Even before the game started we had a little action. Charlie Manuel demoted Chan Ho Park from the rotation to the bullpen and promoted JA Happ to the rotation. Happ will get his first opportunity Saturday at the on fire as of late New York Yankees.
But onto the game. The Phillies took the lead early when Ryan Howard blasted his ninth of the season leading off the second inning. Jay Bruce tied it back up in the fourth with his twelfth round tripper of the year. This Phightins did take the lead for good in the fifth after Cueto gave up 3 runs. The Reds got two more off of Hamels in the sixth and it was over from there. Clay Condrey, Ryan Madson, and Brad Lidge gave up a combined two hits, two walks, and two strikeouts over the last 3 innings. Lidge tight roped out of danger in the ninth. He got Darnell McDonald out quickly to start the ninth, but after a hit by Alex Gonzalez and a walk by Chris Dickerson, the game got a lot more interesting. Willy Tavares struck out swinging. Tavares and recently fouled of a couple of the same exact pitches, Lidges go to pitch, his slider. The game finally ended as Jerry Hairston, Jr. popped the ball up into centerfield for Victorino to end the game.
Cole Hamels really labored through his six innings of work, throwing 117 pitches. But he is proving that he is back to the Hamels we saw back in October. In the Month of May, Hamels has 3 starts, all of which are quality starts. He is striking out more than a batter per inning. He has also lowered his ERA from 7.27 to 4.95 (May's ERA is 2.84) His real test will come Sunday as he faces a red hot Yankees team and CC Sabathia in the Bronx.
The Phils have started off the 2009 campaign a better road team than home. So far they are 13-4 on the road. Hopefully as the weather gets nicer, the Phils will be better at home.
Keywords: Chan Ho Park, Cole Hamels, JA Happ, Philadelphia Phillies
