Posted by Kevin Durso
Raul Ibanez hit a grand slam in the Phillies' NL East clincher against the Cardinals on Sept. 17. (Courtesy of SI.com)
The Phillies and Cardinals faced off nine times, which is kind of unheard of for National League opponents, who usually see each other eight times at the most during the season. Those eight meetings weren’t the best for the Phillies, but with a closer look, you’ll see that the past really has no bearing on the present. Here then is a look back at the nine games between the Phillies and Cardinals this season.
May 16 – Cardinals 3, Phillies 1
An uncharacteristic performance by Cliff Lee cost the Phillies on this night. Lee only allowed three runs, but walked a career-high six batters, and the Phillies could only manage five hits. The Cardinals’ bullpen was sounder then, and the seven innings Jake Westbrook gave the Cards was plenty to avoid a bullpen collapse.
May 17 – Cardinals 2, Phillies 1
A shorthanded Phillies’ lineup, missing Chase Utley, Shane Victorino, Raul Ibanez, Carlos Ruiz, and obviously Hunter Pence, managed just five hits. They could only manage an unearned run off Jaime Garcia in his eight innings pitched, on an eighth-inning sac fly. Roy Oswalt managed five innings of one-run ball, and turned things over to the bullpen. They did the job until the ninth, as Danys Baez loaded the bases, and J.C. Romero’s first pitch was lined into center field for a walk-off single.
June 21 – Phillies 10, Cardinals 2
The Phillies saw the first of the Cardinals’ struggling bullpen in this one. Mike Stutes allowed a seventh-inning run to give the Cardinals the lead, but the Phillies came back after starter Kyle McClellan left to score nine runs in the eighth.
June 22 – Phillies 4, Cardinals 0
Cliff Lee’s month was already off to a great start, but it just continued with a masterful start here. He allowed six hits in his second of three straight shutouts, while home runs from Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard were plenty for the Phillies on this night.
June 23 – Cardinals 12, Phillies 2
Roy Oswalt exited after two innings with an injury, and with the Phillies already down four runs, they were never in this one. Chris Carpenter cruised through seven innings and allowed just one run. Those four early runs didn’t completely hurt the Phillies, but Danys Baez allowed six runs in the eighth, as the Cardinals rolled.
September 16 – Cardinals 4, Phillies 2 F/11
The Cardinals and Phillies were locked in a close one the whole way. Yadier Molina hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth, but the Phillies tied it on a Cardinals’ error in the ninth. The Cardinals would score two off Michael Schwimer in the 11th, and the Phillies had no answer.
September 17 – Phillies 9, Cardinals 2
With the division title just a win away, the Phillies jumped to a 3-0 lead, and held it the whole way. Roy Oswalt threw seven shutout innings, before the Cardinals scored two off Mike Stutes in the eighth. The Phillies answered with six runs in the eighth, capped by Raul Ibanez’ grand slam, and the Phillies rolled to the division title.
September 18 – Cardinals 5, Phillies 0
With several Phillies sitting out the Sunday night affair the day after the division was clinched, the Cardinals jumped on Cole Hamels for four runs. The Phillies couldn’t score anything off Carpenter, and dropped this one.
September 19 – Cardinals 4, Phillies 3
Roy Halladay allowed two early runs and the Phillies never bounced back. They would score two in the ninth to make things interesting, but the offensive struggles just continued as the Phils dropped the series.
