Poor Umpiring Costs Phillies In 7th

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel argues with home plate umpire Rob Drake over balls and strikes in the 1st inning. Manuel was ejected. (AP Photo/Richard Lipski)

The game never should have gone 11 innings because it should have been over after nine.

An embarrassing display of umpiring in the 7th inning cost the Phillies an important fourth run. Instead, they wound up losing 4-3 in 11 innings, and dropping the first of a three-game series to Washington.

The Phillies were robbed twice in the same at-bat of an insurance run in the 7th inning while maintaining a 3-2 lead after the Nats added another run in the 5th.

With one out and Shane Victorino on second, Carlos Ruiz ripped a base hit over the third base bag. But because umpire Joe West was sick, the officiating crew was short one man and home plate umpire Rob Drake ruled it a foul ball.

Later in Ruiz’s at-bat, Victorino attempted to steal third but was called out despite the replays showed he was safe. Ruiz then roped a liner into right field that would have scored Victorino.

It came back to haunt the Phillies in the 8th. Chad Qualls got sloppy in the 8th, allowing a game-tying RBI double to Jesus Flores, evening the game up, 3-3.

The Phils then turned to Michael Schwimer in the 9th inning, who pitched all the way into the 11th inning. He loaded the bases with two outs before surrendering the game-winning hit to Wilson Ramos.

The Phillies got to Nats starter Stephen Strasburg after he breezed through the line up once. In the 4th inning, Hunter Pence ripped a two-run bomb to left-center, giving the Phillies a 2-0 lead.

A Chad Tracy solo shot off Kyle Kendrick cut the Phils lead in the half in the bottom of the inning. But the lead was widened again when Carlos Ruiz took Strasburg deep to center field, giving the Phillies a 3-1 lead.

Kendrick was shaky but allowed only one run in five innings. He threw 85 pitches, allowing seven hits and two walks, one being a home run to Tracy.

HR: Pence (4), Ruiz (5).

WP: Perry (1-0). LP: Schwimer (0-1).

Boxscore.

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