Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
Stop me if you have heard this before. The Phillies and the Braves got rained tonight, but it will be made it up tomorrow as part of , yes you guessed it, a doubleheader. Anyway, just to update the wild card situation, the Padres and the Marlins lost today, so the Phils now trail the Padres by just 2.0 games for 1st in the wildcard, the San Francisco Giants by just 0.5 games for 2nd in the wildcard and are now tied with the marlins for 3rd in the wildcard, so don't give up on them just yet. Well, happy trails everyone.
EAGLES NEWS
I mentioned yesterday that starting cornerback Lito Sheppard sprained his ankle and would miss next week's game against the Giants. I also mentioned that Roderick Hood would be starting in his place. Now with Hood, starting the Eagles would have gone into next week's game without a backup for Hood. Well, today the Eagles fixed that problem by signing Dexter Wynn, who had previously been one of the Eagles final cuts following the preseason. Now, obviously at the present time with all the offensive and defensive lineman on the roster there wasn't room to just add Wynn to the roster so they Eagles had to release running back Bruce Perry to make room for Wynn. This means of course that for now at least Wynn and not Perry will be returning kickoffs for the Eagles. Anyway, I don't think any of this will make the Eagles any better or worse than they are already, but it's probably a good thing that they got Wynn, because never smart to go into battle without a backup plan.
Monday, September 11, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils had an off day today, but tomorrow they start a key 3 game series with the braves in Atlanta, with Randy Wolf on the mound against Kyle Davies. Also as promised I will give you a quick wild card update. Well, the Padres blew out the Giants yesterday 11-2, so the Phils now trail them by 2.5 games and they are now tied with both the Giants and the Marlins for 2nd in wild card race. Well, that's about all for today, happy trails everyone.
FLYERS NEWS
Big news for the Flyers, yes that's right it's a done deal. The Flyers and Simon Gagne have finally agreed to a new 5 year contract worth 26 million. Gagne is coming off the best season of his career with 47 goals and 79 points and thus far he has meshed exceptionally well with superstar Peter Forsberg. Also the Flyers training camp starts later this week, so this agreement comes at a perfect time, and really fills me with some excitement for the upcoming hockey season.
EAGLES NEWS
Amongst the glory of their 24-10 victory yesterday the Eagles did have one minor setback. Cornerback Lito Sheppard sprained his ankle in the middle of the 1st quarter, and today Coach Andy Reid confirmed that it was significantly sprained and that Sheppard would miss at least next week's game against the Giants. This Means of course that Roderick Hood will start in his place. Hopefully he will be able to fill in adequately enough for the Eagles to win.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
EAGLES NEWS
Coming off an injury plagued 6-10 2005 season, the Eagles enterd this season with a lot of questions. Well, after a solid 24-10 victory over the Houston Texans to open the season consider those questions answered. Yes, things started out a little shaky as the Eagles defense allowed the Texans to score a touchdown on the opening drive of the game, but the Eagles never panicked and by halftime it was 14-10 Eagles, and the Texans had missed their chance for an upset. Now that you know how the Eagles fared as a team, let's talk about some individual performances. Donovan Mcnabb started shaky as well, firing an early interception, but he settled down with the rest of the Eagles and wound up passing for 314 yds and 3 touchdowns. Donté Stallworth has been with the Eagles for only a couple of weeks now, but today he looked like he had been there all along, with 6 catches for 141 yards and a score(a 42 yard strike from Mcnabb on a beautiful play fake). Not to be outdone though, is the Eagles running game as Brian Westbrook (71 yards, 17 carries) and Correll Buckhalter(50 yards, 8 carries) combined for 121 yards, not great, but pretty good for a team that usually relies on it's passing game. The Eagles defense looked pretty good too, sacking Texans QB David Carr 5 times, and keeping the Texans off the scoreboard for the entire 2nd half. They also held the Texans to just 70 yards rushing, which is a lot better then they ever did last year. Just to summarize, the Eagles certainly looked like a much improved football team today, but they made a few mistakes and didn't play as well as they could have. I mean they played well enough to beat the Texans, but they didn't blow them out as they would have in the past. If they hope to get back on top, they are going to have to raise their level just a little bit, because they are going to need everything they've got next week against the Giants. If they win that one then they will make me a believer, but until then I'll just be content with this week 1 victory.
PHILLIES NEWS
If last night was frustrating then today was just down right ugly. Not only were the Phils once again unable to take advantage of their opportunities, they really never got any opportunities. Basically, the Phils offense just couldn't get anything done today as Marlins starter Dontrelle Willis blanked them for the entire game on just 3 hits. Phils starter Cole Hamels meanwhile, lasted just 4 innings, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits and walking 5. Yes, the Phils bullpen performed admirably and kept things close, giving up just 1 run in their 5 innings of work, but it didn't matter as the Marlins prevailed 3-0 anyway. I'd like to talk about it some more but that's really all there is too it. The Phils just ran into a buzzsaw today in Willis and never really had a chance. Anyway, for what it's worth the Phils ,at 72-71, are now tied with the Marlins for 3rd in the wild card race. At the moment they trail the Padres by 2 games, but if the Padres lose again tonight, the Phils will still be 1.5 games back. However if the Padres win they will fall to 2.5 games back. Now, I would love to tell whether the Padres won or lost, but as I write this the Padres and the San Francisco Giants are locked in a scoreless in the 2nd inning so I will have to update you on the situation tomorrow. Well, happy trails everyone.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
It's hard to imagine anything more frustrating then tonight's game was for the Phils. Chase Utley homered twice, and Brett Myers pitched 6 solid innings, allowing just 3 runs but it wasn't enough for the Phils to get the win. They took the an early 1-0 lead on Utley's 1st homer in the 1st inning, but the Marlins and Dan Uggla(he hit a 2 run homer) came right back with 2 runs in the bottom of the inning to go up 2-1. Utley briefly tied it at 2 with his 2nd homer in the 3rd inning, but Uggla once again put the Marlins on top 3-2 with an RBI single. For a while after that it seemed like that 3-2 lead would stand up for the Marlins, as the Phils missed several opportunities to pull even. I mean it seemed like every inning the Phils got another chance to pull even with Marlins but they just couldn't as they left 17 men on base. However, just when it appeared it was over for the Phils, they got 1 last chance in the top of the 9th inning and finally took advantage of it. With 2 on and 1 out, Jeff Conine got the Phils offense off the deck and burned his old team for an RBI single to tie it at 3. Marlins Reliever Joe Borowksi then loaded the bases, but the Phils just could not push across the go ahead run, and the game stayed tied at 3 into extra innings. The Phils and Conine got another chance to push across the go ahead run in the top of the 10th, but Conine's line drive with the bases loaded was caught by a diving Josh Willingham, and the Phils came up empty again. They would not get another chance as Cody Ross singled in the winning run with 1 out in the bottom of the 10th after the Phils had walked the bases loaded in hopes of turning a double play to end the inning. To make matters worse, Phils reliever Arthur Rhodes went down earlier in the inning with a left elbow strain(no word yet on how serious it is). Now of course, as the Phillies lost tonight, so did the Padres, meaning the Phils remain 1.5 games out of 1st in the wild card race. If they had won they would have pulled to within .5 games, but oh well, let's just hope they come back and get a win tomorrow. Well, happy trails everyone
SIXERS NEWS
There is nothing new to report, but I did forget to mention something yesterday. So, without further adieu let me just extend a congratulations to the round mound of rebound himself, Charles Barkley on being inducted into the NBA hall of fame yesterday.
Friday, September 08, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils got a big win against the Marlins last night and just kept it going tonight. The Marlins actually led early 1-0 after an RBI triple by Miguel Olivo and for a while it looked like that 1 run might hold up. Both starters, Ben Olsen for the Marlins, and Jamie Moyer for the Phils, were just dealing through 5 and 1/2 innings as the Marlins maintained their 1-0 the lead, but in the end Moyer simply outlasted Olsen, with a little help from Ryan Howard. Moyer tossed 8 solid innings, allowing just that 1 run on 5 hits, and Howard homered twice(that's 56 now), 1st in the top of the 6th(a 2 run homer) to give the Phils their 1st lead at 2-1, and again in the 8th inning(a solo shot) to put the Phils ahead for good 3-1. Tom Gordon(yes he's back now, in fact he pitched briefly last night too) then came in and closed it out in the 9th, but not before allowing 1 more run as the Phils held on for a 3-2 win. All in all, this was a nice win for the Phils and a big one at that. With the win the Phils move to within 1.5 games of the wild card leading Padres who lost tonight. Anyway, before I finish this for the night I just want to talk about Ryan Howard for a minute. I mean, it's great that the Phils won tonight, but let's be honest the real reason you've been watching the Phillies lately is to see Howard do his thing. I mean come on, can the guy get any hotter. It doesn't seem to matter where you pitch to him, he still hits it out. With the 2 homers tonight he now has 56 homers, as I mentioned earlier, 138 RBIs and he's currently batting .311. All I can say is, I hope he can keep this up for the rest of the season, and not just because what he is doing right is just extraordinary, but because it's just fun to watch him go out there every night. Well, happy trails everyone.
SIXERS NEWS
The Sixers actually made some roster moves today, signing veteran forward/center Alan Henderson who spent last season with the Cavs, and forward Ivan Mcfarlin, a rookie free agent out of Oklahoma State who dazzled for the Sixers during summer league play. Now, I can't say for sure what the Sixers expect from these 2, but apparently they feel like Mcfarlin and Henderson can add good depth to their front court.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
Coming off a tough loss yesterday, the Phils needed something positive to happen to them. Moreover, tonight also began a run of 10 straight road games for the Phils, so it was really important that they start on the right foot and get a win tonight. Unfortunately, for the Phils, there first stop on the road trip was against the hottest team in majors right now, the Marlins, in a place, Dolphin Stadium(formerly Pro Player stadium), that has been a house of horrors for the Phils over the years. Thus, the chances of the Phillies starting their road trip with a win seemed slim. However, no one told the Phils that they weren't supposed to win tonight. Jon Lieber tossed 5 and 1/3rd solid innings, allowing just 4 runs on 7 hits, and Ryan Howard(solo shot, number 54 now), Chris Coste(solo shot), and Chase Utley (3 run homer) all crushed homeruns, as the Phils jumped out to a 10-4 lead through 7 innings. Now you would think that a 10-4 lead through 7 innings would be enough to guarantee the Phils a win, but not against the feisty Marlins, who roughed up reliever Rick White for 4 runs on 3 hits, cutting the lead to 10-8. Fortunately, for the Phils though, their bullpen was able to bare down from, there, and Jeff Conine, who had already burned his former team for a triple and a single, hit the Phils 4th homer of the night(another 3 run homer), putting the phils up for good 14-8. Yeah, that's right the Phils got the big 14-8 win over the Marlins that they needed, and they gained .5 games against the idle Padres(they won again last night, so the phils were behind by 3 games). Thus, the Phils are back to within 2.5 games of the Padres for the lead in the wild card. Well, happy trails everyone.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
Remember how I said the Astros have been the Phils arch nemesis for last few years, well today they showed why. Randy Wolf tossed 6 solid innings, allowing just 2 runs on 5 hits, Carlos Ruiz homered in the 5th inning, and Jeff Conine singled in a run in the 6th inning for a 2-2 tie, but that was as good as it would get for the Phils. The game stayed tied at 2 into the top of the 9th inning and it looked like the Phils were headed toward another extra inning thriller, but it was not to be. As they have in the last couple weeks the Phils bullpen collapsed late, this time in the form of Ryan Madson. Madson, got himself in trouble right off the bat in the top of the 9th inning by loading the bases with only 1 out. From there, he struck out Craig Biggio and actually got ahead of Lance Berkman 0 balls and 2 strikes. Now, just 1 strike away from ending the inning, there was hope that Madson could get himself out of the jam, but a couple pitches later Berkman managed to inside out a curveball just inside the foul line for a bases clearing double. At this point, down 5-2 it was pretty much over for the Phils, and although they rallied to score a run in the bottom of the inning, they still fell short 5-3. Needless to say it was a crushing loss for the Phils, but one they can still recover from. Anyway, at the moment the Phils trail the Padres by 2.5 games, but they can get back to within 2.0 games if the Padres lose later tonight. The Padres won last night, but currently they are locked in a scoreless tie with the Rockies through 5 innings(I will have to update you on the situation tomorrow). Well, happy trails everyone.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
Well, if you looked outside your window today then you know what I am about to say. The Phils and the Astros were rained out today, but their game will be made up on September 25th , which was originally an off day for both of them. As for the Wild Card situation the Padres did play today and as I write this they are tied with the Rockies at 3 in the top of the 6th inning. If the Padres lose, then the phils will move to within 1.0 game of the wild card lead, so I will have to update you on the situation in tomorrow's post. Well, happy trails everyone
Monday, September 04, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
Over the last few years the Phillies arch nemesis has been the Houston Astros. In fact, coming into today's game the Phils had lost their last 12 against the Astros, but tonight all that changed. Pitching against his idol, Roger Clemens, Cole Hamels tossed 8 solid innings, giving up just 2 runs on 2 hits(both solo homers). Meanwhile, the Phils offense could do no better against Clemens, scoring just 1 run on 1 hit, before he left following the 5th inning. Ryan Howard then added a 2nd run, with a solo homer off reliever Russ Springer. Actually, the Phils led at that point, 2-1, but Aubrey Huff led off the top of 8th inning with a solo homer of his own to tie it a 2. After that, though, neither team could get on the board as the 9th inning went by and the game ventured into extra innings. Just like game 2 last night, the extra innings wouldn't last very long. With 2 out in the bottom of the 10th inning and nobody on, Chase Utley stepped up to the plate and delivered. Lately, Utley has been slumping a bit, but in this one instant he rebounded in a big way, as he crushed a homer off Astros reliever Dave Borkowski to lift the Phils to a 3-2 win. Thus, for 1 game at least the Phils were able to get a measure of revenge against their nemesis. Anyway, with the win, the Phils remain 1.5 games behind the Padres in the wild card race(the padres won today too). Well, happy trails everyone.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
WEEKLY POLL QUESTION
Will Ryan Howard hit 60 homers this season?
a. yes, definitely
b. no, not quite
(actually these are from 2 weeks ago, not sure why I didn't post a question last week)
last week's results:
50% a. smart move
50% c. not sure
0% b. what were they thinking
a. yes, definitely
b. no, not quite
(actually these are from 2 weeks ago, not sure why I didn't post a question last week)
last week's results:
50% a. smart move
50% c. not sure
0% b. what were they thinking
PHILLIES NEWS
As I mentioned yesterday, the Phillies had a doubleheader today, and well it went kinda like yesterday's doubleheader, except this time the Phils won the 1st game and lost the 2nd. In the 1st game of the doubleheader, it was all about the power of Ryan Howard and Jamie Moyer rebounding from the rough outing he had in his last start. Well at least for the first 8 innings that was all it was about, as Moyer tossed 7 and 1/3rd solid innings, allowing just 3 runs on 6 hits, and Howard homered in 3 straight at bats giving the Phils a 6-3 lead through 8 innings. In the 9th inning however, it got a little tricky. Neither Ryan Madson, nor Fabio Castro could close out the Braves and in fact coughed up the lead completely, as the Braves went up 7-6. Fortunately for the Phils, Geoff Geory was able to stop the bleeding from there, and the Phillies were able to mount a final rally to escape with an 8-7 win on a game-tying single by Jimmy Rollins and a walk off single by Shane Victorino. In the 2nd game however, the Phils weren't so lucky. Brett Myers cooked up a good one, allowing just 1 run on 3 hits over 8 innings, but the Phils offense couldn't get anything going either as they too scored only 1 run through 8 innings. Try as they might, the Phils just couldn't push across a 2nd run in 9th, so the game went into extra innings, and didn't last long from there. A couple innings later in the top of the 11th inning, the Braves finally forged ahead for good, as Geoff Geary, who had saved the day in the 1st game, fell victim to a throwing error and a passed ball by catcher Carlos Ruiz, allowing the Braves to score 2 runs for a 3-1 lead. Unfortunately the Phils did not have another rally in them and went down in order to give the Braves the win. Well, just to summarize again, that's 1 up and 1 down , and at this point a 1.5 game deficit in the wild card race (the Padres won again today). Well, happy trails everyone.
WEEKLY TRIVIA QUESTION
I know there was no question last week, and that's because for now due to time constraints and a lack of trivia for me to use I am discontinuing the trivia question for a little while, but I'll bring it back from time to time (whenever I get a good question). Anyway, let me just give you the answer from a couple weeks ago. The 5 players besides Ryan Howard who have hit 40 homers in a season for the Phils are the following:
Mike Schmidt
Dick Allen
Chuck Klein
Cy Williams
Jim Thome
Mike Schmidt
Dick Allen
Chuck Klein
Cy Williams
Jim Thome
Saturday, September 02, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
Before we talk about what happened today, let me just clear up something I said yesterday. I mentioned that Phils were rained out yesterday and that it had not been determined yet when it would be made up. Well it's been determined now. The Phils played a doubleheader today, because of previous game that had to be made up and tomorrow they are going to play another doubleheader to make up yesterday's game. Anyway back to today and doubleheader number 1. It took a while but the Phils and Braves got the 1st game of the doubleheader underway after a rain delay. Now, sometimes sitting around in a rain delay before you even start a game can throw you off your game, but through 8 innings in game 1 it didn't seem to effect the Phils at all. Jon Lieber tossed 8 solid innings allowing just 2 runs on 8 hits, and Chase Utley homered twice knocking in 3 runs, as the Phils led 3-2 heading into the top of the 9th. Unfortunately, for the 2nd game in a row the Phils bullpen couldn't close it out as Arthur Rhodes served up a 2 run homer to Adam Laroche which wounded up winning it for the braves 4-3. Obviously that was not the way the Phils wanted to start today, but perhaps it motivated them to do better in the night cap, because they did in a big way. Despite losing starter Scott Mathieson to a sprained elbow just 6 pitches into the game, the night belong to the Phils. Eude Brito, replaced Mathieson admirably for the first 4 innings, allowing just 2 runs on 4 hits, and the Phils offense pounded the Braves for 20 hits and 16 runs, as the Phils took the 2nd game of the doubleheader easily 16-4. Obviously with 16 runs to work with there was no way that even the bullpen could screw this one up. Anyway just to summarize, that's 1 up and 1 down for the Phils on the day and at the moment that leaves them .5 games behind the Padres in the Wild Card race. Well, happy trails everyone.
EAGLES NEWS
There are a couple things to mention today. First, center Hank Fraley was traded to the Cleveland Browns and fullback Josh Parry was traded to the Seattle Seahawks. The Eagles then recieved undisclosed draft picks from both Seatle and Cleveland. Obviously with Fraley and Parry gone, this means that without a doubt Thomas Tapeh will start at fullback for the Eagles and Jamal Jackson will start at center. Now when we talked last there were a few questions we left unanswered. Well, I am going to answer them now. First we asked would the Eagles keep 10 defensive lineman or 9. Well, today as they were making their final cuts the Eagles decided to keep 10 defensive lineman, which brings us to our last question. Would the Eagles keep 6 wide recievers and if so who would be number 6, Jabar Gaffney or Darnerien Mccants. Well, since they decided to keep 10 d-lineman, there wasn't room for 6 receivers so both Gaffney and Mccants were cut. Other notable cuts among the 17 made today were safety J.R Reed, and linbacker Dedrick Roper, whom I mentioned was the Eagles top performer last night.
Friday, September 01, 2006
EAGLES NEWS
The Eagles played their last preseason game tonight, and that only means one thing, nothing but reserves all night and lots guys fighting for the remaining spots on the Eagles roster. Not that it matters but the Eagles lost to the Jets 20-17. Anyway, lets get to what does. So who played well on the night and locked up a roster spot and who didn't. First of all we'll talk about the offense. If he hadn't already A.J Feeley locked up his spot as the Eagles 3rd QB completing 9-12 passes for 131 yards. WRs Darnerien Mccants (4 catches, 69 yds), Jabar Gaffney(3 catches, 28 yds) and Jason Avant(3 catches 55 yds) all looked impressive. Avant really already had a roster spot locked up, so it's between Gaffney and Mccants for the last WR spot, and at this point it's unclear as to which one is going to get the boot. Now We'll talk about the defense a little. Safety J.R Reed did well returning kickoffs all night long, and should be able to make the team. The Eagles top performer on the night was Linebacker Dedrick Roper, who with 3 tackles, a sack, and QB hurry, should have cemented his spot as the Eagles last Linebacker. The only other question on defense is whether the Eagles will keep 9 or 10 Defensive Lineman, and right now no one seems to know which one it will be. Well, that's all for tonight, tune in next time for the start of the regular season.
PHILLIES NEWS
Tonight's game with the Braves was postponed due to the imminent threat of Ernesto, and so far there is no word on when and if it will be made up. In other news the Phillies acquired 1st baseman Randall Simon from the Rangers for cash. Simon, hasn't appeared in a major league game since September of 2004, but so far this year he has been hitting consistently during stints in both the Mexican league and the Rangers AAA affiliate. Obviously, the Phillies hope that Randall can continue that and add more hitting to their blench and he probably can, but only during the remainder of the regular season, as he is not eligible to be a part of the Phils playoff roster, should they get to the playoffs.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
Tonight's game was truly one for the record books, and unfortunately for the Phils it was also one to forget. The Phils trailed 2-0 early but, behind good pitching, and a double by Pat Burrell, a triple by David Dellucci, and a homer by Ryan Howard(yes that's right number 49 baby, the record breaker, and unfortunately by the end of night it was forgotten), they scored 4 unanswered runs and took a 4-2 lead. Speaking of the good pitching, it included 5 solid innings from Randy Wolf, who allowed just those 2 runs on 5 hits, and 2 innings from reliever Ryan Madson, who thanks to some nifty defense, kept the Nats scoreless in the 6th and 7th innings. Geoff Geary kept the good times rolling, with a scoreless 8th but sadly Arthur Rhodes wasn't so lucky. Attempting to protect the Phils 4-2 lead in the bottom of the 9th, he was roughed up for 2 runs on 3 hits, and allowed the Nats to push the game into extra innings with the score at 4-4. The Phils did take a 5-4 lead in the top of the 10th, as Abraham Nunez scored on a passed ball, but like Rhodes, Aaron Fultz wasn't too lucky either. He came in to close it out for the Phils in the bottom of the 10th and did anything but. I won't burden you with all of the forgettable details. I'll just say that when Fultz' day was done, the Nats had not only tied the game, but they had come all the way back to win 6-5 and obviously since the Nats were the home team, that was all she wrote. Not to throw dirt on an open wound, but as for the Wild Card situation, the Phils are now 1 game behind the Padres, who were idle today. It pains me to say this, but it's true that if the Phils had won today they would have moved into a tie for the lead in the Wild Card along with Padres. I know, this was all a bit disheartening, but it's just a part of the healing process, you have to go through after every Phillies loss, or not. Well, happy trails everyone.
EAGLES NEWS
If you read the blog yesterday, then you should have known that what I am about to say was coming. Today the Eagles and punter Dirk Johnson agreed to a 6 year contract extension. Obviously they are going to need him to be David Akers' holder for a while so this is smart move on their part.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phillies just kept on rolling against the Nationals today. No they didn't crush them for 10+ runs again, but they were cooly efficient in defeating them 5-1. In his last start Cole Hamels was at his worst, allowing 6 runs ,yes 6 runs and failing to retire a batter in the 2nd inning. Today however, he was at his best tossing 8 solid innings and allowing just 1 run on 4 hits. Obviously the Nats offense was stifled for most of the night, so the Phils offense didn't have to do too much to get the win, but what they did do was more than enough. When your pitcher gives you a start like this, all your offense really needs to do is spread a few runs around here and there, and that is exactly what the Phils offense did. They got off to a good start with 3 runs in the 3rd inning on an RBI single by Chase Utley and a 2 RBI double by Ryan Howard( no he didn't hit number 49 yet). Abraham Nunez followed with an RBI single in the 6th inning and David Dellucci put the nail in the Nats coffin with a pinch RBI single in the top of the 9th inning. Now you are probably saying, that's great, good win for the Phils, but what is going on with the wild card, well as promised I will tell you. The Reds lost last night but the Padres won, meaning the Phils came into today's game trailing the Padres by .5 games. Today as you know the Phils won, and well so did the Padres, so the Phils remain .5 games back in the wild card race, but hey they're getting closer. Well, happy trails everyone.
EAGLES NEWS
The Eagles had a busy day today. First they released Wide Reciever Todd Pinkston and 3rd string QB Koy Detmer. Then following their release they filled their newly vacant roster spot at QB by signing A.J Feeley, yes that A.J Feeley the QB they drafted in the 5th round of the 2001 draft. Pinkston had pretty much worn out his welcome in Philly, so its no surprise that Eagles released him. I mean just yesterday the Eagles reported that they had given Pinkston permission to go into free agency so I guess they kept their word. As for Detmer, his release should not come as much of surprise either. The only reason Detmer has been with the Eagles for so long is because he was David Akers personal holder on field goals. However, throughout the preseason it has become increasingly evident that punter Dirk Johnson can adequately fill that role, thus Detmer became expendable. Besides, he hadn't really been looking too sharp during the preseason anyway so it's probably for the best that the Eagles cut him loose and brought back Feeley.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
I am reporting this a little earlier than usual as the game just ended a few minutes ago, so I will not go in to much detail. Tonight the Phillies began a long run of games against teams with losing records with a night cap against the Washington Nationals. This is a very important stretch for the Phils, because obviously if you are the Phillies you have to go out get wins against teams with losing records throughout the remainder of the season. As for the game, let's just say mission accomplished. Brett Myers pitched 6 solid innings, giving up just 3 runs on 8 hits, and recording 7 strikeouts. Although the Nats managed to score 3 more runs after Myers left game he still received the win on the night, as the Phils offense crushed the Nationals for 10 runs on 15 hits, including a solo homer by Mike Lieberthal and 3 run homer by Ryan Howard(yes that's right number 48 to tie Mike Schmidt's team record for a single season) . Now, if you read the box score you would see that the phils bullpen had a little trouble closing it out, but the Phils hung on and got the win anyway 10-6. As for their current place in the wild card I couldn't really tell you at this moment. As I write this the Padres lead the Diamondbacks 2-1 in the 5th inning, and the Reds trail the Dodgers 3-1 in 3rd inning. Now if both lose the Phils can move into the lead in the wild card, so tune into tomorrow to see what happened with the 2, because I will update the wild card situation then. Well, happy trails everyone.
Monday, August 28, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
Bad news Phils fans. Well let's just say to those of you who probably didn't watch the game today because it started so early, be glad you didn't. In his 1st start with the Phillies Jamie Moyer had electric stuff and went 6 solid innings for his 1st phils win. Today, he didn't quite do so well. Yes he still managed 6 innings, as before, but in those 6 innings he was roughed up for 7 runs on 9 hits, including 6 alone in the 3rd inning, and that was pretty much all she wrote for the Phils. I mean, the game started and faster than you could blink it was 6-0 Mets through 3 innings. The Phillies themselves managed only 3 runs, on a 2 run homer by Pat Burrell and a solo shot by Ryan Howard(that's 47 now), and took the loss 8-3. Funny thing is, if not for some bad luck things might have been closer, as 3 Mets hits flukishly rolled through the infield during their 6 run 3rd inning, and a 4th( an RBI double by Paul Lo Duca), somehow stayed fair, despite being initially ruled foul. Basically, the Phils just had some bad luck tonight and it cost them the game. Fortunately, the Phils remain just 1.5 games back in the wildcard despite the loss. Well, happy trails everyone.
EAGLES NEWS
Big news today Eagles fans. Today the Eagles acquired wide reciever Donte Stallworth from the New Orleans Saints for Mark Simoneau and a conditional 4th round draft pick. They had been looking to get a big name receiver, for most the off-season, and now in Stallworth they finally got their guy. Last season Stallworth had a career year with 70 receptions for 945 yards and 7 touchdowns, not extraordinary numbers, but pretty damn good. With the way the Eagles recieving corps was shaping out for the coming season, Stallworth is a welcome addition to to the team. He might not put up T.O numbers, but he will produce enough to keep the Eagles offense flying in high gear.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
Today's game with the Mets was rained out, but it will be made up tomorrow at 12:10 in the afternoon, which means you probably won't be able to watch, but you can read about it here. Anyway, despite the rain out the Phils still made some news on the day. First they acquired veteran outfielder Jeff Conine from the Orioles for cash and a player to be named later. The hope here is that Conine can bolster the Phillies bench a little better than Jose Hernandez has so far ( if you watched the game yesterday you know what I mean). The only other news for phils today, is that Reds once again lost to the Giants today, so the Phils are now within 1 game of the wildcard, and can close to within .5 games with a win tomorrow, a Reds loss, and a Padres win. They can also gain a share of the wild card lead, with a win , a Reds loss , and a Padres loss (the Padres are currently 2nd in the wild card standings, .5 games ahead of the Phils, and .5 games behind the Reds). Well that's all I have for today, so happy trails everyone.
Saturday, August 26, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
Remember last night, when I said if you score runs early and get good pitching, those runs stand up long enough to get you win. Well, that didn't quite work out for the Phils tonight. Just Like last night the Phils started strong. Yes, They trailed early 2-0 on a 2 run homer by Carlos Beltran in the 1st inning, but Ryan Howard led them back with a grand slam, as part of a 5 run 5th inning for a 5-2 lead. This time however, that lead would not hold up for the remainder of the game. Starter Jon Lieber pitched well, tossing 6 innings and holding the Mets to 4 runs, but the Phils bullpen just didn't have it tonight. When the bottom of the 7th inning started the Phils were holding a precarious 5-4 lead, but by the time it ended the Phils bullpen had imploded, and the Mets had scored 7 runs to take what would be an insurmountable 11-5 lead. All told in the inning, relievers Rick White and Aaron Fultz were roughed up for 7 runs on 7 hits. Basically, when the 7th inning was over the game was over too, as the Phils never recovered from it, and lost 11-5. In the end the Phils lost because their offense didn't keep after the Mets, and their bullpen just picked a bad time to have arguably their worst night of the year. Fortunately for the Phils, the Reds also lost earlier today so the Phillies remain 1.5 games back in the wild card race, so they are still okay for now. Well, happy trails everyone.
Friday, August 25, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
Sometimes when you score runs early and you get good pitching, those early runs stand up for the entire the game, and stand up they did for the Phillies tonight. The Phils got on the board early with 4 runs in the 1st 3 innings and they held up for the rest of the night, as Randy Wolf pitched 5 innings, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits, and relievers, Geoff Geary, Arthur Rhodes, and Ryan Madson combined to blank the Mets for the final 4 innings. Now, if I was to ask you who the team leaders are for the Phillies, you would probably answer Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. Well wouldn't you know it was those 2 that combined to knock in all 4 Phillies runs. Utley had an RBI single in the 1st inning and Howard had a sac fly in the 1st inning and a 2 run homer in the 3rd inning (that's 45 now). Now, just to put this win (it was 4-3 Phillies) in perspective let's look at how the Mets played tonight. Their starter Brian Bannister actually pitched 6 innings, 1 more than Wolf, but he gave up 4 runs on 6 hits, as opposed to 3 runs on 5 hits, and he too was followed by scoreless innings from the Mets bullpen, although only 3 instead of 4. Now offensively, a guy you might consider a team leader on the Mets, like Utley and Howard on the Phils, Carlos Beltran knocked in all 3 Mets runs on an RBI double and a 2 run homer. So as you can see, the 2 teams played pretty evenly, but the Phillies were just a little better, which bodes well for them ,for the remainder of the season. I mean, it really says something about your team when they can go from being blown out by arguably the worst team in the NL 1 night, to beating what is arguably the best team in the NL the next night. Anyway speaking of the remainder of the season, the Reds lost tonight and the Cardinals won, so the Cardinals are back in 1st place in the NL Central, and the Reds are now back in 1st place in the wild card by 1.5 games over the Phils. Well, happy trails everyone.
EAGLES NEWS
The Eagles played their 4th of 5 preseason games tonight and defeated the Steelers 16-7, but let's not dwell on that. Let's deal with some more important matters instead. As they have been all preseason long, both starting units were impressive. On offense, Donovan Mcnabb completed 7 of his 9 passes for 79 yards and Correll Buckhalter rushed 7 times for 31 yards. Their only real problem on the night is that they were unable to put the ball in the end zone, as they settled for a pair of field goals by David Akers. However, the Eagles starting defense also kept the steelers out of the endzone, and off the scoreboard, as they bottled up the Steelers running game and limited Ben Roethlisberger to just 52 yards and an interception. Now as for the Eagles backup units there is much to talk about as usual, but I'll mention a few things. Backup QB Jeff Garcia was impressive tonight completing 6 of his 12 passes for 110 yards, including a 61 yard touchdown pass to Greg Lewis. Also CB J.R Reed looked pretty good with a sack and a forced fumble in the redzone, and an interception late in the game. Well, that's about all there is to talk about tonight, so all and all the Eagles had good night and there is plenty to be happy about.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Reds update
the Reds beat the Giants 6-3 tonight, so the Phillies are now 2.5 games back in wildcard. However, with the win the Reds are now tied with the Cardinals for 1st place in the NL Central, which means the Phils now trail both the Reds and the Cardinals by 2.5 games and the Padres, currently 2nd in the wild card standings, by 1.5 games.
PHILLIES NEWS
So far in the month of August Cole Hamels had been unhittable with a 1.33 ERA and opponents batting just .187 against him. Today he wasn't so good allowing 9 runs on 9 hits in 2, that's right just 2 innings of work. Yes, the phils bullpen did keep the Cubs to just 2 runs the rest of the way, but the damage had already been done. Oddly enough the Phils actually led early 1-0 following the top of the 1st inning, but they would never lead again. Hamels allowed 4 runs in bottom of the inning, then after a scoreless 2nd inning, he allowed 5 more runs and failed to retire a batter in the 3rd inning. Thus, the Phils had to piece together 7 innings out of their bullpen, and like I said they did but it didn't matter. While the Phils were piecing together innings with their Bullpen, Carlos Zambrano was dominating for the Cubs pitching 7 solid innings, giving up just 2 runs on 6 hits, and striking out 7. Basically, the phils offense could only fire blanks all day long, and if you haven't guessed by now the Phils lost 11-2. Yeah so the phils had a bad day, but so what, no matter what happens with the Reds (currently they are tied with Giants at 3 in the top of the 7th inning, I will have an update later) tonight, the Phils will still be at least within 2.5 games of them. So if you are ticked off by this loss and are looking for someone to blame, just blame it on Wrigley, because today was just one of those days with the wind blowing out, where everything the Cubs hit went out (they hit 4 homers today, I know I forgot to mention it earlier). Also whatever you do, don't blame Hamels, because he's a young pitcher , he's going to have days like this, and the best thing for you and him to do is to just forget about it and move on. Well, happy trails everyone.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
For those of you out there who like pitching, tonight was your kind of night. For 8 innings the Phillies' Brett Myers and the Cubs Angel Guzman and relievers David Aardsma and Will Ohman were locked in a pitcher's duel. Myers pitched 8 innings while Guzman pitched only 6 innings, but both gave up just 1 run on 4 hits. Now there is obviously not much offense to talk tonight, but I'll give it a try anyway. Initially, the Phillies led 1-0 through 7 and 1/2 innings on a solo homer by Ryan Howard (that's 44 now) . The Cubs tied it at 1 in the bottom of the 8th inning on a solo homer by Matt Murton. Then in the top of the 9th with Cubs threatening to send the night into potentially dangerous extra innings, the phils came up with some big hits to regain the lead. After the 1st 2 batters of the inning were retired, Abraham Nunez worked a walk. Then Joe Thurston ,in his 1st at bat as a phillie, blooped a single to right field, moving Nunez up to 2nd base. Jimmy Rollins then delivered an RBI double scoring Nunez, and ending the inning as Thurston was thrown out trying to score, though it should be noted that it wasn't his falt as he was waved around by third base coach Bill Dancy. Anyway, when all was said done the Phils were back ahead 2-1, and that's how it ended as Arthur Rhodes and Geoff Geary combined to put the cubs down in order in the bottom of the 9th. Now this win is a pretty big one for the Phils for a couple reasons. First, Brett Myers had been struggling this month, so it was huge for him to get back on track with a night like this. Second the Reds finally lost earlier today so the Phils have now moved to within 1.5 games of the wild card. So if you weren't excited about the Phils yet, you should be now. Well, happy trails everyone
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
When a collision, like last night's occurs it's effects can be lingering. One of those effects is obviously roster changes which we'll talk about later, but another effect can be a let down in the game following the collision. Tonight however, the Phillies were able to put it behind them and take care of business. In his 1st start as a Phillie Jamie Moyer pitched 6 solid innings, giving up just 3 runs on 6 hits. Now if Moyer was still with the Mariners, his aforementioned stats probably would not have been enough to get the win, but the with potent Phillies offense by his side they were. Shane Victorino, Jimmy Rollins, David Dellucci, and Ryan Howard all knocked in 1 run a piece, and the suddenly hot Pat Burrell knocked in 2 runs. Add it all up and you've got 6 runs on the board and a 6-3 win the for the Phils. Its was as simple as that tonight, although I should mention that the bullpen had another strong night, pitching 3 scoreless innings to finish the game. Anyway like I said at the beginning the Phillies made some roster changes today. 1st of all it was announced today that Aaron Rowand had in fact fractured his ankle rather than spraining it as was originally thought. Thus, he will be out for the remainder of the regular season, but should the Phillies make the playoffs he would available. Obviously with no Rowand, Shane Victorino will start in center field for the rest of the season. Now, with Victorino starting the Phillies found themselves short of extra men on the bench, and so today they added some players to their roster. First they acquired veteran infielder/outfielder Jose Hernandez from the Pirates for cash to fill the void left by Rowand. Then since Chase Utley sat out tonight's game just as a precaution because his ankle felt a little sore, they recalled infielder Joe Thurston from AAA Scranton-Wilkes Barre. Now I don't know much about Thurston, but I know Hernandez is one those guys who can play anywhere in the field , and do it well, so I think the Phils will be okay without Rowand. Anyway, the Phillies who at 63 -62 are at .500 for the 1st time since May, remain 2.5 games back in the wild card race. Well happy trails everyone.
Monday, August 21, 2006
PHILLIES NEWS
Sometimes, even when you win you lose, and there is as much bad news to talk about as there is good news. So is the case for the Phillies tonight. Things started well, for the Phils as they scored 4 runs in the 4th inning, capped off by Jimmy Rollins' 2 run homer, and took an early 4-0 lead. Chase Utley kept the good times rollin with a solo homer in the 5th inning for a 5-0 lead. Despite giving up a hit in every inning he pitched. Jon Lieber kept it that way for 6 innings, but in the 7th he was not able to get out of trouble and allowed 3 runs to score. Still, the PHils remained ahead 5-3 and only needed 6 more outs to get the win, so there was no reason to panic, yet. However, in the 8th inning things took a turn for the worse for the Phils, and not because Cubs scored runs. John Mabry led off the inning with a shallow fly ball to center, and both Chase Utley and Aaron Rowand raced after it. Both called for it, but Utley got to it 1st and tried to wave Rowand off, but he didn't see it in time. Just as the ball landed in Utley's glove, Rowand collided with Utley, going end over end, and knocking the glove and the ball out of Utley's hand. Fortunately, Utley was not injured on the play, but Rowand wound up with at least a sprained ankle and had to be helped off the field. Although, Mabry reached 3rd on the play he never scored as reliever Geoff Geary struck out the side following the collision. Now, ultimately the Phillies did manage to hang on for a 6-5 win, but wasn't what everyone was talking about after the game. All the post game focus fell on the health of Rowand, which pending x-rays is a sprained ankle, but it could be broken, and if it is it could be a devastating blow for Phillies. At any rate, the Phils won tonight so I am still happy, but I would be happier if Rowand didn't get hurt. Speaking of getting hurt, closer Tom Gordon was placed on the 15 day DL today due too a strained shoulder. Over the last couple of weeks he had been sidelined with soreness in his throwing arm, and apparently the Phillies just weren't confident enougth in his health to let him get back on the field to soon. Thus for the next 2 weeks Arthur Rhodes will be the Phillies closer, hopefully he will be able to hold down the fort until Gordon comes back, because the Phils are in big trouble if he can't. Anyway the Reds also won tonight so the Phillies remain 2.5 games back. Well, happy trails everyone.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
WEEKLY POLL QUESTION
What do you think of the Phillies acquiring Jamie Moyer, for 2 minor leaguers?
a. smart move, Pat Gillick is the man
b. what were they thinking, he's nothing but an old fart now
c. not sure
last week's results:
b. they are done 50%
c. not sure 50%
a. win wild card 0%
a. smart move, Pat Gillick is the man
b. what were they thinking, he's nothing but an old fart now
c. not sure
last week's results:
b. they are done 50%
c. not sure 50%
a. win wild card 0%
PHILLIES NEWS
Given how the Phillies have been playing lately, it seemed justified to think that day belonged to them, after they had scored 10 runs through the 1st 4 innings on a homer and RBI single by Mike Lieberthal, a 3 run homer and 4 RBIs by Abraham Nunez, 4 hits and 3 runs scored by Aaron Rowand, and 2 hits and 2 RBIs by Pat Burrell, and owned a 10 -1 a lead. However, no one told the Nationals the game was over. Through 5 innings phils starter Randy Wolf had dazzled the Nationals hitters, holding them to just 2 runs, but in the 6th inning the bottom the fell out as he tired from spending to much time on the base paths. Wolf was unable to retire a batter in the inning and wound up being charged with 5 runs allowed before the inning was over, as part of a 6 run 6th inning for the Nats. Suddenly, and without warning the Nationals had stormed back, and the Phillies now led by only 2, at 10-8. In only 1/2 of an inning, the Phillies had gone from a relatively comfortable victory, to a real dogfight, but that wasn't their only problem. Back in the 5th inning with his team ahead 10-2, manager Charlie Manuel, apparently sensing victory, had taken Chase Utley out of the game in favor of Danny Sandoval. Thus, Utley was no longer available for the Phillies for the remainder of the game. Now since they were only ahead 10-8, the Phillies really needed to tack on some extra runs in order to put the outcome to rest, but without Utley, it seemed like that would not be easy. Luckily for the Phils, replacing Utley with Sandoval did not prove to be disastrous, as Sandoval himself wound up plating the phils 11th and eventual winning run on a sac fly in the 7th inning. the Nationals actually battled back in with 2 runs in the 8 inning, but the the Phils were able to tack on another run in the bottom of the 8th and hang on for a 12-10 win. Yeah, so the Phils made it a lot harder than it should have been, but a win is a win, so they have nothing to be ashamed of. Now unfortunately the Reds won again today as well so the Phils are still 2.5 games back. Well, happy trails everyone
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)