[Eaglesfan27]

April 19, 2012 -

We lost 3 straight to the Cardinals before taking the last game of the series. Now, we are on a 3 game winning streak having beating the Brewers the first 2 games of this series. It's up to me to finish the sweep of the series. I'm pitching on the road against Edmund Isringhausen, a young starter, who has struggled in 2 of his first 3 starts. We are 8-7. They are 7-7. Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder are by far their 2 most dangerous hitters.


We start off the top of the 1st with a solo homer by McLouth and an RBI by Church. Sanchez is getting a day off and Bonifacio is playing 2nd. A young player Emilio Alcantara is playing 1st today and batting cleanup for us.

Struck out Mike Rivera, their catcher, for the 2nd out of the inning with an 0-2 fastball on the outside corner.

LaRoche with a solo homer in the 2nd to make it a 3-0 lead.

Struck out Ryan Raburn with a 2-2 slider to end the 2nd.

Struck out Trot Nixon with a 1-2 100 MPH fastball that was high and outside to start the 3rd. Their pitcher is scouted to be one of the worst hitting pitchers I've ever seen, even worse than myself. I strike him out on 3 straight fastballs for the 2nd out of the inning. 1-2-3 3rd.

Speaking of which, in the top of the 4th, I hit the ball hard to deep center field but it is caught.

Dutch Nelson with some bad calls contributes to a walk to Ryan Braun in the 4th. Struck out Fielder with a 0-2 changeup. Struck out Gamel with a 1-2 changeup to end the inning.

Alcantara with a 2 RBI double in the top of the 5th. We are now up 5-0.

Struck out Velez, the pinch hitter, with a 1-2 fastball outside to end the 5th.

I bunt over a runner to 3rd with 0 outs and Jack Wilson knocks him in to make it 6-0 in the 6th.

2 1 pitch outs in the 6th before Braun hits a line drive to left center for a single. Popped Fielder up with a 0-2 changeup to end the inning.

Mat Gamel with a leadoff double to right center to start the 7th. Ben Francisco grounds back to me, I look the runner back to 2nd and then throw out Francisco. Raburn grounds to Wilson for the 2nd out. Trot Nixon has given me problems tonight and he works a 10 pitch at bat before he laces a 3-2 fastball to shallow left for a RBI single. Struck out Tyoshi (sp?) Nomura, the pinch hitter, with a 2-2 fastball to end the 7th.

Struck out Alcides Escobar with a 0-2 fastball to start the 8th. Rivera fights off about 10 pitches before he hits a 3-2 fastball back up the middle for a single. Braun with a deep fly to left for the 2nd out. Fielder with a single down the right field line to move Rivera to 3rd. Gamel hits it very hard to LaRoche who makes the play to end the inning.

Those long at bats cost me my chance at the complete game. Ozzie pulls me after 8. We win the game 6-1. Bootcheck pitched a scoreless 9th.

My record rises to 2-0.

8 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 9 K, 1 BB.