Rookie Marlin lefty Scott Olsen was outdueling greybread southpaw Jamie Moyer 1-0, until Ryan Howard. Howard took Olsen yard with Shane Victorino aboard in the sixth to give the Phils a 2-1 lead. Then Ryan added a solo eighth inning blast to give Philadelphia an insurance run. The Phillies needed every run Howard provided them, as the Fish scored a meaningless 9th inning run, losing 3-2. Last year Ryan had limited success against lefthanders, not so this season. Both Florida & Philadelphia are still battling for the NL Wild Card into the playoffs.
Ryan Howard is on a pace to hit 62 home runs, which in my book would be a new single season home run record eclipsing Roger Maris’ 61 home run mark, set in 1961, by one. Whether or not HGH and/or steroids were illegal or banned at the time when MLB players set new homer marks is not important, neither is whether they were caught. They were cheaters and I choose not to acknowledge their accomplishments. What do you think?
Ryan Howard 3 for 4, 1 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 runs