Raul Ibanez led off with a single through the hole on the right side, the third time this game the Phillies have gotten the leadoff man on base. Chooch followed him with a flyout to right then Charlie decided to use a pinch hitter for Roy Oswalt, ending his day with 76 pitches over 5 innings with 4 runs allowed.
Domonic Brown was the name of this pinch hitter and Mr. Brown proceeded to take two pitches down the middle before grounding into a fielder’s choice. After Bronson Arroyo threw over to first 24 times, Shane hit the ball hard at Brandon Phillips, who booted it and allowed Brown to get to second base. The next batter, Placido Polanco, smashed a ground ball to the historically sure-handed Scott Rolen, who booted the Reds third error of the series and loaded the bases for the previously-dormant Chase Utley. He took a middle-in change-up into right field and plated Dom and Victorino, cutting the deficit to two.
With runners on first and third, the equally dormant Ryan Howard volcano remained that way, striking out on a high fastball that should have been crushed. That was Bronson Arroyo’s 89th pitch, and with Logan Ondrusek warming in the pen, that could have been his last hitter.
4-2 Reds.