There is nothing new to report
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
FLYERS NEWS
The Flyers finally returned to action tonight after a long, long layoff. Unfortunately, the layoff proved to be too much to overcome against on this evening against the Florida Panthers. Considering the Panthers came in with 1 win on the season thus far, this was supposed to be an easy way for the Orange and Black to come back from their layoff. Unfortunately, the Flyers apparently got a little too rested and relaxed and just couldn't quite get up for this game. They did lead 1-0 after the first period and 2 - 1 late in the 2nd period, but the focus was never quite there for them and eventually the Panthers were able to pull ahead of the drowsy Flyers. Nathan Horton scored with under a minute to play in the 2nd period to tie it at 2. Then Radek Dvorak scored shorthanded halfway through the 3rd period to put Florida ahead 3-2. Finally with about a minute and a half to play, Steve Reinprecht scored an empty netter to put away the 4-2 Panther win. Sure it's early in the season so it is okay to lose some focus now, but the Flyers better get it back in a hurry as they play the Boston Bruins in their next game and Boston won't let the Flyers hang around for 2 periods.
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils and Dodgers squared off in game 2 of the NLCS this afternoon. Pedro Martinez got the start and was masterful tossing 7 shutout innings, while allowing just 2 hits and throwing just 87 pitches. Meanwhile, Ryan Howard slammed a solo homer in the top of the 4th to put the Phils ahead 1-0. Unfortunately, coming off a 17 day layoff and an injury, Pedro could not come out for the 8th inning and that's where it fell apart for the Phils. Chan Ho Park, who was perfect yesterday, got the call to pitch the 8th and allowed the first 2 batters he faced to reach base, both on fluky plays. First a groundball off the bat of Juan Pierre just got under the glove of Pedro Feliz, then a bunt by Ronnie Belliard got through a diving Park. Next Rusell Martin slapped a dead double play ball, but Chase Utley could not cleanly relay to first for the 2nd out, allowing Pierre to score the tying run and Martin to reach base safely. Next Scott Eyre replaced Park and allowed a pinch single by Jim Thome to put runners at the corners with still only 1 out. So in came Ryan Madson to face the righties. First he walked Rafeal Furcal to load the bases, but he came back to strike out Matt Kemp. Since he had thrown 32 pitches last night, that was it for Madson, as J.A Happ came in to face the lefty Andre Ethier. Happ got ahead of Ethier with 2 quick strikes but he couldn't put him away and eventually, Ethier worked a walk to put L.A up 2-1. Finally after that Chad Durbin got Manny to pop up and end the inning, but the damage was done. In the top of the 9th, Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino produced quick outs and it was once again up to Utley to get Howard to plate one more time. He almost did, hitting a screaming liner off Jonathan Broxton, that was unfortunately right at Ethier, who was shaded over to just to the right spot in the usual no doubles defense. So the series is now tied at 1 game a piece as it shifts to the Bank for games 3, 4, and 5 and the Phils will have to win all 3 to take series and avoid having to go back to L.A.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils and Dodgers squared off in L.A tonight in game 1 of the NLCS. A year ago in this same series the Phils dismissed the Dodgers in 5 games en route to winning the world series. Tonight they looked to pick up right where they left off. Cole Hamels got the start and appeared to be in good form dueling with Clayton Kershaw to a 1-0 Dodger's lead through 4 innings. Then in the 5th inning both pitchers lost it. First in the top of the inning, Kershaw issued 2 walks and threw 3 wild pitches, as Carlos Ruiz slammed a 3 run homer, and Ryan Howard slapped a 2 run double for a 5-1 lead. Then in the bottom of the inning Hamels was this close to shutting down L.A, before JRoll and Chase Utley botched a double play, allowing a run to score and opening the door for Manny Ramirez to slam a 2 run homer to cut it to 5-4. Hamels then could not get through the 6th inning, and exited having allowed 4 runs on 8 hits, not his best stuff but enough to get the win if the bullpen could just hold the lead. Fortunately on this night they were up to the task. First Chad Durbin, and J.A Happ combined to bail out Hamels and escape a bases loaded jam in the 6th. In the 7th Antonio Bastardo allowed a leadoff double to Andre Ethier, but Chan Ho Park, finally back from his hamstring injury, picked him up, retiring Manny, Matt Kemp, and Casey Blake in succession. Finally in the top of the 8th, the Phils struck oil again, as Raul Ibanez followed back to back walks to Howard and Jayson Werth, with a 3 run bomb to put the Phils up 8-4. Still, the Dodgers did not go away quietly. Ryan Madson had a rough time in the bottom of the 8th, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits, but he got out of it by retiring Manny again, to preserve an 8-6 lead. In the 9th, in came Brad Lidge to get the save, and again it was not easy. Kemp led off with a single, Blake hit into a double play to leave the Dodgers with no one on base and 1 out to work with, but they still would not give up. James Loney followed the double play with a walk to once again run to the plate, but again Brad was up for it, forcing Ronnie Belliard to pop out, to finish off an 8-6 Phils win. I am running out of superlatives to describe this team with, but there are 2 things I'll take with me from this game. First much was made of the Dodger's having a bullpen far superior to the Phils'. On this night however, it was Phils' bullpen that held up, and Dodger bullpen that floundered. Second, much also about this Dodger team no longer needing to rely so much on Manny, yet it seemed to be tonight that when things really got tight they looked to Manny to come up with something and he could not. Well's that it for tonight, Let's Go Phils!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
PHILLIES NEWS
Never underestimate the heart of a champion. If there were still any doubts that the Phils had that kind of heart they were erased on this night in a game that may go down as the greatest in NLDS histroy. So wild and crazy, was this one that the superb performance of CLiff Lee, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits through 7 innings, before running out of gas in the 8th,went for naught. So too did dramatic solo homers by "the Flyin Hawaiian", Shane Victorino in the 1st, and Jayson Werth in the 6th inning, which had given the Phils a seeming safe 2-1 lead through 7. That was before an 8th inning Rockies rally that seemed destined to force this series to a decisive game 5 back in Philly. Lee gave way after 7 and 1/3rd innings and rare error by Jimmy Rollins that put 2 on with 1 out, in favor of Ryan Madson. Fortunately, Ben Francisco was also inserted into the game as a defensive replacement for Raul Ibanez, as he promptly made a spectacular diving catch just seconds later to rob Troy Tulowitzki of an RBI single. At that point it looked like Madson would hold the lead and get out of the inning , but he could not, and a pinch RBI single by Jason Giambi and a 2 run double by Yorvit Torrealba later, Coors Field was rocking with Colorado ahead 4-2 and 3 outs from a game 5. The word quit is a foreign word though to these Phillies, and so even with the odds against them, as a revved up Houston Street took the mound for the 9th, they did not. Street had blown just 2 saves all year long, but somehow the Phils, particularly Ryan Howard who quietly told his teammates before the inning began, "Just get me to the plate", knew this would be number 3. Thus in a scene reminiscent of a Rocky movie they got off the canvas 1 last time. Jimmy Rollins got it started with a 1 out single, but Victorino grounded into a fielder's choice, with JRoll out at 2nd, and suddenly the Phils were down to their final out and Howard was a still a batter away. Chase Utley stayed calm though and after long at bat, he worked a walk to get Howard to the plate. A couple pitches later, Street gave Howard a gift, laying a fastball right into his wheel house, which the big man, or the "big piece" as Charlie Manuel calls him, deposited it deep to right field for a game tying 2 run double. Next Werth fought off a tough Street breaking ball, to loop an RBI single to center and against all hope the Phils were ahead again 5-4. Now who would close it out in the 9th? Shockingly lefty specialist Scott Eyre, who had crumbled in a heap in front of the mound less than 24 hours earlier after rolling his ankle, was the man who got the call against the Rockie's lefties. Eyre managed to get the 1st 2 outs, but after Todd Helton slapped a single up the middle to put 2 on with 2 out for Tulowitzki, in came Brad Lidge to close the door again. He got the count to 2-2 on Tulowitzki, then tossed a vintage knee buckling slider that Tulo couldn't hold up on, to close out the 5-4 win and the 3-1 series win. This was simply put the performance of the season by a team for the ages and I don't know what else to say about it other than, L.A here we come.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
PHILLIES NEWS
Oh what a night and what a game between the Phils and Rockies tonight. With the game being played in 20 degree weather the air was supposed to be too thick to score too many runs, instead the 2 teams combined for 11 runs on 18 hits in a wild one. J.A Happ got the start but was pulled after only 3 innings, as the Phils tried to put more runs on the board with pinch hitter Greg Dobbs. Jason Hammel meanwhile lasted just 3 and 2/3rd's innings for the Rockies so it was a battle of the bullpens, and the Phils with the heart of a champion found a way to win. Chase Utley started things off with a rousing solo homer in the top of the 1st, to put the Phils up 1-0. A couple of weak singles allowed Colorado to go ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the inning. A double by Garret Atkins made it 3-1 in the 3rd inning. In the 4th, singles by Ryan Howard, and Carlos Ruiz, and a bases loaded walk pushed the Phils back ahead 4-3. In the bottom of the inning Carlos Gonzalez ripped a solo shot off Joe Blanton to tie it up again at 4. In the 6th Ruiz singled in another run for a 5-4 Phils lead. In the bottom of the 7th Gonzalez doubled and score on a sac fly to tie it up again at 5. Finally in the top of the 10th a sac fly by Ryan Howard put the Phils ahead again 6-5 and this time it would stand up. With Ryan Madson having already pitched in the 7th inning, in came Brad Lidge for the save. After allowing 2 on with 2 out, Lidge got the dangerous Troy Tulowitzki to pop up for the final out, as he remained perfect in postseason save opportunities as a Phil and put the Phils in command of the series again with a 2 games to 1 lead and Cliff Lee to start tomorrow.
EAGLES NEWS
The Birds, inlcuding the wounded, Donovan Mcnabb and Brian Westbrook, returned to action this afternoon against the winless Tampa Bay Bucs. For Mcnabb the return from his rib injury could not have been better, as he completed16 of 21 passes, for 264 yards and 3 TDs, including 2 40 + yard bombs to rookie WR Jeremy Maclin. For Westbrook the return wasn't quite so sweet, but he did compile 6 rushes for 18 yards and a TD, and 2 catches for 17 yards, which is a start at least. Ultimately the star of the offense on this day was Maclin, who caught 6 balls for 142 yards and those 2 TDs. Maclin was so good, the Birds didn't even really need Desean Jackson today, who caught exactly 1 ball for 1 yard. That's how many weapons this offense has. The number 1 reciever was basically shutdown and they still rolled to 325 yards of offense and 33 points. Other contributors on offense, include Brent Celek who chipped in with 4 catches for 58 yards, and new Fullback Leonard Weaver, who scored his 1st TD as an Eagle, on a 20 yard pass from Mcnabb. As for the defense it was solid, which is really all it needed to be against an admittedly god awful Buccaneer offense. They sacked QB Josh Johnson 3 times and forced him into 3 interceptions. Early on Tampa did manage to put together a TD drive to cut the lead to 14-7, but after that they starting committing penalties, and Johnson just couldn't get comfortable in the pocket, which made things easy for the Birds. Individually, it was Trent Cole leading the way as usal with 7 tackles and a sack. Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown were also huge with an interception each. Early on the Birds had a 14-0 lead thanks to Mcnabb's 1st 2 TD passes. Then Tampa cut it to 14-7, before Mcnabb hit hus 3rd TD pass to make it 21-7 at the half. In the 2nd half Westbrook got his score from 7 yards out to make it 28-0 and an Akers' feld goal made it 31-7 heading into the 4th quarter. Tampa Finally got on the board again in the 4th quarter to cut it to 31- 14 before a safety with 58 seconds left pushed the Eagle lead to 33-14 and put away the win. So the Birds move to 3-1 overall and continue their good start to the season.
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