Philadelphia Phillies vs. Florida Marlins: Game 2 – MLB Post Game Analysis
The Philadelphia Phillies clinched a ten-inning thriller against the Florida Marlins after Ryan Howard drove a run in the decider to hand the former a 2-1 win in the second game of the day-night double-header at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
on Thursday, September 15. Earlier in the day, Philadelphia had won the first game 3-1, helped by Kyle Kendrick’s mesmerising spell.
The low-scoring encounter was chiefly dominated by the pitchers, with Cliff Lee leading the pack. Lee pitched a stupendous nine-inning spell but was denied a win after being unglued for a home-run in his last inning.
It could have very easily been a five-hit complete shut-out effort but Jose Lopez drew the Marlins level in the last inning to reignite the game. Lee employed his entire armoury to keep the visitors at bay but was unlucky to be denied his 17th
win of the season. The lanky starter struck-out 12 batters in a total of 117 pitches, generating 88 pitches and leaking just one run to reduce his ERA to 2.38 for the season. Lee completed 1300 career strike-outs in the course of the game, finishing at 1308.
Phillies have an outright chance to grab the World Series this season and their rotation will be central to their success. Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Lee have helped the Phillies dominate the National League and a similar performance would be important
for their success in the playoffs. Halladay is expected to the lead the three-pronged attack but all three will have to be in top-form to topple all obstacles.
Alex Sanabia proved his mettle from the mound for the Marlins, pitching six innings for just one run to improve his ERA to 1.29 for the season. He displayed immense versatility in his spell, skilfully mixing the fastball with the curveball to keep the home
team at bay for the first five innings. Sanabia pitched five scoreless innings before John Mayberry Jr. unglued him for a 372-feet home-run down left-flank to take a one-run advantage in the low-scoring game.
Sanabia was replaced after the hit but did enough to augment his chances of a permanent position in the rotation next season. The Marlins have struggles this season but with prospects proving their talent on the big stage in abundance; things are likely
to change for Florida.
Lopez replicated Mayberry’s hit in the ninth inning to bring back life into a one-sided affair. Edward Mujica then pitched a perfect ninth to push the game into the tenth inning but was it was Ryan Howard who stole the show for the Phillies.
Howard entered the game in the top of the tenth inning and wrapped the show in his first at-bat. He commented that he was looking for something to be smashed over left-field and a loose pitch first-up was all that was needed. Howard drove in a double to
deep left-field to set up Michael Martinez’s run after Michael Schwimer had earlier restricted the Marlins from scoring in the top of the tenth.
Schwimer struck-out two batters in his mesmerising display of top-quality pitching to give Philadelphia an upper hand in the game and advocate his case of being utilized as a closer in the postseason.
Lee remained calm after not winning the game even after a quality-game and commented that a no-result is fine as long as the team wins. He is in contention for his second-consecutive NL Cy Young Award this season with team-mate Roy Halladay and Los Angeles
Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw.
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