Frandsen, Lee lift Phillies past Nats
PHILADELPHIA – Sometime soon, the Phillies hope to have Chase Utley back at second base, playing happily and healthily for the remainder of the season.
However, for the last three weeks Kevin Frandsen has been making a pitch for more playing time by doing the same thing he’s done ever since getting called up in late July of last season – hit.
Frandsen continued to make good use of an opportunity he waited two months to get, as his two-out, two-run single with the bases loaded
in the sixth inning Tuesday night gave the Phillies the lead for good as they notched their second straight win over Nationals, 4-2, at Citizens Bank Park.
Frandsen spent the second half of last season showing the Phillies that he has a pretty potent bat as he took over third base from a gaggle of impotent hitters, which included Placido Polanco, Ty Wigginton, Mike Fontenot and Mike Martinez.
Yes, those last two started at the hot corner earlier in the 2012 season than Frandsen did.
Despite Frandsen’s impressive final two months a year ago, the Phillies traded for Michael Young to be their everyday third baseman, and Freddy Galvis was given first dibs as the utility infielder.
In the first 49 games of the season, Frandsen had just five starts and 41 plate appearances. However, with Utley on the disabled list, Galvis slumping and Young missing several games to tend to a medical matter with his infant daughter, Frandsen has made nine starts since Memorial Day and gone 12for-36 (.333) at the plate.
It will be an interesting decision for Charlie Manuel when Utley returns, because Young also has picked up his offense in recent days after being slow to bounce back following his week away. Tuesday night Young tied a career high with three doubles on the night, including one that followed Ben Revere’s leadoff bunt single in the sixth that tied the game, 2-2.
A Jimmy Rollins single and Ryan Howard hit-bypitch loaded the bases with no outs. However, both Domonic Brown and Delmon Young followed with strikeouts, and the duty for not letting a big inning slip away fell to Frandsen, who lined a hit just in front of Washington’s Steve Lombardozzi in left.
That took care of Cliff Lee’s needs. Despite a soaking rain that delayed the start by 75 minutes, Lee cruised through eight innings, allowing just two solo home runs as his assault of the strike zone lowered his ERA to 2.53 and improved his record to 9-2.