Phils lose in 10th after another rain delay

Washington D.C.
August 21, 2011

It seems fitting that a strange ending caps off a strange series. The Phillies found themselves in yet another rain delay (The third in four games) stopping the game in the top of the sixth, this time lasting 1 hour, 11 minutes.

Fast foward to the bottom of the ninth, the Phillies have a 4-3 lead and Antonio Bastardo is in to close. Bastardo gets Jesus Flores and pinch hitter Brian Bixler to strikeout swinging for the first two outs.

Bastardo needed one more out to give the Phils their 82nd win of the season and the 2-1 series win. Then Ian Desmond stepped up and hit one over the wall in left field for a solo homer to tie the game at 4.

Bastardo would go on to strikeout Rick Ankiel in the next at-bat to strikeout the side, but the Phillies were heading in to extras.

The Phillies went down in order in the top of the tenth.

Brad Lidge was sent in to pitch the bottom of the tenth. Ryan Zimmerman led off with a double, Michael Morse was intentionally walked, then Jayson Werth singled to load the bases.

Danny Espinosa struck out in his at-bat, but that was the only out Lidge would record.

Jonny Gomes was up with the bases loaded, and Lidge hit him with a pitch.

The Nationals won 5-4.

Thats how the game ended, Zimmerman scored from third off of a walk-off hit by pitch to Gomes. It just adds to the misfortunes the Phillies have been having during this series.

This loss is the second time the Phillies blew a lead in the ninth, the first time came when Ryan Madson lost a two run lead in the ninth before giving up a walk-off grand slam to Ryan Zimmerman for his second blown save of the year.

Then there was the rain, that delayed the series opener and the series finale. The first delay kept Roy Oswalt from making his scheduled start on Fridy night, instead he pitched on Saturday.

The second delay shortened Roy Halladay's outing. He only went five innings, striking out five and allowing  2 earned runs off of seven hits before the storm came in.

When the delay ended, pitcher Michael Schwimer made his Major League debut. Had Bastardo not given up the home-run in the ninth and got the final out, Schwimer would have earned his first Major League win as well.

Schwimer went three innings, he gave up a solo homer to his first batter Danny Espinosa. However, Schwimer would only allow just one hit after that, a single also from Espinosa. He also srtuck out four batters.

Chien-Ming Wang started for the Nationals going 5.2 innings giving up two home-runs and three earned runs in five hits. Wang also recorded four strikeouts and one walk.

Tom Gorzelanny came in to record the last out of the sixth for the Nationals before the delay, getting Raul Ibanez to ground out to short.

Todd Coffey pitched a perfect seventh for the Nats, striking out one. Then Tyler Clippard pitched a scoreless eight allowing just one hit.

Drew Storen gave up two hits and an earned run in the ninth, but recored two strikeouts.

In the top of the tenth, Sean Burnett retired the Phils in order, and got one strikeout.

The Nationals ot the first run of the game off a sacrifice fly to to right to score Ian Desmond. Then Danny Espinosa singled to left to score Rick Ankiel and give Washington a 2-0 lead.

Carlos Ruiz tied the game up in the top of the second with a two run homer that scored Ibanez and tied the game up.

Then in the third, Chase Utley gave the Phils a 3-2 lead with a solo home-run to right-center.

Espinosa homered off of Schwimer in the sixth to tie the game up at three.

In the top of the ninth, Michael Martinez singled on a grounder that rolled in to center, scoring Ibanez and moving Ruiz up to second, to give the Phillies a 4-3 lead.

Ian Desmond homered in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game up at 4.

Then with the bases loaded in the tenth, Jonny gomes was hit by a pitch to score Ryan Zimmerman and give the Nats the win.

Box Score
http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2011_08_21_phimlb_wasmlb_1&mode=recap&c_id=phi

Injury Note

Jimmy Rollins left the game in the third inning with a groin injury and was replaced by Wilson Valdez at shortstop, details will be reported as soon as they become available.