After dropping 2 in a row in Milwaukee the Phils needed a win today to salvage at least a split of the series with the Brewers. They got the win the hard way. Joe Blanton got the start, but he wasn't quite as sharp as usual and the umpire didn't give him a lot of the strikes he normally gets each game. Still, disagreeable strikezone not withstanding, Blanton managed to tough out 5 and 2/3rd innings, while allowing 5 runs on 7 hits. Meanwhile, the Phils exploded early with 6 runs through 5 innings, on a solo homer by Jimmy Rollins, and an RBI double by Ryan Howard in the 1st inning, a 2 run double by "the Flyin Hawaiian", Shane Victorino in the 2nd inning, and a 2 run single by Pedro Feliz in the 5th inning. They actually had a 6-1 lead heading into the 6th inning, before Blanton nearly gave it all back. Fortunately, Charlie pulled him just in time, as Clay Condrey closed out the inning. Chad Durbin got through the 7th inning, and put away the 1st 2 outs in the 8th inning, before giving way to Ryan Madson for the 4 out save. After getting the last out in the 8th and 1st out in the 9th without issue, Madson served up a double to Prince Fielder, putting the tying run in scoring position and suddenly it looked like Milwaukee would break the Phil's hearts all over again. Fortunately, Madson had another ideas. He got Felipe Lopez to ground out and then struck out Mike Cameron on a called 3rd strike. So at last someone closed out a game for the Phils, Hallelujah! Now does this mean Madson is the guy from here on out. I guess only time will tell but this was a pretty good audition. While the Phils did score 6 runs in the game, they also left 11 men on base, including some in scoring position. They'll have to clear that up if they want to close out the division in the next few days. Anyway so the Phils move to 90-65 overall, their next 2nd straight 90 win season for the 1st time since 1978 and just the 2nd time ever, and the magic number drops to 3.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
EAGLES NEWS
After an embarrassing loss to the Saints in their home opener, the Birds returned to the Linc this afternoon looking to get back on track against the Kansas City Chiefs. They did so and more. With Brian Westbrook, Donovan Mcnabb, and Kevin Curtis all missing from the Eagles' offense, no one was expecting a whole lot from them today, even against a very bad Chief's defense. That makes the fact that they amassed 420 yards of offense on the day all the more impressive. That also shows the ridiculous depth this team has on offense. Kevin Kolb picked up the slack at QB with yet another 300 yd effort, this time completing 24 of 34 passes for 327 yards and 2 TDs, including a 64 yd TD pass to Desean Jackson. Even without Curtis, the Eagles' receiving was superb. Jackson hauled in 6 balls for 149 yards and a TD, Brent Celek caught 8 balls for 104 yds and a TD, and the rookie Jeremy Maclin chipped in nicely with 4 catches for 33 yards. The rookie Lesean Mccoy was dazzling in place of Brian Westbrook, rushing 20 times for 84 yards and a TD. Oh and lest it be forgotten Micheal Vick made his long awaited debut with the Birds today as well. He didn't do a whole lot, rushing once for 7 yards, firing 2 incomplete passes, and acting as a decoy on some effective plays, but this 1st game was really more about him shaking off the rust of a 2 year layoff then really getting all that involved in the Bird's offense. So anyway it was simply a very impressive afternoon for the Eagles offense. Of course it really wasn't the offense that was problematic last week, it was the defense that really let the team down. This week the defense did an about face, overwhelming the Chief offensive line, to the tune of 3 sacks and 5 hits on QB Matt Cassel. The Birds also limited Kansas City to just 196 yards of offense, 99 rushing, and 97 passing. Essentially they once again looked like the dominant defense that picked apart the Panthers in week 1. Just like in that game they blitzed constantly and were on the attack all game long. Blitzing is exactly what they didn't do against the Saints and it's what they should do a good amount of in every game from here on out. They're just too strong and too fast to waste time dropping back into prevent defenses. Now as for the game it really was never all that close. The Birds scored on their first 2 drives, on a 5 yard run by Mccoy and a 1 yard scramble by Kolb. Kansas City made it close with Cassel and Micheal Bradley hooking up for a 13 yd TD pass to cut the lead to 14-7. It was just about all Eagles from there. Kolb answered the Cassell TD pass on the Bird's next drive with the 64 yd pass to Jackson. After a couple of David Aker's field goals, late in the 2nd quarter and early in the 3rd, pushed the lead to 27-7, Kolb led another long drive early in the 4th quarter capped off by a 35 yard TD pass to Celek to put Kansas City away for good with the lead 34-7. Jeff Garcia came in off the bench to finish off the game from there and promptly fumbled the ball away to set up a Chief TD, but it was too little too late and eventually Garcia came back in to run out the clock and finish the 34-14 Eagles win.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils continued their series with the Brewers tonight. Kyle Kendrick got the start and was pretty good allowing just 3 runs on 6 hits in 4 innings. Jamie Moyer took over for Kendrick in the 5th and he too pitched 4 adequately good innings, allowing just 2 runs on 3 hits. Meanwhile, the Phils were able to match those 5 runs, with a 2 run homer by Paul Bako in the 2nd inning, a sac fly by Jason Werth and an RBI single by Pedro Feliz in the 3rd inning, and a solo homer by Ryan Howard in the 5th inning. Thus, it was all tied up at 5 heading into the 9th inning. The Phils got the first crack at breaking the tie in the top of inning, but they couldn't come up with anything against always tough Trevor Hoffman, the major league' s all-time saves leader. In the bottom of the 9th it was Milwaukee's turn and they did not dissapoint as Ryan Braun lifted a 2 run homer into the seats to send the Brewers away with a 5-2 win. So another day, another problem with the Phils bullpen. This time it was Tyler Walker who got pasted in 9th inning, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits while failing to register an out. Still, even with the loss and all the bullpen troubles the Phils remain 5 games up in the NL East with only 8 games to play, so they are basically a lock to make the playoffs. It doesn't seem like they'll get very far once they get there though, if they can't figure out a way to get the bullpen healthy again. Anyway with the loss the Phils drop to 89-65 overall, but their magic number remains 4.
Friday, September 25, 2009
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils continued their series in Milwaukee tonight. Cliff Lee got the start and was roughed up again for about the 3rd time in his last 4 starts. This one may have been the worst of the 3 as Lee allowed 7 runs on 9 hits, including 3 run homers by Prince Fielder and Mike Cameron, in only 6 innings. The Phils meanwhile, against a guy in Manny Parra whom they had owned thus far in his career, could only come up with 2 runs on 4 hits in 7 innings, both on a 2 run single by Ryan Howard in the 4th inning. So after 7 innings the Phils found themselves in a 7-2 hole from which they could not climb out although they tried to gamely. Brad Lidge came on in relief in the 7th and allowed the Brewers to push the lead to 8-2. Then the Phils finally woke up in the 8th , as an RBI single by Howard and a fielder's choice cut the lead to 8-4. Then in the 9th inning they put 2 on with nobody out, but it was to no avail. From there Matt Staris popped up, Jimmy Rollins fouled out, and Shane Victorino grounded out to end the 8-4 Brewer win. Thus, the Phils magic number stays at 4. I cannot believe this keeps happening to Lee, but hopefully it is just a fluke and he'll pitch well when it really matters. It was interesting to Lidge pitch the 7th inning tonight and apparently that may be his role from now on. He looked half way decent tonight so maybe that is for the best. I am surprised the Phils performed so poorly against Parra tonight. They were batting .521 as a team against him coming in. I am not sure what Parra really did to turn that round. Perhaps they just got a little fatigued out there. The Phils got some more bad news on the injury front today as they were forced to scratch Pedro Martinez from his next start as he recuperates from that neck injury he suffered in his last start. While the injury does appear to be serious the Phils and Pedro decided to be cautious and sit him out for a start. So hopefully this will be the only start he misses. Kyle Kendrick will get the start in place of Pedro and hopefully he'll continue to pitch as well as he has been. Anyway so the Phils drop to 89-64 overall and down to 6 games up in the NL East.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils traveled to Milwaukee tonight to begin a series with the Brewers. J.A Happ got the start and he actually looked healthy for a change allowing just 2 runs on 6 hits while striking out 7 in 5 and 2/3rd's innings. Meanwhile, the Phils pounded the Brew Crew into submission with 8 runs on 12 hits off Jeff Suppan in just 4 innings. Ryan Howard slapped an RBI single in the 1st inning, Pedro Feliz lined an RBI double in the 4th inning and the Phils racked up 4 straight singles and a 2 run homer by Jimmy Rollins in the 5th inning, to forge ahead 8-0. Milwaukee made some middling attempts to rally back, but realistically after 6 innings the game was already pretty much over. Just for good measure JRoll added another run to the Phils total in the 7th inning, by scoring on an error. From there thanks to some shaky bullpen play Milwaukee almost came back or just got themselves back in the game a few times, but each time a Phils reliever managed to hold them off just enough. First it was Chad Durbin in the 7th inning then Tyler Walker getting out of a bases loaded jam in the 8th inning and finally Clay Condrey closing the door in the 9th inning after allowing a couple of runs to close out the 9-3 win. It was really an impressive night for the Phils to be able to go into Milwaukee and get a win like this. They scored 9 runs and only hit 1 homer. That bodes well for them going forward, because the long ball can only get you so far come playoff time. The Phils really are thin in the back of the bullpen right now. Even Condrey couldn't get outs tonight. The day that J.C Romero and Brett Myers return action again can't come soon enough. So anyway with the win the Phils move to 89-63 overall and still 7 games up in the NL East. Also their magic number drops down to 4 now.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils continued their series with the Marlins tonight, as they looked to get a firm hold on the division. For a while it looked like they would do just that as Cole Hamels went 7 innings allowing just 4 runs on 8 hits. Meanwhile, Ryan Howard racked up 4 RBIs all on his own with a 2 run double in the 4th inning, and a 2 run blast in the 7th inning. Raul Ibanez added a solo shot in the 6th inning and Hamels himself slapped an RBI single later in that same inning. After 7 and 1/2 innings the Phils were still ahead 6-3 and appeared to be headed for the win. Then the rains came and the wheels came loose. After an hour or so rain delay Ryan Madson took the mound and gave up a run in the 8th to cut it to 6-5. Then in came Brad Lidge to get the save in the 9th. He almost did, getting 2 outs with only a man on 2nd. Next Hanley Ramirez drew a walk and Jorge Cantu followed him with a game tying single. Finally Bret Carroll lined a pinch single that just got through the infield to give the Fish the 7-6 win. There's really not much else to say. Lidge is still not 100% and it is beginning to become doubtful now that he ever will be, at least this season anyway. Tonight there really wasn't anyone else available to pitch so you can't blame Charlie for giving Lidge another shot. I just hope Chan Ho Park and Brett Myers get well soon. Anyway so the Phils drop to 88-63 overall now and down 6.5 games up in the NL East. The magic number is still 5 though, so there is nothing to worried about.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils traveled down to Florida tonight to begin a series with the Marlins, which if they win, could help them effectively put their NL East lead out of reach. Today, to make up for yet another game that got rained out earlier this season, the Phils and Fish engaged in a doubleheader, and not just any doubleheader, but the rare back to back doubleheader. That's right the 2 teams played the 2 games literally about 20 minutes apart from each other. In the first game Joe Blanton was dominating, striking out 9 and allowing just 2 hits in 7 shutout innings. Meanwhile, a 2 run single by Jayson Werth in the 5th inning pushed the Phils ahead 4-0. Then in the 8th inning the Phils put it out of reach with a solo homer by Raul Ibanez, a sac fly by Jimmy Rollins, a wild pitch, and a 2 run single by Ryan Howard pushing the lead to 9-0. Florida gamely cut the lead to 9-3 in the bottom of the inning before Clay Condrey closed it out in the 9th inning. In the 2nd game Anibal Sanchez turned the tables on the Phils striking out 7 and allowing just 2 hits in 8 scoreless innings. Meanwhile, Jamie Moyer posted 7 strong innings for the Phils allowing just 3 runs on 9 hits, while striking out 5. Unfortunately, the Phils could not put together a rally in the 9th, as Leo Nunez retired them in order to clinch a split of the doubleheader and Moyer's first loss ever in Miami. It's too bad they didn't win the 2nd game of the doubleheader because then they would really be in the driver seat right now, but ultimately it was a good night for the Phils. They did what they had to do. Sanchez was just too dominant and they were a little tired I think in that 2nd game. I am impressed with how well Moyer has pitched since the Phils moved him to the bullpen. Is there anything this 46 year old can't do. On a more negative note it was revealed today in an MRI that Brett Myers has a strained shoulder and is going to end up back on the DL for a week or so. He should be ready to pitch by the time the playoffs roll around, but losing another reliever to injury was the last thing the Phils needed right now. Hopefully his absence won't hurt them too much down the stretch. At any rate the Phils move to 88-62 overall now, still 7.5 games up in the NL East, and their magic number drops to 5 with that win in the first game.
Monday, September 21, 2009
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils are off today which means we can now finish our countdown of the Phils top 25 most memorable player nicknames No.s 5-1.
5. "The Secretary of Defense" aka CF Gary Maddox.
When you lead the NL in virtually every defensive category used to measure the play of an outfielder for a decade, you tend to get a nickname like this one. The truth is Maddux really was the best defensively at his position in the 70s and early 80s. From 1975 - 1982 he won 8 straight gold glove awards. From 1973 to 1980 He accumulated 300 or more putouts 8 straight times. Finally overall his career fielding percentage was an incredible .983 with just 78 career errors in 14 seasons(only about 5 a season) to his name. In fact, he never committed more than 10 errors in a season. Unfortunately, as good as his defense was, that's how bad his hitting could be. He was a serviceable hitter for the most part, generally about .280 or so per season, but that was never quite good enough for Maddox to earn the accolades he deserved. Thanks to his 2nd tier hitting he never did manage to get on an all-star team, and some say he's best player ever to never play in an All-Star game. At any rate while it couldn't get him into the midsummer classic, Maddox's hitting was enough to allow him to shine come fall. It was Maddox who raced under and squeezed the final out of the 1980 NLCS and it was Maddox who slapped the game winning hit in that same game. For those two indelible moments he will always be remembered.
4."The Met Killer" aka LF Pat Burrell.
No Phillie terrorized the hated Mets in the last 5 years or so quite like Burrell did. He could be in an 0 for 30 slump and still come in and get hit to bury New York. Whether he was getting the hit to put the nail in the Mets' coffin or delivering a dramatic late inning homer or hit to save his team, the Mets certainly saw there fare share of Burrell while he was here. They're probably very happy now that he is in Tampa. One man who must have been particularly happy to see Burrell go would be ex Phils closer Billy Wagner. Burrell owned Wagner in 2007 and 2008 with a couple of dramatic late inning homers to thwart Wagner save opportunities. Wagner wasn't the only Met pitcher to feel the sting of a Burrell homer. In his career against the Mets thus far Burrell has batted .246 with 42 homers, 104 RBIs, and 132 hits, simply remarkable numbers to have against one team. It really is thanks to the power of the Met killer, that the Phils were able to track down the Mets for the 2007 NL East crown. He was a big help again for the same reason in 2008. So it was tough to see him go in the offseasonn, but it's okay because there is a new Met killer in town and his name is Raul Ibanez. Thus far against the Mets in his career, Ibanez is batting .297 with 6 homers, 23 RBIs, and 30 hits. Behold the new Met Killer.
3."The Wampum Walloper" aka 1B/OF Dick Allen.
Okay so this one is pretty easy. Allen was born and raised in Wampum PA, not far from the city of the Philadelphia, and if you ever saw him play at old Connie Mack stadium you know he packed one heck of Wallop with every swing of the bat. If you think Ryan Howard hits long homers you should check out video of Allen. Right from the first time he stood at the plate as a rookie he and his titanic blasts were an awesome sight to behold. His rookie season in 1964 is arguably the greatest rookie season any Phils player has ever had. That year en route to rookie of the year honors, he batted .318 with 29 homers, 91 RBIs, 201 hits, 125 runs scored, 13 triples, and 38 doubles, all while carrying the team on his back as they pushed towards the playoffs. Then of course there was that monumental collapse and what could have been a long star-studded career here quickly dissolved into frustration and petty bickering. Allen continued to play on an unworldly level for the next 5 seasons in Philadelphia, bashing 40 homers in 1966, and joining the 20-20 club in 1967 with 23 homers and 20 stolen bases. None of it was ever good enough for the Philly faithful who expected ,perhaps unfairly after Allen's rookie season, to see him leading the team into the playoffs and to a championship. It wasn't Allen's fault the team didn't win in those years but the fans just wouldn't let him off the hook. Eventually after day after day of obscenities and trash being hurled his way, Allen just couldn't take any longer and left for St.Louis in 1969. Incredibly he came back in 1975, but he was no longer the same player and retired 2 years later.
2."Lefty" aka P Steve Carlton.
When you're a left handed pitcher and they simply call you Lefty there's not much else to say.
1."Micheal Jack" aka 3B Mike Schmidt.
What, you expected someone else at the top of the list? Okay so this a bit of cheat, since it's not really a nickname, it is his name, Micheal Jack Schmidt, but the way Harry Kalas always said it so perfectly, it has gotten to the point where all you have to say is those 2 words and everyone knows who you are talking about. I don't have to tell you how great a player he was. You already know him to be the greatest 3B who ever lived. I'll let the numbers speak for themselves here, 548 homeruns, 1595 RBIs, 2234 hits, 1506 runs scored, 1507 walks, 10 gold glove awards, 6 silver slugger awards, 12 all-star game appearances, 3 NL MVP awards, 1 World Series MVP award, #1 in our hearts.
5. "The Secretary of Defense" aka CF Gary Maddox.
When you lead the NL in virtually every defensive category used to measure the play of an outfielder for a decade, you tend to get a nickname like this one. The truth is Maddux really was the best defensively at his position in the 70s and early 80s. From 1975 - 1982 he won 8 straight gold glove awards. From 1973 to 1980 He accumulated 300 or more putouts 8 straight times. Finally overall his career fielding percentage was an incredible .983 with just 78 career errors in 14 seasons(only about 5 a season) to his name. In fact, he never committed more than 10 errors in a season. Unfortunately, as good as his defense was, that's how bad his hitting could be. He was a serviceable hitter for the most part, generally about .280 or so per season, but that was never quite good enough for Maddox to earn the accolades he deserved. Thanks to his 2nd tier hitting he never did manage to get on an all-star team, and some say he's best player ever to never play in an All-Star game. At any rate while it couldn't get him into the midsummer classic, Maddox's hitting was enough to allow him to shine come fall. It was Maddox who raced under and squeezed the final out of the 1980 NLCS and it was Maddox who slapped the game winning hit in that same game. For those two indelible moments he will always be remembered.
4."The Met Killer" aka LF Pat Burrell.
No Phillie terrorized the hated Mets in the last 5 years or so quite like Burrell did. He could be in an 0 for 30 slump and still come in and get hit to bury New York. Whether he was getting the hit to put the nail in the Mets' coffin or delivering a dramatic late inning homer or hit to save his team, the Mets certainly saw there fare share of Burrell while he was here. They're probably very happy now that he is in Tampa. One man who must have been particularly happy to see Burrell go would be ex Phils closer Billy Wagner. Burrell owned Wagner in 2007 and 2008 with a couple of dramatic late inning homers to thwart Wagner save opportunities. Wagner wasn't the only Met pitcher to feel the sting of a Burrell homer. In his career against the Mets thus far Burrell has batted .246 with 42 homers, 104 RBIs, and 132 hits, simply remarkable numbers to have against one team. It really is thanks to the power of the Met killer, that the Phils were able to track down the Mets for the 2007 NL East crown. He was a big help again for the same reason in 2008. So it was tough to see him go in the offseasonn, but it's okay because there is a new Met killer in town and his name is Raul Ibanez. Thus far against the Mets in his career, Ibanez is batting .297 with 6 homers, 23 RBIs, and 30 hits. Behold the new Met Killer.
3."The Wampum Walloper" aka 1B/OF Dick Allen.
Okay so this one is pretty easy. Allen was born and raised in Wampum PA, not far from the city of the Philadelphia, and if you ever saw him play at old Connie Mack stadium you know he packed one heck of Wallop with every swing of the bat. If you think Ryan Howard hits long homers you should check out video of Allen. Right from the first time he stood at the plate as a rookie he and his titanic blasts were an awesome sight to behold. His rookie season in 1964 is arguably the greatest rookie season any Phils player has ever had. That year en route to rookie of the year honors, he batted .318 with 29 homers, 91 RBIs, 201 hits, 125 runs scored, 13 triples, and 38 doubles, all while carrying the team on his back as they pushed towards the playoffs. Then of course there was that monumental collapse and what could have been a long star-studded career here quickly dissolved into frustration and petty bickering. Allen continued to play on an unworldly level for the next 5 seasons in Philadelphia, bashing 40 homers in 1966, and joining the 20-20 club in 1967 with 23 homers and 20 stolen bases. None of it was ever good enough for the Philly faithful who expected ,perhaps unfairly after Allen's rookie season, to see him leading the team into the playoffs and to a championship. It wasn't Allen's fault the team didn't win in those years but the fans just wouldn't let him off the hook. Eventually after day after day of obscenities and trash being hurled his way, Allen just couldn't take any longer and left for St.Louis in 1969. Incredibly he came back in 1975, but he was no longer the same player and retired 2 years later.
2."Lefty" aka P Steve Carlton.
When you're a left handed pitcher and they simply call you Lefty there's not much else to say.
1."Micheal Jack" aka 3B Mike Schmidt.
What, you expected someone else at the top of the list? Okay so this a bit of cheat, since it's not really a nickname, it is his name, Micheal Jack Schmidt, but the way Harry Kalas always said it so perfectly, it has gotten to the point where all you have to say is those 2 words and everyone knows who you are talking about. I don't have to tell you how great a player he was. You already know him to be the greatest 3B who ever lived. I'll let the numbers speak for themselves here, 548 homeruns, 1595 RBIs, 2234 hits, 1506 runs scored, 1507 walks, 10 gold glove awards, 6 silver slugger awards, 12 all-star game appearances, 3 NL MVP awards, 1 World Series MVP award, #1 in our hearts.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils finished their series with the Braves this afternoon, well sort of. The first half of the game was in the afternoon, but a rain delay pushed the conclusion into the evening. At any rate Cliff Lee got the start and pitched well, but the delay forced him to leave after the 4th inning. Fortunately by then the Phils had already built a 4-1 lead, thanks to an RBI double by Ben Francisco in the 3rd inning, an RBI double by Raul Ibanez and an RBI single by Pedro Feliz in the 4th inning, and finally a triple by Chase Utley in the 5th inning. Then the rains came before the two teams could begin the bottom of the 5th inning. From there Tyler Walker and Sergio Escalona combined to get the Phils to the 8th inning with the lead intact. Ryan Madson took it from there with a 1-2-3 8th. Finally in came Brad Lidge to get the save in 9th, and after allowing a 2 out run, he was able to close out a 4-2 Phils win. This was Lidge's 31st save of the season thus far which is not too bad for a guy who has also blown 10 saves this season. Really though this was an impressive afternoon for the Phils bullpen and they would not have won if it hadn't been. The Phils scored 4 runs today without hitting a single homerun. That's a good sign for a team that had been struggling to score without the long ball. With the win today the Phils also took the series from the Braves and reduced their magic number to just 6 now. Overall they are now 87-61 and back to 8 games up in the NL East.
EAGLES NEWS
Fresh off an easy win over the Carolina Panthers the Eagles returned to the Linc this afternoon for their home opener against Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. With Donovan Mcnabb still nursing a fractured rib, Kevin Kolb took the field for the first start of his NFL career. He played well completing 31 of 51 passes for 391 yds and 2 TDs. Unfortunately, he was also intercepted 3 times, and although 2 of the 3 realistically occured when the game was already over including one right at the end that was returned for a TD, they still provided theme for the Eagles today. They simply made too many mistakes in every facet of the game to contend with the high powered Saint's offense today. They committed 7 penalties for 45 yards, most of them stupid special teams penalties that ruined good returns. In addition to Kolb's 3 turnovers, Ellis Hobbs fumbled the opening punt return in the 2nd half, killing off all of the momentum the Eagles had at the time. Lastly the Eagles defense broke down far too many times. Sure, Drew Brees had another unbelievable day throwing for 311 yards and 3 TDS, but it all seemed a little too easy at times. Yeah he made a couple absolutely perfect throws that the Eagles really couldn't do anything about, but there were quite a few plays they could have defensed better. In adittion they also did one thing you can't do against the Saints, they allowed them to run the ball effectively for 133 yards and 2 TDs. In all New Orleans racked up 421 total yards of offense and 48 points That's embarrassing even against the Saints, especially considering the Eagles posted 463 yards of offense and 22 points. Thus, they could have, should have and would have been right with New Orleans in this game if the defense could have played even half as good today as they did last week. In reality the offense was the only bright spot for the Birds. Besides Kolb, Desean Jackson with 4 catches, including a 71 yard TD pass, for 101 yards, Brent Celek with 8 catches for 104 yards and Jason Avant with 7 catches for 79 yards were also impressive. Yep that was pretty much the only thing for the Birds to be positive about today. They were also right with New Orleans after the 1st half of the game with the score 17-13 Saints, so that was kind of positive as well. Unfortunately it didn't last long, as Hobbs fumbled the opening punt of the 2nd half to set up one Saints score and then Kolb tossed in his first interception of the day to set up another Saint's score and before you knew it the Saints were up 31-13 and the Eagles were finished.
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils continued their series with the Braves tonight. Pedro Martinez got the start but he was clearly tired from his 130 pitch effort last weekend,and he tweaked something in his kneck during an at bat and had to leave after the 3rd inning. Before he left Pedro allowed 3 runs on 7 hits, putting the Phils in an early hole from which they could not escape, especially not after Chad Durbin allowed another 3 runs on 2 hits through the next few innings. It was still 6-0 Atlanta as the Phils came to the plate in the top of the 9th. There they finally mounted a rally but it came up just short. First Ryan Howard crushed a 2 run homer. Then with 2 out, Jimmy Rollins and Greg Dobbs collected back to back RBI singles to cut the lead to 6-4 and allow the go ahead run to come to the plate in the person of Ben Francisco. Unfortunately, Francisco popped up to end it and the Phils 6 game winning streak. After watching Pedro tonight, it seems the Phils will have to be a little more judicial when using him from now on. He obviously can't handle the workload he used to anymore. Hopefully his injury is not serious. Speaking of injuries Dobbs had been out for a while with an injury before tonight, so it was great to see him back out there again collecting a pinch hit. The Phils were scoreless until the 9th thanks largely to Braves starter Javier Vazquez who is having a heck of a season with now 14 wins. If not for the Cardinals Chris Carpenter, Vazquez might be on his way to a cy young. Anyway so the Phils drop to 86-61 overall, and now lead the NL East by just 7 games.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils traveled to Atlanta tonight to begin a series with the Braves. Back in action after missing a couple starts with an injury,J.A Happ got the start and pitched well, but he tweaked his injury again and had to leave after the 3rd inning. Fortunately, Kyle Kendrick picked up the slack tossing 4 scoreless innings in relief, to help limit Atlanta to just 1 run on 8 hits through 7. Meanwhile, the Phils put up 3 runs during that time, thanks to a 2 run blast by Ryan Howard in the 4th inning, and a solo shot by Howard in the 6th inning. A 2 run single by Jayson Werth in the 8th inning push the lead to 5-1, before Tyler Walker allowed Atlanta to cut it to 5-3 in the bottom of the inning. The Phils put it away for good in the 9th inning with a 3 run homer by Jimmy Rollins and a solo homer by Ben Francisco pushing the lead to 9-3. Finally in the bottom of the 9th, after allowing a run Chad Durbin closed out a 9-4 win, their 6th in a row. Tonight was just another case of Mr.September wielding his magic. This 2 homer night is exactly what you expect to see out of Howard this time of year and it move him to 40 hrs on the season now, his 4th straight season with at least 40 homers and 120 RBIs. The record for such seasons in a row is 6. It was a downer though to see Happ reinjure himself. Hopefully it's not too serious and he'll be back again, but if not it seems Kyle Kendrick or Jamie Moyer can easily pick up the slack. What an advantage it is to have so many strong arms on one team. Speaking of injuries the prognosis for Chan Ho Park was not too bad, as he is expected to only miss 2-3 weeks, so he'll be back before the end of the season. So anyway the Phils move to 86-60 overall now and remain 8 games up in the NL East. Oh and since it is that time of year their magic number is currently 9 with 16 games to play.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils completed their series with the Nationals tonight, as they looked to get the sweep. Cole Hamels got the start and was untouchable again allowing just 1 run on 5 hits while striking out 10 in 8 brilliant innings. Meanwhile the Phils lineup had another slow night. It took them to the 5th inning to get on the board with an RBI double by Jimmy Rollins. In the 6th inning Carlos Ruiz worked a bases loaded walk and Hamels himself slapped an RBI single to put the Phils up 3-0. Finally in the 7th 2 wild pitches allowed Chase Utley to manufacture a 4th run. Thus, heading into the 9th inning the Phils lead 4-1. Brad Lidge then came in to get the save in the 9th and he managed to get the job done despite allowing yet another run, to give the Phils their 5th straight win. How well is Hamels pitching now? He's like a totally different guy out there all of a sudden. Maybe all he needed was for it to be fall again. That it when he is usually at his best after all. So anyway the Phils move to 85-60 overall now and still 7.5 games up in the NL East.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils continued their series with the Nationals tonight as Joe Blanton took the mound looking to redeem himself after a subpar showing in his last outing. He did that and more tossing 6 scoreless innings while striking out 7 on just 5 hits. Meanwhile, the Phils used some clutch play to put up 6 runs over the 1st 7 innings. In the 1st, with 2 on and 2 out, a double steal got the Phils their 1st run, with a successful steal of 2nd base by Ryan Howard opening the door for Chase Utley to steal home. An error by Ian Desmond allowed Raul Ibanez to score the Phils 2nd run of the night in the 6th inning. Finally in the 7th inning after Ibanez toughed out a 9 pitch walk to load the bases, Jayson Werth broke the game wide open with a grand slam. Just like that it was 6-0 Phils. They still needed another 6 outs though. Ryan Madson and Tyler Walker combined to get them and hold off Washington 6-1. Ryan Howard now has 7 stolen bases this season. Who would have even dreamed that a year ago. Werth's homer was his 34th of the season. He might just hit 40 which would be rarified air for a Phillies player. Only 6 Phils have ever hit 40 homers in a season, Chuck Klein, Cy Williams, Ryan Howard, Jim Thome, Dick Allen and of course Mike Schmidt. The only bad news for the Phils tonight is that stud reliever Chan Ho Park badly injured his hamstring while pitching in the 7th inning tonight. Fortunately J.C Romero is back with the Phils again after a stint on the DL and Clay Condrey looks to be back from his time on the DL shortly. So they can get by right now without Park, but it will be a huge blow if it turns out that Park is done for the season. Anyway so the Phls move to 86-40 overall now and remain 7 games up in the NL East.
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils welcomed the Nationals to the Bank tonight to begin a new series. Cliff Lee got the start and after 2 less than Cliff Lee outings, he was magnificent again tonight, tossing a 6 hit complete game shutout while striking out 9. Meanwhile, the Phils racked up 5 runs in the 1st 2 innings for an early lead they would never relinquish. In the 1st, Chase Utley slapped an RBI single. In the 2nd, Carlos Ruiz lined a 3 run double into the gap, and Jimmy Rollins slapped an RBI single for a 5-0 lead. Thanks to Lee that's how it ended. It was fantastic to see Lee acting like a big game pitcher again. Hopefully he'll now carry what he did tonight into the rest of the season because the Phils are going to need to keep pitching well like this. The Phils have now won 3 games in a row at just right time, as the Florida Marlins, 2nd in the NL East, dropped 3 in a row. So at 83-60 overall the Phils now lead the NL East by 7 games. That's pretty sweet if you ask me.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
EAGLES NEWS
The Eagles continued their wheeling and dealing today amidst some bad news. First the bad news is that once again Offensive lineman Shawn Andrews is done for the season thanks to the back injury he suffered during training camp. As of yet the Birds have not added another lineman to the roster to fill his spot. However, they have released WR Hank Baskett to open up the roster space needed to add another lineman. The speculation was that of the Eagles 7 recievers, Reggie Brown was the most vulnerable to being released by the team. Instead it is Baskett who gets the old heave ho. Anyway now that he is gone this means there is room for the Birds to bring back Jon Runyan to fill in gap left by Andrew's loss.
SIXERS NEWS
The Sixers have made another interesting offseason move, reacquiring ex first round draft pick Rodney Carney to add depth to their bench. A light's out 3 point shooter at times, Carney is a solid addition to this team. It will be interesting to see what he can bring to the table now after being away from the Sixers for a bit.
Monday, September 14, 2009
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils are off today so it is time to continue the countdown of the Phils 25 most memorable player knicknames No.s 10 - 6.
10. "Big Ed" aka OF Ed Delahanty.
The Phils first star player and Baseball's first great power hitter, is arguably the Phils all-time greatest hitter. In fact from 1888 to 1903 he was arguably the best hitter in baseball, batting .400 or better 3 times, slamming 10 or more homers in the dead-ball era, 3 times, Topping 120 RBIs 4 times, and racking up 200 or more hits 3 times. His .410 batting average in 1899 is the still the highest single season mark in Phils history. He was the first Philto hit 4 homers in a game in which the Phils took the loss of course. He was also just the 2nd Phil to be inducted into the hall of fame(Grover Cleveland Alexander was the first) So why isn't he remembered more by the Phils as an all-time great. Is it just because he played so long ago? Perhaps, but the real reason is the mystery behind his sudden death in 1903, a death that robbed him of the ability to put up lasting career numbers. No one really knows what happened on that cold night in Niagara Falls NY, after a drunk Delahanty was kicked off the train crossing the bridge over the falls. At some point Delahanty decided to traverse the bridge on foot, and either plummeted to his death in a druken stupor or threw himself off the bridge in a fit of suicidal rage. Ethier way he was never seen again and his body was found the next day, cutting short a great baseball career. Oh and Ed's nickname came from the fact that at 6-1 170 LBs he was a godzilla of a man in his day. With 101 homers in the deadball era he must have been Godzilla.
9. "Puddin Head" aka 3B Willie Jones.
When your teammates don't think too highly of your mental acumen, puddin head is what they call you, as in mush for brains. You get the idea. With 27 errors in 1949, 25 in 1950 and at least 10 or more in 10 consecutive seasons from 1949-1958 it's no wonder Jones inherited the knickname for the mentally challenged. Still, he was a pretty good hitter, particularly as the 3B for the whiz kids in 1950. That he year he batted .267 with 25 HRs 88 RBIs, 28 doubles, 163 hits, and 100 runs scored, just good enough for his first all-star game appearance. He had one more good season in 1951, with 22 HRs and 81 RBIs and another all-star game appearance. From them on he toiled in mediocrity for the rest of his career, before chronically sore feet and all those mental mistakes forced him to retire in 1961. Despite the foot pain and the mental challenges, Jones still managed to amass an impressive 190 HRs, 812 RBIs, and 1502 Hits in his career, all near the top of the Phils all-time lists. Plus Puddin Head is just too priceless a nickname to leave off this list.
8. "The Flyin Hawaiian" aka CF Shane Victorino.
Yeah he's Hawaiian but that's not where this nickname comes from. Suffice it to say this guy can flat out fly. Whether it's around the bases or chasing down a fly ball in the outfield, Victorino's speed never fails to impress. Since 2007 only Jimmy Rollins has more stolen bases for the Phils than Victorino's 96 and no one has fewer errors since 2007 then Victorino's 6. He simply tracks down every ball that comes his way and his arm is 2nd to none. At just 5-9 and 160 lbs Victorino is not big in stature by any means, but he has the heart of the champion and you can't measure that. Time and time again it was Victorino who saved his team in 2008. There was the perfect throw off 1 hop to gun down Gregor Blanco at the plate and preserve a win in Atlanta. There was the grand slam off C.C Sabathia in game 2 of the NLDS. There was the leaping 1 handed catch to preserve victory against the Dodgers in game 2 of the NLCS. There was the game tying 2 run homer in game 4 of the NLCS. Finally, there was the go ahead single early in game 5 of the world series. You name it Shane did it for the Phils last season. For that he'll never be forgotten.
7."Mr.September" aka 1B Ryan Howard.
Sometimes one month brings out the best in a player year after year. For Reggie Jackson it was October. For Derek Jeter it was ,for a fleeting moment, November. For Ryan Howard it is unequivocally September. If it's the thick of the playoff race in September and the Phils need a hit, Howard is usually the guy to get it. For his career in September Howard is averaging 11 homers, 26 RBIs, and 26 hits, all impressive numbers for anybody after a long grueling season. Starting in 2005 Howard has simply been the man for the Phils in September. That year compiled 11 homers and 27 RBIs in september. In 2006 he racked up 9 homers and 21 RBIs and went on to win the NL MVP award. In 2007 he smashed 11 homers and knocked in 26 runs. Finally last season Howard took it to a new level with 11 homers and 31 RBIs. It's no wonder that after all those years and all those heroics that his teammates couldn't resist giving Howard the nickname Mr. September. He's earned it.
6."The Bull" aka LF Greg Luzinski.
A key member of the 1980 world champions, Luzinksi is probably responsible for more titanic blasts than any other player in Phils history, even Howard. Like a Bull he put a charge into every ball he hit and the outcome was often a monstrous homerun. 5 times in his career with the Phils he hit 20 homers or more and 3 times with the Phils he knocked in 100 runs or more. Unfortunately with all the power there came a lot of strikeouts as well. In fact Luzinski is still top 5 on the Phils all-time homerun and strikeout lists with 223 and 1098 respectively. The greatest weakness for Luzinski though was always his defense. He didn't have the speed nor the wherewithall to track down most balls, nor the arm strength to throw most runners out. This cost him more than once during big moments and led the Phillies to surprisingly ship him out of town following the 1980 season. In fact many fans were devastated the Phils let him go, proof that sometimes hitting a lot of homers is enough to win the fan base. Say what you want about the defense and the strikeouts, but more than anything else Luzinski will be remembered for the brute strength he so often exhibited and the parabolic blasts he often put on display. No Bull.
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10. "Big Ed" aka OF Ed Delahanty.
The Phils first star player and Baseball's first great power hitter, is arguably the Phils all-time greatest hitter. In fact from 1888 to 1903 he was arguably the best hitter in baseball, batting .400 or better 3 times, slamming 10 or more homers in the dead-ball era, 3 times, Topping 120 RBIs 4 times, and racking up 200 or more hits 3 times. His .410 batting average in 1899 is the still the highest single season mark in Phils history. He was the first Philto hit 4 homers in a game in which the Phils took the loss of course. He was also just the 2nd Phil to be inducted into the hall of fame(Grover Cleveland Alexander was the first) So why isn't he remembered more by the Phils as an all-time great. Is it just because he played so long ago? Perhaps, but the real reason is the mystery behind his sudden death in 1903, a death that robbed him of the ability to put up lasting career numbers. No one really knows what happened on that cold night in Niagara Falls NY, after a drunk Delahanty was kicked off the train crossing the bridge over the falls. At some point Delahanty decided to traverse the bridge on foot, and either plummeted to his death in a druken stupor or threw himself off the bridge in a fit of suicidal rage. Ethier way he was never seen again and his body was found the next day, cutting short a great baseball career. Oh and Ed's nickname came from the fact that at 6-1 170 LBs he was a godzilla of a man in his day. With 101 homers in the deadball era he must have been Godzilla.
9. "Puddin Head" aka 3B Willie Jones.
When your teammates don't think too highly of your mental acumen, puddin head is what they call you, as in mush for brains. You get the idea. With 27 errors in 1949, 25 in 1950 and at least 10 or more in 10 consecutive seasons from 1949-1958 it's no wonder Jones inherited the knickname for the mentally challenged. Still, he was a pretty good hitter, particularly as the 3B for the whiz kids in 1950. That he year he batted .267 with 25 HRs 88 RBIs, 28 doubles, 163 hits, and 100 runs scored, just good enough for his first all-star game appearance. He had one more good season in 1951, with 22 HRs and 81 RBIs and another all-star game appearance. From them on he toiled in mediocrity for the rest of his career, before chronically sore feet and all those mental mistakes forced him to retire in 1961. Despite the foot pain and the mental challenges, Jones still managed to amass an impressive 190 HRs, 812 RBIs, and 1502 Hits in his career, all near the top of the Phils all-time lists. Plus Puddin Head is just too priceless a nickname to leave off this list.
8. "The Flyin Hawaiian" aka CF Shane Victorino.
Yeah he's Hawaiian but that's not where this nickname comes from. Suffice it to say this guy can flat out fly. Whether it's around the bases or chasing down a fly ball in the outfield, Victorino's speed never fails to impress. Since 2007 only Jimmy Rollins has more stolen bases for the Phils than Victorino's 96 and no one has fewer errors since 2007 then Victorino's 6. He simply tracks down every ball that comes his way and his arm is 2nd to none. At just 5-9 and 160 lbs Victorino is not big in stature by any means, but he has the heart of the champion and you can't measure that. Time and time again it was Victorino who saved his team in 2008. There was the perfect throw off 1 hop to gun down Gregor Blanco at the plate and preserve a win in Atlanta. There was the grand slam off C.C Sabathia in game 2 of the NLDS. There was the leaping 1 handed catch to preserve victory against the Dodgers in game 2 of the NLCS. There was the game tying 2 run homer in game 4 of the NLCS. Finally, there was the go ahead single early in game 5 of the world series. You name it Shane did it for the Phils last season. For that he'll never be forgotten.
7."Mr.September" aka 1B Ryan Howard.
Sometimes one month brings out the best in a player year after year. For Reggie Jackson it was October. For Derek Jeter it was ,for a fleeting moment, November. For Ryan Howard it is unequivocally September. If it's the thick of the playoff race in September and the Phils need a hit, Howard is usually the guy to get it. For his career in September Howard is averaging 11 homers, 26 RBIs, and 26 hits, all impressive numbers for anybody after a long grueling season. Starting in 2005 Howard has simply been the man for the Phils in September. That year compiled 11 homers and 27 RBIs in september. In 2006 he racked up 9 homers and 21 RBIs and went on to win the NL MVP award. In 2007 he smashed 11 homers and knocked in 26 runs. Finally last season Howard took it to a new level with 11 homers and 31 RBIs. It's no wonder that after all those years and all those heroics that his teammates couldn't resist giving Howard the nickname Mr. September. He's earned it.
6."The Bull" aka LF Greg Luzinski.
A key member of the 1980 world champions, Luzinksi is probably responsible for more titanic blasts than any other player in Phils history, even Howard. Like a Bull he put a charge into every ball he hit and the outcome was often a monstrous homerun. 5 times in his career with the Phils he hit 20 homers or more and 3 times with the Phils he knocked in 100 runs or more. Unfortunately with all the power there came a lot of strikeouts as well. In fact Luzinski is still top 5 on the Phils all-time homerun and strikeout lists with 223 and 1098 respectively. The greatest weakness for Luzinski though was always his defense. He didn't have the speed nor the wherewithall to track down most balls, nor the arm strength to throw most runners out. This cost him more than once during big moments and led the Phillies to surprisingly ship him out of town following the 1980 season. In fact many fans were devastated the Phils let him go, proof that sometimes hitting a lot of homers is enough to win the fan base. Say what you want about the defense and the strikeouts, but more than anything else Luzinski will be remembered for the brute strength he so often exhibited and the parabolic blasts he often put on display. No Bull.
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EAGLES NEWS
Donovan Mcnabb's status for this weekend is still in question but the Eagles aren't taking any chances. They signed Jeff Garcia to a 1 year deal today and for now he is officially Kevin Kolb's backup. Of course with Micheal Vick back in week 3 and Mcnabb possibly healthy by then, if not this week, this could be a short stay for Garcia. The funny thing is that Eagles brought in Garcia only because A.J Feeley was signed by the Carolina Panthers, the same Panthers the Eagles drubbed 38-10 last weekend. If Feeley had still been available he probably would have been back here instead.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
EAGLES NEWS
The Eagles began their regular season this afternoon in Carolina against the Panthers. It was from beginning to end a surprisingly impressive performance by the Birds. The defense in particular was dominant all afternoon. They forced 7 turnovers, sacked the Panther quarterbacks 5 times, and held the Panthers to under 200 yds passing and under 100 yds rushing. It just seemed like everything the Eagles threw at Carolina defensively worked too perfection. Offensively the Birds actually didn't do that much, but they didn't have to, as Victor Abiamiri returned a fumble for a TD and Desean Jackson returned a punt 85 yards for a TD to give the Eagles an early lead. When the Eagles offense did get on the field though it played pretty well, especially the running game which amassed 185 yards and 2 TDs. Donovan Mcnabb himself, didn't do much in this one completing 10 of his 18 passes for just 79 yards and 2 TDs, mostly because the Eagles field position was so good all afternoon. Early on things didn't look good as Carolina drove right down the field and into the end zone for a quick 7-0 lead. It was all Eagles from there. In the 1st quarter David Akers kicked a 49 yd field goal. In the 2nd quarter Abiamiri and Jackon each produced their scores, and Mcnabb fired touchdown passes to Brent Celek and Brian Westbrook late in the first half to give the Eagles a 31-10 halftime lead. Midway through the 3rd quarter Mcnabb put Carolina away for good with a 3yd TD run to push the lead to 38-10 and that's how it ended. Unfortunately, Mcnabb fractured his rib on the play, while fighting to get in the end zone and is now listed as questionable for the Eagles next game next weekend. With no 3rd string QB currently on the roster, the Eagles next week will have no one, unless they bring someone else in, to backup Kevin Kolb should he get the call to duty. So hopefully Mcnabb will be alright to play next week or the Birds will be in a whole host of trouble.
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils completed their series with the Mets today with a doublheader. In the first game of the doubleheader Kyle Kendrick got the spot start and pitched surprisingly well allowing just 2 runs on 7 hits in 7 and 1/3rd innings. Meanwhile, the Phils scattered 5 runs over 8 innings, with a RBI double by Ryan Howard in the 1st, a solo homer by Ben Francisco in the 4th, a 2 run homer by "the Flyin Hawaiian", Shane Victorino in the 6th, and an RBI single by Andy Tracy, recently called up from AAA Lehigh, in the 8th inning. Thus the Phils took a 5-2 lead into the 9th inning. Then in came Brad Lidge for the save and again it wasn't pretty but this time he got it done. After allowing 2 runs on 3 hits, Lidge managed to strike out Angel Pagan to at last close out a 5-4 win. In the 2nd game of the doubleheader Pedro Martinez got the start and tossed a gem, going 8 scoreless innings, while allowing just 6 hits and striking out 7. Meanwhile, the Phils managed to get a run in the 1st inning on an RBI single by Chase Utley, but they too could not score after that. Thanks to Pedro they didn't need too. Carlos Ruiz also helped to preserve the 1-0 lead, gunning down Daniel Murphy at 3rd base as he attempted to advance from 2nd on a wild pitch. Then in the 9th in came Ryan Madson to get the save. Once again it wasn't the cleanest save in the world but he got it done. After allowing a 1 out single, Madson struck out Jeff Franceour and allowed Pagan to hit a screaming liner right into the glove of Pedro Feliz to close out the 1-0 win. Considering the Marlins lost this afternoon, it was huge that the Phils were able to sweep this doubleheader. It was a total shock to see Kendrick pitch so well, in what will probably be his last start of the season, assuming J.A Happ comes healthy before the Phils next double header. Still it is comforting to know Kendrick can still get it done. He could be valuable next season. The Phils continued to struggle to score runs on this day. The 5 runs in the first game were fine, but to only score 1 run in the 2nd game against Tim Redding was a bit of a letdown. For whatever Redding has just had the Phils number so far in his career. I am surprised Pedro Martinez was able to go 8 innings tonight. I didn't think he would ever be able, at least not this season, to go any more than 7 innings a start. I guess he has now just about locked up a spot in the Phils rotation for the rest of the season. Anyway so the Phils move to 82-60 overall and now 6.5 games up in the NL East.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils continued their series with the Mets this afternoon. Jamie Moyer got another start in place of J.A Happ and after a rough 1st inning, he did his job allowing just 5 runs on 7 hits in 7 innings. Meanwhile, the Phils pounded out 9 runs on 12 hits in that same time frame. Pedro Feliz hit a 2 run homer in the 2nd inning, Chase Utley slammed a solo homer, and Raul Ibanez slugged a 2 run homer in the 3rd inning, Jimmy Rollins slapped an RBI single in the 4th inning, Carlos Ruiz singled in a run, and JRoll Tripled in another run in the 6th inning, and Raul Ibanez lined an RBI single in the 7th inning. Thus, Jamie left after the 7th inning with a 9-5 lead and the Phils seemingly headed to victory, but the bullpen still had to close things out. Unfortunately, on this night they could not. Brett Myers was touched up for 3 runs on 5 hits in the 8th inning, to cut the lead to 9-8 heading into the 9th. There Ryan Madson could not put away another save. Madson got 2 quick outs in the inning with no harm done, but before he could get the 3rd out David Wright had slammed a 2 run homer to put New York ahead 10-9. Madson managed to keep the Mets from doing any further damage from there, but the damage had already been done. The Phils could not mount a comeback in the bottom of the inning, going down in order to finish off another late inning loss. There was plenty to like on this night. Several of the Phils 12 hits on the night generated 2 out RBIs, and produced their best hitting night in a quite some time. Also Moyer toughed out 7 strong innings, which is a good sign considering the Phils may need him quite a few more times during the remainder of the season. In the end though it all came down to the bullpen at the end of the game and they just didn't get the job done. I am not sure what the Phils can really do about it right now. They're just going to have to ride it out and hope it doesn't ruin the season. Anyway so the Phils drop to 80-60 overall now and back down to just 5 games up in the NL East.
Friday, September 11, 2009
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils returned to the Bank tonight to begin a series with the Mets. On a wet and dreary night Cole Hamels got the start and toughed out the conditions for 6 and 2/3rd innings, allowing just 1 run on 1 hit while striking out 6. Meanwhile the scrappy Phils touched up Nelson Figueroa for 2 runs on 9 hits,including RBI singles by Jimmy Rollins and Pedro Feliz, in just 5 and 1/3rd innings. Later Carlos Ruiz, with a sac fly in the 7th inning and Chase Utley, with an RBI double in the 8th, each added on to the Phils lead through 8. Brett Myers came in and tossed up another perfect 8th inning to preserve the lead into the 9th inning. Finally, Ryan Madson came in to get the save in the 9th inning. He almost didn't, allowing a run to score and runners on the corners with nobody out, but fortuntely Jimmy Rollins turned a double play at that point to get Madson back on track. Then Madson finished off the Phils 4-2 win by inducing another groundout. Brett Myers has looked surprisingly good since he returned to the Phils earlier this month. He could be a key member of the team down the stretch. After another solid save Ryan Madson seems to be firmly entrenched as the Phils closer for now. The Phils continued to struggle to score runners on this night, stranding 13 of them. They just can't afford to keep doing that every game and expect to waltz into the playoffs. So anyway the Phils move to 80-59 overall now and still 6 games up in the NL East.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils completed their series with the Nationals tonight, looking for the sweep. Joe Blanton got the start and for the first time in a while he really didn't pitch that well, allowing 8 runs on 7 hits in just 4 and 2/3rd's innings. The Phils meanwhile, managed just 2 runs on 6 hits in 7 and 2/3rd's innings against old nemesis Livan Hernandez. Thus, despite a triple by Chase Utley and a sac fly by Ryan Howard in the top of the 1st inning, the Phils found themselves in an 8-2 hole most of the night. The Bullpen again was impressive and would not allow Washington to stretch their lead any further, as Tyler Walker, Chad Durbin, and Brad Lidge, pitched scoreless frames in the 6th, 7th and 8th innings. Still, the Phils trailed 8-2 heading into the 9th inning and things looked pretty grim. They did not go away quietly though. They loaded the bases with 1 out and then Matt Stairs, 0 for his last 30, finally got off the schnide with a grand slam to quickly cut the lead to 8-6. A couple batters later "the Flyin Hawaiian", Shane Victorino slapped an RBI double and suddenly it was down to 8-7. Next Utley singled to move the tying run to 3rd for Ryan Howard. Unfortunately, Howard could only ground into a game ending double play to ruin the comeback bid. At any rate the Phils still win the series which is a positive at least. The negative is Blanton. What happened to him tonight? He's been so consistently good for so long that it was shocking to see him pitch so poorly. Hopefully this will only be a one night thing for him. So anyway the Phils drop to 79-59 overall now, and lead the NL East by just 5 games.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils continued their series with the Nationals tonight. Cliff Lee got the start and returned to some semblance of what he had been before his last 2 starts, allowing just 5 runs on 10 hits in 7 nice innings. Meanwhile, the Phils scattered 6 runs over the first 8 innings for a 6-5 lead. In the top of the 2nd, Jayson Werth and Lee himself singled in runs and a fielder's choice produced a 3rd run. In the top of the 5th Ibanez slapped an RBI double for run number 4. Finally in the top of the 8th Werth and Pedro Feliz slammed back to back homers to push the Phils ahead seemingly for good 6-4. Chan Ho Park got through the bottom of the 8th with the lead still intact barely, at 6-5. This time Ryan Madson came in for the save in the 9th inning and got the job done again with a strikeout and a double play. So from a 4 game losing streak the Phils have won 2 in a row just like that. It really does look like Raul Ibanez is back in fine form with 2 hits and an RBI tonight. It does seem as though Ryan Madson is ready to take over as the Phils closer finally. However, Charlie Manuel says Madson will only share closing duties with Brad Lidge at this point so we'll see. At any rate you just have to hope the Phils can keep this going as they move to 79-58 overall now and remain 6 games up in the NL East.
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils traveled to Washington tonight to begin a series with the lowly Nationals, the perfect team against which to end their current 4 game losing streak. However, the Nationals fought hard as usual and that expected end to the losing streak almost had to wait a night. Pedro Martinez got the start and performed admirably, allowing 3 runs on 7 hits in 6 and 2/3rd's innings. Meanwhile, the Phils crushed 5 homers, 4 of them off Washington's starter John Lannan. First Raul Ibanez slugged a solo homer in the top of the 5th inning. Next Jayson Werth slammed a solo homer, Ibanez smashed his 2nd, and Carlos Ruiz destroyed a solo homer, in the top of the 7th. Finally in the top of the 8th Chase Utley tomahawked a solo homer into the upper deck to put the Phils ahead 5-3. Brett Myers again pitched a scoreless 8th inning and then in came Brad Lidge to get the save. Lidge got 1 out and then loaded the bases. That was enough for Charlie Manuel who promptly pulled Lidge from the game in favor of Ryan Madson. Madson thankfully struck out Ryan Zimmerman and got Adam Dunn to ground out from there to preserve the 5-3 win. Now does this mean Madson will be the closer now? According to Charlie Manuel it does not. At least not yet anyway. I guess we'll see. With his 2 homers tonight Ibanez now has 30 on the season, as does Chase Utley now with his homer tonight. That gives the Phils 3 lefthanded hitters with 30 homers(Ryan Howard is the other), making them the first team to put together such a roster of sluggers in quite some time. With Jayson Werth at 32 homers now the Phils also have 4 hitters with 30 homers for the 1st time in their history. The last team to have 4 hitters with 30 homers or more was the White Sox in 2006. So the Phils made some good history tonight and you just have to hope they continue to play well like this and take care of the Nationals. Anyway so the Phils now move to 78-58 overall and remain 6 games up in the NL East.
EAGLES NEWS
The Eagles made another interesting move today releasing TE Tony Curtis and acquiring free agent TE Alex Smith, formerly of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. So it will be Smith who backs up Brent Celek this season and not Curtis. The Buccaneers played a west coast style offense when Smith was there and Apparently the Eagles think he'll be able to fit in to their offense more easily than Curtis would have. Much was expected of Smith when Tampa Bay drafted him 4 years ago. So far he has not lived up to his potential but perhaps with Eagles in a familiar offense and with no pressure on him, he'll finally start to show what he is capable of. At any rate he at least provides a little more size than Curtis, so perhaps if nothing else he can be a pretty good blocker.
Monday, September 07, 2009
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils completed their series with the Astros tonight and the script was all too familiar. Jamie Moyer got the start in place of J.A Happ, who is hopefully not injured too seriously, and toughed out 6 innings, allowing just 2 runs on 3 hits while striking out 4, which is a lot for Moyer. Meanwhile, Ryan Howard slapped an RBI single in the top of the 1st, and slugged a solo homer in the top of the 4th, and Raul Ibanez slammed a solo homer in that same inning to put the Phils ahead 3-2 through 6. Unfortunately Chan Ho Park couldn't hold the lead in the bottom of the 7th allowing a Hunter Pence RBI double, and a bases loaded walk to Micheal Bourn. Once again the after that the Phils could not mount a late rally.Howard did lead off the top of the 8th with a single but he was stranded and the Phils never managed to get another man on base to lose 4-3. On a positive note Brett Myers did pitch another scoreless 8th inning, so he is looking pretty good. It was good to see Ibanez hit that homerun. He hit just 1 in the entire month of August and now that is his first in September. Hopefully this is a sign that he is finally coming out of the slump he's been for the last month or so. The Phils could really use a sweet hitting Ibanez to get them going again. So anyway the Phils drop to 77-58 overall and now down to 6 games up in the NL East.
Sunday, September 06, 2009
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils continued their series with the Astros this afternoon. Cole Hamels got the start and pitched pretty well for a while before the Stros touched him up for 4 runs on 8 hits in 6 innings. Meanwhile, the Phils continued to struggle to score runs. Jimmy Rollins hit a leadoff homer in the top of the 1st, Ben Francisco slugged a solo shot in the top of the 4th, and Jayson Werth tomahawked a solo homer into the seats in the top of the 8th to cut it to 4-3, but that was it for the Phils on this day. Jimmy Rollins had a chance to save the day in the top of the 9th, but he popped up with 1 on and 2 out to end it. The Phils hitting was much improved again with 9 total hits and with everyone in the starting lineup except Pedro Feliz registering at least 1 hit. They just couldn't put the hits together at the right times. So they're not far off they just have to figure out how to string together some hits for a change instead of spreading them out and they'll be fine. Yes the bullpen performed well again, as Chad Durbin did all the work himself this time, with scoreless innings in the 7th and 8th. Fortunately for the Phils the Marlins lost today as well in Washington, as the Nationals held them off with a walkoff homer. So the Phils stay 6.5 games up despite dropping to 77-57 overall.
EAGLES NEWS
The Eagles surprisingly released A.J Feeley today, leaving them for the moment with just 2 active Quarterbacks. To take the spot vacated by Feeley the Eagles acquired 6-3 222 LB rookie DT Antonio Dixon off waivers from the Redskins. Dixon will obviously just be defensive line more depth for the Birds, particularly against the rush where they were going to be a little thin without superb run stuffing MLB Stewart Bradley for the rest of the season. So I guess Dixon is good pickup. I just really thought the Eagles would at least trade Feeley for some defensive line help, rather than just releasing him.
Saturday, September 05, 2009
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils continued their series with the Astros tonight. Joe Blanton got the start and was decent allowing 3 runs on 6 hits while striking out 5 in 6 innings. Roy Oswalt was just that much better for Houston allowing just 2 runs on 4 hits while striking out 8 in 6 and 1/3rd innings. Thus despite back to back RBI singles in the 7th by Ben Francisco and Carlos Ruiz, the Phils trailed 3-2 through 7 innings. Then in the top of the 8th Ryan Howard tripled in one run and scored on a single by Pedro Feliz to put the Phils ahead 4-3. Thanks to Brett Myers impressively getting through the bottom of the 8th in his long awaited return, the Phils took that lead into the 9th. There Brad Lidge came in for the save and after a one quick out he suddenly lost control of his slider, loading the bases. Next he got ex Phillie Micheal Bourn to ground into a fielder's choice for the 2nd out, but there was no way they were going to double up Bourn, leaving the bases loaded for Kaz Matsui. After a long at bat and the with the count full, Matsui lined a Lidge fastball just past Jimmy Rollins for a game winning RBI single, giving Lidge his 10th blown save of the season and the Stros a 4-3 win. This may be it now for Brad Lidge. There is still time for him to get his act together but I am not sure the Phils can afford to wait any longer. I am not sure Myers is quite ready to replace him yet but he may have to be soon. It was a great night for Miguel Cairo who filled in for Chase Utley at the 2nd base, and racked up 2 hits and an RBI and made a great tag of Lance Berkman as he attempted to steal 2nd in the 8th inning. So anyway the Phils drop to 77-56 overall and now lead the NL East by just 6.5 games.
EAGLES NEWS
The Eagles made their final roster cuts today and there were a few interesting final cuts. RB Eldra Buckley made the team, beating out Lorenzo Booker for the 3rd and final slot at running back. WR Brandon Gibson did make the team as did perhaps a bit surprisingly Reggie Brown. It is possible though that he is just trade bait. A.J Feeley remains on the roster as the 3rd string QB for now, as Micheal Vick is not permitted to play until week 3 and didn't yet look like he was ready to play QB again during the preseason. Feeley too could be trade bait. Since he won't play until week 3 Vick was put on exempt status meaning he is not allowed to practice with the team until he is added to the active roster. In the meantime a roster spot will left open for him. Tony Curtis did make the team and will be Brent Celek's backup and apparently only backup, as Matt Schobel was cut from the team, and rookie tight end Rob Myers will probably be added to the practice squad. The last defensive lineman to make the team was not surprisingly Jason Babin, leaving Dan Klecko and Bryan Smith out in the cold. The draft pick Moise Fokou did make the team as well as one the final linebackers to make the squad, along with Tracy white. Lastly in perhaps the biggest surprise Dmitri Patterson took the last CB spot ahead last year's draft pick Jack Ikegwuono. Patterson got the spot thanks to his superb special teams skills. Ikegwuono will also probably be on the practice squad and perhaps next year with his knee one year healthier he'll make the team.
Friday, September 04, 2009
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils traveled to Houston tonight to begin a weekend series. Cliff Lee got the start and was roughed up again allowing 6 runs on 9 hits in just 3 innings of work. Meanwhile, for the 2nd time in 3 games the Phils were shutout. This time it was Houston's Wandy Rodriguez who shut down the Phils allowing just 7 hits while striking out 7 in 7 scoreless innings. Still, as he tough as he was, the Phils had their chances against Rodriguez tonight, with runners on 2nd and 3rd and 2 out in the 3rd, and the bases loaded with only 1 out in the 7th inning. They simply didn't take advantage of them. Oh yeah and once again the bullpen performed pretty well, as Jamie Moyer, Tyler Walker, and Jack Taschner combined to allow just 1 run on 3 hits in the final 5 innings. As for Lee I don't know what to say. He did get a bit unlucky early on with some weak hits dribbling through the holes in the infield or flying just over the infield, but he just really didn't pitch well again. He just didn't hit his spots. Perhaps most embarrassingly for Lee was that in the 2nd inning, it was Rodriguez himself who provided the big blow for Houston with a bases loaded double. Going back to the lineup the Phils actually didn't hit that poorly on the night with 8 hits alltogether and with everyone in lineup except Ryan Howard and Pedro Feliz, accumulating at least 1 hit. They just couldn't get the hits when they needed them. Anyway so the Phils drop to 77-55 overall and now back down to 7.5 games up in the NL East.
Thursday, September 03, 2009
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils completed their series with the Giants tonight. Pedro Martinez got the start against reigning NL Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum and surprisingly Pedro outdueled him, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits while striking out 9 in 7 innings. Meanwhile, Jayson Werth crushed a monster 425 ft home run in the bottom of the 2nd, and Ryan Howard slapped an RBI double in the bottom of the 6th, to lift the Phils to a 2-1 lead through 7. Ryan Madson pitched a scoreless 8th inning and Brad Lidge came in and the got the save in the 9th, forcing a groundout with 2 on and 2 out. So it seems Pedro may be in the rotation to stay but I think still he'll need to make 1 more start like that to lock up his rotation spot for good. I hesitate to say it for fear of jinxing him, but it seems Brad Lidge has finally turned the corner and gotten back at least somewhat to the guy he was last season. Hopefully he'll keep it up the rest of the season. Werth's homer today was his 30th of the season, giving him 30 homers and 80 RBIs so far this season. What an effort from a guy whose best season before now was the 24 homers he jacked last season. How good do the Phils look now for giving him another chance to play regularly in the big leagues after the Dodgers had given up on him? Over the last 3 games the Phils have scored a total of 3 runs, and yet they managed to take 2 of 3 from the Giants. That is just incredible and is something that has not happened for the Phils since 1963. Still, you would rather see them score more runs, because 3 runs in 3 games won't work all the time. Anyway so the Phils move to 77-54 overall and now 8.5 games up in the NL East.
EAGLES NEWS
The Eagles played their final preseason game tonight in New York against the Jets. They nearly put together another late rally for the win, before a 73 yd TD pass from Erik Ainge to David Clowney sealed a 38-27 win for the Jets. This week especially, with nothing but backups in the game, that outcome obviously doesn't matter. So let's talk about what does. Kevin Kolb got the start at QB and looked pretty good completing 8 0f 16 passes for 110 yards and a TD. Micheal Vick was the 2nd string QB for the night and came in a few times to run the ball while Kolb was in the game. As a QB Vick completed 7 of 11 passes for 26 yards, and as a rusher, he carried the ball 7 times for 35 yards and a TD. Lesean McCoy looked pretty good again with another rushing TD. running back Eldra Buckley had another solid night with 33 rushing yards, a 1st down reception and a tackle special teams. You have to believe he's going to make the team. Newly signed tight end Tony Curtis had 4 catches for 40 yards and I suppose there is a chance he could be Brent Celek's backup, especially since he is considered to be a very good blocker. Finally Brandon Gibson had another solid performance with 4 catches for a team leading 45 yards. I would be shocked if he doesn't make the team. As for the defense there's not much talk about there either. Jason Babin registered the Eagles only sack of the night. Moise Fokou led the way again with 7 tackles and Victor "Macho" Harris was a close 2nd with 3 tackles. Also Jack Ikegwuono got an interception and returned it 22 yards to set up an Eagles score.
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