Sunday, September 4 games - Phils, Floyd Fall to Nationals - But Everyone Else Loses, Too..
The Phillies' recent lapse, thus far, has not taken them out of the wild card lead or the NL East chase...
On Sunday, the one-time franchise savior, Gavin Floyd, failed to defeat the Nationals at RFK Stadium. Making his first start for the Phillies since April, Floyd, now 1-2, gave the club a chance, yielding three runs (on a three-run shot by Brian Schneider in the 2nd inning) and six hits in six innings. However, competent wasn't going to be enough in this game. The reason: the Phillies continued to flail against Esteban Loaiza, the guy who perhaps has the coolest name in the major leagues today, in addition to being a formidable hurler. Loaiza, who at one point retired a dozen straight Phillies, evened his record at 10-10 by pitching eight dominant innings, surrendering a lone run on four hits. He also struck out 11 Phillies, the second time Loaiza has done so this year against our heroes.
The devastating blow was a three-run homer by Preston Wilson off RHP Pedro Liriano (a September reinforcement) in the seventh, putting the game out of reach. The Phillies got on the board with a RBI single from Jason Michaels in the 8th, but that was it.
Other NL Games of Interest
For once, every other game went the Phillies' way, as Atlanta and the Phillies' closest wild-card pursuers all fell.
No more ground was lost in the division race. Cincinnati and Atlanta were tied 3-3 at the end of nine, but the Reds exploded for five runs in the top of the 12th to prevail, the big blow being a pinch-hit grand slam by Jason LaRue off Atlanta's Dan Kolb. Ken Griffey, Jr., also homered in the first inning, tying Mickey Mantle for 12th on the all-time HR list at 536.
The Mets salvaged their final game in Miami, breezing past Florida, 7-1. Jae Sao topped A. J. Burnett, with Cliff Floyd contributing a two-run HR.
Finally, St. Louis beat Houston at Minute Maid Park, 4-1, behind a complete game from Jason Marquis, who raised his record to 11-13. The Cardinals' David Eckstein had an inning-starting double off former Phillie Brandon Duckworth, and came around to score on a single by Yalier Molina; they were two of four hits yielded by Duckworth in relief.
So at the end of Sunday... the Phillies still held the Wild Card lead.
NL East
Atlanta 78-59 --
Philadelphia 73-64 5
NL Wild Card
Philadelphia 73-64 --
Houston 72-63 0.5
Florida 72-63 0.5
Washington 71-66 2
New York 70-66 2.5
On Sunday, the one-time franchise savior, Gavin Floyd, failed to defeat the Nationals at RFK Stadium. Making his first start for the Phillies since April, Floyd, now 1-2, gave the club a chance, yielding three runs (on a three-run shot by Brian Schneider in the 2nd inning) and six hits in six innings. However, competent wasn't going to be enough in this game. The reason: the Phillies continued to flail against Esteban Loaiza, the guy who perhaps has the coolest name in the major leagues today, in addition to being a formidable hurler. Loaiza, who at one point retired a dozen straight Phillies, evened his record at 10-10 by pitching eight dominant innings, surrendering a lone run on four hits. He also struck out 11 Phillies, the second time Loaiza has done so this year against our heroes.
The devastating blow was a three-run homer by Preston Wilson off RHP Pedro Liriano (a September reinforcement) in the seventh, putting the game out of reach. The Phillies got on the board with a RBI single from Jason Michaels in the 8th, but that was it.
Other NL Games of Interest
For once, every other game went the Phillies' way, as Atlanta and the Phillies' closest wild-card pursuers all fell.
No more ground was lost in the division race. Cincinnati and Atlanta were tied 3-3 at the end of nine, but the Reds exploded for five runs in the top of the 12th to prevail, the big blow being a pinch-hit grand slam by Jason LaRue off Atlanta's Dan Kolb. Ken Griffey, Jr., also homered in the first inning, tying Mickey Mantle for 12th on the all-time HR list at 536.
The Mets salvaged their final game in Miami, breezing past Florida, 7-1. Jae Sao topped A. J. Burnett, with Cliff Floyd contributing a two-run HR.
Finally, St. Louis beat Houston at Minute Maid Park, 4-1, behind a complete game from Jason Marquis, who raised his record to 11-13. The Cardinals' David Eckstein had an inning-starting double off former Phillie Brandon Duckworth, and came around to score on a single by Yalier Molina; they were two of four hits yielded by Duckworth in relief.
So at the end of Sunday... the Phillies still held the Wild Card lead.
NL East
Atlanta 78-59 --
Philadelphia 73-64 5
NL Wild Card
Philadelphia 73-64 --
Houston 72-63 0.5
Florida 72-63 0.5
Washington 71-66 2
New York 70-66 2.5
posted by Villanova Viewpoint Publisher | 9:36 PM
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