Phils vs. D-Backs April 23-25 Series Thread

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After taking two of three from the Braves in Atlanta, the Phils head out west for a weekend in the desert against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Phils took five of six from Arizona last season, including two of three in Phoenix

Pitching Matchups

Friday (9:40): Cole Hamels vs. Kris Benson
Saturday (8:10): Nelson Figueroa vs. Ian Kennedy
Sunday: (4:10): Kyle Kendrick vs. Rodrigo Lopez

Hamels is coming off his strongest outing of the young season, albeit in a losing effort, allowing two runs while working into the ninth against the Florida Marlins on Sunday. He is 2-0 with a 1.74 in three career starts against Arizona. Benson spent the majority of the 2008 season in the Phillies' system, but never appeared with the big club. He has never lost to the Phils in nine career starts, going 5-0 with a 3.22 ERA, but hasn't faced them since 2006. Figueroa gets a spot start in place of the injured J.A. Happ. His last start in a Phillies uniform came on August 31, 2001 against the Montreal Expos. Kennedy came over from the New York Yankees in a three-way deal with the Detroit Tigers in the offseason. He missed nearly the entire 2009 season due to an aneurysm near his right shoulder. Kendrick comes off a game in which he worked eight scoreless innings in Atlanta, only to have the bullpen lose it for him. He'll be opposed in the series finale by Rodrigo Lopez, who appeared in seven games for the Phillies last season

[Bekirk302]

Its amusing that the Phillies will be going against Rodrigo Lopez this series when if he was still in the system he would be pitching Saturday instead of Figueroa.

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True. Lopez had a couple decent starts for the Phils last season when he was first called up, too

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Underway in Arizona

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Phils down in order in the first, Hamels goes to work

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Hamels has a 1-2-3 inning of his own to start it off

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Hamels strikes out the side in the second. Scoreless heading to the third

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Hamels doubles, Victorino triples, and the Phils take a 1-0 lead

[Jimmerz]

Thought that was going over his head.. nice rip Chase.

Hamels should pinch hit on his off days.

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Looks like we might have a brouhaha on our hands here

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Ruling that Young didn't control the ball, Werth circles the bases

[Jimmerz]

That was a catch. I <3 officiating.

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Scored a four-base error. I'll take it

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That was a catch. I <3 officiating.

I'm sure there will be a makeup call at some point

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Reynolds with a moonshot two-run homer and it's 2-2 in the fourth

[Jimmerz]

WTF Hamels!

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LaRoche follows with a bomb to put Arizona on top

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D-Backs playing some longball

[Jimmerz]

Hat trick!

[Jimmerz]

I haven't forgiven Hamels for last year.. just throwing that out there.

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Snyder with a cannon shot to make it 5-2. Nothing cheap about the three homers Hamels has given up this inning

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Johnson sends one over the wall and it's 6-2

[Jimmerz]

EVERYBODY HITS....

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Hamels was pretty much dominant for three innings and it all went bye bye

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Schneider and Gload with back to back singles to start the seventh. No better time than now to start a comeback

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Benson's night is done. Regardless of what happens the rest of this game, he's still never lost to the Phillies

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LaRoche picks a one hop throw by Reynolds gets Polanco, 6-3 with two outs in the seventh

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J.C. Romero makes his 2010 debut

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Johnson gives Romero a rude welcome to the 2010 season with a long line drive homer to right. Five home runs tonight for Arizona, and it's 7-3

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Romero walks Drew on four pitches and gets a very quick hook. Contreras will come in

[Jimmerz]

That was quick JC.. this game blows.

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It has deteriorated to the point that T-Mac and Wheels are discussing Jack Black movies. I have no problem with Jack Black, but come on now

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To the ninth we go, Phils down 7-3. Aaron Heilman on for the Snakes

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Victorino keeps it alive with an RBI single, and it's 7-4. Qualls will come in to try to close it out

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Polanco grounds out to LaRoche to end it. D-Backs take the opener of the weekend set, 7-4

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Underway in the middle game

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Phils go down in order in the first. Time to get Figgy wit it

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Werth tracks one down in foul territory and guns Upton at second and Figueroa is out of a first-inning jame

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Werth follows it up with a screamer into the restaurant to make it 1-0. First homer for the Phils in a week

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Ball man interferes with Castro's hit down the line. Probably woulda been a double anyway

[Jimmerz]

Ball man interferes with Castro's hit down the line. Probably woulda been a double anyway

Wheels giving the old guy shit too.

[Jimmerz]

:yes4:

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He's a good athlete who has a clue out there. A little bit goofy, though

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Figueroa bends but doesn't break. Phils up 1-0 heading to the fourth. Bullpen's gonna get some work tonight

[Jimmerz]

Figgy not looking too bad.. 3 hits through 3 innings, 0 runs.

[Jimmerz]

Figueroa bends but doesn't break. Phils up 1-0 heading to the fourth. Bullpen's gonna get some work tonight

Out by the 5th you think?

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Quick inning in the fourth, he might go back out there for the fifth now

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Figueroa bats for himself, out on a bang-bang play to end the inning

[Jimmerz]

What the hell is up with the Orioles?

[Jimmerz]

D-Back's just went deep, 2-1

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Kelly Johnson feasting on Phillies pitching in this series

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Arizona up 2-1 after five. Not a bad effort at all from Figueroa. Maybe the offense can get him off the hook

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Durbin takes over in the sixth

[Jimmerz]

I think he would have dropped it anyway

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Didn't look like he would've had it. Werth's running catch makes it a moot point

[Jimmerz]

Oh hey Raul, how you doin'?

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RAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUL!

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Valdez batting for Castro. Not good

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Good job by Durbin, 2-2 heading to the eighth

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Leadoff double for Ruiz. Time to manufacture

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Gload with an at-em ball, Victorino grounds to short. Ruiz still on second with two outs

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Polanco flies out and the Phils are turned away

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Contreras on for the Phils

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Castro left the game with a mild left hamstring strain. Sucks, he's been fantastic filling in for J-Roll

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Contreras strikes out the side in the eighth, allowing only a two-out single. On to the ninth, 2-2

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Juan Gutierrez takes over for Arizona, Phils have the middle of the order due up

[Jimmerz]

Why is Howard swinging at that 3-0!?

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Howard bounces to second on a 3-0 pitch

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Werth picks Howard up with a BOMB to dead center!

[Jimmerz]

NICE!!

Werth and Ibanez pretty much the only two to show up tonight.

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Madson time

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Madson using the body

[Jimmerz]

Valdez batting for Castro. Not good

http://internetservices.readingeagle.com/blog/madrid/archives/Juan%20valdez%20cafe%20de%20colombia.jpg

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Parra singles back through the middle. D-Backs with the tying run on base with one out in the ninth

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http://internetservices.readingeagle.com/blog/madrid/archives/Juan%20valdez%20cafe%20de%20colombia.jpg

Juan Castro, Wilson Valdez. Juan Valdez

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Madson gets Snyder on three pitches, two down

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T-Mac a little too focused on the standings for April 24

[Jimmerz]

Juan Castro, Wilson Valdez. Juan Valdez

LMAO!

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/photos/2006/05/31/juan-valdez060531.jpg

[Jimmerz]

T-Mac a little too focused on the standings for April 24

Agreed.

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BALLGAME! Madson gets Abreu on a nasty changeup and the Phillies win 3-2

[Jimmerz]

Not pretty but a win is a win.

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Interesting lineup today. Gload leads off playing right. Dobbs bats second playing third. Werth in center. Castro out, Valdez at short

[Jimmerz]

Good to see Dobbs getting a start.

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Underway in the series finale

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Gload starts things off with a base hit

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Dobbs with a bomb and the Phils take a 2-0 lead

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Utley just misses one to dead center

[The_Philly_Mick]

Well its always a good sign when Dobbs is hitting homers!

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Two in the first for the Phils, time for Kendrick to build off his strong outing against the Braves

[The_Philly_Mick]

Kendrick really needs to continue pitching well. Hopefully this time he will have some offensive help, and a decent pullpen!

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Kendrick sets the Snakes down in order in the first

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Adam LaRoche seems to hit the Phillies no matter what uniform he's wearing

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D-Backs strand 'em loaded in the second, Phils still up 2-0

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Gload is taking a liking to hitting leadoff

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Right spot at the right time for LaRoche, Gload gets doubled off. What can you do, Dobbs hit it hard

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Four scoreless innings for Kendrick so far, still 2-0

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Valdez gets his first hit as a Phillie, a bunt single, going to second on Lopez's throwing error

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I think T-Mac would make a very good Green Man

http://www.thefightins.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/frankenstein.gif

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Ruiz singles, Valdez to third. First and third with no outs, Kendrick coming up

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Kendrick sacrifices Ruiz up to second. Second and third with one out for Gload

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Gload grounds out, but Valdez comes in to score and it's 3-0

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Kelly Johnson does it again, a two-run homer and the lead is cut to 3-2

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Werth can't find the handle on Drew's deep drive. It's a triple and the D-Backs have the tying run on third with no outs

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Upton walks, first and third with no outs

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Reynolds with a three-run moonshot, and this game has gotten ugly in a hurry

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Howard saves further damage with a nice scoop at first. On to the sixth, Phils playing from behind for the first time today

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Utley and Howard with back to back singles to open the sixth. First and third with no outs and Werth up

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Sac fly for Werth makes it 5-4. Ibanez bangs one off the wall for a double, but Howard doesn't score on Valdez's grounder to short

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Ruiz picks 'em up with a two-out, two-run single and the Phils go back on top 6-5

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Francisco bats for Kendrick, who is now the pitcher of record on the positive side

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Baez now pitching for the Phillies

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Johnson doesn't homer this time, but he does draw a leadoff walk

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No hurt after the leadoff walk, on to the seventh with the Phils on top 6-5

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Baez back out there for the seventh

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Young with a leadoff double

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Hester shoots one over the first base bag for a double, and it's 6-6

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Baez out, Bastardo in

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Bastardo gets a couple groundouts, 6-6 going to the eighth

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Werth singles to start the eighth

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Valdez singles, Werth to third with one out

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Ruiz pops out, Polanco up to pinch hit with two outs

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Polanco lines out for the third out and the game remains tied

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Herndon comes on for the eighth. Time to find out if he can pitch in a tight game

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Drew looked like he might've been struck out on the 2-2 pitch, then lines the 3-2 pitch to right for a base hit

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Gillespie doubles, but Drew is nailed at the plate, Ibanez to Valdez to Ruiz

[Jimmerz]

Man Wheels loves to be a baserunning critic doesn't he?

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Gload loses sight of a deep drive by Reynolds. It's a double, and Arizona takes a 7-6 lead

[Jimmerz]

This bullpen is a problem

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Man Wheels loves to be a baserunning critic doesn't he?

Yeah he does. Guess they never made any baserunning mistakes at Marple Newtown

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RBI single by Young makes it 8-6

[Jimmerz]

Yeah he does. Guess they never made any baserunning mistakes at Marple Newtown

According to him there should be no close plays at the plate.

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The double play comes a couple batters too late. Last chance for the Phils, down 8-6

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No Durbin or Contreras has proven costly today

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Phils go down in order in the ninth, and drop a disappointing series finale, 8-6. Arizona takes two of three. On to San Francisco for the Phils

[The_Philly_Mick]

Well thats not a good way to start the West Coast trip!