Long rain delay doesn’t dampen Phillies’ plans
J.A. Happ pitched five innings and received a no-decision as the Phillies came from behind to beat the Rockies, 4-3, on Sunday in front of 44,726 at Citizens Bank Park. Jimmy Rollins scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the seventh after delivering the game-tying RBI single earlier in the inning.
Philadelphia has now won consecutive games against the Rockies behind two starting pitchers who were expected to be in Triple-A just a few days ago. First it was Kyle Kendrick who shut down the Rockies for seven innings on Saturday, and on Sunday it was Happ’s turn to showcase his skills and provide solid pitching for five innings as he rejoined Philadelphia's rotation after a three-month absence.
"I can pitch better than that, I know, but at the same time, I think it went pretty well today," said Happ, who was on the disabled list with a left forearm strain. "Take away a few walks, and I'm right where I need to be."
Happ, the 27-year-old left-hander who won 12 games for the Phillies last season, showed promising signs since his return and teammates are taking notice.
"I think it's huge," Phillies closer Brad Lidge said of getting Happ back. "J.A.'s a great pitcher, not just on our team but I think in the Major Leagues period. Having him back in the rotation really helps out. He's obviously a guy you want to be able to run out there every five days."
He admitted that his three additional starts in the Minors were frustrating, because he felt like his arm was healthy enough to pitch again for Philadelphia. "I definitely probably pitched a little bit angry today, but that's not a bad thing," Happ said. "I feel like this is where I belong and you've got to go out there and prove it. Today was a good step toward that I think."
Though his command was rusty, Happ, who finished second in last year's Rookie of the Year Award, threw 92 pitches and showed off his fastball, which hovered near 93 mph. He also walked four and struck out four through a couple of innings in some heavy rain.
Happ struggled in the third inning allowing one run, and in the fourth by a two-run home run by Ryan Spilborghs that gave the Rockies the 3-2 lead. Ryan Madson (3-1) hurled a scoreless relief inning for the win.
The storm clouds that hovered over the ballpark for much of the afternoon finally erupted in the sixth inning causing an hour-and-a-half long interlude.
With both teams set to resume play, after what seemed to be an eternity, it was Philadelphia who came out angry and took command of the game.
With the Phillies trailing 3-2, Wilson Valdez led off the bottom of the seventh with a ground-rule double, one of three pinch-hit doubles they managed on the day.
"It's obviously a tough way to lose, but you don't put yourself in a favorable position when you strand 12 runners," lamented Rockies manager Jim Tracy. "We just continue to allow the big at-bat to elude us and we lost by a run because of it.
"That's been the general theme of this road trip. It's not the first time we've had the opportunity to cash in, change the momentum, take a lead, and we've let the big at-bat get away from us. That's going to show up."
Philly improved to 4-1 against Colorado this season and have won eight of their last nine at home over the Rockies. “we have a team that's built to win. We plan on doing that," Jayson Werth said.
Tags: