Buchanan brought a 9.11 ERA into tonight’s game with the Nationals and proceeded to fire a fastball behind Bryce Harper on the opening pitch of their first meeting.
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“I think the blame goes all the way from the front office all the way down to the bat boy”, Papelbon said.
Harper drove one out to center field in the first for a 1-0 lead. “I’ve done that plenty of times in my career”, he said.
Washington Nationals’ Bryce Harper, left, follows through after hitting an RBI-single off Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher David Buchanan as catcher Carlos Ruiz watches during the third inning of a baseball game, on Tuesday, September15, 2015, in Philadelphia. It was all Strasburg would need, as he delivered what was easily the best start of his uneasy season.
The Pirates took the first game 5-4 when Pedro Florimon scored on Starling Marte’s sacrifice fly in the eighth, but they couldn’t complete the sweep. It’s been a welcome sight for Phillies fans, because, as you may have heard, misery enjoys company.
“He made one bad pitch”, Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. “That was as well pitched a ballgame as we’ve seen all year”, Mackanin said.
Last time out it was the curveball that was devastating as Strasburg struck out thirteen Mets.
Nationals starter Jordan Zimmermann lasted six innings and surrendered six runs and seven hits and six runs.
Strasburg picked up his 14th strikeout in the eighth, matching his single-game career high acheived in his major league debut. And Ryan Howard was on crutches after needing to have fluid drained from his knee Monday night at the emergency room. He has until Wednesday night to find a way to get back at Harper with a prank of his own.
But, he said, “They never really paid any attention to what I had to say”. I don’t know, [like] Nolan Ryan? “Pretty good”. It’s very bad. So, uh, go Phillies! Can they avoid 100 losses with 16 games remaining? He wasn’t part of the future when this team could actually be good again either. We just had too many non-regular guys in there, and granted we did get hurt.
The Nationals went ahead 7-6 in the 10th when Werth launched a 3-1 pitch deep into the seats in left off Dalier Hinojosa with one out for his 12th career multihomer game. But at the end of the day, you play to win the game.
It’s difficult to be surprised by this because the team entered the season as a rebuilding club and it was clear players like Cole Hamels, Jonathan Papelbon, Ben Revere and Chase Utley were all available for trade. Buchanan allowed two runs on five hits, while striking out five and walking two.
Papelbon, the Phillies’ all-time lead in saves with 123, was also asked if he had any regrets about his time in Philadelphia and ended up taking a shot against his former organization.
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That’s been one of the Phillies’ best traits under Mackanin since he took over after Ryne Sandberg resigned June 26.
