Jul 8, 2014; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Philadelphia Phillies second baseman
Chase Utley(26) celebrates with teammates during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
The offense picked itself up off the floor for this one – scoring as many runs in 4.1 innings as the previous four games combined. As a result, the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Milwaukee Brewers for their second win in a row.
In reality, both teams had interestingly mirrored performances. The offense tagged the opposing starter early and often, while the bullpens held strong after early exits – the Phillies just saw a touch more out of Kyle Kendrick than the Brewers got out of Wily Peralta.
The Phillies’ offense drove Peralta up to 97 pitches in only 4.1 IP, hitting him eight times and leaving him charged with all nine runs in the game. He also walked three batters, and struck out four.
Kendrick, on the other hand, lasted a bit longer (5.2 IP), but was hit more times (11). He only struck out two batters, was hit for three (!) home runs, and gave up all seven runs. Spoiler alert, but he still somehow still “earned” the win.
Scoring began in the top of the first as Ben Revere scored on a Chase Utley sacrifice fly, aided by a Peralta wild pitch earlier in the at-bat.
Kendrick promptly put the Phillies in “game over” territory, by giving up a solo home run to Scooter Gennett, then a single, a walk, another walk, and finally a grand slam to Lyle Overbay. The team was down 5-1 before getting out of the first.
The offense broke out in the top of the second, with Koyie Hill singling in Marlon Byrd with the bases loaded, followed by a Revere ground-rule double, scoring Domonic Brown and Hill. Jimmy Rollins would walk, and then Utley would come through with a 2-RBI single scoring Kendrick and Revere.
Brown would hit a solo home run in the third inning, and plate two more runs with a single in the fifth. His 2-for-3 with a HR and a BB was the best line of the game, and a good sight.
A Mark Reynolds two-run HR would bring an end to the marathon scoring in the bottom of the sixth.
On the Phillies end, strong performances were seen offensively from Brown, Utley (2-for-4, 3 RBI), Cody Asche (2-for-4), and Revere (2-for-5, 2 RBI).
Despite all the scoring, the most exciting parts of the game had to come from the bullpen. Justin De Fratus and Jake Diekman each pitching two-thirds of an inning, with Diekman recording two strikeouts.
Jonathan Papelbon also recorded the save with a clean 9th inning, but the part I’m interested in is the second-straight 8th inning, heart of the order placement of Ken Giles.
It wasn’t totally clean, with two hits allowed to Carlos Gomez and Jeff Bianchi, but he again kept control (14/18 Strikes), generated ground balls, and defeated some elite middle-of-the-order bats (his ERA is now only 0.71).
It looks more and more like he’s Jonathan Papelbon’s successor in the event of a trade, and he’s been stellar to this point – beyond expectations. If he doesn’t feel soreness and is available three days in a row, Ryne Sandberg might anoint him on the spot.