Can mother nature be charged with a loss?
As crazy as it sounds, that question has to be asked as the Phillies seemed to forget that they had a game to finish after a one hour and seventeen minute rain delay that began one out into the bottom of the third inning. Before the delay, the Phillies seemed to be cruising behind a solid three scoreless innings from starter Kyle Kendrick and a three run home run by Jimmy Rollins in the second. After the delay, the pitching continued for the most part but the bats when silent. The Cubs climbed back run by run, scoring once each in the sixth, eighth, and ninth innings to tie the game and send it to extras. Ryan Madson blew his first save of the season as he allowed the Geovany Soto solo shot that tied the game. After Madson left, the Phillies were down to only one reliever, David Herndon, due to the long rain delay and some interesting decisions by manager Charlie Manuel. Manuel used four different relievers for less than one inning, a decision that short-changed the Phillies in extras.
In the top of the eleventh, it was the Phillies defense that would let them down. Ryan Howard misplayed a ball hit by the Cubs Tyler Colvin that put the leadoff runner on first, and a Carlos Ruiz passed ball would move him to second with none out. Herndon was able to strike out the next two batters, but his efforts went unrewarded as Placido Polanco's poor throw to first following a grounder ended up an error and allowed Colvin to score. Herndon would get Starlin Castro to ground out to end the inning, but the damage had been done. Carlos Ruiz singled to start the bottom of the eleventh, but the ever-impatient Jimmy Rollins swung at closer Carlos Marmol's first pitch and flied out. Polanco and Chase Utley would fly out soon after to end the game and any hope of a Phillies comeback. The Phillies send ace Roy Halladay to the mound against the Cubs Carlos Zambrano tomorrow night as the Phillies look to even the series in game two of this four game set.
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