The Philadelphia Phillies' Ups and Downs: Ryan, Raul and Roy

A 16 inning game was held at Citizen’s Bank Ball Park in Philadelphia last night, Aug 24, 2010.

Before that game the Phillies were 7-0 in their last 7 extra inning games. Jimmy Rollins tied the game in the 9^th with a solo shot with two outs to put the team into extra innings.

The 14^th inning is when things began to heat up even more then in the 9^th, Ryan Howard was 0-6 AB before the 14^th inning. Going on his 7^th chance at bat of the night Ryan Howard was struck out on a bad call of a check swing from the 3^rd base umpire. Shortly after the strikeout was called, Howard threw his equipment causing himself to get ejected from the game.  Then he proceeded to go after the 3rdbase umpire.

This left the Phillies between a rock and a hard place. They no longer had any players to come in off the bench and play in Ryan’s spot so Charlie Manuel had to make a decision to bring in a pitcher to play a position on the field.

Roy Oswalt got the call ironic seeing how he was the pitcher acquired from the Astros; he was put into LF where he took the place of Raul Ibanez. Roy made a catch in the outfield and also made sure to be on his toes the rest of the night. Raul Ibanez got the call to be put in at first base for the first time since 2005. He played very well as first basemen other than the drop ball caused by him closing his glove too early.

The irony of the night would have to be the last inning though.  Palanco gets on with a walk, and then Utley gets on with an intentional walk leaving Roy Oswalt batting in Ryan Howard’s spot of the lineup. Oswalt was struck out, does this mean that the Phil’s lost for the second night in a row because of the umpires bad calls?