With the Philly sports calendar so packed yesterday on top of Easter Sunday family schedules for some, it was hard to catch each of the three games that ended so well for the local teams. If you were glued to the Flyers' possible elimination game, it stings to have not seen every pitch of yet another Roy Halladay gem, or to have only caught Shane Victorino's inside-the-park homer on replay.
It would have been the perfect night for the Phils to be on Sunday Night Baseball... But on the whole, I'm sure no one is complaining as they watch the highlights this morning or read through the box scores. Video links and extras below.
In short, the Phillies won their fifth straight overall and fourth straight to sweep the series in San Diego. Halladay matched a career high with 14 strikeouts, needing just one pitch from Antonio Bastardo to seal the win. [video here]
Victorino contributed the offensive highlight with a pinball wizard inside-the-park home run [video here].
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Jose Contreras hit the DL out in SD, marking the second Phillies closer to do so already this season. Mike Stutes has been called up, and Ryan Madson will take over most closing responsibilities, with Bastardo taking his talents to the eighth inning and probably taking a few save opps as well. [CSNPhilly]
Should Halladay have been allowed to throw 130 pitches? The leave him in/go get him debate will go on as long as Doc continues to be allowed to go the distance (or near it). [Crashburn Alley]
Up next for the Fightins is a trip to Arizona, where later tonight, Cliff Lee will face Ian Kennedy, followed in the series by Roy Oswalt vs. Daniel Hudson and Cole Hamels vs. Joe Saunders. Yep, we've been through the rotation a few times already, and I still can't help but grin when I look at the pitching matchups for any given series.