Momentum Keeps Building as Phillies Sweep Marlins
By: Mike Reisman
Get out your broomsticks. Tonight, Roy Halladay and the Phillies completed a three game sweep of the Florida Marlins, giving them their first sweep since the Padres series (Aug 27-29) but also giving them their 6th straight series win. The Phillies dominated the series from the first game, outscoring the fish 23-10. Even better news? The Braves lost again to the Nationals putting them a full three games behind the Phillies for the NL East lead.
The Phillies showed from the start of the game that a sweep was inevitable, scoring in the top of the 1st on a Jayson Werth single. Raul Ibanez would hit a two-run double later in the inning, giving the Phillies a 3-0 lead before the Marlins could even step up to the plate. However they would cut the lead to 3-1 in the bottom half of the inning on a Dan Uggla single.
The Phillies would not be content with a two run lead though. Chase Utley led off the top of the 3rd with a solo home run increasing the lead back to 3 runs. Wilson Valdez would contribute a run of his own on a single scoring Ryan Howard. That would end pitcher Jorge Sosa's night, giving him four earned runs in only 2.1 innings. The new pitcher, Jose Ceda would not do much better though. He would allow one more run in the 3rd on a Shane Victorino single, making the game 6-1.
The Phillies would keep piling on the runs in the 4th. They would start with Wilson Valdez hitting an RBI single. That would score Jayson Werth. That at-bat would also bring up Roy Halladay, and even though he would ground out to second, a wild pitch would score Raul Ibanez, and the Phillies would have a seven run lead.
The Phillies would swap runs between the 4th and 5th innings, making the game 9-2. The Marlins would gain ground in the 6th though with a Gaby Sanchez solo home run. Another run in the 7th inning would make the game 9-4. The Phillies' Ross Gload would double in a run making the game 10-4 going into the 9th.
Quizzically, in the 9th Brad Lidge was brought in to close a game that was basically a done deal. Now maybe I am missing something but this was weird to me. Now that decision did not bother me but what ensued did. Lidge would give up a lead off single, followed by a walk. He would next get his only out of the game on a strikeout. Of course though, the next batter he faced was walked, not intentionally either. So what does Brad do to make up for it? He walks in a run. That was the end of his night, 0.1 innings pitched, 1 K and two walks. Not to mention an earned run. Am I overreacting? Maybe, but in this type of game, Brad Lidge should not be putting runners on base let alone letting them score.
The game would end 10-5 and everything would be happy. Most people, including me, said at the beginning of the month, that the division race would come down to the final series with the Braves (and I still do). However, if the Braves continue to slip, a couple wins this upcoming series with the Nationals, and a series win with the Braves after that, the division could be all but clinched. Now they would still need to play well throughout the rest of the season to contend in October, but right now, all is looking up for the 3-time NL East champs.