A change of scenery and a new mission: Chase the St. Louis Cardinals. Entering tonight's game in Houston, the Phillies were three games back in the second wildcard. So, a four-game series against the Astros sounds like the perfect time to gain some ground, right?
The Phillies got the ball rolling in the second inning against Lucas Harrell. With Dom Brown on base, Erik Kratz hit an RBI double off the wall in left-center field. 1-0 Phils.
In the top of the third, they added three more runs to their lead. Ryan Howard hit a sac fly to center, scoring Juan Pierre. Chase Utley scored on a single from John Mayberry, followed by an infield single from Kevin Frandsen, scoring Mayberry.
Tyler Cloyd was looking pretty solid considering he was pitching on short rest…until the fourth inning. Cloyd had allowed two singled to Justin Maxwell and Jason Castro before former Marlin Matt Dominguez launched a looong three-run homer to left field. 4-3 Phillies.
After three innings, Cloyd was pulled. His final line: 3 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 65 pitches, 43 for strikes.
B.J. Rosenberg pitched two scoreless innings in the fourth and fifth, allowing just one hit and striking out two.
Josh Lindblom pitched a scoreless sixth, walking one and striking out two.
In the top of the eighth inning with two outs, Jimmy Rollins swiped third base for his 400th career stolen bag. Another milestone in his Hall of Fame career, congrats, Jimmy!
Phillippe Aumont entered in the eighth for his fifth consecutive ballgame in as many days. Aumont walked two, and after catching Jordan Schafer trying to steal, Aumont hit Moore.
Jake Diekman came in to record the final out of the inning…but that wouldn't happen before the Astros took a 5-4 lead on a double from Jed Lowrie which scored Dominguez and Jordan Lyles. Brandon Barnes singled to center to follow up that play, scoring Lowrie and making it a 6-4 game.
The Phillies couldn't come back in the ninth, snapping their seven-game winning streak. They'll look for a win tomorrow night at 8 with Cole Hamels on the mound against Edgar Gonzalez.
