Last night’s Phillies-Padres game didn’t figure to be very interesting. It featured one always terrible offense and one currently terrible offense in the league’s most pitcher-friendly stadium, Petco Park. Additionally, both teams’ starting pitcher would have to sprinkle steroids in his cereal just to have his fastball hit 88 MPH on the radar gun.

Despite expectations, the game was actually quite fun to watch. The combined age of the two starters — Jamie Moyer and Greg Maddux — comes out to more than 87 years and they have 45 years of Major League experience under their belts. In their fourteen combined innings of work in the game (seven apiece), they gave up only one run (a Pat Burrell homer off of Maddux in the seventh), eight hits and two walks, and struck out six.

Maddux got about an even split of ground balls and fly balls (9-8); Moyer was more grounder-prone (12-7). Moyer threw 67% of his pitches for strikes; Maddux 69%. Maddux threw first-pitch strikes 69% of the time; Moyer 64%.

Moyer’s fastball averaged 81.9 MPH and maxed out at 83.6 MPH; Maddux averaged 84.96 and maxed out at 86.5 MPH on his fastball.

Both had similar horizontal movement on their fastballs: 7.12 for Moyer; -7.55 for Maddux (the Pitch F/X data is from the catcher/umpire’s perspective which is why Moyer’s is positive and Maddux’s is negative). Moyer, however, had a bit more vertical break on his fastball: 5.60 compared to Maddux’s 4.78.

All six of their strikeouts (Moyer 2, Maddux 4) were on called third strikes.

Maddux’s victims:

• First inning: Jimmy Rollins on a fastball, 85.8 MPH.
• Second inning: Pat Burrell (no PFX information available).
• Fourth inning: Ryan Howard on a fastball, 86.0 MPH.
• Fifth inning: Geoff Jenkins on a fastball, 85.9 MPH.

Moyer’s victims:

• Second inning: Chase Headley on a fastball, 83.1 MPH.
• Sixth inning: Greg Maddux on a fastball, 82.3.

Would you believe it? Not only are all their strikeouts backwards-K’s, they were all on fastballs, arguably the least-intimidating fastballs in the league.
Also contributing to the low run-scoring were the great defensive plays on both sides. Click here for a recap which features highlights of these plays:

• Greg Maddux adeptly covers first on Shane Victorino’s attempted bunt in the top of the first inning. [starts at 0:39]
• Ryan Howard starts and finishes a 3-6-3 double play in the bottom of the first. [watch]
• Chase Utley fields a grounder up the middle and quickly throws to first to record the out in the bottom of the third. [starts at 0:49]
• Jimmy Rollins fields a grounder in shallow left field, jumps in the air and throws to first a la Derek Jeter in the bottom of the fifth. [starts at 0:56]
• Luis Rodriguez fields a sharp line drive, wheels and throws to first to retire Victorino in the top of the sixth. [starts at 1:12]
• Ryan Howard fields a slow grounder and flips to Jamie Moyer who makes quite an athletic grab while touching the first base bag in the bottom of the sixth. [starts at 1:18]
• Jimmy Rollins fields grounder to his left, dives, and throws to first base in the bottom of the 8th. [starts at 1:38]

It may not have been as exciting as this 19-17 game from August 12, but entertaining nonetheless. Pitching and defense: quality baseball.