Many Questions in 2011, but Doc is the Answer

On Thursday afternoon, the Red Sox dropped their six consecutive game to open the season. Jon Lester pitched well, but he couldn’t inspire the team’s high-priced bats. The Rays’ hitting woes continued in Chicago, as Edwin Jackson mowed them down on a chilly day in Chicago.

With the sky falling for a number of would-be contenders (Francisco Liriano struggled against the Yankees), the Phillies ended the string of early games with a dominant win. Roy Halladay took to the hill and breezed through seven innings. He allowed six hits and a walk while striking out seven batters in the 11-0 Philadelphia win.

Interestingly, the Phillies piled up 11 runs on 16 hits. Only two of those hits went for extra bases (a double by Placido Polanco and a home run by Raul Ibanez). The Phillies chased Jon Niese after four innings (eight hits and a walk and six earned runs allowed). The concerns about the bullpen remain with Brad Lidge’s injury expected to keep him sidelined until mid-season, but they’ve answered the question about scoring runs in the short-term.

The Phillies have scored 43 runs in the first six games.