Tonight's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks got busy in a hurry. Phillies starter Ethan Martin opened the game with two quick outs against leadoff hitter Tony Campana and two-hole hitter Adam Eaton. But those were the only outs Martin would record in this one. Beginning with Diamondbacks slugger Paul Goldschmidt the Diamondbacks offense went walk-home run-walk-single-single-walk. And so with three runs in and the bases loaded, Ryne Sandberg removed Martin from the game without getting three outs and after 44 pitches.
Luis Garcia came into the game and got the final out in the first inning by getting pitcher Randall Delgado to line out to Darin Ruf. But Garcia would have his own rough moments, allowing three runs of his own to score over the next three innings. Zach Miner pitched to a clean fifth inning, but got into trouble in the sixth inning, allowing one run and loading the bases.
Justin De Fratus would put out that fire by getting a double play in the sixth and pitch a clean seventh. Cesar Jiminez followed with a scoreless eighth.
The Phillies offense started out really quietly against Diamondbacks starter Randall Delgado. The Phillies did not record a hit until the fifth inning until Carlos Ruiz lined a solo home run into the left field seats. In the bottom of the sixth Domonic Brown went deep to center field for a solo home run of his own. After a double by Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley moved Rollins to third base and he scored on a wild pitch to score the Phillies' third run of the night.
The Phillies offense came to life again in the eighth. Roger Bernadina led off with a walk. Jimmy Rollins singled to left and Bernadina sped to third base to give the Phillies first and third with no outs. Utley hit a sacrifice fly to left to plate the Phillies' fourth run and move Rollins to second. John Mayberry struck out, but Carlos Ruiz followed with an RBI single that allowed Jimmy Rollins to score to make it 7-5 Diamondbacks.
Then the hot Darin Ruf stepped to the plate. And with two outs in the eight inning Ruf knocked a Heath Bell fastball over the left field fence for a two-run home run. And just like that, the game was tied at seven in the bottom of the eighth. The home run was Ruf's ninth in the month of August.
After Jonathan Papelbon pitched a scoreless ninth, the Phillies offense went after Josh Collmenter. Casper Wells led off by striking out. Batting for Jonathan Papelbon, Michael Young walked. After Roger Bernadina popped up, Jimmy Rollins also walked. Chase Utley? The Diamondbacks did not appear to want to pitch to Utley and walked him on four pitches. John Mayberry, in Domonic Brown's spot, struck out.
Michael Young stayed in the game in Mayberry's spot as Jake Diekman relieved Jonathan Papelbon throwing heat and fell to some bad luck. A ground ball to short and a bunt both ended up base hits. But Diekman hung in there, throwing 98 miles-per-hour and got a fly out to center and a double play. Onto the botom of the 10th.
After Carlos Ruiz popped out and Darin Ruf struck out, Cody Asche singled to center. But, Casper Wells struck out. On to the next one.
Jake Diekman continued his impressive performance of late, with a 1-2-3 11th inning.
After Michael Young struck out swinging, Roger Bernadina doubled to the right field wall. Bernadina missed a walk off home run by a few mere feet. Jimmy Rollins walked to give the Phillies runners at first and second with one out. Eury De La Rosa, who pitched the walk off walk to Chase Utley last night, relieved Josh Collmenter to face Utley once again.
Utley would pop up and Erik Kratz would bat for the pitcher's spot as Chaz Roe came in to pitch for the Diamondbacks and Tuffy Gosewisch would come in to catch. But Kratz would strike out and the teams went on to the 12th inning. Sunday's scheduled starter, Tyler Cloyd, was pressed into duty for the 12th.
Cloyd walked the first batter he would face, Cliff Pennington, and Gosewisch bunted him to second base. Then Tony Campana walked. Adam Eaton hit a dribbler back to Cloyd for the second out. Cloyd intentionally walked Paul Goldschmidt to load the bases to face Phillie killer Martin Prado. But Prado wouldn't get the Phillies this time, as he popped out to third baseman Cody Asche in foul territory.
The Phillies went down quickly and quietly in the 12th and after midnight, Cloyd took the mound for the 13th. Sunday's starter pitches Sunday after all.
After Didi Gregorius grounded out, Gerardo Parra lined a ball to left fielder Darin Ruf, who could not come up with the ball and Parra ended up at second base. Pinch hitter Matt Davidson lined a ball to Cody Asche who recovered nicely from a tough grab to gun him out at first base and keep Parra at second base. Chad Pennington was intentially walked to face Cloyd's former battery mate Tuffy Gosewisch. Gosewisch flew out and the game moved to the bottom of the 13th.
Casper Wells led off the inning against former Phillies draft pick Brad Ziegler. Wells worked a walk, and Michael Young moved him into scoring position by hitting the ball to the right side. After Roger Bernadina struck out, Jimmy Rollins hit an infield single to move Wells to third base. Up came Chase Utley, who was walked to get to the pitchers spot, as Cloyd was hitting in the cleanup position.
Cloyd watched ball oen and ball two go by. After two strikes, Cloyd tapped a ball down the third base line and Martin Prado threw Cloyd out. Onto the 14th.
Cloyd came out firing. After getting the first two batters out quickly, he almost retired Paul Goldschmidt on a ground ball to shortstop Jimmy Rollins, but Goldschmidt just beat the play. Cloyd struck out Martin Prado and the Phillies came to bat in the 14th.
Carlos Ruiz grounded out, but Darin Ruf followed with a double. Cody Asche was up next, who was intentionally walked. Wells lined into what looked like could be a double play, but he beat the play to first base. Ruf to third, Wells at first. Michael Young grounded out to the pitcher and they were on to the 15th. Cloyd was still on in the 15th as he put the Diamondbacks down in order.
The Phillies didn't come through in the 15th, and Cloyd fired another scoreless inning in the 16th. Leading off the bottom of the 16th was Tyler Cloyd. Cloyd led off with a double down the left field line. Carlos Ruiz followed by lining out to right field. Ruf did the same, but to left field. Trevor Cahill, pitching for the Diamondbacks, intentionally walked Cody Asche to face Casper Wells. But Wells would pop out to shallow right field to take it to the 17th inning.
B.J. Rosenberg, considered unavailable for Saturday, took the mound for the 17th. But hey, it was Sunday! Rosenberg was a little shaky. After two long, loud outs, Rosenberg allowed what should've been a double to Didi Gregorius and then walked Gerardo Parra. But Trevor Cahill was next up and struck out.
As the Phillies came to bat, right fielder Casper Wells took to the Phillies bullpen to warm up. But the Phillies went down 1-2-3 in the 17th. In came Wells.
Darin Ruf moved from left field to right field, his third position of the night. John McDonald came into the game in left field, where he had not played in three years. And Wells took the mound. Wells, a former Towson University pitcher who went 8-5 in his college career, looked like no slouch. Wells appeared to know how to pitch.
After running a full count to Cliff Pennington, Pennington grounded out to Chase Utley. Tuffy Gosewisch lined out to left fielder McDonald. With two outs Tony Campana walked. Campana took off running at the right time, as Adam Eaton lined a double to center field. 8-7 Diamondbacks. Then Martin Prado followed with an RBI single to make it 9-7.
Wells loaded the bases again, giving up a two-run single to make it 11-7. Completely gassed, the Phillies made a pitching change… to left fielder John McDonald, making his career pitching debut.
McDonald served up a single to pitcher Trevor Cahill to make it 12-7 Diamondbacks. Cliff Pennington followed with a single to re-load the bases.
FINALLY, after 11 batters, John McDonald struck out Tuffy Gosewisch to bring it to the bottom of the 18th inning.
The Phillies got a Carlos Ruiz double in the bottom of the 18th, but 7+ hours later, it was over.
CBS Sports said it well:
This game in one sentence: John McDonald gave up an RBI single to Trevor Cahill.
— Eye on Baseball (@EyeOnBaseball) August 25, 2013
One injury note: Domonic Brown left the game after hitting his home run with right heel soreness, according to Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly. John Mayberry replaced Brown in left field and in the lineup.
