Recap: Phillies Split Double Header With Marlins

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) – Chase Utley and Placido Polanco each had two hits and two RBI, and Roy Oswalt won his fifth straight decision as the Phillies downed the Marlins, 7-4, to close out a day-night doubleheader and inch closer to the division lead.

Philadelphia lost the opener of the twin-bill, 7-1, thanks to Florida’s Adalberto Mendez pitching six shutout innings in his major league debut, but with the win in the nightcap and Atlanta’s loss to Pittsburgh earlier in the day, the club pulled within a half-game over the National League East front- runners by stopping a short two-game slide.

Oswalt (11-13) survived home-run balls to Mike Stanton, Hanley Ramirez and Cameron Maybin to get the win. The right-hander was charged with four runs on six hits and a walk to go with seven strikeouts in as many frames.

Anibal Sanchez (11-9) didn’t have as much success as Mendez, surrendering seven runs on seven hits and three walks in four-plus innings for the Marlins, who had won four of five coming into this four-game series.

In the away second, Stanton gave the Marlins an early lead by crushing a payoff pitch into the second deck in left.

The Phillies responded with a five-spot in the bottom half. After loading the bases with no outs, Sanchez walked Carlos Ruiz to force in a run before Shane Victorino, who had three hits, plated Raul Ibanez with a base hit.

Though Dominic Brown was thrown out at home on the play, Polanco kept the inning alive by lacing a ground-rule double down the third base line to bring in a pair. Utley followed with a run-scoring single to left for a 5-1 game.

Oswalt walked Logan Morrison in the third in front of Ramirez before yielding a home run to the slugging shortstop, then served up a solo long ball to Maybin two innings later.

The Phillies got two of the runs back in the home fifth, as Polanco tripled off the wall in center to start the inning and raced home on Utley’s single up the middle. Ibanez’s one-out double made it a three-run game, and the bullpen behind Oswalt finished it off.

Ryan Madson retired three straight in the eighth after J.C. Romero walked the leadoff batter, and Brad Lidge worked around a two-out single in the ninth for his 21st save of the season.

This doubleheader was made necessary when the middle contest of a slated three-game set in Philadelphia on June 9 was postponed…The four earned runs were the most Oswalt has given up since his debut with the Phillies on July 30. He had allowed just one run in 21 1/3 innings coming into the game…Stanton’s home run was his 17th, Ramirez now has 21 and Maybin upped his total to eight.

Phillies Drop First Game of Doubleheader to Marlins, 7-1

In Vance Worley's first career start, his Phillies could only muster one hit through 8 innings against Adalberto Mendez in his first major league appearance. While Mendez was forced to leave the game after straining his quad running out a base hit, he held the Phils scoreless through 6, the only blemish a weak base hit from Brian Schneider. As is the case with most rookie pitchers, the Phillies couldn't figure him out, striking out 6 times and getting under too many low-90's fastballs, on their way to their second loss in a row.

Worley struggled early on, walking Logan Morrison and after a wild pitch and a Dan Uggla gork, scoring the first run of the game. After a served-up fastball to Chad Tracy for his first home run of the season, the Long Beach State product settled in to the tune of 5 innings, 6 hits, one walk, and 5 strikeouts. He was pulled for a pinch-hitting Domonic Brown, who promptly struck out to end the inning. I liked what I saw from Worley, his secondary stuff was definitely major league average and with some work on his command, he can turn himself into a solid number 4 starter. Check Phuture Phillies for a more detailed recap of Worley's day.

While V-Dub left the Phils in a position to win the ball game, the same can't be said for the relievers. David Herndon and Antonio Bastardo worked out of trouble, but Chad Durbin allowed a bomb to super-prospect Mike Stanton and Mike Zagurski decided to inflate his Hit By Pitch numbers, surrendering the final 3 runs to cap the Marlins day at 7 runs in. Nate Robertson also came in to record the last out after a Stanton infield single plated a Fish.

On the offensive side it was ugly. Save for a Ryan Howard double and Jayson Werth base hit in the ninth inning, the Phillie bats were putrid once again. It looked like another one-hitter was on the horizon, what would have been the fourth this season, before Howard crushed a piped fastball off the right field wall. Jimmy Rollins got the day off but still managed to go 0-2 including the last out in replacing Wilson Valdez. The top three of the order, Placido Polanco, Shane Victorino and Chase Utley, combined for exactly zero hits, continuing the trend of non-existent production from the top of the lineup.

Thanks to a Neil Walker home run, the Braves lost to the Pirates (who are 46 games under .500, just so you know) and the Phils keep pace in the division with a chance to cut the lead to a half a game with a win in the nightcap of this doubleheader. Undefeated since his trade from Houston, Roy Oswalt opposes Anibal Sanchez, who sports a 5.20 ERA against the Phillies in his career. Game time 7:05 EST.