Picture Courtesy: Andrew Shipotofsky
Flash back to last Thursday, just before the Phillies headed West, and the predictions seemed to spread a wide array. There were essentially two schools of though. One side saw nothing more than a 3-4 win trip, bringing the team back to Philly with a record under .500. The others were a bit more optimistic, and saw 5+ wins as a real possibility. Headed into this afternoon's contest, the team was 5-4, and had a chance to leave Arizona with not only a road trip record over .500, but an overall record of 13-12. They had the cards in their favor, with A.J. Burnett taking to the hill to continue his hot streak of pitching. Brandon McCarthy was handed the ball by the Diamondbacks.
The Game: After scoring late in last night's game, the Phillies continued their hitting into the first inning today. Ben Revere led off the game with a single, then stole second base during Jimmy Rollins' at bat. Chase Utley sent a ball into left center field that should have been caught, but dropped for a base hit. Revere came in to score, and Burnett had a 1-0 advantage before he even took the mound.
As it turned out, that would be all A.J. needed. He would go a full eight frames, collecting eight strikeouts and allowing just five hits. He got an extra run of support in the sixth when Marlon Byrd singled, allowing Chase Utley to move to third and, eventually home on an errant throw. Despite a strong showing by Brandon McCarthy, the Phillies were able to muster two runs in a winning effort. Jonathan Papelbon came in to save the ninth, allowing a hit but no runs.
Impact: Two noteworthy performances came from today's quick game. On the mound, A.J. Burnett continued to make the team's decision to give him so much money look very good. Despite it being just his first win of the season, Burnett has been of incredible value to a ballclub who needs every bit of help they can get. On the opposite side of the ball, Cody Asche had a rough day at the plate. In four plate appearances, he had four strikeouts, and his position on the team is becoming more and more questionable.
Up Next: The Phillies get an off day tomorrow, then return to Citizens Bank Park Tuesday night against the New York Mets. Jonathan Neise will square off against Cole Hamels in Hamels' second start of the season.
