Phillies Outlast Padres in 13 Innings Thanks to Unlikely Contributions

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The Phillies might want to send Logan Forsythe a thank-you note. After all, the Padres’ second baseman did gift-wrap this game for them.

Forsythe was charged not one, but two errors on the same play, allowing the Phils to score not one, but two go-ahead runs in the 13th inning. Jonathan Papelbon was able to convert his first save opportunity in four tries – second in his last six – to close out a 7-5 victory.

San Diego lefthander Tommy Layne hit Chase Utley to lead off the top half, and Domonic Brown worked a two-out, seven-pitch walk to put runners on first and second. Up came Ben Revere, who battled through an eight-pitch at bat of his own to put a ball in play.

Forsythe ranged to his left and got to the grounder with time, but took his eye off the prize and wound up booting it. Utley was busting it around third the whole way and would have scored anyway on the E4, but Forsythe compounded the mistake with a poor throw home that got away from catcher Nick Hundley. Brown came sliding in behind Utley, just in front of Layne’s tag.

While he wasn’t awarded a single RBI on the at bat, give Revere some of the credit for Forsythe’s troubles. His speed coming down the line clearly caused Forsythe to rush. It was a play the second baseman has to make, although not exactly routine, either.

Nice base running by Utley and Brown as well, something of a theme on Wednesday night. Utley and Delmon Young (yes, that Delmon Young) helped manufacture runs on the base paths in the first and second innings respectively, giving the Phils an early 2-0 lead.

Delmon also hit the two-run blast that knot the score in the bottom of the eighth, delivering a Luke Gregerson hanger to the Western Metal Supply Co. Kevin Frandsen had a hand in the Philly comeback with an RBI single in the seventh.

The rally was necessary because Cole Hamels was once again missing his best stuff. Cole was on the hook for five runs – four earned – in six frames of work, and headed for his 12th loss before his offense bailed him out. We’ll hold back on the praise for now, as a rescue mission for Hamels was long overdue.

For as much as we’ve ripped one of Major League Baseball’s worst bullpens, they came through as well. Five relievers in all combined to pitch seven innings of two-hit ball, and most important, kept the Padres off the scoreboard. J.C. Ramirez and Phillippe Aumont gave the Fightins two rounds each, while Jake Diekman, Joe Savery, and Pap handled the rest.

By virtue of their win, the Phillies took the series against the Padres 2-1. It was their second series victory out of their last three after previously dropping three in a row. They’ll pick it back up on Thursday with the first of four in Los Angeles.

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