Phillies First to 80 Wins
By Editorial Staff
The Philadelphia Phillies became the first team in the Majors to hit win number 80 last night with their 4-1 victory over the Diamondbacks.
Philly struck early against Arizona starter Ian Kennedy while Vance Worley held the Diamondbacks scoreless over the first three frames. Thunderstorms proceeded to move in, but the Phillies didn’t miss a beat following the two hour rain delay.
After the pause in action, reliever David Herndon took over for Worley and posted three shutout innings of his own. All told, Philly’s pen held the Diamondbacks to one run on two hits with 8 K’s over the final 7 frames.
The Phillies were able to get the W sans four key starters last night. Shane Victorino began serving his two game suspension, Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz were nursing injuries, and Placido Polanco was just placed on the disabled list.
But even without their regulars, Philadelphia’s offense was able to get the job done with the help of some unfamiliar faces.
Reserve infielder Wilson Valdez got the scoring started with his RBI double in the second. Philly then received all the cushion they would need from backup outfielder John Mayberry Jr. In the third inning, the 27 year old’s 2 run home run put the club up 3-0.
Philadelphia has now won 15 of its last 18 contests, claiming a league-best record of 80-42. They’re 8.5 in front of Atlanta in the NL East, due in large part to their ridiculous pitching staff.
Philly’s big three of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels all rank in the top 7 among NL starters in innings pitched and ERA. The trio also has collected 3 of the top 5 win totals and WHIP’s in the National League.
If that wasn’t enough, the Phillies will then throw Roy Oswalt at you and finish up with the rookie Worley who’s posted an ERA of 2.76 over his 17 appearances this season, 15 of which were starts.
But as great as the pitching’s been, the offense has certainly held its own. Over their current 18 game stretch, the club has scored 5.5 runs per game. As a group they are 10th in the league in on base percentage and, when healthy, have one of the most formidable lineups in the Majors.
For more on the Phillies, be sure to check out That Balls Outta Here.