The final three innings of the Phillies' 13-10, 11-inning loss to Minnesota on Saturday were a bullpen disaster, beginning with an odd sight: the Twins' Jim Thome circling the bases after a mammoth two-run home run in the ninth inning - while Phillies fans stood and cheered.
Yeah, they'd probably like to have that moment back.
"I think they were cheering because they like him," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said of the former Phillie. "But at the same time, we still had a three-run lead. I think they thought we were going to win the game."
That's a reasonable expectation to have, considering the Phillies entered the ninth with a five-run lead. But Thome, the former Phillie, started an onslaught by the Twins against the Phillies' bullpen.
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It ruined a decent Cole Hamels start, in which he gave up four runs in seven innings, and another fine offensive showing by the Phillies. For the first time since June 15, 2007, the Phillies lost a game in which they hit five home runs.
"We should win that ball game," said righthander Danys Baez, who lost it in the 11th. "It's one of those tough games."
In the last three innings, Jose Contreras, Brad Lidge, Chad Durbin, and Baez allowed a combined nine runs. Lidge blew his first save of 2010 when he allowed a two-out, two-run home run to Joe Mauer that tied the game at 9.
"It was a slider in," Lidge said. "It wasn't a bad pitch, in my opinion. Obviously he hit it out, so you can say it was a bad pitch, but I've thrown that pitch my entire career with good results. He's a pretty special player. Sometimes you've got to tip your hat."
Baez struck out Orlando Hudson to begin the 11th but walked Mauer. Manuel, instead of pitching coach Rich Dubee, went to talk to Baez and the entire infield about strategy. Baez ended up intentionally walking Justin Morneau to bring up the closer, Jon Rauch. The Twins were out of players, meaning Rauch, who had one sacrifice bunt in nine years, had to hit. With an 0-2 count, Rauch successfully dropped a bunt down.
It was huge because the next batter, Delmon Young, hit a grounder deep in the hole at shortstop, and Wilson Valdez had no play as Mauer crossed home plate with the eventual winning run. He wouldn't have scored had Rauch not put the ball in play.
Baez has been ineffective of late. After allowing only one run in 122/3 innings during May, he has allowed a run in five of his six appearances this month. His 2010 ERA is 5.14.
The bullpen was perceived to be a serious issue for the Phillies at the beginning of the season, but it held a 3.74 ERA coming into Saturday's game, eighth best in the National League.
Manuel said a day like Saturday was one he figured would happen.
"Coming out of spring training, we thought our bullpen would be inconsistent," Manuel said. "On days when we don't get ahead of hitters, you're going to see us get in trouble."
Said Lidge: "We were just bad."
The bullpen was given multiple chances. Even when Durbin served up the first home run of Drew Butera's career in the 10th, Ross Gload countered with a pinch-hit home run with two outs in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game again. It was Gload's third pinch-hit home run of the season, tied for the most in the majors.
An inning later, it was wasted.
"It's one of those days," Hamels said. "But it happens."
