Week Four Wrapup – Making every hit count, Phillies end week with a sweep

The Phillies played sloppy baseball for the first time this season, committing 5 errors in a 3 game series with the Brewers and the offensive woes continued as the team hit a combined .186, .131 with runners in scoring position.  But the starting rotation was as good as advertised and went 5-1 with an ERA just under 2.50 and the Phillies offense was good when it counted, slugging ten extra base hits as the Phightins.  All told, Philadelphia posted a 5-2 record for the week, dropping the first series against the Brewers 1-2, before sweeping the Padres in a four game set at Petco.

Joe Blanton put together back to back good appearances.  His line for the week: 2.89 ERA - 14 IP 2ER 14H 2BB 7SO

Ibanez looked awful at the plate, going 1-22 and striking out 10 times.  Manuel started John Mayberry Jr in leftfield in the Padres series fanale against left hander Wade LeBlanc.  Mayberry made good contact in all three appearances against LeBlanc collecting a RBI double in the seventh. 

The back end bullpen trio of Ryan Madson, Jose Contreras and Antonio Bastardo have given up one run 27 combined appearances.  They have converted 8 of 8 save opportunities and have a combined WHIP of 0.89.  A questionmark going into the season, Charlie’s made it a strength.

                                     

Stat of the week:

Phillies pitching throws 23 straight scoreless innings.

Highlights:

Phils pitching notches two more shutouts

Seems like there one or two of these a week.  Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt combined with an efficient bullpen to throw two, Cole going 8 strong in San Diego, twirling his newly refined cureball and his plus plus changeup for 8 strikeouts and a whole lot of broken bats and nubbers. 

Ryan Howard beats the Padres in the 11^th

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the Padres intentionally walk Jimmy Rollins to get to Ryan Howard with the game on the line.  Howard blooped a two-run single down the left field line to win the game.