For the first time since May 21, Charlie Manuel wrote the Phillies’ eight regular players on his lineup card Tuesday.
“Hopefully,” Manuel said before the game, “we’ll start scoring more runs.”
Sixteen innings later, the Phillies had scored just twice in a 4-2 loss to Houston. Pitcher Roy Oswalt was playing left field. Raul Ibanez was at first base for the first time since 2005. And, after the bullpen had been emptied, Rule 5 pick David Herndon threw 50 pitches.
Hey, at least Roy Halladay is still pitching Wednesday.
What was arguably the most bizarre game in Citizens Bank Park history ended early Wednesday morning – shortly after Chase Utley was intentionally walked to put the tying run on base for Oswalt.
The fans who remained from the season’s largest crowd stood and chanted, “Let’s go Oswalt!”
The pitcher grounded out to third on the fifth pitch he saw, 5 hours, 20 minutes after the game began.
“I’m not sure what I think about the whole thing just yet,” Jayson Werth said. “I’ll take a quick nap here and come back tomorrow refreshed and act like that didn’t happen.”
The Phillies were frustrated, just as they were after Monday’s 3-2 loss in which a disputed call by umpire Greg Gibson turned the game. On Tuesday, their slugger, Ryan Howard, went after another member of the umpiring crew.
Full story: Ejected and Dejected | Philadelphia Inquirer | 08/25/2010