Notes From The Phillies’ 8-3 Win Over Cincinnati

The Philadelphia Phillies won their second straight game on Sunday afternoon, taking down the Reds 8-3. Their record improves to 19-22.

• Cliff Lee put the Phillies in a 2-0 hole, allowing a pair of runs to score in the first inning. Lee would settle down afterwards, and didn’t allow another run through the rest of the afternoon, finishing with 6.2 innings pitched and allowing nine hits and one walk.
  
• The Phillies answered in the bottom of the first with a couple of back-to-back home runs from Jimmy Rollins and Wil Nieves.
• The offense took the lead in fifth inning with a nice manufactured run. Cliff Lee began the inning with a single, and Jimmy Rollins reached on a fielder’s choice. Nieves used a sacrifice bunt to put runners at second and third, and Chase Utley scored Lee with an RBI-groundout.
• Marlon Byrd led off the sixth inning with a solo home run. Byrd would also single home a run in the seventh.
• Cody Asche delivered the knockout punch with a three-run homer in the seventh. It was his fourth bomb of the year.
• Nieves batted second in the order for the first time in his career. He finished 2-3 with a homer, a single, and a sac bunt.
• Ryan Howard didn’t pick up a hit, but worked two walks and scored a run.
• Domonic Brown went 0-5 one day after driving in five runs.
• In addition to his first inning homer, Jimmy Rollins drew two walks out of the lead off spot.
• Mike Adams pitched 1.1 innings, and allowed a run in the eighth inning.
• Antonio Bastardo struck out two to mop up the ninth inning.

Final Thoughts

The Phillies have finally broken out of their offensive slump, and won themselves a series at Citizens Bank Park.

Having Ben Revere out of this lineup has helped a lot. Jimmy Rollins is probably going to stay in the lead off spot for the foreseeable future, and the Phillies may be more comfortable just platooning Tony Gwynn and John Mayberry in that centerfielder position.

Cody Asche has looked pretty good at the plate over the last week. He’s got three straight multi-hit games, and he’s driven in six runs in the last two games.

I also want to give Ryan Howard a little credit. He’s not driving in any runs these days (just one RBI in his last six games), but he’s worked four walks in the last two games and his walks have helped lead to some of the team’s big innings in the last two wins. Its very important that Howard not give away at-bats with halfhearted strikeouts as he’s done far too often this year. Even if he can’t do the same amount of damage that he was capable of in his prime, the patient at-bats that turn in to walks can at least make a pitcher work, extend an inning, and give the other guys in the lineup a chance to hit with some runners on base.