Roy Oswalt Avenges Last Night's Walk-Off, Shuts Down Nationals in Win
By: Mike Reisman
Just a day after Roy Oswalt got the start offensively for the Phillies, he was back on the mound to start as the Phillies pitcher. Oswalt was forced out of the game before he was able to even take the field last night due to a rain delay lasting over two hours. However, Oswalt came back tonight after last night's embarrassing loss looking to get the Phillies back to their dominating ways. Eight innings and 115 pitches later, Oswalt would come out of the game, having done exactly that, getting his sixth win of the year.
Oswalt came into the game a little slowly, allowing the Nationals to get two hits and runners onto second and third, however, he would strand both runners and shut down the Nats from there on. He would strike out a total of nine batters, walking just one. He would allow eight hits, but wouldn't allow a single runner to cross home plate, stranding all four of the Nationals runners in scoring position.
The Phillies offense would give Oswalt enough run support, breaking open the game's scoring in the 4th with a Wilson Valdez triple that scored two runs. The Phillies would add three runs in the 6th with a Hunter Pence solo home run (15), and a two run single for Jimmy Rollins. That would leave the game at 5-0, a score that wouldn't change for the rest of the game.
The win is the Phillies 81st of the year, guaranteeing them their 9th straight season at .500 or better at the end of the year. While there was very little doubt about the Phillies ability to finish the season with a winning record, it's certainly reassuring to know that the team has been able to live up to the hype the media created in the pre-season, despite the injuries this team has faced. It's even more special to get this win with Oswalt on the mound, as Oswalt has arguably the most injury-prone this year, with multiple stints on the DL. However, after tonight's game, it looks like Oswalt is back to being the ace that the Phillies traded for last season.
Another encouraging sign from tonight's game was Wilson Valdez' triple, giving him his eighth straight game with a hit. The hit also gives him an average of .279 for the month of August, a month where he has also raised his batting average by six points. If Valdez can keep up this performance until Placido Polanco comes back (which may be soon), for the second year in a row he will have proven as an effective replacement player, and exactly the player the Phillies needed.