The Phillies beat the Twins 6-1 as Joe Blanton pitches a gem. The Phillies rotation was less than stellar in their previous 11 games, but Blanton went the distance, walking one and striking out seven on seven hits.

Blanton’s only mistake was a home run by Trevor Plouffe. It was the 12th home run of the season for the Twins third baseman, who doesn’t do much offensively other than hit for power. With the Twins record, I thought Plouffe might be a good candidate for most home runs in a losing cause this year, but this was only his third home run in a loss. Jose Bautista, Carlos Gonzalez, and Alfonso Soriano have nine each in losses. Plouffe homering is often a positive for the Twins.