Mets-Phillies: Oliver Perez Leads Walk Fest; 18 Base-On-Balls Issued

PHILADELPHIA, May 2—The Phillies and the Mets seemed like they were competing in number of walks issued as much as they were in number of runs scored.  During the game the Mets and the Phillies both issued nine walks, and they would turn out to be the difference in a non-traditional comeback for the Phillies.

In the first the Phillies picked up a couple of runs getting started with a triple by Victorino who was then sacrificed home by Ibanez.  Jason Werth walked next and Ryan Howard singled him to third.  Then Jimmy Rollins singled to left scoring Werth, Phillies 2-0.

The Mets came back in the second with a little offense of their own.  Gary Scheffield  and David Wright drew consecutive walks  Fernando Tatis hit a grounder to short reaching on a fielder’s choice.  Scheffield moved to third.  Daniel Murphy then hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Sheffield.  A couple of singles from Ramon A. Castro and Oliver Perez loaded the bases but Jose Reyes popped out to end the inning, Phillies 2-1.

In the bottom of the second Shane Victorino doubled to get things started and a batter later went home on  Werth’s double, Phillies 3-1.

In the third Luis Castillo walked and then Sheffield doubled, sending him to third.  Wright then sacrificed to first base, scoring Castillo and moving Sheffield too third.  Tatis the flied out to end the inning, Phillies 3-2.

In the bottom of the third Rollins walked followed by a pop fly to Pedro Feliz.  Consecutive walks to Eric Bruntlett and Carlos Ruiz then loaded the bases for Moyer.  With Moyer thinking he could bunt a runner home Oliver Perez was trying to pitch around him, and ended up walking Moyer, scoring Rollins making the score 4-2.  Vicotrino’s infield hit allowed the Mets to get Brunlett at home, and double the aging Moyer running to second.

The Mets had a big inning in the sixth, rallying with two outs.  Murpy came up and hit the second pitch over the right field wall followed by Castro.  Alex Cora came up and hit the ball hard for the third consecutive time, driving it to the wall for a triple.  Jamie Moyer was relieved by Scott Eyre who walked Reyes and gave up a single to Castillo.  Carlos Beltran was then caught on the top of the foot, hit-by-pitch to load the bases.  Eyre was pulled before he got a single batter out.  Clay Condrey in relief persuaded Sheffield to ground out to second to end the Met threat; tie game 4-4.

In the bottom of the sixth Ibanez hit a crushing solo homer to right to tied the game at five for the Phillies.

That was all the scoring until the ninth inning.  Wright started off getting a walk after the count went to three balls with no strikes.  Wright spent the next at bat trying to steal second, having second stolen three times but having to go back because of foul tips.  The Phillies then issued an intentional walk to Murphy.  Santos then hit a little popper between right field and second that was barely fielded by Bruntlett to end the threat.

The game went into the tenth inning, where in the bottom of the inning Pedro FIlez got things going for the Phillies with an infield single.  Pinch hitting Matt Stairs was then hit by a pitch, runners at first and second.  An out later Coste walked to load the bases.  Taschner got behind in the count to Victorino and walked Feliz home for the winning run, Phillies 6-5.