Strange Victory: Phillies 3, Diamondbacks 2

by dajafi on Apr 25, 2010 12:44 AM EDT

The competitive juices still flowing, Ryan Madson and Carlos Ruiz immediately commenced virtual arm-wrestling after finishing off a 3-2 win Saturday night. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

I'll admit it up front: I didn't watch all of this one. Tuning in from the top of the third to the middle of the sixth, what I did see was Arizona starter Ian Kennedy, he of the 5.96 career ERA going into Saturday's game, retire twelve straight Phillies hitters on something like 26 pitches. Seriously, these were some of the worst at-bats imaginable. This was totally a rational choice. Stop looking at me like that!

Meanwhile, Nelson Figueroa earned an A for effort in his first start for the Phils since 2001. But as the six different uniforms hanging in his closet attest, he's just not all that good. Effort aside, Figgy was probably lucky to trail just 2-1, the runs coming on a two-run Kelly Johnson homer, when he left after 5 innings and 100 pitches.

Kennedy wound up lasting eight innings, giving up just four hits and a walk. But two of the hits were solo home runs--the Phils' first in a week, with Jayson Werth (who'd hit the last one) connecting in the second inning and Raul Ibanez launching his first of the season in the seventh to tie it. Werth untied the game in the top of the ninth, blasting his second homer of the night off Diamondbacks reliever Juan Gutierrez to give the Phils a 3-2 lead, and Ryan Madson came through in his first save attempt since Tuesday night's meltdown in Atlanta to secure his fourth save of the season, striking out pinch-hitter Tony Abreu with a man on first to end it. Phils relievers Chad Durbin, Jose Contreras (who earned the victory) and Madson combined for eight strikeouts in four scoreless innings.

Kyle Kendrick takes the mound for the Phils in the rubber game tomorrow against former Phillie Rodrigo Lopez.

Tweet Comment 9 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Strange victory indeed. Victorino-Polanco-Utley-Howard were 0/16 with no walks. Nelson Figueroa and a dominant bullpen picked up the slack. Go figure…

by SethC on Apr 25, 2010 6:06 AM EDT reply actions

one man

I caught the game but was away from a computer and unable to write about it, but this game can be summarized thusly: Jayson Werth.

Between his first inning sac-fly/double play, and his two titanic home runs, it’s been awhile since I’ve seen one position player virtually single-handedly win a baseball game.

http://www.thegoodphight.com

by WholeCamels on Apr 25, 2010 11:43 AM EDT reply actions

Have you seen a Cardinals game in the past 8 years? They have this guy named Pujols.

by FuquaManuel on Apr 25, 2010 1:07 PM EDT up reply actions

yep. and this was a 3-2 game.

That Halladay guy has pretty much done the same thing in two of his starts where he’s rec’d 1 and 2 runs of support.

by Bilzo on Apr 25, 2010 1:10 PM EDT up reply actions

I missed the first 2 innings and can’t find that throw in any highlights. Any help?

by Steve J on Apr 25, 2010 1:15 PM EDT up reply actions

I rarely go to here but did you try the phillies homepage on mlb.com…they have that flash player game highlights

by j reed on Apr 25, 2010 1:33 PM EDT up reply actions

it is on the mlb.com site- but in the postgame report.

Also of note is the befuddled look on the ball-retiree when he fielded the live ball.

by Wet Luzinski on Apr 25, 2010 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Werth’s WPA for this game was .451. The closest any other Phillie position player got was Ibanez, with .170. Might not be Pujols-type level, but that’s still awesome.

by ThinMountainAir on Apr 25, 2010 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions