Saturday, June 23, 2007
PHILLIES NEWS
After an easy win last night, the Phils looked to continue their winning ways against the struggling Cards. With the red hot Adam Eaton on the mound, who'd won 4 of his last 5 starts, and gone 6 innings or more in 7 of his last 8, you had to feel like the Phils could take another from the Cards. Unfortunately Eaton picked the wrong time to have an off day. The Phils got off to another quick start as Ryan Howard singled in a run in 1st for a 1-0 lead. Eaton gave lead the right back as Scott Spiezio scored on a fielders choice, following to singles, for a 1-1 tie. However, Eaton still appeared to be on the cruise control that had been carrying him through his few starts, as he retired the Cards in order in the 2nd and 3rd innings, but in the 4th he came undone. He quickly registered two outs in the inning, but in between he the made the fatal mistake of walking Albert Pujols, thus allowing Scott Rolen hit a ground rule double with 2 out in the inning, and Juan Encarnacion to follow up Rolen with a 3 run homer that put St. Louis up 4-1. Still, were well within striking distance, cutting the lead to 4-2, on an RBI single by Jimmy Rollins in the 5th. Sadly Eaton made another mistake in 6th inning as he again put Pujols on base, this time with an HBP(hit by pitch). This of course led to another homer, this time a 2 run shot by Chris Duncan that put the Cards up for good 6-2, and ended Eaton's night. The Phils came back again in the 7th with an RBI single by Chase Utley to cut the lead to 6-3, but alas it was nothing more than a futile response, as Cards put up 2 more runs of reliever Jose Mesa, on a RBI single by Aaron Miles, and yet another Mesa wild pitch, which allowed Miles to score. Jason Isringhausen then nailed it down in 9th for an 8-3 Cards win, leaving the Phils to ponder what went wrong. Fortunately, the Braves lost today as well, so the Phils remain in second place, but are now 3 games behind the Mets who won today. As if the Phils didn't feel bad enough after losing today, they got more bad news after the game. After taking an MRI, it was discovered, has in fact ruptured a tendon in the bottom of his foot, rather than straining his ankle as originally believed. He is now on the DL indefinitely, with a very slim chance of returning to the Phils in late September. While that could help them come October, you know they actually made the playoffs, it does nothing for them now. So, the Phils are now left with just 3 of their original 5 starters(Eaton, Hamels, and Moyer) and two spots to fill in their rotation. For now of course, Kyle Kendrick will fill one of those spots, but it's any one's guess who will the other, although it is definite that whoever it is will come from the Phils farm system. Thus, life sucks once again.
FLYERS NEWS
The Flyers completed their 2007 draft today, selecting defenseman Kevin Marshall in the 2nd round, wingers Garret Klotz, Mario Kempe, Jonathan Kalinski, and Patrick Maroon, in the 3rd, 5th, and 6th rounds respectively, and goalie Brad Phillips in the 7th round. As usual none of these are in the Flyers immediate plans but they could contribute someday. In other words only time will tell how good this draft was for the Flyers.
Friday, June 22, 2007
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils got off to a quick start tonight against the struggling, defending world champion Cardinals, and never looked back. Jamie Moyer toughed out 6 innings of shutout, 7 hit ball, thanks in part to his own sterling defense and work with the bat. He got the first hit of what turned out to be a 5 run Phils 3rd inning. Jimmy Rollins singled to move Moyer to 2nd. Shane Victorino blooped a single to score Moyer from 2nd. Chase Utley singled to scored Victorino and Rollins. Ryan Howard doubled to score Utley, and after an Aaron Rowand single moved him to 3rd base, Howard scored on a sac fly by Greg Dobbs. Just like that the Phils led and with Moyer on the mound that would be all they would need. In bottom of the 3rd, Moyer gave the Phils the shutdown inning they needed, but not without some fielding heroics. With two out Albert Pujols came up and hit a sharp ground ball right back at a stunned Moyer. Somehow the ball deflected off his glove and into the air. Moyer found it and grabbed it before it hit the ground and in one motion whirled towards first base, and while diving forward, flipped the ball to first baseman Ryan Howard, beating Pujols by a stride to end the inning. You just don't know what might have happened if Moyer hadn't made that play, but any rate he wasn't done yet. In 6th, Carlos Ruiz led off with a double, and then in came Moyer who coolly bunted him over to 3rd, thus allowing him to score one batter later on a fly ball by Jimmy Rollins. Moyer then left after 6th with a 6-0 lead after getting out of yet another 2 out jam. Ryan Madson blanked the Cards in the 7th and 8th, Jose Mesa, yes, Jose Mesa did likewise in the 9th and before you knew it the Phils had a combined 9 hit shutout of the Cards and a 6-0 win. So the Phils improve to 38-35, and since the Braves lost again tonight, they move into 2nd place, still 2 games behind the Mets for first. Life is thus beautiful again.
FLYERS NEWS
With the second pick in tonight's NHL draft the Flyers selected local product James vanRiemsdyk, from Middletown, New Jersey. van Riemsdyk was a member of the U.S 18 and under national team scoring 33 goals and 30 assists, and helpomg to lead the U.S to a bronze medal at the world junior championships. He is expected to go to the university of New Hampshire next year and will finish college forst before joining the Flyers. So he is not in their immediate plans, and most draft picks aren't, but with his freekish size and speed, he should fit in nicely with the Orange and Black when he does finally join.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils had the day off today, to contemplate why they've lost 4 of their last 6, you know besides the fact that the last two teams they faced were really good, while the Phils are just well, good. On a more postive note Jon Lieber, who strained his ankle last night, is expected to be back by Friday of next week. Do the math and you realize he's only going to miss one start, so the Phils can just simply skip his spot in the rotation, without having to worry about bringing somebody up for a spot start. At any rate, the Phils start a 3 game set with the St. Louis Cardinals tomorrow, which has the potential to be a good one, considering how much the Cards have struggled thus far this season.
FLYERS NEWS
There is nothing new to report, except for one quick note. The NHL draft is tomorrow, and considering the Flyers have the second pick of the draft, it should be an interesting night.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils finished off their 3 game set with Cleveland tonight and for a moment it looked they might just win it. They got off to a quick start as Rod Barajas hit a 2 run homer in the 3rd inning for an early 2-0 lead. By the 4th inning the Indians had rallied to tie it at 2, so Phils put up 2 more runs in the top of the 6th for a 4-2 lead. Unfortunately it was at this point that reality finally hit them. That is, the reality that the Indians are far better than they are. In the bottom of the 6th they scored 8, yes 8 runs, 5 alone off Jon Lieber, who had been pitching pretty well until then. Things then went from bad to worse as Lieber limped to the dugout, following an one out RBI single by Casey Blake, in which he tried to get behind and backup the catcher, only strain his ankle, after taking just 2 steps off the mound. He is now listed as day to day. Mike Zagurski came in to replace Lieber and could do no better allowing yet another run to score. Yoel Hernandez then replaced him and allowed 4 more runs, before finally getting out of the inning. By then though, it was all but over, as Cleveland now led 10-4. The Phils tried to mount a comeback with 2 runs in the 7th inning, on a two out Shane Victorino double. Chase Utley then walked to put two on and two out for Ryan Howard. Thus, giving him a chance to cut the lead to 1 with one swing, but alas he struck out, and with that so went the Phils hopes on the night. Cleveland easily closed out the last 2 innings to win going away 10-6. Fortunately though, the Mets and the Braves also lost big tonight, so Phils did not lose any ground in the NL East, life however, still sucks again.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
PHILLIES NEWS
A day after ace Cole Hamels was rocked by Cleveland, the Phils got even tonight with the new kid on the block Kyle Kendrick. In just his second Major league start Kendrick went 6 innings, and allowed just 3 runs on 5 hits to record his first win. Of course, with all the run support he got it would have been hard for him to lose. Ryan Howard alone, homered and knocked in 4 runs, in just his 3rd 3 hit game of the season so far. Chase Utley and Pat Burrell, also knocked in 2 runs each, with all four being 2 out RBIs. With all that support the Phils took a 7-3 lead into 8th, but the Indians wouldn't go away easily. They scored 2 quick runs off Ryan Madson in the 8th to cut the lead to 6-5 and suddenly it looked like the game on sunday all over again, you know the one where the Phils blew a 3-1 lead in the 7th, waisting a stellar start by Adam Eaton. Fortunately, in the top of 9th, Ryan Howard delivered a double to knock in his 4th and final run of the night, and Greg Dobbs smacked a pinch double to score Howard to put the Phils up for good 9-5. Despite allowing a run and 3 hits, Antonio Alfonseca managed to close it out in the 9th for a huge 9-6 win for the Phils. So, with the win coupled by yet another Mets loss the Phils moved to within 2 games of 1st in the NL East, and with yet another Braves loss they moved back to within .5 games of 2nd in the NL East. Thus, life is beautiful again.
Monday, June 18, 2007
PHILLIES NEWS
After a devastating loss yesterday the Phils came into tonight's game in Cleveland against the Indians, looking to pick up the pieces and move on with ace Cole Hamels on the mound. Unfortunately Hamels simply didn't have the stuff tonight. In only 5 innings of work he allowed 6 runs on 8 hits, including a 3 run homer by Kelly Shoppach, who ironically, is the Indians backup catcher, with the dangerous Victor Martinez, known for his clutch hits, being their starter. So even avoiding the bat of Martinez isn't much of a break against the ultra-talented Indians. At any rate 5 of those 6 runs allowed by Hamels, came in the first 2 innings, putting the Phils in a 5-0 hole from which they would never escape. When Ryan Howard finally did get the Phils on the board with a solo homer in the top of the 6th, Cleveland came right back and scored 3 more off Geoff Geary in the bottom of the inning for a 9-1 lead. Then to add insult to injury, former Phillies bench warmer-turned Indians outfielder, Jason Micheals homered in the 7th to put the Cleveland up 10-1 and complete their pounding of the Phils, as that's how it ended. So the Phils lost big 10-1, while the Mets and Braves both won big, dropping the Phils to 3 games behind the Mets for 1st in the NL East, and 1.5 games behind the Braves for 2nd. Life thus, still sucks.
FLYERS NEWS
The Orange and Black have pulled off their first big trade under GM Paul Holmgren(he replaced Bobby Clarke halfway into last season). The traded the 23rd pick in the first round of this weekend's NHL draft to the Nashville Predators (the same team from which they recieved it in exchange for Peter Forsberg) in exchange for all world defenseman Kimmo Timmonen, who captained Nashville last season with 13 goals and 42 assists, and center/forward Scott Hartnell who put up 22 goals and 17 assists. The Flyers have said that this off-season they are looking to get bigger, faster, and more skilled, and with this trade they appear to have done just that and the NHL free agent signing period hasn't even started yet. So I would say that they have done a good job thus far in this off-season.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
PHILLIES NEWS
In his last start Justin Verlander tossed a no-hitter, today the Phils quickly made sure he wouldn't throw another. Abrham Nunez singled in a run in the second inning to forge a 1-1 tie and the Phils were off and running. Chase Utley doubled and scored in the 3rd for a 2-1 lead, and Greg Dobbs tripled and scored in the 6th on a single by pitcher Adam Eaton ,of all people, for a 3-1 lead. Meanwhile, Adam Eaton cruised through 6 and 1/3rd innings allowing just 1 run on 3 hits. Then Brandon Inge doubled, and Carlos Guillen singled putting runners on 1st and 3rd with one out and chasing Eaton from the game. Geoff Geary replaced Eaton and promptly tossed an RBI single to Gary Sheffield to cut the lead to 3-2. Mike Zagurski then replaced Geary and retired Omar Infante for the second out of the inning. Yoel Hernandez then replaced Zagurski and intentionally walked ex-Phil Placido Polanco to load the bases for Craig Monroe. Bad move. Monroe promptly hit a ground ball which deflected off Abraham Nunez, and went just out of the reach of Jimmy Rollins, allowing Guillen and Sheffield to score for a 4-3 Tigers lead. If the inning had ended then the Phils would have still been okay, unfortunately the next batter was the red hot Magglio Ordonez who doubled to score Polanco and Monroe for a 6-3 Tigers lead. After that Hernandez finally forced Sean Casey to pop out for the final out of the inning, but by then the Phils once safe 3-1 lead had evaporated into a 6-3 deficit. Things only got worse in the 8th as Yoel Hernandez remained in game for some reason, and allowed 3 straight Tigers singles, which resulted in a another run and a 7-3 lead. After that all heck broke lose. Aaron Rowand limped off the field with a leg injury, then a few Jose Mesa pitches later(he replaced Hernandez), Catcher Carlos Ruiz, Charlie Manuel, and 3rd base coach Steve Smith were all ejected for arguing a checked swing, that certainly appeared to be a full swing. Somehow from there Mesa got out of the inning, and the Phils cut lead to 7-4 in the bottom of the inning as Abraham Nunez singled and scored on a Jimmy Rollins single. Unfortunately, that would be all the Phils would get the rest of the way, as Todd Jones closed it out for Detroit in the 9th. Still, by the grace of God the Phils did not lose any ground in the NL East as both Atlanta and the Mets lost as well. So the Phils are still only 2 games out in the NL East but life still sucks again.
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