Sunday, September 13, 2009

Pedro's gem caps great day in Philly Sports

(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Pedro Martinez's performance Sunday night was exactly why the Phillies chose to pull Jamie Moyer from the rotation. Martinez, facing his old team, the Mets, had a masterful game, pitching 8 shutout innings to lead the Phillies to a 1-0 win. It was the second win of the day for the Phillies over the Mets, a win that completely eliminates the Mets from playoff contention.

Pedro was the story of the night, mowing down batters and going deeper into the game than he had ever gone this season. It took 130 pitches, but Pedro got through those 8 innings by striking out 7 batters and generally looking like the Pedro of a few years ago. Pedro has quickly become a must-start in the playoffs for the Phillies and has made Ruben Amaro look like a genius for taking a chance on him.

The night wasn't complete without a little closer drama as Ryan Madson took the mound for the save. Madson gave up one hit but looked pretty sharp in getting through the 9th inning. He certainly fared better than Brad Lidge, who gave up 2 runs and backed into a save, did earlier in the day. The closer situation is still very muddled going forward.

Pedro's gem caps an outstanding day in Philly sports. Not only did the Phillies sweep their doubleheader with the Mets but the Eagles also manhandled the Panthers. The only negative on the day is the fact that Donovan McNabb got injured but at least that doesn't look too serious. It really doesn't get much better than this, Philly fans.
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2 comments:

  1. Justin F.September 14, 2009 at 12:14 AM

    I agree with you that Pedro should be in the rotation in October, but who would be the designated 5th guy? Happ?

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  2. allthingsphillySeptember 14, 2009 at 12:26 PM

    That's a tough call to make. We know that Lee and Hamels are locks to be in the playoff rotation. Blanton seems like a sure thing, as well. That leaves Pedro and Happ battling it out for the 4th spot. You can forget about Moyer, he might not even make the playoff roster. For now, I guess Happ is the odd man out. He's got to get healthy first, of course.

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