Everyone showed up and did their job, and the result was a great baseball game.
There's something to be said for everyone doing what they're supposed to do.
That's what happened during the Phillies' 5-4 win over the Mets last night. I know that doesn't sound like fun, but you'd be wrong. It was a fun, exciting game from start to finish. Really!
Kyle Kendrick continued to turn in starts befitting of his station. Last night, he went 5 1/3 innings, giving up four runs and two walks on four hits. He gave up a game tying two-run homer to David Wright in the first inning, right after the Phillies themselves had taken a two run lead. He gave up another run in the sixth before being pulled, and the fourth run scored after he left the game. Not the best start -- I wish he'd gone longer in the game -- but for a fourth starter, not surprising or out-of-the-ordinary.
Chase Utley went 2-for-3 with two RBI last night, and even after that stretch of being kind of putrid, he's still hitting .344. Utley also made a terrible, tragic baserunning error in the seventh inning that cost the Phillies the go-ahead run. Watch it here, and not just for the amazing sit-down slide he does at the end. Why watch it? Because Chase Utley is great, he's my favorite, but he's a man just like everyone else. I'm as guilty as anyone of ignoring his faults and just focusing on the good things. So even though it pains me, he made a mistake and it sucked. Especially since in the next instant the Phillies could have been leading, and earlier than the ninth inning.
Ben Revere deserves a mention for this stellar running catch he made in the second inning. I can't embed it here because MLB is peopled with giant, stupid baby heads who don't want people seeing their videos. Laaaaaaame. Yeah, I said it! Come at me, MLB! But click here to watch it. After making the catch, Revere tumbles to the ground and pops right back up running backwards. It's the cutest, most Ben Revere thing ever.
Jimmy Rollins had three hits, including a solo home run in the top of the second. It was his first home run since April 20, and his fourth of the year already. Rollins only had six total last year, so this is certainly a positive development. Jimmy has been looking like a man possessed lately, which is so much fun to watch. There were a few times last night when he took a huuuge turn around the base, like he had to stop himself from just going for it and taking the extra base. Baseball is more fun when Jimmy Rollins feels confident.
I suspected that Ryan Howard might have a big game, as he was facing Dillon Gee, a pitcher he's absolutely owned in the past. Howard went 2-for-3 against Gee, with a single and a double. Howard hit two more singles last night, and the second one scored the Phillies' winning run in the top of the ninth inning. Another four-hit game for Ryan Howard, his second of the year. So few things delight me more than Ryan Howard doing well.
The bullpen kept it together, too. Without Jake Diekman, Mike Adams, and Jonathan Papelbon pitching scoreless baseball, this recap would have been mostly full of swears and angry exclamations and the Price is Right failhorn. Here's a fun fact:
Diek/Adams/Bastardo/Pap since May 3rd: 17.1 IP, 1.04 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 35.8 K%
— Corinne (@Ut26) May 11, 2014What made this game so unexpectedly great was that the Mets players all played well, too. Dillon Gee struggled early on, but settled down and turned in another good start. David Wright hit his second homer of the season and brought in three of the four Mets runs. Even Curtis Granderson got in on the fun (which is great because I enjoy him) with two hits of his own.
The Phillies try for the sweep today at 1:10. Join us, won't you?