Well the National Anthem was much much better with Los Lonely Boys tonight than yesterday's dramatic reading by Back Street Boys. The game itself wasn't a entertaining as yesterday's game. Everyone's favorite Phillies starter Brett Myers wasn't terrible going 7 innings but the 3 runs he gave up in the first 2 innings was enough for the Rays.
James Shields pitched 5.2 to get the win giving up 7 hits but when runners were in scoring position he was unhittable. Dan Wheeler pitched a good inning of relief and David Price pitched the last 2.1 innings giving up a solo homer to Eric Bruntlett and an unearned run in the 9th after an error by Evan Longoria on a really hard hit ball.
The Phillies got robbed on 2 calls that might have changed the outcome. In the 2nd, Rocco Baldelli took what looked like a swing at a full count pitch and the umpire behind the plate seemed to call him out, but then took the appeal from the first base umpire who really missed the call, signally safe on a clear swing. The Rays got their 3rd run after that. How Charlie Manuel didn't get himself thrown out after that, I don't know. I'd have been yelling for 15 minutes.
Then, in the 9th, after a Carlos Ruiz double, Jimmy Rollins was clearly hit by a pitch but the plate umpire didn't see it. Again Manuel must have been really steamed but he didn't come out to argue. Rollins popped out and instead of having 2 on and none out, the Phillies had 1 on and 1 out.
Former Jays in the game, well there was only Jayson Werth who went 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts. He did reach base in the 9th on Evan Longoria's error. Rays of the Day: Shields (.230 WPA) and BJ Upton (.116). No Suckage Rays today. Philly of the Day: Carlos Ruiz (.164). Suckage Phillies: Myers (-.169), Chase Utley (-.151), Pedro Feliz (-.147) and Rollins (-.136). Philly fans, I'm sure, would like to add the home plate umpire to the Suckage list.
