Buchanan, Bullpen Keep Phils Streaking in the Heat

David Buchanan earned his first victory of the season in his 7th start, the bullpen was perfect, and the Phillies won their 4th straight game by a 5-3 score on a steamy mid-summer night at Citizens Bank Park.

Buchanan (1-5) went 6.1 innings, allowing 3 earned runs on 6 hits, striking out 4 and walking 3 batters. He threw 67 of 98 pitches for strikes. After the game, the righty was demoted back down to AAA Lehigh Valley. However, that move was simply to keep him on a regular turn, and he should be returning by the end of July.

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The Rays jumped him for a pair of runs in the top of the 2nd inning to take an early lead. Kevin Keirmaier led off with a double, and then with two outs, ex-Phil Grady Sizemore walked. On a 2-1 pitch, Logan Forsythe then doubled to left, scoring both runners.

The Phillies immediately responded with a 3-spot in their half of the inning off Rays’ starter Matt Moore, who got himself into the trouble by walking Jeff Francoeur and Darin Ruf to start the Phils’ 2nd inning. With one out, Odubel Herrera beat out a perfectly laid bunt single towards 3rd, and the bases were loaded.

Moore got Cameron Rupp to pop out, bringing Buchanan to the plate with two outs. But just as it appeared the lefty might wriggle off the hook, he uncorked a wild pitch. Francoeur scampered home with the Phillies first run. Buchanan then walked to reload the bags.

That brought Cesar Hernandez to the plate, and the 2nd base revelation continued his strong season by driving a 2-run double to left field. Ruf and Herrera scored on the hit, pushing the Phillies on top by 3-2.

Moore would go 4.2 innings, allowing 4 earned on 5 hits, with 3 strikeouts and 3 walks. He left in the 5th after yielding a triple to Hernandez sandwiched around a pair of strikeouts. Alex Colome relieved him, and promptly yielded an RBI single to Ben Revere, making it a 4-2 Phils lead. Francoeur then singled, and Ruf followed with another RBI single to score Revere and make it 5-2. Frenchy was thrown out at the plate on the play to end the inning.

Buchanan pitched into the 7th, but there he gave up a leadoff triple to Kiermaier, who then scored on a one-out RBI single by pinch-hitter Brandon Guyer. That brought on Jake Diekman, who struck out the lone batter he faced, and then Luis Garcia, who struck out his only batter faced as well to end the inning.

The 8th inning, usually the purvey of Ken Giles with the Phillies leading a close game, went to Jeanmar Gomez, as Giles had pitched the previous three games. Gomez was perfect, and was followed in the 9th by closer Jonathan Papelbon. Entering to another chorus of boos from the home crowd, Paps struck out 2 of the 3 batters he faced to record his 16th Save of the season.

So now the Phillies will introduce their top pitching prospect, Aaron Nola, for his first start of the season on Tuesday night. The 22-year old righty will not only try to have a successful introduction to his big league career, but will try to help extend the team’s winning streak out to 5 games, one short of their season-best 6-gamer produced back in mid-May.