Monday, August 14, 2006
Sunday, August 13, 2006
WEEKLY POLL QUESTION
What do you think of the Phillies chances after today?
a. they will still win the wild card
b. they are finished
c. not sure
last week's results:
50% b. some but not all
50% c. not at all
0% a. all of them always
a. they will still win the wild card
b. they are finished
c. not sure
last week's results:
50% b. some but not all
50% c. not at all
0% a. all of them always
PHILLIES NEWS
Today's game was a tough pill to swallow both for the fans and the players hungry for a playoff berth. Yes, that's right the Phillies lost again, this time 7-5, in front of another raucous Citizens Bank Park crowd hoping for a win. I don't want to have to give all the sickening details, but I have nothing else to talk about tonight, so here goes nothing. The Phils started off on the wrong foot, falling behind early 2-0 and never really got back on the right track. Phils starter Brett Myers had a rare tough outing, allowing 5 runs on 7 hits in 5 and 2/3rd innings of work, including back to back to back homeruns by Edwin Encarnacion, Adam Dunn, and Rich Aurilia in the 6th inning. Following the homers, Myers was pulled from the game, forcing the Phillies tired bullpen to embark on another long night, and this time behind 5-1. Still despite being behind by 4 through 6 innings, as they had the last 2 nights the Phils were able to mount a rally. Ryan Howard hit a 2 run homer in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to 5-3. Then with 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth following a pinch RBI single by Chris Coste, Howard singled to plate Jimmy Rollins with the tying run and put runners on 1st and 3rd for Pat Burrell. If Burrell had been able to get a hit the Phils would have won dramatically 6-5, but instead he struck out to end the inning and send the game into extras. There, after squandering another opportunity when Mike Lieberthal hit a 1 out double, but was subsequently doubled off after straying to far off the base on a line drive, the Phils bullpen let it get away. Ryan Madson came in to pitch in the top of the 11th inning and was roughed up for 2 runs on 3 hits, putting the Reds up by the eventual final score 0f 7-5. The Phillies did actually mount another rally in the bottom of the inning, but it felt short when Chase Utley grounded out to end the game, stranding Howard in the on deck circle just before he could get another chance to extend the game with a hit. Once again sorry to remind you of all those horrible things but I had to. Anyway the Phils are now 4 games behind the Reds in the Wild Card race, but that is still well within striking distance for the Phils ,so I wouldn't count them out just yet. Well, happy trails everyone.
WEEKLY TRIVIA QUESTION
On Saturday night Jimmy Rollins homered from both sides of the plate, Only 2 other Phillies players have ever homered from both sides of plate in the same game who are they?
last weeks answer:
Luis Castillo - 35
Ty Cobb - 35
Fred Clarke - 35
Jimmy Rollins - 36(38 over 2 seasons)
Tommy Holmes - 37
Paul Molitor - 39
Ty Cobb - 40
George Sisler - 41
Bill Dahlen - 42
Pete Rose - 44
Willie Keeler - 44
Joe Dimaggio - 56
last weeks answer:
Luis Castillo - 35
Ty Cobb - 35
Fred Clarke - 35
Jimmy Rollins - 36(38 over 2 seasons)
Tommy Holmes - 37
Paul Molitor - 39
Ty Cobb - 40
George Sisler - 41
Bill Dahlen - 42
Pete Rose - 44
Willie Keeler - 44
Joe Dimaggio - 56
Saturday, August 12, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
Only one word can adequately describe tonight's game, aargh! okay maybe that's not a word but that is how I felt when it was over, frustrated that the Phillies had lost. Not just because lost ,but because of how they lost. They started the night off right with a 2 run blast by David Dellucci in the 1st inning for a 2-0 lead. Then Phils starter Scott Mathieson got roughed up in the 2nd inning for 4 runs after loading the bases and allowing the pitcher to reach base on an infield single. That alone would have been enough to get me ticked off, but just as I was about to start throwing objects at the TV the Phils staged a rally. In the bottom of the inning Jimmy Rollins put the Phils back on top 5-4 with a 3 run homer. Then 2 innings later just as I was mellowing out , Mathieson was roughed up again this time for 2 runs, and again the Reds were ahead 6-5. Now at this point I was getting tired of the game going back in forth between the 2 teams, so I was kinda of glad when both teams sent their bullpens in and things started settling down, as the both the Phils and Reds were held scoreless for the next 3 innings. Then just as I began to settle down into the flow of the game, Ryan Howard ramped up my excitement, as he hit a towering solo homer to tie the game at 6. I remember thinking to myself at this point "hey it's tied at 6 in the 8th inning, maybe will go extra innings again, and Phils will get another dramatic walk off win". Of course as you'll see to my chagrin none of those things happened. In the top of the 9th inning Tom Gordon came on in relief, but just like last night he was roughed up, only this time he gave up 3 runs and put the Phils behind by 3 going into the bottom of the 9th. I was pretty angry at this point, mostly at Gordon for not getting the job done again, but also at the fact that Phillies were probably going to lose. Still, even though they would need 3 runs to tie it up, I thought the Phils could pull it out. Jimmy Rollins confirmed my suspicions with his 2nd homer of the night to cut the lead to 9-7. Then Mike Lieberthal singled and Chase Utley got hit by a pitch, bringing Ryan Howard to the plate, representing the winning run. At this point I started thinking "man wouldn't that be sweet if he homers to win the game" , but of course he struck out to end the game minutes later for a 9-7 loss to Reds. Just to summarize, I started out happy, then I got a little pissed, then I was happy again, then I got excited, then I got pissed off again, then I started to get a little excited again, and now I am just pissed off because they lost. Boy, isn't amazing the range of emotions you can go through by just watching a game, imagine how the players must feel. Anyway it's all okay because they are only 3 games back now and as long as they win tomorrow I'll be happy. Well, happy trails everyone and turn that frown upside down, or whatever it is that you do get over a loss.
Friday, August 11, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
If the Phillies had their own awards show, tonight's contest would have won for best game of the year. From start to finish it looked like and felt like a playoff game, and with 41,000 + fans filling Citizens Bank Park it sounded like a playoff game too. Every pitch and every swing of every at bat seemed to be packed with pressure. It was one of those nights filled with raw energy where a loss would be crushing and a win would be huge, and every time you thought you knew what the story of night would be, a new story was written . It started off as a simple pitcher's duel with the starters for both teams, Kyle Lohse for the Reds and Jon Lieber for the Phils, dealing to a 3-1 Reds lead through 7 innings. At this point in the game the story was Edwin Encarnacion who had knocked in all 3 Reds runs with a 2 run homer in the 4th inning, and a solo homer in the 6th inning. However, by the end of the night his heroics would be forgotten. Entering the 8th inning down 3-1 the Phillies mounted a rally. First Jimmy Rollins hit a 2 run homer to tie the game at 3. Then a few batters later, with Chase Utley on 1st base, Pat Burrell whom I should mention knocked in the Phils 1st run of the night, tripled to score Utley for a 4-3 lead. Thus, at this point the story was the Phillies dramatic 8th inning rally, but again this rally would only prove to be a footnote to the drama to come. With the Phils ahead 4-3 in the 9th and closer Tom Gordon on in relief to close the game, it seemed a foregone conclusion that the Phils would win, but it wasn't over yet. Gordon walked David Ross to begin the inning, then with one out he served up a 2 run homer to pinch hitter Javier Valentin and suddenly it was 5-4 Reds. Now of course the story was Valentin's dramatic homer and Gordon's blown save, but again there was more drama come. Down 5-4 in the 9th inning you would think the Phils might be headed for a loss, especially with the bottom of their order coming up, but they weren't done yet. Chris Coste doubled to leadoff the inning, then was lifted for pinch runner Chris Roberson. Roberson then moved up to 3rd base, when a pickoff attempt by David Ross sailed into the centerfield, and later scored to tie the game at 5 on a sac fly by Shane Victorino. Now the story was the game entering extra innings. Over the next 4 and 1/2 innings both teams had ample opportunity to go ahead and the win, but good pitching and several great defensive plays kept the game tied at 5. Then in the bottom of the 14th inning it finally happened. David Dellucci led off the inning with a single, then Chase Utley walked to put runners on 1st and 2nd with nobody out for Ryan Howard. However, rather than give Howard a chance to end the game, Reds manager Jerry Narron decided to walk him to load the bases, for reliever Aaron Fultz batting for himself, because the Phillies had no one left on the bench to bat for him. Fultz went up the plate swinging and lined out to 2nd, but the bases remained loaded, now with just 1 out for Aaron Rowand. 2 pitches later Rowand line a single to right centerfield to score David Dellucci with the winning run. Yes, that was it, the story of the night, Aaron Rowand's game winning hit in the 14th inning, and a big 6-5 win for the Phils, who now trail the Reds by just 2 games in the wild card chase. Well, I don't know about you, but after this great game I can't wait to watch the Phils again tomorrow. Anyway, happy trails everyone.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
EAGLES NEWS
The Eagles played the 2nd of their 5 preseason games tonight against the Browns and won 20-7, but like I said before that is not very significant so let's talk about what is. Donovan Mcnabb had another good day passing ball going 7-9 for 78 yards, including a spectactular 33 yard completion to undrafted rookie reciever Hank Baskett who made an incredible over the shoulder catch. In fact Baskett had pretty good day himself ,with 2 catches for 39 yards, and he suddenly seems to have gone from 4th or 5th reciever to starter for the Eagles, with Todd Pinkston and Reggie Brown, both nursing injuries. Equally as impressive on the night was 2nd-string QB Jeff Garcia, who went 8-11 for 125 yards, including a 32 yard touchdown pass to Darnerien McCants who has been making a lot of big plays lately. On the defensive front as a unit, the Eagles were impressive, holding the Browns to just 80 yards in the 1st half and keeping them scoreless in the 2nd quarter. Both Darren Howard and Jerome Mcdougle collected sacks on the night, as did 6th round pick Lajuan Ramsey. Mcdougle also had a QB pressure and 3 tackles. Finally, 1st round pick Broderick Bunkley looked good pretty good during his limited playing time. Even though he was only in the game for 9 plays, Bunkley was able to show the impact he could have on the Eagles defense, as he recorded a QB pressure, and helped Lajuan Ramsey to his 1 sack on the night. On the whole, most things went right for the Eagles tonight, and that seems to be a good sign of things to come during the regular season.
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phillies had an off day today, but tomorrow they return home to start a huge 3 game series with the wild card leading leading Reds. The Phillies can really move themselves up in the wild card race with a good showing against the Reds, while a bad showing could effectively end their chances for the wild card, or at least put a serious damper on them. I just hope they have a good series, and that they play as well as they are capable of. Well, happy trails everyone.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phillies offense has been extraordinarily hot as of late, but yesterday Tim Hudson cooled it off a bit, and today for 5 innings it looked like Braves rookie hurler Chuck James was going to do the same. James kept the Phillies scoreless through the 1st 5 innings and appeared to be on his way to a win. However, Phils starter Randy Wolf was equally strong through 5 innings giving up just one run on a homer by Andrew Jones. Following that homer things began to turn for the Phillies. Pat Burrell homered in the top of the 6th inning to tie the score at 1, and produce an early end to James' day following the inning. As it would happen, this early exit by James after 6 innings would prove to be the Braves downfall. In the bottom of the inning the Braves chased a tired Randy Wolf from the game, scoring 2 runs on an RBI double by Jeff Franceur to take a 3-1. Now, the Braves bullpen has been very inconsistent this year and they had a good night last night, so it seemed likely that they would have a bad day today, and believe me they did and then some. The Phillies started the 7th inning, their 1st of the day against the bullpen, by loading the bases on walks with 1 out against Tyler Yates . Shane Victorino then drew another walk to push across a run and Chase Utley doubled to deep centerfield to score 3 more runs, for a 5-3 Phils lead. From there Yates was relieved by rookie reliever Macay Mcbride and Ryan Howard grounded a high chopper off the mound. While he was being thrown out, Utley scampered all the way home to score another run, as Mcbride never saw him trying to score until it was too late. The Phils now led 6-3, but they weren't done yet, they continued to string together hit after hit after hit, until they had scored a season high 8 runs in the inning, and the Braves had been forced to use 4 pitchers in one inning. On the season the Phillies had not lost a game in which they had the lead after the 7th inning, and now they led 9-3 following the 7th, so you could bet that they were going to win this game, and they did 9-3. All I can say is that 9 run 7th inning was the sweetest inning I have ever witnessed. I mean If you watched this game on TBS during that inning it was hilarious, as they kept showing the chagrined face of Bobby Cox every time the Phillies got another hit. It was like one of those moments you might see on one of those "priceless" commercials. Anyway, happy trails everyone and be sure to tune in next time for the next episode of America's funniest home videos.
FLYERS NEWS
There is some sad news to report. After a solid career, spanning 17 seasons, including 11 with the Flyers, Defenseman Eric Desjardins will reportedly announce his retirement some time tomorrow. Desjardins was an all-star twice in his career, and is the 2nd on the Flyers all-time scoring list for defenseman. All told, he scored 136 goals, 439 assists, and 575 points in 1,143 career games. He will missed by all those who had the chance to see him play, or at least by me anyway.
EAGLES NEWS
The Eagles will play their second preseason game tomorrow night against the Browns, and reportedly although he only has 2 days of practice under his belt, Broderick Bunkley will play briefly during the game. This fact alone, should be incentive enough to get some of you guys out there to watch, because I know will just so I can see him play.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
So far this season, with an 8-10 record and an 5.22 ERA, Tim Hudson has not been at his best for the Braves, but unfortunately for the Phillies he was at his best today. He and Phils starter Cole Hamels dueled to 4 scoreless innings to open the game. Then in bottom of the 5th inning Hudson himself knocked in the 1st run of the night, on a suicide squeeze bunt, of all things. Following these 5th inning heroics, Hudson remained in the game for 2 more innings and kept the Phils scoreless for all of the 7 innings he pitched. Hamels however, only lasted through one more inning, having only given up just that 1 run on 6 hits in his 6 innings of work while recording 6 strikeouts. The 1st time the Braves had a chance to bat against someone other than Hamels, they took advantage of it and were able tack on a couple extra runs to their tally for a 3-0 lead. Still, through 7 innings the Phils were only down 3-0, well within reach of the Braves if they could just start a rally and they did just that in the top of the 8th inning by loading the bases on walks off Danys Baez. Then with the bases loaded David Dellucci stepped to the plate with a chance to put the Phillies ahead with one swing of the bat, and he almost did. After Baez loaded the bases, he was replaced by Wayne Franklin. On the 1st pitch Franklin threw, Dellucci hit a deep fly ball to center field, which at first appeared to be a grand slam, but centerfielder Andrew Jones tracked it the whole way and at the last second leaped up against the fence to make the catch, thwarting Dellucci just inches from the promised land. Thus, Instead of a grand slam and a 4-3 lead, the Phils were left with a mere sac fly to cut the lead to 3-1. Chris Coste then followed Dellucci with a strikeout to end the inning and the Phillies chances for night, as they were retired in order in the 9th inning. Ultimately this was a game the Phils probably could have won, but unlike last night, all of the lucky breaks went to Braves instead of to them, so they lost and the Braves won. In other news Ryan Franklin whom I mentioned had been designated for assignment, was dealt to the reds for a player to be named later. That player will be 1 of 3 Reds minor leaguers, whom the Phillies will be able to choose from in the next few weeks. Speaking of the Reds, they blew away the Cardinals 10-3 tonight so the Phils are now 3.5 games out in the wild card race, but that's okay because there are still plenty of games left to play. Well happy trails everyone
Monday, August 07, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
Tonight's game was a contest between 2 teams headed in opposite directions in the Wild Card race, The Phillies who are closing fast, and the Braves who are rapidly fading away. As you might guess, when it was over, the Phillies were closer to lead in the wild card, and the Braves were further away from it. The Phillies got the early lead on a 2 run homer by Ryan Howard (39 homers now and 101 RBIs) and never looked back. Initially it seemed like the Braves were still in the game, when they quickly scored a run in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to 2-1, but ultimately they would never recover from Howard's blast. Following the 4th inning, Braves starter Horacio Ramirez was forced to leave the game with an injury to his hand. Thus, just 5 innings into the game the Phillies had the opportunity to feast on the Braves shaky bullpen and they did. In the 5th inning alone they scored 5 runs, capitalizing on a multitude of Braves mistakes, both in the outfield and the infield. Several times, the Phillies should have had their 5 run rally halted, but time and time again they were able to extend the inning, on blooped base hits that fell in , and double plays that weren't turned. Already ahead 8-1 after 4 and 1/2 innings the Phillies seemed to be on victory's doorstep, but for some reason starter Brett Myers suddenly lost the ability to throw a strike and momentarily allowed the braves back in the game, giving up 3 runs, to cut the lead to 7-4 in the bottom of the 5th inning. From there though, with their bullpen blanking the Braves, the Phils were able to tack on a couple runs and hold on for a big 9-6 win. With the win the Phillies are now back to within 2.5 games of the wild card, and with the wild card leading Reds slated to visit Citizens Bank Park this weekend, they are suddenly in good position to take the lead in the wild card race. To me this current run by the Phillies, is just pleasant surprise, and I really hope it keeps going until the end of the regular season. Well, happy trails everyone.
EAGLES NEWS
The breaking news today is that Brian Dawkins agreed with the Eagles on a 2 year contract extension. Dawkins has always said that he wanted to finish his career in Philadelphia, and now with this extension he might just be able to do that. He will be 33 in a month and by time this extension is up he will be 35 and likely planning his retirement. If the Eagles had not come to terms with Dawkins now, he probably would have been headed elsewhere at the end of the season. The likely candidate to replace him, would have been Sean Considine, whom the Eagles drafted in 2005. However, Considine spent most of last season on the injured list, and it seemed clear that he was not going to be ready to replace Dawkins by next year. Now, with this extension, he can slowly ease into his role under Dawkins tutelage for 2 more years. Ultimately this extension was one that had to be made, and now everyone is excited that it was, including me.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
WEEKLY POLL QUESTION
Do you watch all of the Eagles preseason games every year?
a. yes always
b. some but not all of them
c. no because they really don't mean anything
Last Week's Results:
50% b. what were they thinking
50% c. not sure
0% a. smart move
a. yes always
b. some but not all of them
c. no because they really don't mean anything
Last Week's Results:
50% b. what were they thinking
50% c. not sure
0% a. smart move
PHILLIES NEWS
Sometimes history has a way of repeating itself and that's exactly what happened to the Phillies tonight. For the second game in a row a Phillies starter, this time Scott Mathieson, spoiled his seemingly commanding performance, with his own throwing error on a simple groundball towards the mound. Yesterday Jon Lieber was cruising along with a 3-1 lead, having retired 15 straight Mets, when he threw wildly on a routine groundball, opening the door for a 3 run 6th inning and a 4-3 win for the Mets. Tonight, Mathieson, started the game with 3 scoreless innings, then in the 4th inning he ran into trouble. After giving up his 1st run of the night, and with Mets runners on the corners, and only one out, Mathieson seemed to catch a break when he induced Jose Valentin, into a groundout, but like Lieber last night, he scooped it up, and threw wildly to 1st base, just out of reach of Ryan Howard. Thus instead of having 2 outs in the inning, and the impetus to pitch out of jam he was in, he was left with still only one out and another run in. After that Mathieson and the Phils never recovered as the Mets scored 7 runs en route to a 8-1 victory, with the Phillies scoring their only run on a Mike Lieberthal homerun. In short, it was an ugly night for the Phillies, and one that is too ugly for me to talk about anymore. All I can say is that the Phillies pitchers better participate in some extra fielding practice before every game from now on. Otherwise they will keep throwing games away like this and that is simply unacceptable at this point in the season. Well, happy trails everyone.
EAGLES NEWS
Tonight the Eagles played the 1st of their 5 preseason games, in the annual hall of fame game, which every year opens the NFL's preseason. Now you are probably wondering why the Eagles were picked to play in the hall of fame game, well it's because on Saturday the late great Reggie White, former Eagles DE, was inducted into the hall of fame, along with Troy Aikman, Warren Moon, Harry Carson, Rayfield Wright, and the former head coach of the Raiders, whom the Eagles played tonight, John Madden. Since this was a preseason, game the outcome, although it was 16-10 Raiders, isn't really significant. What is significant is how well the Eagles starters played during their small amount of time in the game, and any good individual performances by their backups. These 2 things can both indicate how good the Eagles will be this year, and how their roster or depth chart will pan out by the time the regular season starts. In light of what I just said, it would seem that the Eagles will be a force to be reckoned with this season. Even though they were only in the game for the 1st quarter, the Eagles starting units were both solid. Actually though the rest of Eagles starting offense stayed in for most of the 1st quarter, Donovan Mcnabb only stayed in the game for one series, but he made it a good one. He hit all 3 of his passes for 29 yards in an impressive 61 yard drive capped off by a one yard touchdown plunge by Brian Westbrook who did most of the work during the drive, just as Andy Reid said he would this year. The Eagle defense was equally impressive in the 1st quarter, holding the Raiders scoreless. After that, backups came in for both teams, and as usual they scuffled through the rest of game. The only other interesting things to happen to Eagles on the night, were a 55 yard field goal by David Akers in the 2nd quarter ( a hall of fame game record), and 3rd string running back/kick returner Bruce Perry suffering a concussion in the 4th quarter, I would tell you more about Perry, but nothing else is known about his injury at this time. Hopefully he will be okay.
WEEKLY TRIVIA QUESTION
Chase Utley's 35 game hitting streak which ended this past week ties him for the the 10th longest hitting streak ever, only 12 players have matched his streak or had longer ones who are they?
Last Week's answer: Dick Allen and Von Hayes
Last Week's answer: Dick Allen and Von Hayes
Saturday, August 05, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
If the Phillies do what they did last year and finish the season just one game out of the playoffs, today's' game will be the one everyone looks back at. The game started with a bang as the Phils and Mets combined for 4 runs in the 1st inning. The Phillies scored 3 runs in the top of the inning on a 3 run homer by Ryan Howard (his 38th), and the Mets scored 1 run in the bottom of the inning on 3 consecutive singles blooped into the outfield. However, after this 1st inning explosion it was all about the pitching. Both Mets starter Tom Glavine, and Phils starter Jon Lieber settled down following 1st inning and put zeros up on the scoreboard for the next 4 innings. When the Phillies went down in order in the top of the 6th inning , it appeared the zeros would continue for the rest of the night, but they wouldn't. Following the 1st inning Jon Lieber was unhittable, and entering the 6th inning he had retired the last 12 Mets batters in succession. With the 1st 2 outs of the 6th inning he extended those 12 to 14 consecutive batters and appeared to be well on his way to 15 straight, when he induced Carlos Beltran into hitting a groundball up the 1st base line. What happened next though, is the stuff nightmares are made of. As the ball rolled down the line, Lieber raced over, scooped it up, and cocked his arm to throw, but in his haste to get the out, he never got his feet set, and threw wildly, just out of reach of 1st baseman Ryan Howard. Thus, instead retiring the Mets in order and continuing his mastery, he gave them new life, and they seized it. That one lucky infield hit by Beltran, quickly turned into 2 when Carlos Delgado followed with a single, then 3 when David Wright blooped a single into left field which should have been caught by either Pat Burrell or Jimmy Rollins, but both apparently thinking they other would catch it, pulled up short and allowed the ball to fall in for a single, scoring Delgado to cut the lead to 3-2. Former Phillie, Endy Chavez then finished off the Mets rally with a bases clearing double, for a 4-3 Mets lead. Still, despite his gaff, Lieber stayed in the game to pitch the next 2 innings, and retired the Mets in order, keeping the Phillies within 1 and himself within sight a complete game win. However, the Phils themselves were also retired in order for the next 2 innings, setting up a 9th inning showdown between the Phillies and former closer Billy bleeping Wagner. Although he quickly recorded 2 outs, the Phillies were still able to put up a final rally against him. Ryan Howard lead off the inning with a single, then had to watch both the Met killer, Pat Burrell, and Chris Coste who had been swinging a hot bat, go down on strikes. Then just when it seemed that all hope was lost, in came Chase Utley to pinch hit ( he had the day off today, because his streak ended yesterday), he delivered as he has all year with a single to put runners on 1st and 3rd. Then Charlie Manuel decided to send in his wiley veteran, catcher Mike Lieberthal as a pinch hitter, to get the tying hit, and it almost worked. After working the count against Wagner to 3-2, Lieberthal slapped what appeared to be a line drive base hit to tie the game, but David bleeping Wright, somehow made a diving stop and threw to 1st base, to retire Lieberthal and end the game. Thus instead of an exalting complete game victory, Jon Lieber was dealt the cruelest hand of all, the rare complete game loss. I mean you just kind of have to feel to for the guy, to have pitched such a great game, only to lose it on the simplest of throws. Well happy trails everyone.
Friday, August 04, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
Leave it to Chase Utley to steal the show, on an otherwise good night for the Phillies. Despite the fact that his team had won, giving them 7 wins in their last 8, all the media wanted to talk about after the game, was that his hitting streak at 35 games, had ended, even though he was given an ample 5 at-bats to extend it. Now it's true that his streak was fun to watch, and it was a bit of a momentous achievement, but for me the only significant news on this night was that Phillies won. Of course the cool thing is that if you were to ask Utley he would probably say the same and so in light of that, let me digress for a moment and say Here's to you Joltin Chase, 35 straight, and hopefully more streaks to come. Anyway getting back to the game, as you might expect in game between bitter rivals, such as the Phils and Mets, it was tight battle throughout the night. In fact, through 6 innings both the Mets and the Phillies had identical stats with 3 runs on 7 hits, off Randy Wolf who went 4 innings, and Orlando Hernandez who went 6 innings, respectively. Thus with the game tied at 3 after 6 innings it came down to a battle of bullpens and needless to say the Phils bullpen came out on top, with 4 scoreless innings, while the Mets bullpen even though they only had to go 3 innings, gave up 2 runs, both on homers. David Dellucci led off the 7th inning with the 1st of the 2 for a 4-3 phils lead. Then Ryan Howard (37 homers now) finished the Phils 5-3 win with the 2nd of the 2 in the top of the 9th inning, following Chase Utley's streak-ending strikeout to start the inning. Tom Gordon then closed out the Mets in the bottom of the inning for his 27th save. All in all tonight's game was pretty exciting as the lead changed hands 3 times in the 1st 4 innings, with the Phils up 1-0 after 2, down 2-1 after 3, tied at 2 after 3 and 1/2 and down 3-2 after 4 before scoring the last 3 runs of the night for the win. Of course, even with tonight's win the Phillies are still 11 games behind the Mets so don't hold your breath for a division title, but hey they are still just 2.5 games back in the wild card, so there is plenty of hope left for the playoffs. Well, happy trails everyone.
FLYERS NEWS
The Flyers made another change to roster today, in what has become one of their more busy off seasons to date. Today, in a much hyped about trade, at least by Flyers anyway, center Michael Handzus was dealt to the Blackhawks, for right wing Kyle Calder. Needless to say Calder is yet another winger who likes to use his speed to be affective. Last season Calder recorded 26 goals and 33 assists, solid numbers are on a team as bad the Blackhawks were last year, and apparently good enough to make him highly coveted by Flyers Gm Bob Clarke. I don't know about you, but as far as I am concerned if Clarke really wanted him, than there must be something about him, and that is good enough for me.
EAGLES NEWS
Today, the impossible dream came true for the Eagles, as they finally signed 1st-round draft pick defensive tackle Broderick Bunkley to a 6 year $13 million deal, this after Bunkley had held out for the 1st 16 games of Eagles training camp. Why this took so long to get done, remains a mystery at this point, but fortunately for Bunkley the Eagles training camp is slightly longer this year than usual, as they will be playing 5 preseason games instead of 4. Thus, even though Bunkley will likely miss the Eagles 1st 2 preseason games, including Sunday night's hall of fame game with the raiders, he will still be able to play in 3 preseason games, which should be enough for him to get ready for the season. All I can say is thank God he finally signed, and it's about time.
PHILLIES NEWS
Out of all the teams in the wild card race, the Phillies have been the hottest of late with 8 wins out of their last 10, and after tonight's sweep-clinching win over the Cardinals they stand just 2.5 games back, after being as far as 7.5 games out as recent as a week ago. This means that in one week the Phillies have gained 5 games on the wild-card leading Reds. How have they done it? In every way you can think of. The defense and pitching have both been solid, and the offense well, it has simply been the Major League's best over the last week. I mean the Phillies are hitting the ball all over the place, and scoring runs in every which way. Long ball, small ball, scoring runs on errors, you name it they've been doing it and doing it well and tonight (Thursday) was more of the same. Although it took them awhile to get started, once they did with 3 runs in the 3rd inning, they didn't stop. Led by 34 year old rookie Chris Coste's 4 hits and 2 RBIs, Chase Utley's 3 hits and 2 RBIs (35 straight games now), and Aaron Rowand's 3 hits, 1 homer, and 2 runs scored, the Phils once again beat up on the Cardinals' pitching staff with 8 runs on 16 hits, this just one night after racking up 18 hits. Perhaps even more fittingly, When the Phil's hitters weren't beating up on the Cardinals pitchers, Phils' starter Cole Hamels was beating up on the Cardinal batters, giving up just 2 runs on 1 hit (A homer by Scott Rolen of all people) while striking out a career high 12 in 7 solid innings of work. As far as I am concerned you can't ask for much better from the Phillies, or much worse from the Cardinals. Now I know they are still 2.5 games back in the Wild Card, so there is not quite reason to celebrate yet, but hey it is good enough me so you know what I am back on the Phillies bandwagon (Not that I ever got off, really I didn't, I mean really I am a diehard fan all the way, seriously I am) . Yeah that's right, playoffs or bust baby! Go Phillies! Well happy trails everyone.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
Throughout the month of July, Brett Myers was one of the hottest pitchers in baseball, and seemed to be able to do whatever the Phillies needed him to do. He could go deep into games, he could rack up strikeouts, and he could keep teams scoreless. One thing he couldn't seem to do though, was get a win because the Phils' offense had been giving him almost no run support. Tonight However,(Wednesday), in his 1st August start, he didn't quite have his best stuff and tired early, lasting just 6 innings, but he did get the win, as the Phils' gave him all the run support he could handle, pounding out 16 runs on 18 hits. They scored 8 runs while Myers was in the game and then tacked on 8 more after he left early in the 7th, to cement an impressive 16-8 win. Jimmy Rollins started it all off with a leadoff homer, just minutes into the game. Led by David Dellucci's 2-RBI single the Phils tacked on 4 more in the 2nd inning. David Dellucci then followed himself up with a 2 run homer in the 4th inning, and Aaron Rowand followed that with a solo homer in the 5th inning. Now at this point, through 6 innings, the Phillies led 8-2 , Brett Myers had pitched 6 solid innings and it seemed that victory was assured. However, Myers began to tire in the 7th inning, and gave up 4 runs, in route to a 5-run Cardinals 7th, cutting the lead to 8-7. However, the Phillies would not allow the outcome to remain in doubt for long, scoring 5 runs in a wild 8th inning capped off by Chase Utley's streak extending infield single(34 straight now). At this point the Phils led 13-7 and seemed to have finally assured themselves a victory, but they weren't done yet, scoring 3 more runs in the top of 9th inning on a 3 run homer by Jimmy Rollins (his 2nd of the game). Now ahead 16-8 the Phillies finally let up and closed things out for the win. Interestingly enough, as the Phillies were winning tonight, the wild-card leading Reds were dropping a 5-3 loss to the Dodgers, thus the Phillies are now just 3.5 games back in the wild card, and seemingly closing fast, with 5 wins out of there last 6, pretty cool huh. Well, happy trails everyone.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
Although they haven't always played like it (see yesterday's post), the Phillies bullpen has been one of the best in the national league all season and tonight they showed the Cardinals just how good they could be. Although he pitched well, Phillies starter Scott Mathieson, recently called up to replace the departed Cory Lidle, lasted just 5 innings tonight. Thus, the Phils needed their bullpen to go 4 innings for the win, something they hadn't done much of, and something they hadn't really done successfully. However, as soon as Geoff Geary entered the game in the 6th inning and retired the 1st batter he faced, it was clear tonight would be different and it was. All told, Geary, Arthur Rhodes, and closer Tom Gordon combined, for 4 not just scoreless, but perfect innings. That's right, in 4 innings of work, neither Geary, nor Rhodes, nor Gordon allowed a run, hit, or a walk. They retired all 12 batters they faced, which is as good as it gets, and the main reason the Phillies came up with a huge 5-3 win, which I might add gave Scott Mathieson his 1st career win, pretty cool considering all those hard luck losses he suffered in his 1st go around with the Phils. Now of course the bullpen is not the only reason the Phillies won tonight, there were other contributing factors as well. Mathieson, as I said only pitched 5 innings, but gave up just 3 runs on 3 hits, impressive since he also issued 5 walks. Although he had been hot as of late, Cardinals starter Jeff Suppan just did not have his good stuff tonight, helping the Phillies cause by allowing 5 runs on 9 hits in 5 innings. Ryan Howard, playing in front of his hometown (That's right he is from St. Louis), knocked in 3 of those runs on a 2-RBI single in the 3rd inning, and a solo homer in the 5th inning (36, 3 more than Cards counterpart Albert Pujols). Chris Coste also added a run to the Phillies total and the gave the bullpen, which didn't need it, some insurance with a solo homer in the 6th inning. Lastly, Chase Utley had 2 hits on the day (his hitting streak is 33 games now) and scored a run. So as you can see, just about everybody had a hand in the Phils win tonight, which is exactly how it should be. Also with today's win the Phils have won 4 of their last 5, and have quietly moved to within 4.5 games of the wild card, at 50-55, so who knows, they may yet have a playoff run in them. Well happy trails everyone.
PHILLIES NEWS
Well, I don't know about you but I don't think I have ever seen the Phillies get beat as badly as they did today (Monday). It's kind of hard to fathom just exactly why they lost so bad. Perhaps, they were distracted by all the incessant trade talking that's been going on lately, or maybe the Marlins were just mad as hell, and not willing to be the victims of another route, whatever the reason the Phillies just had no answer for Marlins today. The Phillies pitchers, especially starter Jon Lieber who gave up 9 runs on 13 hits in only 4 and 1/3rd innings of work, could not stop the Marlins offense, and the Phillies offense could not seem to get started against Marlin's starter Josh Johnson, who gave up just 1 run on 5 hits, in 7 innings of work, and recorded 8 strikeouts. When all was said and done the Marlins had pounded out 15 runs on 17 hits, and the Phillies had been dealt a humiliating 15-2 loss. I'd give you some blow by blow analysis, but it's just too ugly to talk about. If you didn't see this game, then just be glad you didn't. However, despite the lopsided numbers on the scorecard, Phils fans did have one thing to cheer about, as Chase Utley extended his hitting streak to 32 games. In other news the Phillies finished their trade deadline selling today, by trading reliever Rheal Cormier to the reds for right-handed pitcher Justin Germano, another minor league prospect, although he did just make his major league debut on Saturday, so the Phillies might actually be able to use him at some point this season. Now as a result of this trade the Phillies were left with a hole on their roster, and they filled it by recalling pitcher Brian Sanchez from AAA Scranton-Wilkes Barre. Sanchez did actually pitch an inning for the Phillies today, and well let's just say he didn't do so well, but hey the Phillies were all ready down by 8 runs at the time, so it really didn't matter. Well, happy trails everyone.
Monday, July 31, 2006
WEEKLY POLL QUESTION
What is your opinion of the Phillies trading Lidle and Abreu, to the Yankees for 4 prospects?
a. smart move
b. what the hell were they thinking?
c. not sure
last week's results:
75% c. division champs
25% d. wild card berth
0% a, b, e, and f
a. smart move
b. what the hell were they thinking?
c. not sure
last week's results:
75% c. division champs
25% d. wild card berth
0% a, b, e, and f
PHILLIES NEWS
Today (Sunday) was a day to remember for the Phillies and their fans and not just because of what happened on the field. The Phils played a day-night doubleheader with the Marlins today, with the 1st game beginning at 1:30 and the 2nd game beginning at 7:35. In the 1st game Randy Wolf, yes that Randy Wolf made his 1st start for the Phillies since last July, he only lasted 4 and 1/3rd innings but it was more than enough for the Phillies, as he only gave up 3 runs on 3 hits, not bad for his 1st day back. By the same token Marlin's starter Anibel Sanchez lasted just 4 and 1/3rd innings himself, but he gave up 8 runs, as the Phillies led by Mike Lieberthal's Grand Slam and 5 RBIs, Chase Utley's 2 hit day, extending his streak to 30, and Ryan Howard's amazing 5 walks and 2 runs scored, routed the Marlins 11-5. In the 2nd game Ryan Madson started for the Phillies and turned in a sparkling performance going 6 innings and giving up just 2 runs on 8 hits. The Phils offense meanwhile once again punished Marlin's starter Brian Moehler, who lasted just 5 and 1/3rd innings and gave up 5 runs on 4 hits, as the Phils, led by a 2-run homer by Ryan Howard (his 35th), and solo homers by run Jimmy Rollins, Pat Burrell, and Chase Utley(extending his streak to 31 games) once again routed the Marlins, this time 9-2. Now, despite this sweep of the doubleheader, and their impressive play all day long, the biggest news concerning the Phillies today actually happened off the field. Shortly, after their easy win in the 1st game of the doubleheader , The Phillies and GM Pat Gillick held a press conference to announce that they had made a team altering trade. Bobby Abreu and Cory Lidle, went to the Yankees for 4 minor league prospects, Left-handed pitcher Matt Smith, shortstop C.J Henry, the Yankees 1st pick in the 2005 draft, catcher Jesus Sanchez, and right handed pitcher Carlos Monasterios. Also sweetening the deal, the Yankees agreed to assume the contracts, of Lidle and Abreu, meaning the Phillies won't have to pay them off. Now, with Abreu and Lidle gone and nothing but prospects in return, the Phillies were left with a couples holes on their roster, and to fill those holes they recalled both pitcher Scott Mathieson, and OF Micheal Bourn from AAA Scranton Wilkes-Barre. Obviously, Mathieson will fill Lidle's spot in the rotation for the time being, but it is not clear who will replace Abreu, it would seem for the most part that David Dellucci will be the man in right, but Shane Victorino, and Bourn are also expected to get some time in right. Also in other news today, the Phillies designated Ryan Franklin for assignment, to make room on the roster for Randy Wolf, whom I mentioned finally returned to action today. They can now either, trade him, release him, or send him to the minors, and it is expected that they will trade him. Well, happy trails everyone.
WEEKLY TRIVIA QUESTION
In the 1st game of today's(Sunday) doubleheader Ryan Howard was walked a major league record tying 5 times, among the players tied with Howard for the record, 2 are Phillies, who are they?
last week's answer:
Grover Cleveland Alexander
last week's answer:
Grover Cleveland Alexander
Sunday, July 30, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
Coming off a night in which they were the victims of a 4-1 loss and a near no-hitter, things only figured to get worse for the Phils today, going up against the Marlin's ace Dontrelle Willis. However instead of folding against Willis the Phillies avenged last night's near no-hitter in a big way today(Saturday), punishing Willis for 8 runs on 5 hits . It all started in the 2nd inning with a solo homer by Pat Burrell, back in the lineup for the 1st time in a few days. The Marlins actually managed to tie the game in the top of the 3rd inning on a sac fly by Dan Uggla, but from then on it was all Phillies. In the bottom of 3rd, led by Chase Utley's streak extending(that's 29 now) 2 RBI double and Ryan Howard's 3 run homer, the Phils scored 7 runs and chased Willis from the game after only 2 and 1/3rd innings of work. All ready ahead 9-1 after just 3 innings, you might think the Phils offense would have shut it down for the night right then and there, but they didn't and kept it going with homers in the 4th inning by Chase Utley, and in the 6th inning by Aaron Rowand. Only when Chris Resop came into game in relief to start the 7 inning, did they finally stop scoring. Meanwhile, as the Phils offense was lighting up the Marlin's pitchers, starter Cole Hamels was dazzling the Marlins hitters going 7 and 2/3rds solid innings, giving up just 3 runs on 5 hits, and recording 7 strikeouts on the night. When all was said and done the Phillies had thoroughly pummeled the Marlins with 12 runs and 11 hits in a 12-3 victory. The Lone dark spot on the night for the Phillies came in the 8th inning, when Hamels, a batter or 2 from leaving the game, was hit on the left leg by scorching ground ball, and then limped off the field to end his night. Fortunately for the Phillies, all later x-rays came up negative, and showed nothing but a leg contusion, so hopefully Hamels won't miss a beat. Well, happy trails everyone.
Saturday, July 29, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
Ever since he came back from his infamous leave of absence, Brett Myers has been simply lights out and he was again tonight, but unfortunately for him and the Phils, Marlin's starter Ricky Nolasco was just a tic better. While Myers shutout the Marlins for 7 innings, and gave up just 1 run on 5 hits in 8 innings of work, Nolasco not only shutout the Phils, he no-hit them for 6 and 2/3rds innings, before Abraham Nunez beat out an infield hit, the phils only hit of he night off Nolasco in 7 and 1/3rd innings. When Myers left the game he and Phillies only trailed 1-0 and there was still hope for a victory, but that all evaporated quickly in the top of the 9th inning, as relievers Geoff Geary, and Aaron Fultz were roughed up for 3 runs on 3 hits, for a 4-0 Marlin's lead. Thus, by the time Ryan Howard stepped to the plate to lead off the bottom of the inning with his 33rd homer of the year, it was merely a formality, as the Phils went down in order from there for a 4-1 loss. On a more positive note, although it appeared for a while that this could be the night that ended it, Chase Utley did manage to extend his hitting streak with a single in the 8th inning, to 28 games, which if you do the math is halfway to Joltin Joe's 56, and 8 games away from Jimmy Rollins team record of 36 set earlier this year. In other news the Phillies continued their selling today(Friday), dealing David Bell to the Milwaukee Brewers for minor league pitching prospect Wilfredo laureano, another single A who probably won't be helping the Philles for a little while. Now, what this trade really means, of course is that for now anyway, Abrahem Nunez will start at 3rd base for the Phils. However, considering Nunez's blistering .157 batting average, Gm Pat Gillick has said that the Phillies will look to make a deal for a 3rd baseman if they can before the trade deadline, on Monday. Also with Nunez starting the Phillies have no backup middle infielders, and Chris Coste, yes Chris Coste the backup catcher, is now also the Phillies backup at 1st and 3rd base as well, so that is something else the Phillies may try to address before the trade deadline. Well, happy trails everyone.
Friday, July 28, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
Today (Thursday) the Phillies extended a pair of streaks, a hitting streak to 27 and a winning streak to 2, had some fun doing it, and in the process picked up the series win over the Diamondbacks. Although they took an early 2-0 lead on homers by Luis Gonzalez and Conor Jackson, the Diamondbacks never appeared to be into this game. In the 4th inning Mike Lieberthal, matched Jackson and Gonzalez with one swing of the bat, crushing a 2 run homer, to forge a 2-2 tie. Chase Utley then extended his hitting streak, to 27 games with a single and scored on Ryan Howard's RBI double for a 3-2 lead in the 5th inning. From there the Phillies would never trail again as Cory Lidle gave the Phils their 2nd strong pitching performance in a row going 8 innings and giving up just those 2 previously mentioned runs on 4 hits. Aaron Rowand put the nail in the Diamondback's coffin in the 7th inning with a 2 RBI double for a 5-2 Phils lead. Following Lidle's exit after the 8th inning Tom Gordon came on in relief and pitched a perfect 9th inning for the 2nd night in a row, for his 25th save, sealing the 5-2 phils win. Well, I would love to tell you that there was more to this game, but there wasn't, just like last night's game it is as simple as that. Besides with the way the Phillies season has been going lately, it's nice to be able to keep things simple for a change. If only they could all be this simple. Anyway, the Phillies have now won 2 games in a row. Might this be the start of something , or is it to little too late. Personally I think it's just a little too late, but who knows maybe they are not done yet after all. Well happy trails everyone.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
Tonight(Wednesday) in front of a record crowd of 45,459 fans thanks to a Ryan Howard bobble head promotion the Phillies finally showed the home fans what they can do. They got an early 2-0 lead on a bases loaded single by David Dellucci in the 1st inning and never looked back. Chase Utley extended his hitting streak to 26 and the lead to 5-0 with a 3 run homer in the 2nd inning. Starter Jon Lieber got a little wild in the 3rd inning giving up 3 runs to cut the lead to 5-3, but Dellucci bailed him out with a solo homer in the bottom of the inning for a 6-3 lead and that would be all the Phillies would need and more, as they went on to a much needed 6-4 win. Jon Lieber settled down after the 3rd inning and pitched 7 solid innings for the win. Arthur Rhodes retired the Diamondbacks in order in the 8th inning and Tom Gordon retired them in order in the 9th for his 24th save. That's it, that was the game, it's as simple as that. They came, they saw, and they conquered. In others news as I mentioned before it looks like the Phillies will be sellers at the trade deadline and today they started their selling by trading Sal Fasano, whom I mentioned had been designated for assignment, to the Yankees, yes those Yankees, for minor league second base prospect Hector Made, who will join single A Clearwater. With the Phillies record now at 45-53, it is likely that Fasano won't be the only Phillies veteran leaving town before the trade deadline on July 31. In fact, the two most prominant names on the trading block at this point are the 2 guys that had the biggest hand in the Phils win tonight, David Dellucci and Jon Lieber. Obviously after tonight their trade stock is up, so stayed tuned to see if they get traded. Well, happy trails everyone.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
Remember Mitch "the wild thing" Williams, well tonight (Tuesday) the Phillies had a night that even he would have categorized as wild. The game started innocently enough. In bottom of the 1st inning the Phillies, fueled by a Chase Utley solo homer, extending his hitting streak to 25 games, scored 3 runs for an early 3-0 cushion and seemed as if the Phils might route the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks. After 2 innings it was more of the same as the phils still led by 3 at 4-1. Then in 3rd innings wild things began to happen. Phils starter Ryan Madson threw a record 4 wild pitches in the inning, but somehow only allowed 1 run to score. Things would not get much better for Madson, as he would leave the game after just 4 innings even though remarkably he only had given up 2 runs on 5 hits. At this point it was 4-2 and the Phillies bullpen kept it that way until the 7th inning. In the top of the 7th Luis Gonzalez homered off reliever Rheal Cormier to cut the lead to 4-3. In the 8th inning things got worse for the Phils. Although reliever Arthur Rhodes retired the first 2 batters in the innings, he could not get the 3rd out, allowing Carlos Quentin to reach base, so in came closer Tom Gordon to bail him out. Unfortunately Gordon to could get enough get out of the inning with out giving up the tying run, although upon further review he should have. After Quentin reached base he attempted to steal 2nd base, initially he slid into 2nd safely, but he went off the bag and was tagged by Jimmy Rollins, and thus should have been out to end the inning. However, umpire Joe Young never saw Quentin go off the base and called him safe. As a result instead leaving the 8th with a 4-3 Gordon was forced to continue pitching and ended surrendering a game tying triple to Jeff Davanon. Then he got himself into a bases loaded jam, but somehow got out if with the scored still tied. Then in 9th inning as if the 8th wasn't wild enough for him he got into another bases loaded jam this time with no outs, and guess who, Carlos Quentin at the plate. Quentin grounded into what appeared to be a force out at home plate, but as he gobbled up the ball and began to throw home David Bell stumbled on the infield grass and threw wildly, pulling catcher Mike Lieberthal off the plate, and allowing Chad Tracy to sneak across with the go ahead run, for a 5-4 lead. At this point it seemed like the Phillies chances for a win had slipped away, but Chase Utley would let his team die. In a scene reminescent of Ryne Sandberg at Wrigley, Utley stepped to the plate in the bottom of the 9th with one out and crushed his 2nd homer of the night off Jorge Julio to tie the game at 5 and send it into extra innings. Then in the 10th inning Utley had a chance to win the game, but flew out to center field with two on and one out. With the way things have been going for the Phils, this missed opportunity was sure to haunt them and it did, as guess who Carlos Quentin homered in the top of the 11th inning off Ryan Franklin, for an eventual 6-5 Diamondacks win. The phillies are now 7 games out in the wild card race and fading fast. It seems almos inevitable now, that as the July 31 trade deadline approaches, the will be sellers rather than buyers. Well, happy trails everyone.
SIXERS NEWS
It official sports fans. We know where the Allen Iverson will be playing next year and his destination is..... the Sixers! what? did you honestly think he was going to get traded. Anyway Iverson publicly commented a couple weeks ago that he wanted to remain a Sixer, and today Gm Billy King affirmed that sentiment when he announced that he fully expected to see Iverson in a Sixer's uniform next year, and that all the deals he and his colleagues had been working on for Iverson had finally fallen through for good. Well, I don't want to say I told you so, but I told you so.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
Tonight's (Monday) game was a tale of 2 Cole Hamels. There was the dominant Hamels that struck out 12 Braves through 5 innings ,striking out the side 3 times and there was the weak Hamels who gave up 2 solo homers in the 2nd inning, a 3 run homer in the 6th inning, and 7 runs overall. The Dominant Hamels held the Braves to 2 runs through 5 innings, and kept the Phillies close with the lead at 2-1 Braves. The weak Hamels on the other hand, put the Phillies in an early 2-0, hole and then just when it seemed like the Phils were back in the game, he walked off the mound demoralized just one out into the 6th inning, as the Braves had scored 5 more runs off him for a 7-1 lead which the Phillies would never overcome despite a valiant effort. They answered the Braves 5 runs with 3 of their own in the bottom of the inning to cut lead to 7-4. In the 7th however, the Braves had answer with 2 more runs for a 9-4 lead. The Phils again mounted a rally with 2 runs in both the 7th inning on a David Bell Homerun, and the 8th inning on Ryan Howard's league leading 32nd homerun to cut the lead to one at 9-8. However the Braves again had an answer as Wilson Betemit hit a solo shot off reliever Geoff Geary for a 10-8 lead and that was pretty much all she wrote as the Phils again went down in order against closer Bob Wickman. Now I would like to give you a good answer as to why the Phillies lost tonight, but I can't. I mean the Phillies played well tonight, they scored 8 runs and their starter had 12 strikeouts, there is really nothing to complain about, the Braves were just the better team tonight, plain and simple. Well, happy trails everyone.
SIXERS NEWS
A few days ago on July 22nd John Salmons backed out of the sign and trade deal he had agreed to with Raptors, because reportedly upon reviewing the situation in Toronto he decided that it was not a good fit for him. Funny how he didn't notice that before he agreed to the deal with the Raptors. Now today(Monday) it was announced that he had signed a multi-year deal with the Sacramento Kings. Now, all of this means of course that the Sixers are not going to get the draft pick or the trade exception that was promised to them in exchange for Salmons. So in effect they did reach their objective by getting rid of Salmons ,but they got nothing in return for it. Gee, thanks John, thanks for absolutely nothing.
Monday, July 24, 2006
WEEKLY POLL QUESTION
What are your excpectations for the Eagles in their upcoming season?
a. Super Bowl champions
b. NFC champions
c. NFC East division champions
d. wild card playoff berth
e. 8-8 or 9-7 but just miss the playoffs
f. same as last year
last week's results:
75% b. Eagles
15% a. Phillies
10% d. Flyers
0% c, e, and f.
a. Super Bowl champions
b. NFC champions
c. NFC East division champions
d. wild card playoff berth
e. 8-8 or 9-7 but just miss the playoffs
f. same as last year
last week's results:
75% b. Eagles
15% a. Phillies
10% d. Flyers
0% c, e, and f.
PHILLIES NEWS
As I mentioned before Brett Myers made his first home start today since, you know what. As expected Myers got a bit of a mixed reception from the fans during pregame announcements, but by the end of night as he walked off the mound, that mixed reception was replaced by an ovation of cheers, despite the fact that he and the Phillies were trailing 2-1 and the Braves were threatening for more. For nearly the entire night, from start to finish tonight's (Sunday) game was dominated by brilliant pitching and defense. The Phillies struck 1st with a run in the second inning and the Braves answered back in the 4th inning with a solo homer by Edgar Renteria, tying the score at 1. From then on however, it was all pitching and defense. For the next 4 innings both Myers and Braves starter Horatio Ramirez put up matching zeros. At this point both pitchers had gone 8 innings, and given up just 1 run, Myers on 3 hits and Ramirez on 10 hits. It seemed likely that both teams would turn to their bullpens for the 9th inning, but for some inexplicable reason, Charlie Manuel decided to send Myers out for the 9th, even though it was clear in the 8th inning that he was tiring. As most pitchers do when they are tired Myers was unable to retire a batter. He walked lead off man Marcus Giles, than served up an RBI double to Edgar Renteria, ending his night. The normally reliable Tom Gordon entered the game in relief of Myers, but he could provide no relief, as he served up a 3 run-homer to Jeff Francoeur before he could get out of the inning. Down, 5-1 in the bottom of the 9th inning the Phillies could do no damage against newly acquired Braves closer Bob Wickman, who set them down in order. Now, 1st of all Brett Myers probably never should have pitched in the 9th inning, but that is besides the point, because he should have entered the 9th inning with the lead. There is no reason why Phillies did not score more than 1 run tonight. I mean, the numbers don't lie. In every inning from the 2nd until the 8th the Phils recorded a hit, yet came up with nothing to show for it but that one run. That is simply unacceptable, especially when you consider the fact that they out hit the Braves 11-5. I don't know about you but I don't understand how you can out hit a team that convincingly and still lose to them 5-1. In closing three cheers to Brett Myers, and a loud boo to the Phillies offense for letting him down. Well, happy trails everyone.
WEEKLY TRIVIA QUESTION
I guided the Phillies to their 1st World Series in 1915, There was no Cy Young award in my day but if there had been I would have won it 3 or 4 times, I am not the only Phillies pitcher to have won 30 games in a season but I am the only one who did it 3 times, Although I only spent 8 of my 19 seasons with the Phillies, I did start and finish my career with them, the crowning achievement of my career came in 1926, when I struck out Tony Lazzeri to win game 7 of the world series for the Cardinals, Who Am I?
Last Week's Answer:
Pat Burrell last season
Last Week's Answer:
Pat Burrell last season
Sunday, July 23, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phillies and the Braves were rained out today, but their game will be made up as part of a double header on September 2. In other news say good-bye to Sal Fasano Phils fans, the Phillies designated him for assignment today, as he was activated from the DL. This of course means that at long last Chris Coste a rookie at 33 years old has finally earned a steady spot on a major league roster, at least until the end of the season. The Phillies now have 10 days to trade or release Fasano, either way he won't be back in Phillies uniform any time soon. Finally, the Phillies will continue their rain-shortened series with the Braves tomorrow, and wait for it, the starter for the Phillies will be Brett Myers, yes you heard right Brett Myers makes his 1st home start since his infamous leave-of-absence, so get ready to throw something at your TV tomorrow afternoon, or if you are going to the game, get ready to boo loudly, at least until he strikes out the side in the 1st inning. Well, happy trails everyone.
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