The Philadelphia Phillies snapped their two-game losing streak on Sunday afternoon, taking down the Rockies 10-9. Their record improves to 8-10.
- Roberto Hernandez pitched just four innings, and allowed six runs on nine hits. Hernandez pitched to three batters in the fifth inning before being lifted from game without recording an out.
- Fortunately for Hernandez, the Phillies offense broke out of their slump today, managing 10 runs on 15 hits.
- Ryan Howard led the charge with his strongest game of the season. Howard went 4-5, driving in three runs. He hit a two-run homer in the third inning, got the team’s sixth inning rally started with a lead-off triple, and drove home another run in the seventh with an RBI single. He was a double shy of the cycle.
- Marlon Byrd went 2-5 with an RBI single in the sixth.
- Domonic Brown went 1-4 with a sac fly RBI in the sixth.
- Jimmy Rollins went 3-4, and drove in two runs.
- Wil Nieves started for Carlos Ruiz, and went 1-5 with a double.
- Freddy Galvis took over midway through the game for Cody Asche at third, and went 1-2 with an RBI.
- Mario Hollands took over, and got through the rest of the fifth inning.
- B.J. Rosenberg had a bad showing in the sixth. Rosenberg allowed a lead-off triple, but was bailed out by a great defensive play by Jimmy Rollins to get a runner out at home, and then a heads up play by Chase Utley to tag a runner as he put his foot off of a bag. They were the only two outs Rosenberg picked up, and he didn’t really earn either of them. He walked two more batters before getting the hook.
- Jake Diekman got the final out of the sixth inning. He came back out to pitch the seventh, and allowed a two-run homer to Justin Morneau that tied the game at 8.
- Antonio Bastardo pitched the eighth inning and allowed a run.
- Jonathan Papelbon converted his fifth save of the year.
Final Thoughts
Ryne Sandberg seems to really like B.J. Rosenberg even though he’s been nothing but terrible.
Rosenberg has an ERA in the 7.00’s, and hasn’t shown us anything to make us believe that he belongs in the major leagues. And yet, Sandberg continues to roll him out there in tight situations, and he keeps failing. I know the Phillies don’t exactly have a lot of options in their bullpen (thanks Ruben), but Rosenberg shouldn’t have been the guy to pitch the sixth inning today.
Mike Adams is healthy and on the active roster. He pitched a clean inning the other day, and wasn’t called on at all today. Its time for the veteran to start making some kind of positive contributions. If he can’t help out now, he shouldn’t be on the team.
