Dig it!
Everyone worked together in tonight's 7-2 win over Bartolo Colon and the Mets.
Jerome Williams had another nice start, continuing to giving the Phillies more than they had any right to expect from him. In total, he went 6 1/3 innings, and he gave up just four hits, three walks and two runs. The defense was right behind him -- or, more accurately, Chase Utley was right behind him. In the first inning he gracefully plucked a Curtis Granderson line drive out of the air. In the second, he made this marvelous flip to Ryan Howard:
That's the patented Chase Utley glove flip right there. And in the fourth, he caught David Wright in a rundown and juuuuust managed to tag him. Wright was called safe, and it was overturned in about 4o seconds.
The Mets defense also came out in full force, with Curtis Granderson and Matt den Dekker making incredible catches in the outfield to rob Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard of hits. But it was clear from the start that Bartolo Colon was playing with fire, and in the sixth inning he got torched. The Philies offense tagged him for six hits and six runs, which chased him from the game. Every hit in the sixth inning -- there were seven total -- was a single.
It the seventh inning, Williams began to unravel. He loaded the bases and was promptly removed from the game. (The hit that loaded the bases was from brand-spanking new Mets second baseman Dilson Herrera, and it was his very first major league hit.) Justin De Fratus was brought in to replace Williams, and he allowed two runs on a single and a walk. Both were charged to Williams line.
Of note:
- Today is Marlon Byrd's 37th birthday. He hit his 25h home run of the season in the fifth inning, ostensibly to celebrate. 25 home runs is a career high for Byrd, and for the love of God doesn't someone want him?
- Cody Asche went 3-for-4, Jimmy Rollins went 2-for-4, and Ben Revere's hit in the sixth inning was his 150th of the year.
- Ken Giles racked up one strikeout in a hitless eighth inning, lowering his ERA to 1.30.
- Papelbon closed out the game in the ninth, even though the score was 7-2. I desperately want someone to take him, but no one will. This is worth keeping in mind...
Jonathan Papelbon's 2016 option is tied to games finished, and here he is with a 7-2 Phillies lead.
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) August 31, 2014Jonathan Papelbon is never leaving, is he.
Source: FanGraphs