Posted by Danielle Wilson
Polanco gets plunked in the elbow in the seventh inning
I don't know about you, but I'm getting really, really sick of rain and rain delays. At 8:57, this Phillies-Braves game finally started, and it started with a bang.
In the bottom of the first inning, Chase Utley homered for the first time since August 21st, it was a solo shot to center field. With Howard later on third and Pence on second, Raul Ibanez singled to right center, making it a 2-0 game.
Vance Worley pitched a shaky outing of six innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits, walking two and striking out six. Not a typical Vance start, but I'll take it.
Dan Uggla drilled a ball to right center to put the Braves on the board in the fourth inning. Uggla later scored on Alex Gonzalez's sacrifice fly in the sixth inning, tying up the game.
Luckily, the Phillies came back in the same inning and scored two. Ryan Howard scored on a wild pitch, and Hunter Pence scored on Ibanez's double to deep center.
Michael Stutes came in for the seventh inning, allowing Michael Bourn to score on Dan Uggla's force-out. Stutes also walked one in the inning.
Shane Victorino scored on Howard's RBI groundout in the seventh, stretching the lead to 5-3. Raul Ibanez singled to right to score Utley from second, smacking out RBI number three of the night. 6-3.
Brad Lidge pitched a scoreless eighth inning, allowing a hit and striking out three. As usual, his slider was nasty. Ryan Madson closed it out, picking up a strikeout to end the game.
Vance took the win, and the Phillies have now won 90 games. They're (obviously) the first to do so in the Majors, and have done so playing the least amount of games in Phillies history.
Brandon Beachy, who is 0-3 with a 4.50 ERA in five starts against Philly, will start tomorrow night against Roy Oswalt at 7:05. Sweep? Sweep.
