Oswalt Plays Unlikely Spoiler to Win Streak
By: Mike Reisman
So far, Roy Oswalt's career in Philly has not gone well. After being considered a possible savior for the Phillies season, Oswalt underperformed giving up 4 earned runs in only 6 innings of work. It was Oswalt's 13th loss of the season bringing his record down to 6-13.
The Phillies were behind almost from the start when Nyjer Morgan led off the bottom of the first with a triple and scored the next at-bat on a ground out to second. Oswalt pitched pretty well the next couple innings besides giving up two runs (only one earned) in the 3rd. The 5th was where Oswalt really struggled. Oswalt allowed the first four out of five hitters on base including a two RBI double. Oswalt was pulled after the 6th inning and Chad Durbin came on in relief for him. In the 7th inning Jayson Werth hit the Phillies only run, a solo shot to left to lead off the inning.
The next half inning, Chad Durbin didn't do too well. In fact he did worse than Oswalt did in any single inning. After loading the bases he gave up a two run double to Roger Benadina, and then two batters later he gave up another run widening the gap to seven runs. The game would end with that score, 8-1.
Though Oswalt's first start in a Phillies uniform did not go as planned, it could have been worse. Not only could it have gone worse but the teams bat's could have provided run support, something that magically disappeared tonight. Either way its woulda, coulda, shoulda for the Phillies, and right now they need to focus on their next game.