Monday, April 18, 2016

Phillies Avoid The Sweep In Extra Innings

GAME RECAP: Phillies Nab Nationals 3-2


Forget Bryce Harper for a moment. How about Freddy Galvis' heroics? After Harper ripped a solo home run to right-center in the top of the 10th inning Sunday afternoon to give the Nationals a one-run lead, the Phillies rallied to score twice in the bottom of the 10th in a 3-2 victory, ending Washington's seven-game winning streak. Peter Bourjos doubled and scored on pinch-hitter Andres Blanco's two-out single to left to tie it. And Blanco scored from second on Galvis' double to left field to win the game. "That's what the doctor ordered," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "It was nice to salvage a win out of the series after not swinging the bats well. It was great. Guys stepped up in the 10th and came through for us. It was great to see, a lot of fun - that one inning." Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon blew his first save of the season. "We're in first place and we won the [hard-fought] series, man. You know?" Papelbon said. Charlie Morton allowed one run and struck out six over six innings for the Phillies. Carlos Ruiz drove in the Phillies' first run with a second-inning home run.

PHILS PHACTS:
  • Harper has homered in six consecutive games at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park, tying a Major League record held by Ernie Banks for Phillies' opponents. Harper has also homered in four consecutive games overall, which is a career high. "It's a pleasure to even be in the same sentence as Ernie Banks," Harper said. "At the end of the day, you want to win ballgames. Like I said, a series win is a series win. We take this into Miami and keep it going, hopefully." 
  • Bourjos hit a one-out double into the left-field corner in the 10th to give the Phillies' a little life against Papelbon, who is the Phillies' all-time saves leader. After pinch-hitter Cedric Hunter flied out to center for the second out, Blanco laced a single to left field to score Bourjos to tie the game. "That ball was smoked to left," Bourjos said of Blanco's hit. "I just tried to get a good jump and run as fast as I can."
  • Galvis' game-winning double was the third walk-off hit of his career. He is 3-for-3 with one double, one home run, one walk and two RBIs against Papelbon since the Phillies traded him to the Nationals last July. It also was the first time a Phillies leadoff hitter reached based since the first inning Wednesday against San Diego. They had been 0-for-19 since. "I played behind him for three years," Galvis said of Papelbon. "So I know the way he pitches, and maybe a little about what the ball does. He got the split and the fastball. I know he likes to throw the fastball. I think he threw me four, five fastballs so I was ready for it."
  • "Personally, I like Pap. He is the villain; closers are villains to visiting teams. I like the guy, but it's good to beat any closer. I'm happy about that." -- Mackanin, on if beating Papelbon is a little sweeter.
  • Papelbon is 1-2 with a 12.27 ERA and two blown saves in four appearances against the Phillies since they traded him to Washington.
  • Despite playing 10 innings, the Phillies had fewer than 10 hits in a game for the 13th consecutive game. It is their longest streak without double-digit hits to start a season since at least 1913, according to Baseball Reference.
  • Harper appeared to hit a two-out double in the first inning, narrowly beating a throw to second from Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera. But the Phillies challenged the call from second-base umpire Joe West. Replay showed Harper slid past the bag as Galvis applied the tag and the call was overturned.
  • The Nationals lost a challenge in the sixth, when Galvis threw out Harper at first base. The call stood. It was a big play because the Nationals had a runner on third, and he would have scored to give Washington the lead.
  • The Phillies won another challenge in the eighth, when Maikel Franco's throw to first pulled Darin Ruf off first base. The call was overturned as replay showed Ruf tagged Chris Heisey for the out.
  • The Nationals finally had a replay go their way in the ninth, when the Phillies challenged Herrera being called out at first base. Replay showed Drew's throw beat Herrera to the bag.
NEXT GAME:
The Phillies open a three-game series Monday night against the Mets at Citizens Bank Park at 7:05 p.m. ET. Right-hander Jerad Eickhoff (1-1, 1.50) faces Mets right-handerNoah Syndergaard (1-0, 0.69 ERA). The Phillies took two of three from the Mets in a weekend series in New York earlier this month.

PHILS PHACTS:


Galvis’ Streak Continues – There must be something about Freddy Galvis and closers. He hit a two-out double to the left-field wall against Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon in the 10th inning Sunday to score Andres Blanco from second base in the Phillies' 3-2 walk-off victory at Citizens Bank Park. Galvis pulled to a stop at second as Blanco crossed home plate. He lifted the helmet from his head, looked toward the Phillies' dugout and slammed it into the dirt in a moment of celebration. His teammates mobbed him seconds later. "I was just waiting to see if Jayson Werth could get to that one," Galvis said. "Thank God he didn't get it." If only Galvis could face Papelbon more frequently. He is 3-for-3 with one double, one home run, one walk and two RBIs against him since the Phillies traded him to the Nationals last July. Galvis homered against Papelbon on Sept. 14 to give him his first blown save with the Nationals. He singled against Papelbon on Sept. 26 and then walked on four pitches against him on Sept. 27, when Papelbon suffered a five-run meltdown in a game made infamous when he grabbed teammate Bryce Harper by the neck in the dugout. "I played behind him for three years," Galvis said about Papelbon. "So I know the way he pitches and maybe a little about what the ball does. He's got the split and the fastball. I know he likes to throw the fastball. I think he threw me four, five fastballs so I was ready for it." Galvis hit a 1-2 fastball to left, giving the Phillies their first hit in the leadoff spot since the first inning Wednesday against San Diego. A one-out double from Peter Bourjos, who scored on Blanco's two-out single to left to tie the game, set up Galvis' dramatic at-bat. Papelbon made it clear afterward that blowing the game will not ruin him. "We're in first place and we won the [well-fought] series, man. You know?" he said. Papelbon is 1-2 with a 12.27 ERA and two blown saves in four appearances against the Phillies since they traded him. "They're just another team for me," he said. "I'm going out there trying to do the same [things] I am against any other team. Makes no difference to me." The game made a difference for Galvis. It was the third walkoff hit of his career. He had another memorable one May 19, 2013, when he homered against Reds closer Aroldis Chapman. "I just try to get focused a little bit more," Galvis said about facing closers. "I know the situation. I just want to concentrate and try to put the ball in play. I had a lot of fastballs to hit today. He threw me fastballs and I put a good swing on that one." Galvis is hitting .222 (10-for-45) with two doubles, one home run, four RBIs and a .583 OPS in 13 games this season. He is 4-for-12 in his last three games. "I think it's something to maybe get me going," he said.


Setting The Table – As Andres Blanco crossed home plate to score the winning run in the Phillies' 3-2 walk-off win over the Nationals on Sunday afternoon, he looked back over his shoulder and expected to see Freddy Galvis close behind him. But instead, Galvis was on second base -- or at least near it -- awaiting his teammates, who had begun rushing out of the first-base dugout to celebrate behind the bag. "I thought he hit a home run," Blanco said. The ball landed at the foot of the wall in the left-field corner. Nationals left fielder Jayson Werth picked up the ball and tossed it toward the infield. Even though Galvis didn't put it over the wall, the game was over. Not 20 minutes later, Galvis and Blanco were celebrating together in the locker room. "Nobody got down today," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "The guys are just playing inning by inning, and when it's a one-run game, there's no reason to be down. Guys just stepped up in the 10th inning. It was great to see." The offense had been among the worst in baseball through the first 12 games -- and through the first nine innings on Sunday. Philadelphia's one run over the first nine innings came on a Carlos Ruiz solo homer. But something clicked in the 10th inning -- after Bryce Harper hit a home run to give the Nationals a 2-1 lead in the top half of the inning -- against former Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon. It was Papelbon's second appearance at Citizens Bank Park and fourth against the Phillies since the team traded him in July of last season. He's twice blown a save and three times given up go-ahead or game-tying runs. Galvis and Blanco were at the heart of all three. In his first game back in Philadelphia, Galvis homered off him to tie the game. In Washington two weeks later, Galvis walked and Blanco homered right after. "I think we're familiar with him," Mackanin said. "We know he's the villain and we know he means business." For a moment, it seemed as though the Phillies would again rely on the long ball for their offense. On Papelbon's third pitch of the 10th inning, Ruiz hit a ball to deep center that the entire dugout thought was gone. But Matt den Dekker caught it near the warning track, and then the real rally started. Peter Bourjos doubled down the left-field line, and Cedric Hunter popped out to center for the second out. Without there being two outs, Bourjos doesn't know if he would have scored on Blanco's line drive to left. "That ball was smoked to left," Bourjos said. "I just tried to get a good jump and run as fast as I can. You obviously know with two outs, you're going to be sent." Because there were two outs, he didn't have to worry about getting doubled off if Werth caught it. Mackanin thought the Phillies were fortunate to have Bourjos on second. "I don't think anybody else would have scored except for him," Mackanin said. "And that was still close." Then, with Blanco standing on second, Galvis poked a high-and-outside 95 mph heater over Werth's head in left. For the third time, Galvis and Blanco had toppled their teammate-turned-rival.


Today In Phils History – First let’s begin with the long list of debuts on this day beginning with Red Dooin (1902), Lefty O’Doul (who hit 2 homeruns in his opening day debut in 1929), and Eddie Waitkus (1949) in the first half of the 20th century. The after 1950 crowd is varied as well beginning with Harry “Sparky” Anderson in 1957 (Jim Eisenreich was born two years later in 1959) followed by a small 60’s contingent in Rick Wise (1964), Bo Belinsky (1965), and Tito Francona (1967). Following the deluge of debuts we have a Hall of Fame matchup in 1970 (the same day Rico Brogna was born) when the young Mets flamethrower Nolan Ryan 1 hit (and 15 strikeouts) the Phillies in opposition to an aging Jim Bunning. However, what this day is best remembered for came in 1987 when Mike Schmidt sealed the win for the Phillies in the top of the ninth at Three Rivers Stadium with his 500th career homerun… a Harry Kalas call that every Phillies phan knows by heart.

THE BEGINNING:
The Phillies are currently 6-7 this season putting them on pace to meet most preseason predictions. The Phillies finished the spring exceeding most expectations compiling a record of 15-11-3 (18-11-3 if you include the exhibition games against Reading and the University of Tampa). All time, the Phillies are 39-46-0 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record. Let the rebuild begin!

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