Friday, September 16, 2005 - Lieber, Phillies Pound 20 Hits in Filleting Marlins, 13-3, Keep Pace With Houston

The Phillies batted around in the 6th, scoring five runs with two outs, and blowing open a tight 2-2 game to pound Florida in Miami, 13-3. Reliever Joe Mecir took the loss (1-4) for Florida. Jon Lieber won his 15th game against 12 losses, pitching five solid innings before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the 6th, which we will discuss below in more detail.

Lieber was shaken initially by a two-run HR from Carlos Delgado (31st), with Miguel Cabrera scoring ahead of him, in the 1st.

Ryan Howard has reached base in 14 consecutive games, a streak extended by his 2nd inning double. Unfortunately, Marlins SS Damion Easley was seriously injured on a routine throw coming back from the OF after Howard's hit, and had to leave the game. He was replaced by rookie Robert Andino, a local product who received a loud ovation from the crowd when he subsequently came to the plate. Andino had had only 4 ABs in the major leagues, before being suddenly thrust by fate into a pennant-race game, as the de facto starter (it was the top of the second inning when Easley suffered his injury and he hadn't yet batted.)

The Phillies received two runs from a highly unlikely source in the 3rd: a hit from Lieber and a home run by Rollins, his 10th. It was almost caught by Juan Encarnacion, but he couldn't haul it in. The bomb evened the score at 2, and extended Rollins' hitting streak to 22 games, as well as a personal hitting streak against Florida to 12 (Rollins had batted .500, 24/48, against the Fish in that span.) The last 23-gamer was by Len Dykstra in 1990. (The all-time club record is 34, by Billy Hamilton in 1896).

Rollins had gone 7/12 and 6 R in last weekend's two out of three victories against Florida.

Lieber also singled with one out in the 5th, which was very impressive, given that he had attained only five hits all season up until this game. Lieber (ironically, a LH hitter although a RHP) is arguably the worst hitter on the team, as he lugged a .077 average into the contest(5/65, four singles and a double, and 27 strikeouts), although he has a more respectable .146 career average.

Brian Moehler was very effective, before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the 5th. He finished with 5 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, no walks and 8 Ks.

In the 6th, against RP Jim Mecir, Abreu walked and stole second, and Mecir then walked Burrell. They were the only two hitters Mecir would face. LHP Ron Villone came in to face Ryan Howard, who has struggled against LHP this season (6-49, .122 going in). It paid off as Villone struck out Howard - his only hitter.

RHP Paul Quantrill (a former Phillie, back in the mid-'90s) then came in to face the two RH at the bottom of the lineup - David Bell and Todd Pratt (Lieber's battermate, who was making a rare two consecutive starts behind the place). IT was Quantrill's 4th appearance with Florida, after spending most of the season w/ the Yankees. Bell hit an infield fly...two outs. Pratt got ahead of Quantrill 3-1, and drew a walk to load the bases.

Michael Tucker then came to the plate, to hit for Lieber. He had two grand slams w/ the Giants earlier in the season. This was why the Phillies made the waiver deal with San Francisco- Tucker delivered big, hitting a two-run single to give the Phillies a 4-2 lead. Rollins then broke it open with a double, and advanced to third on a misplay in the OF by Juan Encarnacion.

Antonio Alfonseca came in and gave up a RBI single to Lofton, making it 7-2. Utley grounded out weakly to end the inning. and it was now in the hands of the bullpen.

RHP Geoff Geary made it unpleasant in the 6th, allowing Cabrera and Delgado to reach second and third on a pair of hits. He stabilized the situation, striking out Encarnacion and getting pinch-hitter Mike Lowell, batting for the rookie SS Andino) on a sacrifice fly, yielding one run. He then gave way to LHP Aaron Fultz w/ Delgado at second and two outs, and the score 7-3. Fultz got Juan Pierre on a liner to left to end the threat.

In the 7th, against RHP Josh Johnson, another September callup, the Phillies once again loaded the bases, but PH Shane Victorino flied out to left to end the inning without a tally.

Victorino remained in the game, replacing RF Abreu, who had been banged up a little, being hit by the throw as he stole second - for the second time tonight - in the top of the 7th. Ryan Madson, who had been shelled earlier in the week, was double-switched into the cleanup spot. Madson struck out the first two Marlins but then walked Luis Castillo on four pitches (a maddening event with a four-run lead in the 7th inning!). He then battled Cabrera, requiring a mound conference, before striking him out on a 2-2 changeup, thus striking out the side. It was one of the most adventuresome "strikings out of the side" as could be imagined.

As it turned out, there need not have been any concern; the Phillies also loaded the bases in the 8th and 9th, scoring 3 runs in each frame to win easily, 13-3. Pat Burrell had a two-run single and Ryan Howard a RBI groundout in the 8th; Chase Utley doubled with the bases loaded and Tomas Perez following also with a RBI groundout to complete the scoring. The rout meant that the bullpen elite- Ugueth Urbina and Billy Wagner - could be reserved for potentially closer games during the weekend. Aquilino Lopez pitched the 8th and Robinson Tejeda the 9th to finish up.

Heroes Tonight - A Very Long List

Lieber - Recovered from the rocky 1st to improve his record to 15-12, and also contributed with the bat.
Rollins - 3/5, 4 R, 4 RBI, walk.
Lofton - 5/6, 2 R, RBI
Abreu - 2/3, walk, R, 2 SB in seven innings.
Pratt - 1/3, 2 R, two walks, plus calling a great game for Lieber.
Tucker - Made the difference tonight, despite the lopsided score.

Relative to everyone else, Utley had an average game - but he has 19 H and 15 RBI against Florida coming into this game, and went 1/5 w/ 2 RBI tonight.

This was a particularly important victory, as it ensures that the Phillies will fly out of Miami on Sunday still in the race, even if they lose the next two. The Phils have to face Florida's ace and Cy Young candidate, Dontrelle Willis, tomorrow, and victory is obviously far from certain.

Other NL Games of Interest

In a game featuring two future Hall of Famers, Atlanta and the hard-throwing John Smoltz were felled at Shea, by Pedro Martinez and the free-falling Mets, 4-0. Pedro went the distance and gave up six hits in the shutout. So the Braves' magic number remained at 10 with 14 games to play. The Phillies were able to regain the game lost on Thursday, and once again trail by 5 but with three remaining games against Atlanta.

In Houston, Milwaukee's Rick Helling and the Astros' Roy Oswalt dueled to a 1-1 draw, but neither figured in the decision. Both runs came on HRs - Jason Lane for Houston (23) and Lyle Overbay (18) for Milwaukee. Closer Brad Lidge appeared atypically in the 8th, to turn away a Milwaukee threat. Lidge (4-3) ended up the winner- as unfortunately, Jeff Bagwell delivered a RBI single in the 9th off reliever Dana Eveland (1-1) to win it for Houston, 2-1. And so the Astros maintained their half-game lead over the Phillies, and increased it to a game and a half over Florida. It was Houston's third straight win. Milwaukee, which might have had a prayer w/ a sweep, gaining three games on the Astros, saw their chances end with the loss.

Washington had to fly from New York to San Diego to face Padres' ace Jake Peavy, but jet lag didn't seem to bother the torrid Nationals, who are very much alive. They kept pace with the Astros and Phillies and gained a game on Florida, defeating Peavy, 5-1, behind John Patterson. The Padres remain in first place in the West even though they are now two games below .500.

Dark Horses

St. Louis was once again denied the formality of clinching the NL Central at Wrigley Field, the major league park where they are most detested. With the Cardinals' magic number resting at one, Chicago defeated the Cardinals at Wrigley on Friday afternoon, behind Glendon Rusch (7-8) with Ryan Dempster recording a perfect 9th for his 28th save (one of the most underrated closers in the game). HRs from Jim Edmonds (St. Louis, 28th) and Derrek Lee (the Cubs, 44th) in the contest; Matt Morris (14-9) lost it for St. Louis. This incrementally improved the Cubs' infinitesimal hopes, as they thus picked up a game on both Florida and Milwaukee.

At the end of the day on Friday, September 16, 2005 (14 Phillies games remaining)

NL East

Atlanta................................84-64.....--- (magic number remaining at 10)
Philadelphia.......................79-69.....5
Florida................................78-70.....6

NL Wild Card

Houston...........................79-68.....---
Philadelphia....................79-69.....0.5
Florida.............................78-70.....1.5
Washington.....................77-71.....2.5

Back of the Pack

Milwaukee.........................73-74.....6
Chicago..............................73-75....6.5
New York...........................72-75.....7