hoping to move up the standings
Michael Jordon played under super star rules – no one was allowed to block a MJ shot or steal the ball from MJ, it was an automatic foul —Scottie Pippen would end the game with lumps on his head because the Pistons did not dare put a pinky on MJ but drove Pippen into the ground — the refs did everything humanly possible to set MJ up to be a hero in the last 10 seconds of the game and he delivery which is why people call him the greatest player but he did not dominate the game like Wilt
sorry Denny Basens I didn’t mean to purposely post that basketball post on your article
Just for the record for those who infrequently visit here, paulman who now praises phils called them out as not winning division, not making playoffs, calling for Manuel and amaro to be fired, picked the nationals to win division and phils in third, paulman has zero cred
Jakeman,
Can’t I praise the Phils for when they are playing well.. I am fan like everyone else.. These next 3 weeks are going to be telling on whether they can get over the hump to position themselves for a 2nd Half Season of meaningful baseball… I am pulling for them for they are my hometown Team even though they have many deficiences which have been talked about in depth over and over.. They are playing well right now so let’s keep it going.. Do I think they win 90-95 games and win the Division, no I do not, but I am going to root them on to do so.. I like how they are playing as everyone else does, so congrats to them … I told everyone that I am putting away my Debbie Downer Hat and will show my support for the home team Phils..
good, let’s keep it that way even when they inevitably sputter now and then, its a long season
I still don’t like how this Roster was put together this past off-season by GM Amaro and believe they missed a golden opportujity to solidify the next few seasons with better,younger players and especially when they had big $$$ in players salaries with Oswalt,Ibanez,Lidge, Madson,Francisco,Gload all coming off the books which was about $45 million totaled up…
The way the Hamels situation was handled pisses me off too, I don’t really like the way this Phillie Franchise is positioned in the future with big contracts committed to Howard,Utley, Rollins again and will have difficult decisions to make again after 2012 concerning Hamels,Victoriino and Pence and don’t forget that Ruiz is underpaid and has been for a while now also..
Phils are now 1-1 for this critical stretch of 23 Games beginning with the Red Sox Series, Let’s see how they do now that they will be playing against better teams with more potent line-ups that the Cubs,Astros & Padres.. The Bullpen
will make or break this Team during this stretch and anythink less than a 14-9 Record over these 23 games, will not bode well for winning another NL East Crown in my opinion…
“phils are now 1-1” after two with sox, paulman from the sarge school of broadcasting
I will continue to call it like it is.. Phils Pitchers have given up 7-8 Home Runs
the last 2 games and upcoming Teams they play over these 23 games (Cardinals,Dodgers,Marlins,Orioles,Nats can all hit the long-ball) so it’s something to keep an eye on…