If You’re Watching This Yadier, You Can Cram It: Chooch Leads Phils to 5-4 Win

Carlos Ruiz is having a better first half of the season than anyone would have ever expected.  Can everyone imagine how horrible this team would be without his heroics?

It is pretty easy to worry about the offense.  The type of pain that losing 1-0 in the playoffs last year has subjected us to has caused all of us to cringe any time the other team scores a run.  The offense came through tonight.  Ty Wigginton and Carlos Ruiz homered and Placido Polanco continued to swing a hot bat.  The offense got to Eric Bedard for four runs and eight hits in his six innings of work.

Vance Worley is now a .500 pitcher.  After throwing really well in his last few starts with nothing to show for it, Worley pitched into the sixth inning tonight and certainly did enough to win.  He tired in the sixth, leaving men on second and third with no outs.  He got off the hook thanks in large part to a great play from John Mayberry Jr. who threw out Michael McKenry at the plate during an attempted sac fly.

Johnathan Papelbon rebounded from blowing his first save of the year by getting the save.  This assured that the Phillies can not lose this series and that is certainly something.

The moment that the Phillies looked like they weren’t going to blow this one was when Micheal Schwimer got out of a man on second and third with no outs jam without allowing a run.  It has become painfully obvious that the bullpen is fucking terrible and a solid outing from one of the kids in the pen is fantastic.

The most attractive play of the game belonged to Chooch.  After Andrew McCutchen doubled to start the eighth, Clint Hurdle put in Josh Harrison to get down a bunt and move McCutchen to third.  Harrison popped the bunt near the screen and Chooch ran it down.  After that he hit a home run and continued to be awesome.

The hero of the game and the first half of the season is Chooch.  He leads the national league in hitting after going 3-4 and after mashing his tenth homer of the season, he now has a carrer high ten and its not even July.  He calls a great game and made a great play on a foul bunt tonight.  He is absolutely the best player on this team right now.

The villain of the game was Michael McKenry.  Apparently Rod Barajas passed on his ability to be a very average player that kills the Phillies as McKenry went 3-3 with a walk, two RBI and a home run.

Remember how the Phillies have a crappy bullpen?  Well, tomorrow, the bullpen is going to throw the whole game.  I am predicting a shut out.