Phillies Take First Place Back From Mets

The Phillies took back first place from the Mets over the weekend and potentially delivered the knockout blow to the Marlins’ chances at the playoffs by taking 2 of 3 over the weekend. The Phillies look poised to make a run in the postseason this year and they are playing their best baseball at the perfect point of the season. Ryan Howard has taken over the lead for NL MVP with his play over the past month and Jayson Werth has been hitting the ball extremely well also.

In the first game the Fish won a slugfest 14-8. The two teams combined for six homers and twenty two runs in this game. The Phillies put up two in the top half of the first inning then the Marlins come back and get five. With the Phillies down 5-4, they get two in the inning to take a 6-5 lead, then the Fish explode for six runs in the inning to retake the lead 11-6, the Fish would eventually hold off the Phillies 14-8 as mentioned. Dan Uggla, Alfredo Amezaga, and Jorge Cantu all homered for the Fish, while Greg Dobbs, Ryan Howard, and Shane Victorino homered for the Phillies. September call up Cameron Maybin went 4-5 in his second game and he scored three times. Brett Myers gave up ten earned through four innings as he had his first really bad outing since getting demoted to the minors.

In the second game the Phillies regained the NL East lead by defeating the Florida Marlins 3-2 in a tightly contested game. Shane Victorino homered in the fourth inning to tie the game at 2 after a two run double by Marlins catcher Jeff Baker made it 2-0 Florida. Then, in the sixth inning Greg Dobbs delivered a rbi single to break the tie and then Brad Lidge would make it hold up with his 39 th save of the year. Joe Blanton pitched five innings striking out nine and giving up two earned in the win. Anibal Sanchez went five and two thirds innings and gave up two earned but three runs as he got the loss.

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In the finale of this tightly contested series, the Phillies pulled it out with a hard fought 5-2 win. Jamie Moyer pitched six innings giving up only one run and Brad Lidge converted his 40 th save in 40 chances this year. Chase Utley hit his 32 nd homer in the first inning and Pedro Feliz increased Philly’s 3-2 lead with a two run shot in the eighth to give Philly some breathing room. John Baker continues to tear up the Phils as he went 4-5 in the game to lead the Fish. Now the Fish are 5 games out of the Wild Card with 7 games to go, it looks unlikely that this young team will make the playoffs this season.

Now the Phillies will come home for their final six games of the season, three with the Atlanta Braves and three with the lowly Washington Nationals. The Phillies look poised to make a run and win their second consecutive division title but they have to finish strong because the Mets are only a game and a half out with 6 to play. This is what baseball is all about. Probables are as follows:

J. Jurrigens (13-10) vs. J. Happ (1-0)
C. Hamels (14-9) vs. M. Hampton (2-3)
B. Myers (10-12) vs. J. Reyes (3-11)

By Andrew Nuscis
Philadelphia Phillies & Tampa Bay Rays Correspondent

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