Friday the 13th Nightmare

Amy Breckin
Professor Bishop
Com. 305-001
April 13, 2007

Friday the 13th Nightmare

44,336 fans were in attendance at Citizens Bank Park to watch the Fightin’ Phils lose to the Houston Astros 9-6.

As fans braved the chilly conditions, most doning ski caps instead of baseball caps, the Phillies blew an early 3-0 lead and watched Astros leftfielder Carlos Lee hit a career record three homeruns, including a third-inning grand slam. The three-run homer by Morgan Ensberg in the fourth inning certainly did not make it any easier for the Phillies to rally a comeback.

Once again, pitching was an issue for the Phillies. Brett Myers, who is supposed to be the Phillies’ ace pitcher, gave up seven runs and five walks in 3 ½ innings, and also pitched two of the homers hit by Carlos Lee.

Pitching was an issue for the Astros as well. Astros pitcher, Ray Oswalt struggled from the start of the game. He threw 46 pitches and allowed three runs in the first inning alone. Maybe it was the chilly temperature, 49 degrees, or the wind, 20 mph, but the Astros ace pitcher allowed six runs, six walks, and a run scored on a balk in a matter of five innings. The fifth inning balk angered Astros’ manager Phil ‘Scrap Iron’ Gardner and he was ejected from the game for arguing the call. Everyone knows that you cannot argue a balk! That's the rule!

The Phillies 3-0 lead did not last long, Carlos Lee hit a homerun to start off the second inning and his grand slam homerun in the third inning put the score at 5-3 in favor of the Astros. Then, Ensberg’s three-run homerun in the fourth inning put the Astros ahead 8-3.

Phillies pitcher Jon Lieber relieved Brett Myers in the fourth inning and later pitched to Craig Biggio, who hit his 641st career double and now finds himself in eighth place on the all-time list.

In the fourth inning, the Phillies started to rally. With base hits by Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, and Ryan Howard, the end of the fourth inning brought the score to 8-5 Astros. The fifth inning went to the Phillies’ advantage with one more run scored on a balk. With the sixth inning approaching, the Phillies were only down by two runs. The momentum tides were changing to favor the Phillies, and the crowd was starting to believe that the Phillies could pull this one out. The crowd even gave Pat Burrell a standing ovation when he was brought in on his night off to pinch hit.

Unfortunately, in the ninth inning, the Houston Astros sealed their win with a homerun hit off of Phillies pitcher Ryan Madson by Carlos Lee, his third of the evening, bringing the score to 9-6 Astros. The Phillies still had the bottom of the inning to come back.

The game ended with the Phillies going down swinging. Werth, Rowand, and Barajas all struck out in the bottom of the ninth inning to end the game at 9-6. The Houston Astros win the first game of a three game series against the Phillies. Game two is scheduled for 3:55pm on Saturday.