Philadelphia Phillies Drop Series Aginst the Arizona Diamondbacks

The Philadelphia Phillies came into Chase Field hoping for a nifty sweep against a Diamondbacks squad that was last in the NL West and coming off being swept by the New York Mets, who are last in the NL East. 

They found out the hard way that a Kirk Gibson-led team lays down for no one.

The Phillies had Cliff Lee going in the opener against their ace Ian Kennedy. Lee struck out 12 Arizona batters but did give up two costly home runs to Chris Young and Geraedo Parra to put the Phillies in the hole.

Ian Kennedy was riding off an emotional adrenaline rush going into the game on the same day of the birth of his first child. He went the full game allowing only three hits and striking out 10 Philly batters while rendering their lineup helpless. 

“His curveball really had good bite to it good depth to it really kept them off balance.” Arizona Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said during Monday’s post game conference on his starter’s complete game shutout.

“He didn’t really have any taxing innings or anything like that so I wanted him to finish that game.”

On Tuesday’s showdown, Roy Oswalt lasts only three innings after giving up five runs.

Daniel Hudson doubled Oswalt’s innings while giving up more hits than he did. However, what Hudson did was keep his hits scattered and came away allowing just three runs and got his first win of the season.

The Phillies did start a ninth inning rally against David Hernandez but it wasn’t enough.

The Diamondbacks have always been a tough team ever since Kirk Gibson took over as manager. There problem this year has been pitching. Kennedy and Hudson has seen success in the past and looks to have finally gotten out of their early season slump.

As for the Phillies, their lineup isn’t the full issue, but their bullpen is starting to thin out with injuries and when their famed starters last only three innings, that doesn’t help the cause.

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