Game Reax: Phillies Pound Cardinals

Early and often, the Phillies destroyed St. Louis Cardinals pitching Friday night.

First, it was the back-to-back-to-back home runs by Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell.

Then the Phillies erupted for a season-high nine runs in the fourth inning.

Which of these events transpired in that inning?

A) Kyle Kendrick had two hits and scored twice.
B) Cardinals starter Todd Wellemeyer was bullied before exiting the game after tossing 90 pitches
C) The Phillies spent 36 minutes hammering away at the plate.
D) All of the above.

If you said "D," good for you...

The Phillies put on an offensive display and pounded the Cardinals, 20-2.

The victory pushed Philly's lead in the division to four games ahead of the Marlins. And the 20-run outburst marked the second time the team has reached that feat this season.

After scuffling to score runs in Florida this week, it was nice to see the bats break loose. The Phillies, who now lead the league in scoring, are capable of posting 10 or 15 or 20 runs every night.

Wellemeyer looked nothing like the success story he was made out to be entering the game. The Phillies took advantage of his inability to find the strike zone.

Wellemeyer lasted 3 1/3, allowing eight earned runs on eight hits. Ron Villone relieved him, and he was just as bad. Villone surrendered six earned runs in 1 2/3 innings.

Kyle Kendrick cruised in seven innings of work, giving up only one earned run while scattering eight hits. Rudy Seanez and Clay Condrey pitched spotless eighth and ninth innings.

The Phillies, as you'd might expect, got production from just about everyone in the lineup. Utley finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs; Shane Victorino had three hits and scored twice; Carlos Ruiz went 4-for-6 with a double and four RBIs; Pedro Feliz chipped in with three hits; and Howard had three hits, including a pair of home runs, and five RBIs.

All told, Philadelphia produced a season-best 21 base knocks.

Things got ugly in the eighth inning when Russ Springer plunked Howard on the thigh. Springer was immediately ejected, followed by Tony La Russa, who argued the beaning wasn't intentional.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel thought otherwise.

"Ryan stays way off the plate," Manuel told reporters. "He hit him. That's all I have to say."

In the bottom half of the inning, Seanez fired a pitch behind Brendan Ryan, who stared at Seanez, a trained mixed martial arts fighter, as if he was about to step.

I don't think this will turn into a Red Sox-Rays thing. Over and done with, I hope.

Game Notes & Opinions

- La Russa's tirade was stupid. You look stupid when you're screaming and yelling, throwing sunglasses and kicking dirt while your players are getting pummeled 17-2.

- Why does La Russa insist on batting his pitcher in the eigith spot? Please, Cardinal fans, explain the rationale to me.

- How's this for a stat: Beginning with their 15-6 win over the Astros May 25, the Phillies have outscored opponents 128-58. Whew.

- The Phillies have scored in double digits in five of their last seven wins in St. Louis.

- The Phillies scored 20 runs in a win over the Rockies May 26. The last time the team scored at least 20 runs twice in the same season, you'd have to go aaallll the way back to 1900.

- The Phillies hadn't hit three consecutive homers since 2004, when the team did it twice in the matter of weeks. Friday marked only the seventh time in franchise history the Phillies have accomplished that feat.

- The Phillies are the first team since the 2000 Oakland A's to score at least 20 runs in a game twice in one season.