BOX SCORE
The Phillies lost a game on Friday night. OK, so what. Losses happen, even to the best team in the majors.
The real story of this game wasnt the defeat. It was how Roy Oswalt pitched. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe it was just an off night. But for some reason, Oswalt took a step backward in the Phillies 6-5 loss to the Florida Marlins.
Gone was the crackling fastball that helped him strike out nine Washington Nationals over eight shutout innings in his previous start.
Gone was the command.
He had trouble getting ahead of the hitters and it also looked like he had a hard time getting the ball inside on guys, or he didn't have anything when he threw it in there, manager Charlie Manuel said. He had a little bit more crispier stuff in Washington.
Oswalt allowed 12 hits and six runs over 5 23 innings. He struck out just two. In Washington, his third start after a stint on the disabled list with a bulging disc in his lower back, his fastball touched 94 mph and had lots of late life. This time, it was 91-92 and lacked what the pitching mavens like to call finish. Oswalt seemed to know his fastball wasnt there. He threw more breaking balls this time out. He did not get a swing and miss on his fastball.
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None of this seemed to trouble the right-hander, who got a little defensive when reporters asked him about the lack of pop on his fastball.
It was down a little bit, he acknowledged. But I dont make a big deal about it. Thats you guys. That has nothing to do with me. Thats you guys watching the radar gun. I looked up a couple of innings and saw 91-92. I threw 93-94 in Washington. Aint no big difference.
There was a big difference in the results.
As much as Oswalt might not like his performances picked apart, its going to happen. Hes not pitching out the string in Houston. He is part of a playoff-bound team that has World Series expectations, and he is important in reaching those expectations. Its unclear when he will pitch againHurricane Irene is creating all kinds of scheduling problemsbut all eyes will be on him when it does. Thats just the way it is when youre an important piece of the best team in baseball.
While Oswalts velocity was down, his back, he said, was healthy.
Im good, he said. Im good.
Oswalt believed his outing was undone by one bad pitcha slider that stayed over the plate in the sixth inning. Marlins catcher John Buck poked it over the right-field wall for a grand slam and a 6-1 Marlins lead.
It was just one bad pitch, pretty much, Oswalt said. A slider that came back over the plate. It didnt go down and away like it needed to.
The Phillies battled back from a 6-1 deficit to make it a game. Michael Martinez doubled home a run in the ninth to make it a one-run game before Steve Cishek got the final two outs with the potential tying run on second.
Ryan Howard keyed the comeback with a three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth.
But the Phils offense was very late-starting. It did little early against soft-throwing right-hander Clay Hensley, who entered the game with an 8.14 ERA in his previous five starts. Opponents hit .301 against Hensley in those games. Through five innings, the Phils had just one hit against Hensley, a home run by Wilson Valdez.
Time will tell if this will be the only game of the series against the Marlins. The hurricane is moving toward the Philadelphia area and Saturday afternoons game could be in jeopardy. If that game is not played, the Phillies will have the rare combination of a Saturday and Sunday off before playing Monday night in Cincinnati. Roy Halladay is supposed to pitch Saturday. If the game is postponed, pitching coach Rich Dubee will have to do some serious juggling in his rotation.
Cole Hamels is scheduled to pitch Monday. The Phillies will watch him closely as he is coming off the disabled list to make the start after missing two turns with shoulder inflammation. All eyes will be on Hamels as he makes arguably the most important start of the season. A healthy Hamels is critical to the Phillies championship chances.
After Hamels start, the Phillies will turn their attention to monitoring Oswaltwhenever he gets back on the mound. Both pitchers have question marks hovering around them that need to be erased if this team is going to be the World Series threat it wants to be.
E-mail Jim Salisbury at jsalisbury@comcastsportsnet.com.