The Phils turn to Roy Oswalt to avoid a Labor Day sweep at the hand of the Florida Marlins.
Top 1st:
Oswalt works around a Logan Morrison single to keep Florida scoreless after the 1st. The Phils will have the rare pleasure of batting without trailing a game.
Bottom 1st: 0-0
Although the lack of thought at home plate has been the Phils biggest enemy the past two games, Manuel tries to tune up his offense by changing the order (Victorino 1st - Rollins 5th) and playing Domonic Brown instead of Jayson Werth.
So far, the result looks the same as Ananbel Sanchez works around an Utley HBP to keep the Phils scoreless.
Top 2nd: 0-0
Oswalt is cruisng so far, retiring Chad Tracy and Wes Helms to start the inning.
But despite Mike Stanton bringing a 5-for-60 horse collar to the plate with two outs, Oswalt pitches to him like he's Alex Rodriguez, falling behind him 3-0.
After battling back to 3-2, Oswalt makes Stanton look like A-Rod by hanging an 83-mph change-up in his wheelhouse. The ball reaches the 2nd deck in left-center at an estimated 440-feet.
Bottom 2nd: FLA 1 - PHI 0
Strange how Jimmy Rollins uppercuts like a madman from the leadoff spot, but when he bats fifth he shortends his swing and lines a single.
Raul Ibanez gets jammed on a Sanchez fastball with a 2-2 count, but for once swinging too hard pays off as he muscles the ball over second for a single.
Domonic Brown walks for just his second time as a Phillie to load the bases.
Carlos Ruiz walks to force in the tying run.
After Roy Oswalt flies out, Shane Victorino sends a flare to right field. Rollins scores easily, but third base coach Sam Ferlazzo channels his predecessor Steve Smith and sends Brown home to get thrown out by 10 feet.
With two outs Placido Polanco yanks a grounder over the third base bag. Ruiz scores from third and Victorino scores from second. The play becomes a ground-rule double when a middle-aged tool with a glove tries the field the ball while in play.
GOING PIGEON PRESENTS: LAW AND ORDER
You need a license to:
Drive a car
Sell a beer
Catch a Fish
You don't need a license to:
Join the military
Have a kid
Sit front row at a Phillies game
Utley lines a single past short to score Polanco and complete the five-run inning.
Top 3rd: PHI 5 - FLA 1
With their best inning of the homestand in the books, the Phils can just sit and watch co-ace Roy Oswalt pound the Marlins into submission before heading to Columbus Ave to celebrate.
But after getting two quick outs, Oswalt faces the World's Greatest Hitter in the World, Logan Morrison. The WGHIW fouls off a pair of 3-2 pitches before drawing a walk.
Oswalt quickly pays for the miscue when Hanley Ramirez sends a batting-machine fastball into the flower bed in left field for a two-run homer.
Top 5th: PHI 5 - FLA 3
With two outs, Roy Oswalt starts dreaming about Columbus Ave again and delivers another batting-machine fastball - this time to Cameron Maybin.
With a .234 batting average and 7 home runs, Maybin is no Hamley Ramirez. But Napalm doesn't read fantasy baseball profiles, it just explodes when collides with Maple bats.
Bottom 5th: PHI 5 - FLA 4
After a weekend of hideous at-bats, Placido Polanco remembers that he's a perennial .300 hitter and rockets a ball off the center-field fence and past the wandering Maybin for a triple.
Chase Utley continues the steady process of salvaging his 2010 season by smoking a single past second to score Polanco.
Gary Matthews: "The harder you hit the ball, the more likely that a pitcher will make mistakes."
Don Pigeon: "The more mistakes a pitcher makes to major league hitters, the more times a ball will be hit hard."
Jorge Sosa comes in for Anibal Sanchez, and Jimmy Rollins predictably pops up his first pitch.
I'll drop it there, since the Frontrunner police have been known to patrol my neighborhood.
Raul Ibanez dials down his swing-for-Camden approach and crushes a Sosa fastball off the centerfield wall to score Utley.
The wild slugfest turns routine from this point. Oswalt finishes the 7th inning without throwing any more Napalm fastballs. Ryan Madson keeps his composure despite entering the game with no outs and a runner on in the 8th. Brad Lidge faces four batters and allows just a single to Emilio Bonafacio with two outs.
Final Score: Phillies 7 - Marlins 4
I'm Don Pigeon and I'm OUT!!!
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