The Philadelphia Phillies won the finale of their series with the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday afternoon 3-2. Their record improves to 21-23.
- Down by two runs in the eighth inning, it seemed as though the Phillies were on their way to their second straight shutout. However, the team rallied for three runs in the final two innings to earn a series victory over the Reds.
- Chase Utley singled home Ben Revere in the eighth to put the team’s first run on the board. Utley finished the game 2-3 with a walk.
- In the bottom of the ninth, Delmon Young led off the inning with a walk. Cliff Lee was put into the game as a pinch-runner, and was picked off of first base. However, Erik Kratz and Freddy Galvis would hit back-to-back solo home runs to give the team the walk-off win.
- Jonathan Pettibone anchored the team with a superb performance, allowing just one earned run over seven innings.
- Justin De Fratus got the call in the eighth inning, and held the Reds scoreless.
- Antonio Bastardo tossed a scoreless ninth inning, and earned his second win of the season.
- Ben Revere hit second in the order today, and went 3-4 to raise his average to .254.
Final Thoughts
The Phillies did well to take two of three games from a very good Cincinnati team, but the news was not all good from the weekend series.
After the game, the team revealed that Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz will need to have MRI’s on Monday.
Howard has been dealing soreness in his knee, and it has been a problem for him since Spring Training. The MRI is considered precautionary for now.
Ruiz injured his hamstring while running the bases, and said that he felt a pop.
It would be a devastating blow to the team if either player were to miss an extended amount of time. Neither player has been great this season (Howard has been streaky, Ruiz has yet to find his groove since returning from suspension) but the Phillies just don’t have anything to replace them with.
If Howard were to go on the DL, Darin Ruf would likely be called up and take over at first base. Ruf may have power, but he’s a unknown and can’t be counted on to be a savior.
can ryan howard be the savior????????????????
No, but they’re much better off with him than without him.
Denny, you da man, but stop with the excuses & delusions. Using the injury excuse? REALLY?? He has been a hinderance & a non-factor. He is killing the team. The built in injury excuse, is lazy, ill-informed! Now, because he has sucked monkey nuts all year, his knee is the blame! How come there was not 1 shred of evidence, nor a word, or comment ANYWHERE, before Saturday, that he had an issue. GTHO! It’s another convenient excuse, for a shot, overpaid, under-achieving, player. Give me a break! They have all the deluded, built in excuses, ready, & waiting, for the years end analysis, by Ruin 2morro Jr. GTFO! This informed, realistic fan, that actually has a brain, ain’t buying it, & ain’t stupid enough, to listen to the organization spin machine! Howard & Rollins re-signing, are the 2 worst contracts, in franchise history! As I stated at the time, let Pop-up, no hustle Jimmy, go, sign Aramis Ramirez, & let Galvis play! There is no F^#@ING reason, this kid, & Ruf, aren’t playing everyday! It’s nauseating, how this team handles it’s roster. PLEASE, Montgomery, Middleton, wise up, & grow a bean bag, & make wholesale changes immediately! These idiots, better not send Pettibone down, if/ when Lannan is ready! DeFratus needs to stay, Stutes needs to follow, & Durbin should never see the field here, EVER again!
you mean the Rameriz who turns 35 next month, makes $12 million a year and has only played 16 games this year? signed through next year with an option the year after that? that rameriz– you are one negative unrealistic idiot. don’t type in caps and $@$$%^@ and think that makes you right- you are 100% foolish, ill informed, childish- if we signed him and he was breaking down the way he is now you’d be all over the organization for signing a player to a 3-4 year deal at high dollars and now he’s breaking down.
Do you feel better now, Bestest of the bestest Superfan, after calling me those hurtful names? LMMFBO! Put some ointment on your butthurt! No I wouldn’t have ripped them, because he’d be on his final year coming up, & we simply don’t pick up the option, we wouldn’t have pop-up, no hustle, JRoll, & Galvis would be playing everyday at SS. Don’t take it out on me, because your still not over being made foolish of, over & over again, with your idiocy. I’m unrealistic, ill-informed, childish & an idiot, when I’ve been correct in everyone of my assessments & criticisms about this team, for 3 straight years now? So what does that make you, a stupid, delusional, hypocritical, bitter, know-nothing, wannabe Superfan, who can’t take being wrong, & doesn’t have the guts, balls & manhood, to admit he’s wrong! Don’t bother with putting words in my mouth either, with YOUR childish, rantings! Go get some Preperation-H & change your Tampon Nancy!
BTW, numbnuts, there is absolutely NOBODY on here, more delusional, unrealistic, irrational & full of excuses, than YOU, when it comes to the Phils & your hero Ruin 2morrow Jr. So try again with your BS, you haven’t been right yet!
M Young/Mayberry Jr can Play First, play Galvis/Fransden at 3B
And Ruf can Play LF, Revere CF and Brown/D Young RF
and then use Nix to be defensive replacement for Ruf or Delmon Youn in the late innings when having a lead is their best bet..
They will have to go with Kratz at Catcher since there are no real other Options
Batting Order
Rollins
Revere
M Young
Utley
D Young/D Brown
Ruf
Fransden/Galvis
Kratz
Pitcher
(Mayberry/Nix as Pinch Hitters//Defensive Replacements)
Ryan Howard could be this teams savior. He’s gotten hot before and powered them for months at a time (usually later in the season). I have a feeling he’ll be fine and that he’ll heat up.
Ruiz’s injury worries me, sounds like he’ll be down for a few weeks.
Michael Young perplexes me. He hits for very good average, but his power numbers are baffling. He’s like Ben Revere.
This was a good win today, they avoided being shutout for the 7th time this young season. Where’s Milt Thompson when we need somebody to teach these guys to hit?
I think Ryan Howard could be the savior too (if he doesn’t have to face a lefty for the rest of the year).
Conveniently, now that we can try to use Ruiz & Howard as trade bait, both are hurt. Howard was a long shot as it was, now there is absolutely NO chance for any takers now! Sickening!!!!
Howard has been flat out awful in May. .179 average. 22 Ks in about 60 or so ABs. 6 RBI.
Yes he has 22 RBI, but he is hitting .216 with RISP.
It is painful to watch him run and he is a poor fielder. I used to think that they were better with him, but his slumps keep getting longer and longer. He hasn’t seemed to have grown as a hitter as he is constantly chasing terrible pitches and then trying salvage an AB while behind in the count.
If his knee is bothering him, then sit him down. He had a solid April, so a balky knee could be the reason for this prolonged slump. Bring Ruf up for a couple of weeks.
It is always easy to point to the bad deals and in hindsight say they were awful deals… Here are a few deals made the last few years that the majority of Phils fans wanted the players noted and I am glad the Phillies did not make :
Josh Hamilton 5 years $125 million
Jason Werth 7 years $126 million (one of the worst contracts in the history of MLB in my opinion)
BJ Upton 5 years $75 million
Good pots Mhenski.
The killer was the fact that Pence deal didnt’ work out. Though we were getting: .290-.300, 25-30 HRS and 90-110 RBI. Also thought he was an average OF,and not that bad.
As a follower of the Astros for a long time, I didn’t like the Pence move at all. I think he is a Bobby Abreu type of player meaning good numbers but the numbers are hollow… I do like Pence’s arm and grit though, just never got things done when it matters is what I dont like about him…
I think Pence Trade to the GIants was a panic move last Summer
The Guy hits .280, and has average 25 HR’s and 80-85 RBI’s over his 6 MLB Season.. No Pence is not an All-Star but a solid, hustle type of Player who was mis-cast as a Savior to fill in for Utley/Howard last Year when both of them was out which was unfair expecations of Pence who is a Solid 5th/6th Hitter or even a #2 Hitter.. Phils were batting him and Victorino 3rd and even Clean-Up last year with no Utley,Howard in the Line-up.. They got very little in return for an everyday player in my opinion
Pence is Batting .297, with 7 Hr’s and 23 RBI’s — Any Phillie’s OF have these type of the Number’s/Production..
Denny, STOP. Ryan Howard is a BUM and is the only “slugger” I know that doesn’t slug. I’m tired of him striking out or hitting into the shift. He’s done. I hope they put him on the DL and Ruf comes up and shines. If that happens, Howard will be out of here by the trade deadline for a bag of peanuts — can’t wait.
A bum? Have you watched one inning ever? He has more hr and RBI than any other player in BB the last 8 years and he is a bum? Interesting I guess those are meaningless stats… He has carried this team on his back many, many times
Henski I don’t know what the deal was with pence and why it didn’t work here… He has good numbers, is like able I just don’t know.as for the long term contracts, it is the business is done in the real world. Puljos has like 9 more years and 225 left on his contract and can’t even play first..and will turn out to be horrific for the angels within a couple years. It’s the economics of the league…l the g Cobb folks don’t get it. The phils will be a team in two years that can ignore the salary cap…Manx that is sad n my opinion