Well, what the hell was that?
Last night, the Phillies played one of their most bizarre games in recent memory, and the Braves eventually came out on top 15-13 in eleven innings on Chipper Jones' walk-off, two-run home run.
The teams combined for 28 runs, 36 hits and 395 pitches thrown.
It's not often, or ever, that Roy Halladay is unable to hold a 6-0 lead, but that was the case last night. He struggled and labored and looked similar to his bout with heat exhaustion last season in Chicago.
Atlanta railed in the fifth, and tied the game on a Brian McCann grand slam. Atlanta took an 8-6 lead on Doc in the sixth, on a pinch-hit two-run single from Jason Heyward.
Carlos Ruiz got it right back for them in the seventh, with a titanic three-run jack to left. Chooch had a monster game, going 3-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and seven RBI. It's the most RBI ever by a Phillies' catcher.
Ruiz also hit a three-run double in the eighth, putting the Phils up 12-8. But once again, Atlanta answered in the bottom of the inning against Jose Contreras and Michael Schwimer. Jimmy Rollins made a key error on a Chipper Jones ground-ball that should have been a double-play, and it led to Atlanta's rally.
The Phils tied the game off last year's rookie of the year Craig Kimbrel and a two-out, infield single from Shane Victorino which plated Juan Piere.
Obviously, a wild and crazy game. The Phillies have wasted so many excellent pitching performances with a lack of run support this year and last. It's such a shame to see Doc waste the offensive onslaught they managed to produce last night.
Oddly, Cole Hamels and Halladay have blown leads they've been staked in this series, both picking upa no-decision. Hamels' blown lead was only 2-0, but more often than not, Hamels is going to nail that lead down.
Joe Blanton (2-3, 3.81) takes the ball into today's finale against Randall Delgado (2-2, 6.30). Blanton is just 1-4 with a 5.43 ERA in his career against Atlanta. Delgado has pitched only five innings against the Phils, and sports a 3.60 ERA.
Tomorrow, the Phillies open a series in Washington against the first place Nationals and Stephen Strasburg.
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