The Phils completed their stay in Cincinnati this afternoon as they looked to steal another win and the series win. They almost did. Dane Sardinha clubbed a 3 run homer to give the Phils their only runs in the 4th inning. Thanks to 7 great innings from Roy Halladay the Phils were able to ride those 3 runs all the way to the 8th inning. There with the score 3-2, Halladay, forced to try to go the distance to save the Phils bullpen, finally seemed to run out gas. Jhonny Gomes led off the inning with a single and Jay Bruce followed with a 2 run homer on a cut fastball that got just enough of the plate for Bruce to handle.
So the Phils went into the 9th behind 4-3 and hoping to force extra innings at least. They came close to doing so. Ross Gload slapped a 1 out single and stole second to get himself in scoring position with 2 out for Shane Victorino. Unfortunately Victorino was not able to come through on this night as he grounded out to end it and the Phils fell 4-3. Thus, once again Halladay was hit with the complete game loss which just unfathomable. Yes, the Phils are missing Placido Polanco, Chase Utley, and Carlos Ruiz, but Roy still deserves better than this. Better luck next time I guess.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
FLYERS NEWS
The Flyers continued their busy offseason by signing Micheal Leighton to a 2 year 3.1 million. Reportedly this does not guarantee he will be the Flyer's starting goalie but rather that he'll be given every opportunity to be the starter. The Flyers could still sign another goalie in free agency and obviously they would still like to sign another defenseman and they still have to re-sign Braydon Coburn.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
PHILLIES NEWS
It was a wild night in Cincinnati for the Phils tonight. For 8 and 2/3rd innings it looked like it would be a pretty normal night. Joe Blanton provided his best start of the season thus far, going 7 and 2/3rd innings strong while allowing just 3 runs on 8 hits. Meanwhile Wilson Valdez and and Brian Schneider each smacked 3 run homers, in the 4th inning and the 2nd inning respectively. After Jose Contreras finished off the 8th for Blanton the Phils rode a 6-3 lead into the 9th. There Brad Lidge was this close to closing it out after retiring the first 2 batters he faced, but then all heck broke loose. C.B Buckner just wouldn't give him strike 3 and a walk and a singe later Joey Votto was at the plate with a chance to tie the game with one swing. Lidge made one mistake to Votto, with a slider down the middle and he paid for it dearly as the Reds slugger crushed a game tying 3 run homer.
Fortunately he got out of the inning after that but the damage seemed to have been done. The Phils could easily have laid down at that point and tipped their cap to the Reds. To their credit they did not. Ryan Howard doubled and scored on a double by Raul Ibanez, Jayson Werth walked and scored on a single by Ben Francisco and finally Ibanez himself scored on a rare safety squeeze by Valdez to cap a 3 run top of the 10th. So just like that the Phils regained their 3 run lead and this time J.C Romero did not let it get away as retired the side in the bottom of the 10th for the win. It's huge win and confidence booster as they were dealt a huge blow before game with both Placido Polanco and his sore elbow and Chase Utley with a sprained thumb landing on the DL. It's not known how long Placido and Chase will be out but as long they are other Phils like Valdez and Schneider will have to step up and lead the Phils to some wins. Otherwise it could be a long season by the time they get back.
Fortunately he got out of the inning after that but the damage seemed to have been done. The Phils could easily have laid down at that point and tipped their cap to the Reds. To their credit they did not. Ryan Howard doubled and scored on a double by Raul Ibanez, Jayson Werth walked and scored on a single by Ben Francisco and finally Ibanez himself scored on a rare safety squeeze by Valdez to cap a 3 run top of the 10th. So just like that the Phils regained their 3 run lead and this time J.C Romero did not let it get away as retired the side in the bottom of the 10th for the win. It's huge win and confidence booster as they were dealt a huge blow before game with both Placido Polanco and his sore elbow and Chase Utley with a sprained thumb landing on the DL. It's not known how long Placido and Chase will be out but as long they are other Phils like Valdez and Schneider will have to step up and lead the Phils to some wins. Otherwise it could be a long season by the time they get back.
Monday, June 28, 2010
PHILLIES NEWS
Back on the road, for real this time, the Phils ran into a buzzsaw in the form of the NL Central leading Cincinnati Reds. Johnny Cueto turns the lights out on the Phils lineup with 8 brilliant innings. All told the Phils managed just 1 run on 6 hits in that span despite not registering a single strikeout. Meanwhile the Reds tagged Kyle Kendrick for 6 runs on 8 hits in 6 and a 1/3rd innings. Scott Rolen alone beat up on his former team for 3 RBIs and a run scored as he smacked his 300th career homerun. Kendrick actually hung in there for 6 innings while holding Cincinnati to just 4 runs. Then Charlie tried to get him through the 7th but he it didn't work out and the Cincinnati had 2 more runs before the inning was finally over and that just after Ryan Howard tripled and scored on an infield single by Raul Ibanez to cut the lead to 4-1.
Thanks to the 2 run 7th the Phils suddenly trailed 6-1 heading into the 8th. Thanks to a sac fly it was 7-1 by the 9th. There the Phils finally mounted a rally with Ibanez crushing a 2 out 2 run homer to cut the lead to 7-3. That left it up to Dane Sardinha to keep the game live but he struck out to end it. So the Phils drop to 40-33 overall and back to 3.5 games out in the NL East. Far worrisome than that is the injury Chase Utley suffered to his thumb during the game while trying to stretch a single and double with a head first slide into 2nd. Hopefully it's nothing serious and he won't miss any time. If it is serious though, it will be a huge blow to the Phils who had finally been moving forward again with JRoll back in the lineup. Here's hoping Chase is okay.
Thanks to the 2 run 7th the Phils suddenly trailed 6-1 heading into the 8th. Thanks to a sac fly it was 7-1 by the 9th. There the Phils finally mounted a rally with Ibanez crushing a 2 out 2 run homer to cut the lead to 7-3. That left it up to Dane Sardinha to keep the game live but he struck out to end it. So the Phils drop to 40-33 overall and back to 3.5 games out in the NL East. Far worrisome than that is the injury Chase Utley suffered to his thumb during the game while trying to stretch a single and double with a head first slide into 2nd. Hopefully it's nothing serious and he won't miss any time. If it is serious though, it will be a huge blow to the Phils who had finally been moving forward again with JRoll back in the lineup. Here's hoping Chase is okay.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
PHILLIES NEWS
A 47 year old can't be this good right? No one that old can hold one of the most potent lineups in baseball to only 2 runs on 6 hits over 7 innings right? No one whose fastball tops out in the low 80s can strikeout 7 batters right? Well apparently no limits apply, be it age or speed, to Jamie Moyer because that's exactly what he did today to the Toronto Blue Jays. He just kept the free swinging Jays off balance all afternoon long by mixing his pitches and hitting his spots. Even when they knew what was coming the Jays couldn't hit it. Ultimately it was just very frustrating afternoon for them.
On other the hand the Phils bats were on fire as they racked up 11 runs on 13 hits plus 4 sloppy Toronto throwing errors. Pretty much everything went wrong for the Jays in this one and the Phils took advantage.
In the top of the 2nd Jimmy Rollins and Ben Francisco each had RBI singles and Dane Sardinha slapped an RBI double for 4 runs. Following a Toronto error in the 4th Rollins and Utley collected back to back singles for 2 more runs. In the 5th Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino led off the inning with back to back doubles for another run and 7-2 lead. In the 7th, Howard was wrongly called safe on a close play at first but hey we'll take it. Francisco followed 2 batters later with an RBI double and Toronto committed throwing errors on back to back plays to allow another 3 runs to score for a massive 11-2 lead. From there David Herndon and Danys Baez combined to close out the Phils 5th win in their last 6, 2nd straight series win and interleague play for the season with a 10-8 record. That's Phils first winning record in interleague play since they moved into the Bank and significant step in the right direction this season. Overall it's their 40th win of the season against 33 losses which puts them just 2.5 games back in the NL East, not a bad place to be in late June.
On other the hand the Phils bats were on fire as they racked up 11 runs on 13 hits plus 4 sloppy Toronto throwing errors. Pretty much everything went wrong for the Jays in this one and the Phils took advantage.
In the top of the 2nd Jimmy Rollins and Ben Francisco each had RBI singles and Dane Sardinha slapped an RBI double for 4 runs. Following a Toronto error in the 4th Rollins and Utley collected back to back singles for 2 more runs. In the 5th Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino led off the inning with back to back doubles for another run and 7-2 lead. In the 7th, Howard was wrongly called safe on a close play at first but hey we'll take it. Francisco followed 2 batters later with an RBI double and Toronto committed throwing errors on back to back plays to allow another 3 runs to score for a massive 11-2 lead. From there David Herndon and Danys Baez combined to close out the Phils 5th win in their last 6, 2nd straight series win and interleague play for the season with a 10-8 record. That's Phils first winning record in interleague play since they moved into the Bank and significant step in the right direction this season. Overall it's their 40th win of the season against 33 losses which puts them just 2.5 games back in the NL East, not a bad place to be in late June.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
PHILLIES NEWS
It's been a great year for Cole Hamels but tonight just wasn't his night. He didn't have his usual control and wasn't able to consistently hit his spots. As a result he was touched up for 3 home runs while allowing 5 runs on 7 hits in just 4 innings. The bullpen did bail him out nicely, as Nelson Figueroa, Danys Baez, and Mike Zagurski combined for 4 scoreless innings to finish the night. Unfortunately the damage had already been done. Shaun Marcum was just too good for the Phils tonight as he allowed just 1 run on 5 hits while striking out 6. Only a solo blast by Ryan Howard in the 6th averted a shutout.
After that the Toronto shut the Phils down and closed out the 5-1 Toronto win. The loss snaps a 4 game winning streak for the Phils. However, just like last weekend it would seem with Jamie Moyer on the mound for tomorrow they should still be able to win the series. Aside from Howard's titanic blast, Ross Gload and Jimmy Rollins who had each had 1 hit and Chase Utley who racked up 2 hits, provided the Phils only other offense. Of the Phils big bats only Jayson failed to produce anything, but that makes sense since he and Marcum are both righthanded and righties are supposed to struggle against righties. So anyway it was tough loss tonight but I think they'll get them tomorrow.
After that the Toronto shut the Phils down and closed out the 5-1 Toronto win. The loss snaps a 4 game winning streak for the Phils. However, just like last weekend it would seem with Jamie Moyer on the mound for tomorrow they should still be able to win the series. Aside from Howard's titanic blast, Ross Gload and Jimmy Rollins who had each had 1 hit and Chase Utley who racked up 2 hits, provided the Phils only other offense. Of the Phils big bats only Jayson failed to produce anything, but that makes sense since he and Marcum are both righthanded and righties are supposed to struggle against righties. So anyway it was tough loss tonight but I think they'll get them tomorrow.
FLYERS NEWS
The Flyers 2010 draft got started today as they used the 3rd round pick from the Pens to select 18 year old Center Micheal Chaput. Chaput is no star in the making but in the future he could provide the Orange and Black with a solid #3 center. From there they continued to select guys who'll probably be effective only off the bench. In the 4th round they selected Left Wing Tye Mcginn. In the 5th they selected Right Wing Micheal Parks. In the 6th round they selected defense man Nicholas Luuko who is the son of Flyer's president Peter Luukko. Finally in the 7th round they acquired the 206th pick from the Carolina Hurricanes and selected defenseman Ricard Blidstrand. Later with their actual 7th round pick they selected Left Wing Brandon Ranford to finish their day. So it was a bit of a boring draft day today for the Orange and Black, but they got it through it.
Friday, June 25, 2010
PHILLIES NEWS
Well, it finally happened tonight, just not where everyone though it would. Roy Halladay met up with his old team as the Blue Jays came town for the weekend for a series that was originally supposed to be in Toronto but is now in Philadelphia. Since the series was supposed to be in Toronto it still counts as a home series for Blue Jays. So for this series at the Bank they're the home team and the Phils are on the road, which really just means the DH rule is in effect for the series and Phils have to bat in the top of each inning instead of the bottom. Anyway back to the game it was just another dominating performance for the Phils, just like last night. Halladay was superb tossing 7 scoreless innings while allowing just 6 hits and striking out 4. Just like Joe Blanton last night though, he didn't need to be so good, as the Phils racked up 9 runs on 11 hits.
Jayson Werth tripled and scored in the 2nd for a 1-0 lead. Werth then singled and scored on a fielder's choice in the 4th for a 2-0 lead. In the 6th Ryan Howard and Chase Utley each slapped RBI singles and Ross Gload, who started at 1B while Howard DHed, crushed a 3 run double of Vernon Wells glove as the Phils batted around and scored 6 runs for an 8-0 lead. Finally, Shane Victorino led off the 8th with a solo shot for a 9-0 lead and that was about all she wrote. Jose Contreras and Dave Herndon finished it off from there with scoreless frames in the 8th and 9th and the Phils had their 4th win in a row to move to 39-32 overall. Unfortunately the Braves won tonight so the Phils remain 2.5 games out in the NL East, but they seem to be on fire now, and as long as Jimmy Rollins stays healthy they shouldn't cool off anytime soon.
Jayson Werth tripled and scored in the 2nd for a 1-0 lead. Werth then singled and scored on a fielder's choice in the 4th for a 2-0 lead. In the 6th Ryan Howard and Chase Utley each slapped RBI singles and Ross Gload, who started at 1B while Howard DHed, crushed a 3 run double of Vernon Wells glove as the Phils batted around and scored 6 runs for an 8-0 lead. Finally, Shane Victorino led off the 8th with a solo shot for a 9-0 lead and that was about all she wrote. Jose Contreras and Dave Herndon finished it off from there with scoreless frames in the 8th and 9th and the Phils had their 4th win in a row to move to 39-32 overall. Unfortunately the Braves won tonight so the Phils remain 2.5 games out in the NL East, but they seem to be on fire now, and as long as Jimmy Rollins stays healthy they shouldn't cool off anytime soon.
FLYERS NEWS
As it turned out the Flyers were unable to come to terms with defenseman Daniel Hamhuis after all. It's not that they wouldn't offer him enough money, he just simply didn't want to come here and get stuck as the Flyer's #5 defenseman. There's not whole lot you can do to sign a guy who just doesn't want to play for you. So the Flyers traded his rights to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 3rd round pick in the NHL draft which is started tonight for everyone except the Flyers who had no 1st round picks. There's no guarantee Pittsburgh will sign him either. He's still slated to become a free agent July 1 and the Pens have less time to negotiate with him than the Flyers did so he could very well slip away from them also. It's just unfortunate he didn't realize what an opportunity playing for the Orange and Black would have been next season.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils took the field early this afternoon as they looked to finish a sweep of the Indians. Thanks to Joe Blanton's best start of the season thus far, and an offensive explosion they were able to do so quite easily. Blanton went 7 and 2/3rd's strong, while allowing just 3 runs on 6 hits and striking out 8. It wasn't necessarily that Blanton pitched all that well, though he did, but perhaps even more so than that Cleveland just had an awful night at the plate. Irregardless of why he was so successful in this one though, it was just nice to see Blanton still be able to cook up a good one for a change. Hopefully he'll keep it up. Though they didn't need to thanks to Blanton the Phils meanwhile crushed Cleveland's pitching staff. In the 2nd inning alone 3 straight singles to lead off the inning by error on the catcher produced 2 runs, a fielder's choice produced a 3rd run, a single by Placido Polanco plated a 4th run and finally a sac fly by Chase Utley pushed across a 5th run.
In the 5th back to back singles, a fielder's choice and a single by Jayson Werth produced 2 more runs and a 7-0 lead. Finally in the 6th, Dane Sardinha, the Phils 4th catcher behind the injured Carlos Ruiz, Brian Schneider, and the injured Paul Hoover, led off with a solo shot, the first of his career for an 8-0 lead. From there a Polanco single, a Werth sac fly, and Wilson Valdez single brought in another 4 runs for a laughable 12-2 lead. After that Nelson Figueroa, who recently came back up from AAA Lehigh to replace the injured Chad Durbin, tossed a scoreless final inning and a 3rd to close out a commanding 12-3 win. That coupled with a Braves loss, puts the 38-32 Phils back to within 2.5 games of 1st in the NL East. So they're definitely back on track now.
In the 5th back to back singles, a fielder's choice and a single by Jayson Werth produced 2 more runs and a 7-0 lead. Finally in the 6th, Dane Sardinha, the Phils 4th catcher behind the injured Carlos Ruiz, Brian Schneider, and the injured Paul Hoover, led off with a solo shot, the first of his career for an 8-0 lead. From there a Polanco single, a Werth sac fly, and Wilson Valdez single brought in another 4 runs for a laughable 12-2 lead. After that Nelson Figueroa, who recently came back up from AAA Lehigh to replace the injured Chad Durbin, tossed a scoreless final inning and a 3rd to close out a commanding 12-3 win. That coupled with a Braves loss, puts the 38-32 Phils back to within 2.5 games of 1st in the NL East. So they're definitely back on track now.
SIXERS NEWS
The NBA draft was tonight at last and shockingly with 2nd overall pick the Sixers stayed true and selected Ohio State star Evan Turner. Considering the Sixers were only team Turner worked out for this probably should come as that much of a surprise but you never with the Sixers. At any rate taking was without a doubt the right move. He's already ready to be a legit scoring threat and is somebody who can be a superstar and leader for the Sixers. He was the college player of the year last year averaging 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists a game. He was also the Big Ten's leading scorer the last 2 years. So he can score, he can dish, he can create his own shots and he can even d up. Basically everything the Sixer's haven't had since AI, that's Allen not Andre, was in his prime. Together with Jrue Holiday he should help to form the Sixer's back court for years to come. It may take them season to mature together, but just having those two together instantly improves the Sixers from last season, maybe not into a playoff team but at least close. The only real question left with the team at this point is who will replace Samuel Dalembert as the defensive stopper at the basket. It will be interesting to see if the Sixers have any more moves up their sleeves to answer that question.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
PHILLIES NEWS
What a difference a Rollins makes. It wasn't the Phils best performance as a team tonight but thanks to Jimmy Rollins it was a memorable one. Kyle Kendrick got the start but lasted only 4 innings while allowing 5 runs on 6 hits. Thus the Phils were left chasing Cleveland for much of the early going. First they trailed 2-0 after one, but a fielder's choice in the 1st and a solo homer by Jayson Werth in the 2nd knotted it up at 2. Then it was 3-2 Cleveland after 3 but a 2 run double by Raul Ibanez rallied the Phils to a 4-3 lead in the 4th. 2 run bomb by Shin Soo Choo quickly put Cleveland back ahead though in the 5th 5-4. It wasn't until the 7th that Brian Schneider finally evened up the score again with a leadoff solo shot.
From there the Phils looked to the bullpen to keep things evened up until they could come up with the winning run. In the 8th the bullpen did just fine as Chad Durbin shutdown the indians for the 4 successive inning. Unfortunately Durbin got hurt during and is now on the DL. Then J.C Romero replaced Durbin for the 9th and couldn't quite hold off Cleveland for a 6th straight innings as Jimmy Rollins just missed maked a spectacular play at the plate on a fielder's choice, allowing the Indians to nudge ahead again 6-5. JRoll made up for it in the 9th. With one on and one out he tatooed Kerry Wood's 1-1 offering down the line in right for a stunning walkoff 2 run homer. So just like that the Phils went from a depressing 6-5 loss to an exhilerating 7-6 win. Moreover, the Braves dropped their 2nd in a row today so the Phils are suddenly back within 3.5 games of 1st in the NL East. You can only JRoll carries them even closer because he seems to be the only one who can at this point.
From there the Phils looked to the bullpen to keep things evened up until they could come up with the winning run. In the 8th the bullpen did just fine as Chad Durbin shutdown the indians for the 4 successive inning. Unfortunately Durbin got hurt during and is now on the DL. Then J.C Romero replaced Durbin for the 9th and couldn't quite hold off Cleveland for a 6th straight innings as Jimmy Rollins just missed maked a spectacular play at the plate on a fielder's choice, allowing the Indians to nudge ahead again 6-5. JRoll made up for it in the 9th. With one on and one out he tatooed Kerry Wood's 1-1 offering down the line in right for a stunning walkoff 2 run homer. So just like that the Phils went from a depressing 6-5 loss to an exhilerating 7-6 win. Moreover, the Braves dropped their 2nd in a row today so the Phils are suddenly back within 3.5 games of 1st in the NL East. You can only JRoll carries them even closer because he seems to be the only one who can at this point.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
PHILLIES NEWS
Looking to get back on track after a tough end to their weekend the Phils turned to their ageless wonder turned stopped Jamie Moyer to shut down the visiting Cleveland Indians. He did that and then some. He was simply brilliant for the 2nd time in as many starts, allowing just 1 run on 2 hits while striking out 5. Just like the Yankees, Cleveland never figured him out. Well, except for Russell Brunyan who crushed a solo homer in the top of the 2nd. Other than that Jamie was in control throughout. Meanwhile the Phils could only muster 2 runs of their own. Both came in the 1st inning on a single by Ryan Howard and a sac fly by Jayson Werth.
After that it was all Jamie through the 8th. Then J.C Romero came in to pitch the 9th. He got the 1st out but after that he got a little unlucky. First Shin Soo Choo beat out an infield single. Then Romero walked the next batter on a full count. So once again Brad Lidge had come in and clean up the mess. This time he did with back to back strikeouts of Austin Kearns, and Jhonny Peralta to seal the 2-1 win. After what the Phils went through on Saturday and Sunday it is nice to get back in the win column so quickly. It was also nice to see Jimmy Rollins back in lineup again at last. He was hitless but his defense and leadership were flawless. Really just having him around makes all the difference. With him the Phils are 11-3 but without him they're just 25-29. It really is that simple. Hopefully now that he is back they can begin to turn things around.
After that it was all Jamie through the 8th. Then J.C Romero came in to pitch the 9th. He got the 1st out but after that he got a little unlucky. First Shin Soo Choo beat out an infield single. Then Romero walked the next batter on a full count. So once again Brad Lidge had come in and clean up the mess. This time he did with back to back strikeouts of Austin Kearns, and Jhonny Peralta to seal the 2-1 win. After what the Phils went through on Saturday and Sunday it is nice to get back in the win column so quickly. It was also nice to see Jimmy Rollins back in lineup again at last. He was hitless but his defense and leadership were flawless. Really just having him around makes all the difference. With him the Phils are 11-3 but without him they're just 25-29. It really is that simple. Hopefully now that he is back they can begin to turn things around.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
PHILLIES NEWS
When you lose a game like the Phils did yesterday it is very hard to get over it and come back and win the next day. A loss like that just hangs with you and makes it difficult for you to perform at your best the next day. For the Phils today the loss really did hang with them and they were not at their best. Carl Pavano wasn't too shabby either as he quieted the Phils bats to the the tune of just 1 run on 4 hits in a complete game victory, just the 9th of his long injury riddled career. Wilson Valdez gave the Phils their only run and their only brief hope of victory with a stunning solo homer in the 5th inning. It was his 2nd in as many games to mark the shortest time span between homers in his career. Unfortunately it was also all the dejected Phils could muster.
Meanwhile Roy Halladay provided another quality start allowing just 4 runs on 11 hits while striking out 8 in 8 strong innings. On 2 of the 4 runs he was victimized by Citizens Bank homeruns which simply got caught in the right field wind and carried out. Other than that he was pretty stellar but it didn't really matter in the end. He could have avoided those homers and allowed just 2 runs over 8 and he still would have lost. At one point this season he was 6-1 and if not for the Phils run scoring troubles at the end of May and early June he would be having a career year by now. Hopefully will start scoring runs for him from here on out or could be a long season.
Meanwhile Roy Halladay provided another quality start allowing just 4 runs on 11 hits while striking out 8 in 8 strong innings. On 2 of the 4 runs he was victimized by Citizens Bank homeruns which simply got caught in the right field wind and carried out. Other than that he was pretty stellar but it didn't really matter in the end. He could have avoided those homers and allowed just 2 runs over 8 and he still would have lost. At one point this season he was 6-1 and if not for the Phils run scoring troubles at the end of May and early June he would be having a career year by now. Hopefully will start scoring runs for him from here on out or could be a long season.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
PHILLIES NEWS
It's hard to know what to say after a game like the one the Phils played this afternoon. They had it so firmly in control through 8 innings and then it fell apart for them from that point on. Early on Ryan Howard, Wilson Valdez , and Raul Ibanez all bashed homeruns, Chase Utley slapped a triple and Phils jumped out to an 8-3 lead. Meanwhile Cole Hamels tossed 7 good innings allowig just 4 runs on 5 hits and striking out 7. Later in the bottom of the 7th Jayson Werth crunched the Phils 4th homer of the day for a 9-4 lead. Surely the bullpen would close it out after that. J.C Romero and Jose Contreras combined for a scoreless 8th. Then it was on to Jose Contreras to close it out in the 9th. Unfortunately he allowed a 2 run homer to Jim Thome and was unable to retire a batter in th e 9th. So in came Brad Lidge to close it out.
Unfortunately he couldn't get out of the inning until Joe Mauer had crushed a game tying 2 run homer. Like much of last year he just couldn't locate his fastball. Then after the Phils stranded a couple runners in the bottom of the 9th, backup catcher, Drew Butera slammed another solo shot for an 11-10 Minnsotae. Just when it seemed all hope was lost Ross Gload lined a 2 out a solo homer of his own to tie it at 10 and restore hope of a Phils win. Like the rest of the bullpen Danys Baez could not hold of the Twins as they racked up 3 more runs on a bases loaded infield single by Delmon Young and a 2 run double by Matt Tolbert to make it 13-10 Twins. This time the Phils couldn't come up with a comeback and Minnesota hung on at last for the 13-10. This was a tough one to swallow but these guys are experienced and can shake it off. With Roy Halladay on the mound tomorrow they should win the series anyway and that's all that's important.
Unfortunately he couldn't get out of the inning until Joe Mauer had crushed a game tying 2 run homer. Like much of last year he just couldn't locate his fastball. Then after the Phils stranded a couple runners in the bottom of the 9th, backup catcher, Drew Butera slammed another solo shot for an 11-10 Minnsotae. Just when it seemed all hope was lost Ross Gload lined a 2 out a solo homer of his own to tie it at 10 and restore hope of a Phils win. Like the rest of the bullpen Danys Baez could not hold of the Twins as they racked up 3 more runs on a bases loaded infield single by Delmon Young and a 2 run double by Matt Tolbert to make it 13-10 Twins. This time the Phils couldn't come up with a comeback and Minnesota hung on at last for the 13-10. This was a tough one to swallow but these guys are experienced and can shake it off. With Roy Halladay on the mound tomorrow they should win the series anyway and that's all that's important.
FLYERS NEWS
The Flyers got their offseason going today trading Ryan Parent to the Nashville Predators which is where they got him from in the 1st place, for defenseman Daniel Hamhuis. Hamhuis is a big step up from Parent as the Flyer's 5th defenseman. He's a puck moving defenseman who can play on the power play and on the penalty kill and who can really solidfy a team's blueline. He is however, an unrestricted free agent so the Flyers will have to sign him to a contract before he can officially join the team. They 2 weeks to do so exclusively while no one else can negotiate with him and there's reason they shouldn't be able to get him signed. If they can do so and agree on a contract with free agent Braydon Coburn their defense will be solidified for the next season. That would leave only a goalie and perhaps a winger as needs for the next season, all of which could be addressed by draft day trades.
Friday, June 18, 2010
PHILLIES NEWS
The good times kept on rolling for the Phils tonight. Joe Blanton provided another quality start with 6 scoreless innings, while allowing just 3 runs on 7 hits over 6+ strong. Meanwhile the Phils bats finally made someone pay. Unfortunately for the Twin's Nick Blackburn that someone was him as he was slaughtered for 8 runs on 6 hits in only an inning and a 3rd. In the 1st, Chase Utley singled, Ryan Howard tripled, and Jayson Werth slapped a sac fly all with one out to produce 3 runs. In the 2nd, with 2 outs Placido Polanco slapped a RBI single, Utley crushed a 3 run homer, and Howard followed with a solo shot for a shockingly quick 8-0 lead. They weren't finished either. In the 5th Howard added a another bomb for a 9-0 lead.
It was pretty much over at that point but Minnesota did at least make it interesting. Blanton flamed out early in the 7th, allowing 2 of his 3 runs. Then things seemed to stabilize as Chad Durbin finished off the 7th without issue and J.C Romero tossed a scoreless 8th. Then Scott Mathieson, who last appeared with the Phils 3 years ago before going through Tomm John surgery twice and who was recently called up to replace the injured Antonio Bastardo, was given the chance to close it out. Not surprisingly he was bit shaky and ended up allowing a couple runs to cut the lead to 9-5. That gave Minnesota brief hope of victory before Brad Lidge came in and closed it out with just 3 pitches. So the Phils got their 3rd straight victory to move 35-30 but they remain 3.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL East.
It was pretty much over at that point but Minnesota did at least make it interesting. Blanton flamed out early in the 7th, allowing 2 of his 3 runs. Then things seemed to stabilize as Chad Durbin finished off the 7th without issue and J.C Romero tossed a scoreless 8th. Then Scott Mathieson, who last appeared with the Phils 3 years ago before going through Tomm John surgery twice and who was recently called up to replace the injured Antonio Bastardo, was given the chance to close it out. Not surprisingly he was bit shaky and ended up allowing a couple runs to cut the lead to 9-5. That gave Minnesota brief hope of victory before Brad Lidge came in and closed it out with just 3 pitches. So the Phils got their 3rd straight victory to move 35-30 but they remain 3.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL East.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
PHILLIES NEWS
From Jamie Moyer's gem last night the Phils just kept on rolling into tonight where Kyle Kendrick produced some magic of his own. He allowed just 1 run on 4 hits over 7 brilliant innings to frustrate the Yankee offense for the 2nd night in a row. Meanwhile the Phils bats stayed awake for another night. In the 4th Ryan Howard slapped a 1 out single for the Phils 1st run of the night. In the 5th Shane Victorino popped a 2 run homer for a 3-0 lead. After that it looked like the Phils might not score again for the rest of the night but with Kyle cruising along it didn't seem like it would matter.Then Yanks scored in the 6th to cut the lead to 6-1 and the Phils left the bases loaded yet again in the 7th. So it was clear at that point they were going need at least one or two more runs to hold off the Yanks for the 2nd night in a row.
After Kendrick got through the 7th, and Jose Contreras got through the 8th curtousy of his own spectacular backhanded catch, the Phils bats finally went back to work in the 9th. There the Yankee bullpen simply unraveled. First Joba Chamberlain allowed a leadoff double Carlos Ruiz and a single by Wilson Valdez to score Ruiz for a 4-1 lead. Then Damaso Marte replace Chamberlain and walked the bases loaded before giving up back to back sac flies to Placido Polanco and Ryan Howard for a 6-1 lead. Finally ex Phil Chan Ho Park came in and allowed an RBI double to Ibanez before getting out of the inning on a lucky break as a screaming liner off the bat of Ben Francisco clipped Ibanez in the back of his foot for the final out. From there Contreras and J.C Romero closed it out in the 9th and the Phils had won their 2nd consecutive regular season series over the Yanks. The Phils are now back to 4 games over .500 but remain 3.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL East as the AL central leading Minnesota Twins come to the Bank for the weekend.
After Kendrick got through the 7th, and Jose Contreras got through the 8th curtousy of his own spectacular backhanded catch, the Phils bats finally went back to work in the 9th. There the Yankee bullpen simply unraveled. First Joba Chamberlain allowed a leadoff double Carlos Ruiz and a single by Wilson Valdez to score Ruiz for a 4-1 lead. Then Damaso Marte replace Chamberlain and walked the bases loaded before giving up back to back sac flies to Placido Polanco and Ryan Howard for a 6-1 lead. Finally ex Phil Chan Ho Park came in and allowed an RBI double to Ibanez before getting out of the inning on a lucky break as a screaming liner off the bat of Ben Francisco clipped Ibanez in the back of his foot for the final out. From there Contreras and J.C Romero closed it out in the 9th and the Phils had won their 2nd consecutive regular season series over the Yanks. The Phils are now back to 4 games over .500 but remain 3.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL East as the AL central leading Minnesota Twins come to the Bank for the weekend.
SIXERS NEWS
The Sixers made some rare noise this afternoon trading C Samuel Dalembert to the Sacramento Kings for C Spencer Hawes and F Andres Nocioni. Dalembert has wanted out of Philly for some time now so it's no surprise to see him go and this was a pretty nice way to get rid of him. Hawes is a 7 footer like Dalembert but unlike Sammy he can score inside and shoot the 3. He can also run the floor much better than Sammy could which is perfect for a team that's at their best on the run. The only issue with Hawes is that he isn't much of a defender. He can rebound but that's about it. He is only in 3rd NBA season Howeverm so he has plenty of time to improve his defese. Nocioni is another good 3 point shooter like Jason Kapono who will probably be a valuable commodity off the bench for the Sixers. You can never too many good shooters on one team so it's nice to get him also. Now it's on to next week and the NBA draft where hopefully the Sixers will be smart and select Evan Turner.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
PHILLIES NEWS
What a night for Jamie Moyer. He didn't even last a full 2 innings in his last start against the Boston Red Sox but tonight was a different story. He was in full command out there against the Yankees. The ump gave him the corners and he painted them all night long to crank 8 impressive innings while allowing just 2 runs on 3 hits and striking out 5. He just had the Yanks off balance all game and guessing what was coming next. Even the potent Yankee offense can't always be successful. Meanwhile, the Phils slumbering offense had their best game in some time. In the 2nd Raul Ibanez walked, stole, yes stole second, and scored on a single by, DH for the night, Greg Dobbs. Brian Schneider and Wilson Valdez followed with a walk and an infield single respectively to load the bases for Shane Victorino. For once the Victorino delivered with the bases loaded, smashing a triple for a quick 4-0 lead.
Next Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth led off the 3rd with back to back solo homers to make it 6-0. Unfortunately the Phils didn't score again after that as the Yankee bullpen shut them down. With Jamie in control through 8 it didn't matter though. Then Brad Lidge came in to close it out in the 9th and things got interesting. After striking out the first 2 batters in the innings, he got ahead of the next 3 batters but couldn't put them away, allowing New York to score and cut the lead to 6-3 and bring the tying run to the plate in the person of Jorge Posada. Lidge again got ahead of Posada and this time he fooled with a hard slider inside to at last strikeout the side and close out the 6-3 win. So it was a big bounce back night for the Phils and here's hoping it carries over to tomorrow.
Next Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth led off the 3rd with back to back solo homers to make it 6-0. Unfortunately the Phils didn't score again after that as the Yankee bullpen shut them down. With Jamie in control through 8 it didn't matter though. Then Brad Lidge came in to close it out in the 9th and things got interesting. After striking out the first 2 batters in the innings, he got ahead of the next 3 batters but couldn't put them away, allowing New York to score and cut the lead to 6-3 and bring the tying run to the plate in the person of Jorge Posada. Lidge again got ahead of Posada and this time he fooled with a hard slider inside to at last strikeout the side and close out the 6-3 win. So it was a big bounce back night for the Phils and here's hoping it carries over to tomorrow.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
PHILLIES NEWS
It's been a roller coaster of a year for Roy Halladay thus far. For the most part it's been a great year for Doc with 8 wins, an ERA at 2.36, 90 strikeouts, and that perfect game in Miami. Tonight it wasn't so great as the Yankees touched him up for 8 runs on 6 hits in 6 innings. He didn't pitch that poorly he just simply left a few pitches over the heart of the plate and the red hot Yankees made him pay for it with 3 homers, 2 of which were cheap New Yankee Stadium homers. If the Phils had been playing anywhere else they wouldn't have gone out and tonight might have been a different story.
In fact, Judging by their 4th inning explosion, the Phils might have even figured out a way to pull it out. In that inning they racked up 3 runs on 4 hits off C.C Sabathia but should have had more. They quickly loaded the bases to start the inning with back to back singles and hit batter. Then Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez each collected singles while Ben Francisco grounded into a fielder's choice to produce the 3 runs. Unfortunately Juan Castro and Carlos Ruiz followed with a strikeout and a groundout to the end the inning. Although they threatened again in the 5th inning with the bases loaded and 2 out, the Phils never managed to score again and eventually lost 8-3 after David Herndon and Danys Baez finished off the night with a scoreless inning and a 3rd. What a team.
In fact, Judging by their 4th inning explosion, the Phils might have even figured out a way to pull it out. In that inning they racked up 3 runs on 4 hits off C.C Sabathia but should have had more. They quickly loaded the bases to start the inning with back to back singles and hit batter. Then Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez each collected singles while Ben Francisco grounded into a fielder's choice to produce the 3 runs. Unfortunately Juan Castro and Carlos Ruiz followed with a strikeout and a groundout to the end the inning. Although they threatened again in the 5th inning with the bases loaded and 2 out, the Phils never managed to score again and eventually lost 8-3 after David Herndon and Danys Baez finished off the night with a scoreless inning and a 3rd. What a team.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
PHILLIES NEWS
Having been totally destroyed by the Red Sox the last two days the Phils desperately needed a gem from Cole Hamels and on this afternoon he obliged. Just as he's been most of the season he was sharp and his fastball was buzzing. In other words he was on and you don't want to face someone like Cole when he's at his best. For 7 innings Boston sure didn't look too happy to see him as they managed just 1 run on 5 hits and struck out 8 times. Meanwhile the Phils had a big 4th inning against Tim Wakefield. Ryan Howard slapped a 1 out double and scored on a single by Jayson Werth. Raul Ibanez followed by crushing a 2 run homer. Then Ben Francisco doubled and scored a single by Juan Castro. Finally, Carlos Ruiz grounded into a double play to end the inning, but the damage, 4 runs on 5 hits, had already been done and was more than enough to propel to his 6th win. It was not without some complications though.
Thanks to a long at bat by Victor Martinez in the 6th Hamels was forced to leave the game after the 7th inning. Jose Contreras replaced him in the 8th and allowed back to back 1 out singles. Fortunately, just when it looked like Boston was going to mount a rally Adrian Beltre grounded sharply to 3rd, leading to an around the horn double play to the end the inning. Werth then manufactured a run in the 9th by walking, stealing two bases, and scoring on a sac fly for a 5-1 lead. The run proved to be huge as J.C Romero allowed an unearned run and issued a walk, before being replaced by Brad Lidge. Lidge struck out Darnell Mcdonald but then Daniel Nava, yes the rookie, blooped a Lidge slider up the middle for another run to cut the lead to 5-3 and put the tying run at the plate in the person of Marco Scutaro. Fortunately Lidge got Scutaro to end the threat and the snap the Phils losing streak at 3. It will be tough to string together some wins from here as they head to the Bronx for a series with the Yankees but at least they avoided the sweep.
Thanks to a long at bat by Victor Martinez in the 6th Hamels was forced to leave the game after the 7th inning. Jose Contreras replaced him in the 8th and allowed back to back 1 out singles. Fortunately, just when it looked like Boston was going to mount a rally Adrian Beltre grounded sharply to 3rd, leading to an around the horn double play to the end the inning. Werth then manufactured a run in the 9th by walking, stealing two bases, and scoring on a sac fly for a 5-1 lead. The run proved to be huge as J.C Romero allowed an unearned run and issued a walk, before being replaced by Brad Lidge. Lidge struck out Darnell Mcdonald but then Daniel Nava, yes the rookie, blooped a Lidge slider up the middle for another run to cut the lead to 5-3 and put the tying run at the plate in the person of Marco Scutaro. Fortunately Lidge got Scutaro to end the threat and the snap the Phils losing streak at 3. It will be tough to string together some wins from here as they head to the Bronx for a series with the Yankees but at least they avoided the sweep.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
PHILLIES NEWS
Just when you thought it couldn't get much worse for the Phils than last night it did today. While he managed to go longer than Jamie Moyer, lasting 4 innings, Joe Blanton was ultimately no better allowing 9 runs on 13 hits. At least he pitched a scoreless 1st inning. So the Phils at least had a chance early on. In fact they had the lead 2-0 heading into the bottom of the 2nd. Then Blanton allowed 5 in that inning, 3 in the 3rd and 1 in the 4th before the Phils were forced to remove him from the game with a 9- 2 deficit. Faced with an insurmountable deficit for the 2nd straight game the Phils didn't do much the rest of the way. The bullpen, with Chad Durbin J.C Romero, and Jose Contreras was again solid, allowing just 1 run the rest of the way. It didn't matter though as the Phils failed to score the rest of the way, despite racking up 5 of their 7 hits in the remaining innings.
Chase Utley had one of the Phils 7 hits which is a sign tht perhaps he is coming out of his slump. On other hand after a 3 hit night yesterday, Jayson Werth hitless again today with a strikeout. Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino were also hitless so the obviously the team's slump isn't over yet. While the Phil's best hitters were punchless Brian Schneider, playing in place of Carlos Ruiz, collected 3 hits and knocked in both of the Phils runs which makes him pretty much the only bright spot for the Phils tonight. To add insult to injury the big hitter for the Red Sox in this one was Daniel Nava, a rookie playing in his first MLB game. Shockingly he had a grand slam in his first at bat and a double in the next one. Without him the score would have been 5-2 most of the night and the Phils would at least have been in striking distance and who knows what would have happened then. Sometimes when it rains it pours.
Chase Utley had one of the Phils 7 hits which is a sign tht perhaps he is coming out of his slump. On other hand after a 3 hit night yesterday, Jayson Werth hitless again today with a strikeout. Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino were also hitless so the obviously the team's slump isn't over yet. While the Phil's best hitters were punchless Brian Schneider, playing in place of Carlos Ruiz, collected 3 hits and knocked in both of the Phils runs which makes him pretty much the only bright spot for the Phils tonight. To add insult to injury the big hitter for the Red Sox in this one was Daniel Nava, a rookie playing in his first MLB game. Shockingly he had a grand slam in his first at bat and a double in the next one. Without him the score would have been 5-2 most of the night and the Phils would at least have been in striking distance and who knows what would have happened then. Sometimes when it rains it pours.
Friday, June 11, 2010
PHILLIES NEWS
Jamie Moyer has had a great season thus far, even for a 47 year old. Tonight was not one of his prouder moments. In just an inning + of work he allowed tatooed by the Boston Red Sox for 9 runs on 9 hits. They had 5 runs in the 1st, 4 in the 2nd, another 3 in the 3rd off David Herndon and before you could say cheese it was 12-0 Boston. In other words the Phils really had no chance in this one thank's to Jamie's ineffectiveness. It's not hard to see why he was so ineffective either. Time and time again he didn't get the corners and was forced to leave pitches over plate. Boston simply made him pay for it. A lot of great pitchers can't win without the corners, and a guy like Jamie who relies on fooling batters rather overpowering them has no chance without the corners.
So in short I guess you could say it just wasn't the Phils night. To there credit though they did keep Boston off the board the rest of the night. Herndon, Antonio Bastardo, and Kyle Kendrick combined for 5 scoreless innings to finish the night. Besides that the other bright spots for the Phils were 10 hits overall and a 3 hit night for Jayson Werth. In fact he had a hand in both the Phils runs. He doubled with one out in the 4th, just in front of a fielder's choice that allowed Ryan Howard to score from 3rd. Later he led off the 7th with a single and scored on another fielder's choice. Other than that there wasn't much to cheer on the Phils for as they fell 12-2. It's only one game though. Here's hoping they take the next two and the series.
So in short I guess you could say it just wasn't the Phils night. To there credit though they did keep Boston off the board the rest of the night. Herndon, Antonio Bastardo, and Kyle Kendrick combined for 5 scoreless innings to finish the night. Besides that the other bright spots for the Phils were 10 hits overall and a 3 hit night for Jayson Werth. In fact he had a hand in both the Phils runs. He doubled with one out in the 4th, just in front of a fielder's choice that allowed Ryan Howard to score from 3rd. Later he led off the 7th with a single and scored on another fielder's choice. Other than that there wasn't much to cheer on the Phils for as they fell 12-2. It's only one game though. Here's hoping they take the next two and the series.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
PHILLIES NEWS
Less than 2 weeks after a he threw perfect game against them Roy Halladay took the mound tonight looking to do more damage to the Marlins psyche. Once again he was brilliant allowing just 1 run on 6 hits while striking out 8. Unfortunately for the Phils Josh Johnson was just a touch better, tossing 8 shutout innings while striking out 5 and allowing just 3 hits. The Phils had runners in scoring against him just twice. Jasyon Werth struck out to end the 1st inning with runners on 2nd and 3rd, while Shane Victorino was stranded on 2nd after leadoff double in the 3rd. Other than that it was all Johnson.
Than Danys Baez served a leadoff homer to Dan Uggla in the 8th. So the Phils went into the 9th trailing 2-0. They almsot pulled it out. Placido Polanco slapped a one out double, giving Chase Utley a chance to tie it up with one swing. Unfortunately Utley grounded out and then Howard struck out to cap off the 2-0 loss. Just two nights after putting up 10 runs the Phils were scoreless again. I don't think you can blame their offensive struggles on this one though. You just have to tip your cap to Josh Johnson. He is one of the best pitchers in the NL right now and he was just too good tonight. Better luck tomorrow I guess.
Than Danys Baez served a leadoff homer to Dan Uggla in the 8th. So the Phils went into the 9th trailing 2-0. They almsot pulled it out. Placido Polanco slapped a one out double, giving Chase Utley a chance to tie it up with one swing. Unfortunately Utley grounded out and then Howard struck out to cap off the 2-0 loss. Just two nights after putting up 10 runs the Phils were scoreless again. I don't think you can blame their offensive struggles on this one though. You just have to tip your cap to Josh Johnson. He is one of the best pitchers in the NL right now and he was just too good tonight. Better luck tomorrow I guess.
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
FLYERS NEWS
What a ride it's been for the Orange and Black this postseason. Unfortunately all postseason runs must come to an end sometime and so the Flyer's did tonight. Fittingly they went down fighting and were oh so close to forcing a game 7 but it just wasn't meant to be. Both teams deserve credit for a great series and it's a crime that it didn't at least go 7, especially since I believe the Flyers would have won if it had gone that far. The loss not withstanding it's clear the Orange and Black gave everything they had in this series and really appeared at times tonight as if they had nothing left to give. Therefore I can live with this result, it just makes it that much toucher to swallow, knowing they put it all out there and were so close, but I digress.
Early on this one things got off on the wrong foot for the Flyers as Chicago scored the opening goal on the power play. The Flyers came right back with a power play goal by Scott Hartnell in the final seconds of the period to knot it up at 1. Then halfway through the 2nd period Danny Briere and Ville Leino teamed up a for pretty goal to give the Orange and Black they're only goal of the night. Less than 2 minutes later the ex-Flyer Patrick Sharp tied it up on a goal Micheal Leighton probably should have stopped. Late in the peiod the Flyers suddenly appeared to run out of gas and Chicago took advantage with Andrew Ladd scoring for a 3-2. Thanks to Leighton Chicago was unable to extend the lead from there. Still, it appeared Chicago would hang on for the win anyway, until the Orange and Black dug down deep one last time as Ville Leino threw a puck at the net that deflected off Hartnell and in for the 3-3 tie.
After that the Flyers had a couple chances to win in regulation but couldn't quite put it away so the game went into overtime. There they had only the momentum early on and couple golden opportunities to win off Blackhawks turnovers but they couldn't cash in. A couple minutes after those opportunities Patrick Kane rumbled into the Flyer zone but it appeared Braydon Coburn had him in check. Somehow though he managed to get off an angled shot, but Leighton appeared to be in position to stop it. I still don't how but it got through Leighton and then lodged in the far side of net where no one except Kane could see that it went in, setting off an odd celebration by the Hawks while no linesman gave a signal and the goal light and horn did not go off. It was a heartbreaking end to a great season that I'll never forget. There's always next year and I think if we can add one more defenseman to our 3rd or 4th line the cup is ours.
Early on this one things got off on the wrong foot for the Flyers as Chicago scored the opening goal on the power play. The Flyers came right back with a power play goal by Scott Hartnell in the final seconds of the period to knot it up at 1. Then halfway through the 2nd period Danny Briere and Ville Leino teamed up a for pretty goal to give the Orange and Black they're only goal of the night. Less than 2 minutes later the ex-Flyer Patrick Sharp tied it up on a goal Micheal Leighton probably should have stopped. Late in the peiod the Flyers suddenly appeared to run out of gas and Chicago took advantage with Andrew Ladd scoring for a 3-2. Thanks to Leighton Chicago was unable to extend the lead from there. Still, it appeared Chicago would hang on for the win anyway, until the Orange and Black dug down deep one last time as Ville Leino threw a puck at the net that deflected off Hartnell and in for the 3-3 tie.
After that the Flyers had a couple chances to win in regulation but couldn't quite put it away so the game went into overtime. There they had only the momentum early on and couple golden opportunities to win off Blackhawks turnovers but they couldn't cash in. A couple minutes after those opportunities Patrick Kane rumbled into the Flyer zone but it appeared Braydon Coburn had him in check. Somehow though he managed to get off an angled shot, but Leighton appeared to be in position to stop it. I still don't how but it got through Leighton and then lodged in the far side of net where no one except Kane could see that it went in, setting off an odd celebration by the Hawks while no linesman gave a signal and the goal light and horn did not go off. It was a heartbreaking end to a great season that I'll never forget. There's always next year and I think if we can add one more defenseman to our 3rd or 4th line the cup is ours.
PHILLIES NEWS
It was supposed to be another classic pitching matchup tonight between Roy Halladay and Josh Johnson but unfortunately mother nature got in the way as the game was rained out. So they'll face each other tomorrow night instead.
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
PHILLIES NEWS
After yet another disappointing showing from his team last night, Charlie Manuel decided to shake things up as the Phils began a series with the Florida Marlins tonight. He gave Jayson Werth another night off and put Ben Francisco in right field and in the number 5 spot in order, in his place. The moved turned out to be serendipitous as Francisco collected 2 hits, knocked in 2 runs, scored 2 runs and proved to be a key player on the night. He was not alone in his offensive prowess though. In fact Carlos Ruiz proved to be the Phils only starter who could not hit safely in the game as they exploded for 10 runs on 13 hits. The way the Phils bats had been going lately it fell like more of a volcanci eruption than just a mere explosion and despite it all the Phils almost lost.
3 time the Phils fell behind in this and 3 times they rallied back before victory was assured. Kyle Kendrick was tagged early and often from the onset, allowing 6 runs on 6 hits in just 5 innings of work. By the end of the Marlins half of the 3rd inning it was already 4-0 and things did not look good. Then in the bottom of the 3rd, Ryan Howard crushed a 2 run homer and Francisco manufactured a run with a single and stolen base followed a Raul Ibanez RBI single to cut it to 4-3. Florida quickly pushed it back to 6-3 in the 4th inning, but Shane Victorino answered with a solo shot in the bottom of the 4th to cut it to 6-4. Then in the 5th an error, an infield single by Ibanez, and a fielder's choice allowed the Phils to bleed out 2 more runs to pull even at 6. One inning later a sac fly by Chase Utley made it 7-6 Phils, their first lead of the night. It didn't last long as Florida rallied for runs in the 7th and 8th to push back out to an 8-7 lead. Finally the Phils engineered one final rally in the bottom of the 8th. Francisco slapped a clutch 2 out 2 run single and then scored on a infield singly by Wilson Valdez to put the Phils up seemingly for good at 10-8
However, Florida also put togethet a final rally against Brad Lidge but he was up for the test. After allowing a leadoff single to Hanley Ramirez, He struck out Jorge Cantu and Dan Uggla. Then pitched around Cody Ross to put 2 on with 2 out for rookie Mike Stanton. Having never seen Lidge before Stanton was as an easy mark after 3 pitches he grounded into a game ending forceout at 2nd except Wilson Valdez forgot to put his foot on the bag, allowing Cody Ross to slide in safely and load the bases for ex-Phil Ronnie Paulino. After a few more pitches Lidge got Paulino to harmlessly pop out and the Phils had their 10-8 win. Hopefully they can build off this and get back to scoring runs like we know they can. Until here's hoping for another perfecto from Roy tomorrow.
3 time the Phils fell behind in this and 3 times they rallied back before victory was assured. Kyle Kendrick was tagged early and often from the onset, allowing 6 runs on 6 hits in just 5 innings of work. By the end of the Marlins half of the 3rd inning it was already 4-0 and things did not look good. Then in the bottom of the 3rd, Ryan Howard crushed a 2 run homer and Francisco manufactured a run with a single and stolen base followed a Raul Ibanez RBI single to cut it to 4-3. Florida quickly pushed it back to 6-3 in the 4th inning, but Shane Victorino answered with a solo shot in the bottom of the 4th to cut it to 6-4. Then in the 5th an error, an infield single by Ibanez, and a fielder's choice allowed the Phils to bleed out 2 more runs to pull even at 6. One inning later a sac fly by Chase Utley made it 7-6 Phils, their first lead of the night. It didn't last long as Florida rallied for runs in the 7th and 8th to push back out to an 8-7 lead. Finally the Phils engineered one final rally in the bottom of the 8th. Francisco slapped a clutch 2 out 2 run single and then scored on a infield singly by Wilson Valdez to put the Phils up seemingly for good at 10-8
However, Florida also put togethet a final rally against Brad Lidge but he was up for the test. After allowing a leadoff single to Hanley Ramirez, He struck out Jorge Cantu and Dan Uggla. Then pitched around Cody Ross to put 2 on with 2 out for rookie Mike Stanton. Having never seen Lidge before Stanton was as an easy mark after 3 pitches he grounded into a game ending forceout at 2nd except Wilson Valdez forgot to put his foot on the bag, allowing Cody Ross to slide in safely and load the bases for ex-Phil Ronnie Paulino. After a few more pitches Lidge got Paulino to harmlessly pop out and the Phils had their 10-8 win. Hopefully they can build off this and get back to scoring runs like we know they can. Until here's hoping for another perfecto from Roy tomorrow.
Monday, June 07, 2010
PHILLIES NEWS
It's been less than a month since Roy Halladay's perfect night in South Florida but that didn't stop Cole Hamels from bidding to match him tonight. For 6 and 1/3rd innings he kept San Diego in check, with no runs or hits, dazzling them with his full array of pitches, cutter, fastball, curveball, and changeup. Just like Florida against Halladay San Diego' hitters often appeared in this one as if they didn't know what was coming next. That is, Until Adrian Gonzalez and Scott Hairston clipped back to back homers. Still Cole got out of the 7th without further damage and finished off the 8th so there was no reason the 2 homers would be enough to win right?
Wrong. The Phils again struggled to score, wasting most of their opportunities. They really didn't have all that many chances with just 7 hits all night long. So when the dust cleared after 9, despite 8 brilliant innings while allowing just 2 runs on 3 hits and striking out 6 Hamels ended up as the loser on the night. He really didn't everything he could though and shouldn't be blamed for this loss. Danys Baez wasn't quite so sharp coming out of the bullpen as he allowed a 1 run on 2 hits to stretch the San Diego lead to 3-0. Finally in the bottom of the 9th the Phils got on the board with a Ryan Howard RBI double but it was too little too late as one batter later Jayson Werth struck out to end the 3-1 Padre win. It seemed Like the Phils were finally coming out of it with their performances that last couple days but clearly there's still some work to do
Wrong. The Phils again struggled to score, wasting most of their opportunities. They really didn't have all that many chances with just 7 hits all night long. So when the dust cleared after 9, despite 8 brilliant innings while allowing just 2 runs on 3 hits and striking out 6 Hamels ended up as the loser on the night. He really didn't everything he could though and shouldn't be blamed for this loss. Danys Baez wasn't quite so sharp coming out of the bullpen as he allowed a 1 run on 2 hits to stretch the San Diego lead to 3-0. Finally in the bottom of the 9th the Phils got on the board with a Ryan Howard RBI double but it was too little too late as one batter later Jayson Werth struck out to end the 3-1 Padre win. It seemed Like the Phils were finally coming out of it with their performances that last couple days but clearly there's still some work to do
Sunday, June 06, 2010
FLYERS NEWS
Coming into tonight the Flyers were unbeaten in game 5s in the year's NHL playoffs. Not anymore after a stirring effort by the Chicago Blackhawks this one. Chicago just came out surging right from the beginning and the Flyers couldn't stay with them. They tried their hardest, I mean it's not as if they played all that poorly, Chicago was just too good in this one. Somehow the Flyers managed to withstand the early Chicago surge for 12 minutes before the Hawks finally got on the board and floodgates opened after that. By the time the 1st period was over Chicago led 3-0 and was well on their way to victory. To their credit the Flyers didn't give up though. Scott Hartnell scored only about 30 seconds into the 2nd period to cut it to 3-1. Then after Chicago made it 4-1 the Flyers answered back to cut it to 4-2.
Unfortunately Chris Pronger took a rare penalty near the end of the period and thus was not on the ice when Dustin Byfuglien finally scored his first goal of the series to make it 5-2. Still to the annoyance of Chicago the Flyers didn't give up as James Van Reimsdyk scored his 1st goal of the series to cut it to 5-3. The Orange and Black then had a chance on the power play after that to cut it to 5-4 but they couldn' t take advantage and Patrick followed not along after with breakaway goal to make it 6-3. The Flyers put together one last surge though as Ville Leino beautifully set up Simon Gagne to cut it to 6-4. Then with 2 and a half minutes to go the Flyers pulled Brian Boucher(he replaced Micheal Leighton after the 1st period) in favor of the extra attacker. Unfortunately it seemed they were just a little too spent to stage anymore heroics as Byfuglien managed to get the puck away and fire it down the ice and into the empty net to clinch a 7-4 win.
On the whole the game was a complete reversal of the rest of the series with Chicago having and the edge on special teams and a slight edge defensively. This Chicago tonight is the Chicago that was supposed to be here all series long and you just have to tip your cap to them after this performance. Still, if you take away the 1st period the Flyers played the Hawks to a draw the rest of the way. That tells me there is a very good chance that they'll win game 6 and force the series back to Chicago one more time for game 7 and who knows what happens after that.
Unfortunately Chris Pronger took a rare penalty near the end of the period and thus was not on the ice when Dustin Byfuglien finally scored his first goal of the series to make it 5-2. Still to the annoyance of Chicago the Flyers didn't give up as James Van Reimsdyk scored his 1st goal of the series to cut it to 5-3. The Orange and Black then had a chance on the power play after that to cut it to 5-4 but they couldn' t take advantage and Patrick followed not along after with breakaway goal to make it 6-3. The Flyers put together one last surge though as Ville Leino beautifully set up Simon Gagne to cut it to 6-4. Then with 2 and a half minutes to go the Flyers pulled Brian Boucher(he replaced Micheal Leighton after the 1st period) in favor of the extra attacker. Unfortunately it seemed they were just a little too spent to stage anymore heroics as Byfuglien managed to get the puck away and fire it down the ice and into the empty net to clinch a 7-4 win.
On the whole the game was a complete reversal of the rest of the series with Chicago having and the edge on special teams and a slight edge defensively. This Chicago tonight is the Chicago that was supposed to be here all series long and you just have to tip your cap to them after this performance. Still, if you take away the 1st period the Flyers played the Hawks to a draw the rest of the way. That tells me there is a very good chance that they'll win game 6 and force the series back to Chicago one more time for game 7 and who knows what happens after that.
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils took the field this afternoon looking to complete the series win over the Padres. They got off to another quick start with 5 runs in the first 2 innings. In the 1st, Shane Victorino singled to lead off, stole 2nd, and scored on back to back fielder's choices. In the 2nd, Placido Polanco and Ryan Howard each slapped 2 out 2 run singles to produce the Phils 2nd 4 run inning in as many nights. That's not bad for a team whose lineup is supposedly struggling mightily. Unfortunately Joe Blanton couldn't hold the Phils early lead and by the 5th San Diego had rallied to tie it at 5. Meanwhile the Phils squandered all their opportunities to score after the 2nd inning, leaving a total of 15 men on base.
So after Blanton exited following the 5th, all the pressure in the world shifted onto the bullpen to keep the game tied until the Phils could come up with another run. For 4 innings they did just that, with Chad Durbin, J.C Romero, Jose Contreras, and Chad Durbin combining to do the deed. After the Phils blew a golden opportunity to win the game in the bottom of the 9th, stranding the winning run at 3rd, Danys Baez came in to pitch the 10th. He was as lucky as aforementioned allowing a 2 out run on an infield single that was just deep enough to short that Wilson Valdez couldn't do anything with it. The Phils then had another golden opportunity in the bottom of the 10th to rally back and perhaps win it, but Polanco was thrown out trying to go to 3rd on a single by Chase Utley and then with runners on the corners and 2 out, Jayson Werth struck out to end the Phils day. So they didn't get the sweep but they did win series and with 5+ runs for the 2nd game in a row they seem to be coming out of there slump. Things can only get better from here.
So after Blanton exited following the 5th, all the pressure in the world shifted onto the bullpen to keep the game tied until the Phils could come up with another run. For 4 innings they did just that, with Chad Durbin, J.C Romero, Jose Contreras, and Chad Durbin combining to do the deed. After the Phils blew a golden opportunity to win the game in the bottom of the 9th, stranding the winning run at 3rd, Danys Baez came in to pitch the 10th. He was as lucky as aforementioned allowing a 2 out run on an infield single that was just deep enough to short that Wilson Valdez couldn't do anything with it. The Phils then had another golden opportunity in the bottom of the 10th to rally back and perhaps win it, but Polanco was thrown out trying to go to 3rd on a single by Chase Utley and then with runners on the corners and 2 out, Jayson Werth struck out to end the Phils day. So they didn't get the sweep but they did win series and with 5+ runs for the 2nd game in a row they seem to be coming out of there slump. Things can only get better from here.
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