Phils Bats Go Wild

As I mentioned yesterday, Petco Park is a very big ballpark. But the size of the ballpark doesn't seem to matter for the Phillies. Antonio Bastardo was making his Major League debut, and as most players do on there first big league performance, there are usually nerves. To calm those nerves down the Phillies scored four runs in the top of the first inning. Bastardo came out throwing bullets. He was projected to throw his fastball around 91 mph, but he was throwing it 94 mph consistently. In the third inning Raul Ibanez hit his 200th career homerun and gave the Phillies a 6-0 lead. Then, in the fifth inning Greg Dobbs hit his second homerun of the season. After six innings Bastardo left the game with only surrendering one run. That run came on a solo homerun by Adrian Gonzalez. In the seventh Ibanez hit yet another homerun. That was hit 19th homeurn of the season, and it gave the Phillies a 10-1 lead. With a nine run lead Chan Ho Park came in to relieve Antonio Batardo. His job was to just throw strikes. Park could not do that. He gave up four runs in the seventh to make it a 10-5 game. Park's fellow relievers picked him up. Chad Durbin pitched a scoreless eighth and in the ninth inning with two outs he gave up an infield single and two walks. That put he bases loaded. Charlie brought in Ryan Madson to get the final out and he did the job on a one pitch save. One side note, J.C. Romero's suspension is finally up and he is eligible to pitch starting today.
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J.A. Happ will be on the rubber for the Phillies. Happ pitched well last start against the Nationals. He was a little wild with three walks and he had to come out after 5 1/3 innings pitched. He will look to go a little deeper in the game. Chris Young will oppose Happ. In his last start he only gave up one run adn two hits. He walked six batters. Young claims that he didn't have a good grip on the baseball, due to the conditions at Coors Field.