Bum-Rushed: Giants 4, Phillies 2

The Phillies saw their brief winning streak come to an end on a brisk evening in San Francisco, dropping to a season-ending one game under .500. Avid bear hunter and erstwhile Tar Heel Madison Bumgarner scattered seven hits and a walk, limiting the Phils to two runs; while Joe "Should of Traded" Blanton allowed four runs on 11 hits. Neither starter was particularly crisp, with both combining for four strikeouts.

The Phillies wasted no time stranding runners, being gifted the first two by the Giants' defense. Shane Victorino led off with a chopper to short, bobbled by Brandon Crawford. Five pitches later, Placido Polanco rolled an easy double-play ball to Bumgarner, whose throw got away from Crawford. With runners on first and second, nobody out, the stranding began. Jimmy Rollins grounded into a double play; Hunter Pence popped up; and the rest of the game followed a similar pattern.

There were some bright spots for the Phils, however. Pence led off the fourth by crushing a slider that didn't slide for a solo homerun. In the sixth, Carlos Ruiz drove in Rollins with a bases-loaded sac fly. Bullpen Ace Jim Konstanty Kyle Kendrick came in relief of Blanton, pitching two solid innings with two strikeouts, including a bases-loaded whiff of Crawford with a seriously nasty sinker.

The Giants' bullpen, including Sergio "Moderately Annoyed by the Beard" Romo, polished off the Phillies in the last three innings, allowing only a two-out Juan Pierre single in the ninth.

Pat the Bat made an appearance; throwing out the first pitch, with what Scott Franzke described as a "rainbow strike." And, Jamie Moyer pitched seven solid innings, collecting his first win of the season, becoming the oldest pitcher to win a Major League game.

Fangraph of Repeated False Hope:

Source: FanGraphs

The Phillies look to win the series tomorrow behind left-hander Cliff Lee against the Giants' Matt Cain.