Young bullpen arms help Phillies edge Cubs

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Friday, June 10, 2011Posted: 10:18 p.m.Updated: 11:51 p.m.

By Jim Salisbury
CSNPhilly.com

BOX SCORE

As difficult as it was to watch Phillies relievers Jose Contreras and J.C. Romero nearly blow a seven-run lead in the eighth inning on Friday night, you were left wondering if their struggles might ultimately help the team down the road.

How a bullpen responds to pressure can help determine a teams fate over the long haul. Contreras and Romeros problems in this game thrust youngsters Mike Stutes and Antonio Bastardo into pressure situations. Both responded like seasoned veterans in helping preserve Roy Halladays ninth win, a 7-5 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Citizens Bank Park.

If there was a silver lining, it was seeing those young guys come through, Halladay said. Thats a big positive.

Stutes and Bastardo gained valuable close-game experience as they combined on the final five outs after Contreras and Romero could only get one in the eighth inning. The Cubs rallied for five runs in that inning to turn what should have been a rout into a tight finish. Youll be seeing more and more of Stutes and Bastardo as Charlie Manuel seeks the right mix to get to closer Ryan Madson, who was given the night off Friday.

Stutes was one out from his first career save when Manuel opted to bring in the lefty Bastardo to face left-handed hitting Carlos Pena. Bastardo struck out Pena on three pitches.

I cant really question that decision, Stutes said. Antonio has been dominant all year. It was the right call. I was just happy to get called on when I did.

Manuel would have preferred not to have gone to Stutes with one out and five runs having come across the plate in the eighth. He would have rather have seen Contreras be able to lock down a 7-0 lead and get the game into the ninth inning. But Contreras allowed two hits and two walks and Romero wasnt much better, failing to retire any of the three batters he faced. Fans are running out of patience with Romero. They booed him as he left the mound. It remains to be seen how much more patience the front office will have with Romero.

When we have a seven-run lead going into the eighth inning, we expect to win the game, Manuel said. This is the big leagues. Youre supposed to win that game. You reporters get on me when I dont take Roy out. I hope your memories are as good as mine.

Manuel had gone to the bullpen after Placido Polanco belted a grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning to put the Phils ahead, 7-0. That seemed like a safe lead and a good time to get workhorse Halladay out of the game after 106 pitches. Halladay would have stayed in the game if Polanco hadnt hit that grand slam and extended the Phils lead. Even Halladay, a complete-game junkie, couldnt argue with Manuels decision to remove him.

Theres a time to fight for it and this wasnt one of them, said Halladay, the majors innings leader at 105 13. I understood the decision. I think most of the starts weve been grinding. You get a lead like that and I definitely understand the thinking. I was fine with it. It makes sense. Obviously we have a long way to go and I think it will pay off down the road.

Stutes and Bastardo werent the only ones to make good on an opportunity. Polanco batted fifth for the first time since 2005. He became the latest to get a chance to protect cleanup man Ryan Howard and did that in a big way in the seventh inning when he hit a 2-0 pitch from Carlos Zambrano into the leftfield seats for this third career grand slam. The three baserunners ahead of Polanco all reached on walks as Zambrano issued seven free passes, one intentional. One of Zambranos walks came in the second and Domonic Brown followed it with a two-run homer.

The Phils had been hitless in 10 at-bats with a runner in scoring position before Polancos homer. Polanco had twice grounded out with a runner in scoring position to end innings earlier in the game.

He made up for that, Manuel said. Thats what makes baseball such a great game. Thats why you stay with it and play it out.

Leading the majors with nine wins, Halladay is on course to pitch in the All-Star Game, maybe even start it. But that would be an individual accomplishment and right now he doesnt want to hear about those things. All he wants is a shot to win a championship.

Right now Im just focused on the team, Halladay said. At the end of the year, thats when you look at number of wins and that stuff.

Related: CSNChicago: Zambrano doesn't back up wordManager Quade discusses lossE-mail Jim Salisbury at jsalisbury@comcastsportsnet.com. Follow him on Twitter @JSalisburyCSN.

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