What is it about the Houston Astros that gives the Phillies problems?
Last night the Phillies appeared to have the edge on the pither's mound with Yorman Bazardo entering the game with an ERA floating near ten and Cole Hamels' had been dropping his ERA to close to four. Despite the advantage on paper, the Astros were the ones celebrating last night, with an 8-2 victory.
What made the loss so frustrating for the Phillies is that despite the eight runs on 15 hits, they were not exactly hammered. Many of the hits allowed by Hamels were quirky bloop hits on broken batts. How can a team defend against that? Is it something Hamels is doing that causes him to give up so many broken bat bloop hits?
No matter what happened on the mound for the Phillies, the offense can once again take part in the blame for the loss. On the night on which the Astros recorded 15 hits, the Phillies managed four hits. Only two came off of Bazardo, who lowered his ERA to 8.23 after allowing two runs to score.
Shane Victorino had two of the team's four hits, with Jimmy Rollins and Jayson Werth recorded the others. Rollins gave the Phillis a quick 1-0 lead when he scored a run in the first inning on a Chase Utley sacrifice fly. Victorino scored the Phillies' second and final run on a balk by Bazardo in the sixth inning, but the Astros still had the lead and would not give it up.
Hamels was charged with six earned runs on nine hits, struck out five batters and walked three. Tyler Walker relieved Hamels in the seventh inning with two outs but failed to bail the starter out, allowing two inherited base runners to score and being charged with two more of his own.
The Astros have won all five meetings against the Phillies this season, which is another reason the Phillies have not yet clinched the NL East. With the Braves winning again last night the lead in the division shrinks to four games with six left to play. The magic number remains three.
Tonight JA Happ will look to get the Phillies a win against the Astros when he faces rookie Wilton López.
Original Story:
http://macho-row.blogspot.com/2009/09...
