Philadelphia Phillies book their berth for postseason – MLB News
The Philadelphia Phillies needed just one win in the three-game road series against Houston Astros to confirm a trip to the playoffs, but the Astros did well to keep the visitors at bay for the first two games before Roy Halladay finally won the third game
for the National League stalwarts on Wednesday, September 14.
Halladay hurled his first complete game of the season to bag his 18th win, becoming the first Phillies pitcher to win 18-plus games in back-to-back seasons since Steve Carlton in 1979 and 1980. He displayed immense versatility in his spell, tossing
114 pitches and yielding 86 strikes amid seven strike-outs.
Phillies prevailed 1-0 in the low-scoring encounter, becoming the first team to reach the playoffs this season. Shane Victorino showed his class on the plate, scoring the only run for Philadelphia. Victorino was not impressed with the offensive production
and stated that the team slipped a few scoring chances and this needs to be sorted out.
Manager Charlie Manuel said, "The biggest thing I'm concerned about is we've got to score some runs." Philadelphia sports the best pitching staff on the circuit and refurbishing the batting line-up can do wonders for the Phillies in their postseason campaign.
This was Philadelphia’s 95th win of the season and more importantly took them to their fifth consecutive postseason, but celebrations were missing. Manuel commented that this was just the first step and anything less than the World Series would
not satisfy the team. He further added that the Phillies have dominated the National League thus far and the team is upbeat to replicate this performance in the playoffs and celebrations will only come once the team is crowned Champion.
Astros did well from the mound after conceding a run in the first inning, restricting Phillies to just four hits in nine innings. Victorino, Placido Polanco and Hunter Pence produced a hit each while all other specialist batters failed to connect. Halladay
had an elated outing and it magnified when he managed to connect one in his three at-bats.
Phillies are now just five wins shy of completing a hundred this season and they will be looking to achieve that with more help from the offensive side.
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