Game 69: Phillies 2, Indians 1

If you watched just the first two innings of this game, then you caught all the scoring. Even with hot, humid weather and a ballpark built for offense, the two teams managed just seven hits and three runs between them.

The Phillies looked early on like they would be chasing Mitch Talbot well before the fifth inning; after Jimmy Rollins flied out to start the game, the next three batters reached base, and Jayson Werth crushed a sacrifice fly deep to center field to drive home the second run of the inning. Philadelphia would only get two hits the rest of the game, and have only one more scoring opportunity. In the fourth, it looked like they would score a third run, as Shane Victorino beat out a double play with a man on third, but the second base umpire ruled that Raul Ibanez slid out of the baseline trying to take out Anderson Hernandez, calling Victorino out despite it looking like Hernandez would not have thrown out Victorino even if he had a clear throw. Charlie Manuel came out to argue the call, and he'd eventually get tossed.Talbot would retire the last nine hitters he faced, but would get tagged with the loss.

It was just like old times for the Indians and 47-year-old Jamie Moyer; the Indians' offense was stifled by Moyer's low-80s "fastballs" and assorted changeups. Moyer struck out five, and induced many weakly-hit grounders, frustrating a lineup that's struggling to score runs. Russell Branyan got one of two hits against Moyer, crushing a home run in the second to begin and end the Cleveland scoring.The Indians would have the best chance to tie the game in the ninth inning, as Austin Kearns and Jhonny Peralta would both bat with two on, but Brad Lidge struck both batters out to end the game.

via www.fangraphs.com