Game Wrap 08-17-2010: Phillies 9 Giants 3

The Giants started a critical 6 game road trip in discouraging fashion getting blown out of a previously close game in the late innings. Key lines:

Andres Torres- 1 for 4, 2B(39). BA= .288.

Buster Posey- 2 for 4. BA= .340.

Pat Burrell- 1 for 4, HR(13). BA= .257.

Jose Guillen- 2 for 4, HR(17). BA= .257.

Once again, the Giants offense got off to a promising start plating 2 runs in the first inning, including Burrell's dinger. Then, the hitting just stopped until it was too little too late.

Barry Zito- 5 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 0 K's. ERA= 3.56. Zito made the 2-0 lead hold up for 4 innings. Maybe the zero K's should have been a clue that this was not going to hold up. He gave up 2 runs in the 5'th and then couldn't get an out in the 6'th giving up a leadoff single to Polanco and then back-to-back doubles to Werth and Victorino.

Santiago Casilla- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 2.02. Casilla has been pitching his butt off without a lot of help from other bullpen members. Give him credit for keeping this one close as long as he did.

Chris Ray- 0 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 0 K. ERA= 4.05. Just a horrible outing by Ray, who initially was a shot in the arm for the bullpen after the Molina trade. My first thought was that Ray hasn't bee too good lately, but he had only allowed 2 ER in his previous 9 appearances, although he loaded the bases and needed help to get out of the inning in his last game.

With the loss, the Giants fall to 5 full games behind the division leading Padres who, in typical fashion, topped the Cubbies 1-0. The Giants also fall a full game behind the Phillies in the Wild Card race, while the Cardinals lost to the BrewCrew 3-2 to remain 0.5 games behind the Giants, but now 1.5 games behind the Phillies. Colorado, LA and Arizona are still playing as of this post.

Matt Cain tries to be the stopper for the Giants tomorrow going against Joe Blanton in a game you have to figure the Giants should win, unless the wheels have come off completely.