It was another close call for the Phils tonight and once again they were on the wrong side of it. Jamie Moyer pitched well through 5 innings, allowing just 1 run on 4 hits. However, the Phils could only muster 3 runs of their own in that time, on an RBI double by Jimmy Rollins and a 2 run homer by Ryan Howard. So when Jamie succumbed to hot, muggy night in the 6th and quickly allowed 6 runs the Phils found themselves in a deep 7-3 hole. Perhaps Moyer could have been pulled earlier in the inning before the Phils fell that far behind, but he wasn't and the Phils were left to deal with that. They almost did.
Danys Baez finished the 6th, and Nelson Figueroa and Jose Contreras combined to keep Atlanta scoreless the rest of the night. So the Phils had an opening to mount a rally and steal this one and series from the Braves. First Shane Victorino slammed a solo homer to cut it to 7-4 in the 7th. Then with 2 out in the 8th 3 straight singles from Greg Dobbs, Ross Gload, and Ben Francisco plated another to cut it to 7-5. Unfortunately Gload and Francisco were stranded when Juan Castro popped up to end the inning. Later JRoll just missed a solo shot to leadoff the 9th, instead producing a long loud out number one. Victorino and Ibanez followed with strikeout to leave the Phils rally 2 run short and conclude a tough 7-5 loss.
With that the Phils drop to 6 games out in the NL East for the 1st time since Sept 2007 when they were in 2nd place behind the Mets. Then they put together a miracle September rally to win their 1st of 3 straight division titles. They''ll still have ample opportunity to put together that kind of magic again before the season is over but time is a wasting.
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
SIXERS NEWS
Despite Jrue Holiday's best effort thus far the Sixers suffered their first loss in summer league play today, falling to the Oklahoma City Thunder 89-80. Holiday was outstanding with 25 and 5 assists. Unfortunately Evan Turner continued to struggle, compiling just 4 points and 8 rebounds before fouling out again. He'll come around eventually but again it is better that he's having these struggles now rather than during the regular season when it really matters.
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
PHILLIES NEWS
The Phils should probably be back within 3 games of the top spot in the NL East right now, but instead thanks to their continued lack of timely hitting they're back to 5 games out in the NL East. It's okay to let opportunities like that slip away when it's still this early in this season but they can't afford to keep doing so for too much longer otherwise they won't have too many more opportunities to make up ground. It didn't feel so much like Atlanta won tonight but rather like the Phils let them win. It really was their game to lose in the late innings and they just couldn't take advantage. That's somewhat understandable given all the players their missing, but it's still not good enough for a team fighting to win its division.
Cole Hamels got off to a rough start allowing a run on 2 hits in the first inning but he straighened out, allowing just 2 runs on 6 hits while striking out 8 through the next 6 innings. Meanwhile Raul Ibanez slugged a 2 run homer in the bottom of the 1st to lift the Phils ahead 2-1. Later after Atlanta had rallied ahead 3-2 Ryan Howard crushed a game tying RBI triple with nobody out in the 7th. Unfortunately he was stranded at 3rd. Just one hit, one ground out to the other side of the diamond or one sac fly would have scored him, but neither Jayson, nor Ben Francisco, nor Wilson Valdez could come up with anything. Jose Contreras, J.C Romero, and Brad Lidge combined from there to keep Atlanta scoreless through the 8th and 9th innings, so scoring Howard in the 7th would likely have given the Phils a 4-3 win.
Alas, they didn't score Howard and after stranding Juan Castro at 2nd in the 10th inning, Atlanta finally made the Phils pay for allowing them to hang around with a 3 run 11th inning. Billy Wagner closed his old team in the bottom of the inning and the Phils had themselves a disappointing 6-3 loss and once again a 5 game deficit in the NL East. There are better ways to spend a tuesday night.
Cole Hamels got off to a rough start allowing a run on 2 hits in the first inning but he straighened out, allowing just 2 runs on 6 hits while striking out 8 through the next 6 innings. Meanwhile Raul Ibanez slugged a 2 run homer in the bottom of the 1st to lift the Phils ahead 2-1. Later after Atlanta had rallied ahead 3-2 Ryan Howard crushed a game tying RBI triple with nobody out in the 7th. Unfortunately he was stranded at 3rd. Just one hit, one ground out to the other side of the diamond or one sac fly would have scored him, but neither Jayson, nor Ben Francisco, nor Wilson Valdez could come up with anything. Jose Contreras, J.C Romero, and Brad Lidge combined from there to keep Atlanta scoreless through the 8th and 9th innings, so scoring Howard in the 7th would likely have given the Phils a 4-3 win.
Alas, they didn't score Howard and after stranding Juan Castro at 2nd in the 10th inning, Atlanta finally made the Phils pay for allowing them to hang around with a 3 run 11th inning. Billy Wagner closed his old team in the bottom of the inning and the Phils had themselves a disappointing 6-3 loss and once again a 5 game deficit in the NL East. There are better ways to spend a tuesday night.
SIXERS NEWS
The Sixers improved to 2-0 in summer league play tonight with an 86-69 win over the Boston Celtics. Jodie Meeks led all Sixer scorers with 18, while Evan Turner added 13, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists. He also continued to have his troubles with turnovers and fouls. Obviously he still has a lot to learn but at least he's learning it in summer league play instead of during the regular season.
Monday, July 05, 2010
PHILLIES NEWS
Despite having tossed 6 complete games this season Roy Halladay came into tonight, inexplicably, still looking for his 10th win of the season. Yes, even Halladay can't win consistently without a little run support. The run support wasn't much better for him tonight but it didn't matter. In one of his most dominating outings of the season, Halladay tossed his 7th complete game while holding the Atlanta Braves to just 1 run - Chipper Jones' solo homer in the 1st inning, on 5 hits, and striking out 7. He did so on just 93 pitches so it really was a thoroughly dominant performance. The Braves just weren't able to figure Halladay out on this night. He was a step ahead of them the whole way and good pitching always beats good hitting.
Anyway, despite Halladay's greatness the Phils still almost lost this one. They actually trailed 1-0 heading into the bottom of the 6th inning. Then Greg Dobbs got his biggest hit of the season, smashing a 2 out 2 run homer off Derek Lowe for a 2-1 Phils lead. Later in the 8th inning after a botched attempt at a suicide squeeze, Jayson Werth wound up scoring from 2nd on a 2 out a single by Juan Castro, that got just through Jones. That gave the Phils a 3-1 lead and for Halladay that was enough to close it out. It's a big win for the Phils as they move to 43-38 overall and now within 4 games of 1st in the NL East. This was the 81st game or halfway point of the season for the Phils and believe it or not at 43-38 overall they have the same record this year that they had at this point last year and in 2008. So perhaps there's not so much to reason to worry about them after all. We shall see as this important series rolls on at the Bank
Anyway, despite Halladay's greatness the Phils still almost lost this one. They actually trailed 1-0 heading into the bottom of the 6th inning. Then Greg Dobbs got his biggest hit of the season, smashing a 2 out 2 run homer off Derek Lowe for a 2-1 Phils lead. Later in the 8th inning after a botched attempt at a suicide squeeze, Jayson Werth wound up scoring from 2nd on a 2 out a single by Juan Castro, that got just through Jones. That gave the Phils a 3-1 lead and for Halladay that was enough to close it out. It's a big win for the Phils as they move to 43-38 overall and now within 4 games of 1st in the NL East. This was the 81st game or halfway point of the season for the Phils and believe it or not at 43-38 overall they have the same record this year that they had at this point last year and in 2008. So perhaps there's not so much to reason to worry about them after all. We shall see as this important series rolls on at the Bank
SIXERS NEWS
The Sixers began summer league play tonight with a win over the Nets,84-74. Among their notable summer league player Jrue Holiday led the way with 23 and 8 assists. Evan Turner provided a solid 12 and 8 rebounds in his pro debut but fouled out which indicates his defense still needs some work. Mo Speights was not so impressive as he went scoreless on the night. Still it was a good start for the new back court duo of Holiday and Turner and that's the important thing.
Sunday, July 04, 2010
PHILLIES NEWS
Even the best laid plans of Mice and Managers so don't go as planned. For Charlie Manuel and the Phils everything was in order for 6 innings this afternoon. In that time Joe Blanton allowed just 2 runs on 3 hits. Meanwhile, a Ben Francisco double and a fielders choice in the 2nd, an RBI single by Raul Ibanez, a sac fly by Ryan Howard, and an RBI double by Greg Dobbs in the 3rd and finally a solo shot by Dane Sardhina in the top of the 7th, allotted the Phils with 5 runs and a 5-2 lead heading into Pittsburgh's half of the 7th. That's where things went awry. The plan for today was apparently for Blanton to go 7, but thanks to all the extra heat and humidity out there today he pretty much had nothing left after 6. No matter, Charlie Manuel sent him out for the 7th anyway and he promptly allowed a solo shot to leadoff the inning and cut the lead to 5-3. Two more batters reached base to put 2 on with 1 out before Blanton was finally pulled from the game in favor of Jose Contreras.
Contreras had one of the most hard luck outings you'll ever see. First he made great pitch to Delwyn Young to jam in, but Young got just enough of it to keep it fair for a cheap RBI double. Next he got Jose Sabata to hit a sharp grounder Jimmy Rollins seemed to have a beat out but it bounced off his glove instead and into left field allowing another run to score. Next Tabata looked like he would be out trying to steal second but JRoll twice failed to get the tag down in time. He then walked the next batter before finally getting Andrew McCutchen to ground into the 2nd out of the inning. That was it for Jose after that as Mike Zagurski came in to replace him and allowed another run before finally getting out of the inning.
The Damage had been done though as the Phils found themselves down 8-5 heading into the 8th and never recovered. In fact they went down in order in the final 2 inning to fall 8-5 and successfully drop 3 of 4 to the lowly Pirates. Not exactly the 4th of July weekend they were hoping but for now, thanks to a Braves loss, they're 42-38 record keeps them in contention at just 5 games out in the NL East. In other news Chase Utley, Ryan Howard,and Roy Halladay all made the NL All-Star team. Utley was voted in as a starter but obviously won't play, and Howard and Halladay will be reserves. Here's hoping they can finally help the NL win for a change ad get home field in the world series, not that the Phils will necessarily need it this year.
Contreras had one of the most hard luck outings you'll ever see. First he made great pitch to Delwyn Young to jam in, but Young got just enough of it to keep it fair for a cheap RBI double. Next he got Jose Sabata to hit a sharp grounder Jimmy Rollins seemed to have a beat out but it bounced off his glove instead and into left field allowing another run to score. Next Tabata looked like he would be out trying to steal second but JRoll twice failed to get the tag down in time. He then walked the next batter before finally getting Andrew McCutchen to ground into the 2nd out of the inning. That was it for Jose after that as Mike Zagurski came in to replace him and allowed another run before finally getting out of the inning.
The Damage had been done though as the Phils found themselves down 8-5 heading into the 8th and never recovered. In fact they went down in order in the final 2 inning to fall 8-5 and successfully drop 3 of 4 to the lowly Pirates. Not exactly the 4th of July weekend they were hoping but for now, thanks to a Braves loss, they're 42-38 record keeps them in contention at just 5 games out in the NL East. In other news Chase Utley, Ryan Howard,and Roy Halladay all made the NL All-Star team. Utley was voted in as a starter but obviously won't play, and Howard and Halladay will be reserves. Here's hoping they can finally help the NL win for a change ad get home field in the world series, not that the Phils will necessarily need it this year.
Saturday, July 03, 2010
PHILLIES NEWS
Sometimes one new face is enough to lift a team out of a struggle. That was the case for the Phils tonight. Not more than 2 hours before the game tonight Brian Bocock was sent packing back to minors while Cody Ransom was recalled from AAA and immediately inserted as the Phils starting 3B. He would've have already been called up by now if his defensive skills weren't so suspect. That he was called up at all shows how desperate the Phils were for something, anything to spark their sagging lineup. For tonight at least Ransom was just that. He collected 2 hits and an RBI and sparked the Phils to a 12 run and 15 hit night, that saw the Pirates thoroughly embarrassed in front of their biggest crowd of the season.
Jimmy Rollins with 3 hits ,including a solo homer in the 4th, 3 RBIs, and 3 runs scored and Ryan Howard with 2 hits and 3 RBIs were the big bombers for the Phils on the night but they weren't alone. Shane Victorino had 3 hits, 3 runs scored, and an RBI, Jayson Werth had a hit and an RBI, Ben Francisco had a solo homer and 2 RBIs, Dane Sardinha had a hit and an RBI, Wilson Valdez had a hit and a run scored and heck even Kyle Kendrick doubled and scored in the 7th. Yes, the 'Everybody gets a hit' guy from the Vet would have been a proud man tonight.
By the bottom of the 5th it was already a laughable 10-1 Phils, not that that Kyle Kendrick needed the help. He had to throw just 114 pitches to go the distance in this one, while limiting Pittsburgh to just 4 runs on 10 hits and striking out 4. No that isn't a great line, but when you have a 9 run lead by the 5th inning, particularly against a team like the Pirates, you don't have to be great and Kendrick knew that. He simply did a good job of taking advantage of the lead given to him by going after the hitters and retiring most of them quickly. In the end it was good enough for his 5th win of the season, and the Phils 42 win of the season against 37 losses. That keeps them 5 games back in the NL East which is at least within striking distance. So if that 5 games is down to say 1 or 0 by the all- star break then you can remember this game as turning point in the Phils run toward a 4th straight NL East title. I wouldn't put it past them.
Jimmy Rollins with 3 hits ,including a solo homer in the 4th, 3 RBIs, and 3 runs scored and Ryan Howard with 2 hits and 3 RBIs were the big bombers for the Phils on the night but they weren't alone. Shane Victorino had 3 hits, 3 runs scored, and an RBI, Jayson Werth had a hit and an RBI, Ben Francisco had a solo homer and 2 RBIs, Dane Sardinha had a hit and an RBI, Wilson Valdez had a hit and a run scored and heck even Kyle Kendrick doubled and scored in the 7th. Yes, the 'Everybody gets a hit' guy from the Vet would have been a proud man tonight.
By the bottom of the 5th it was already a laughable 10-1 Phils, not that that Kyle Kendrick needed the help. He had to throw just 114 pitches to go the distance in this one, while limiting Pittsburgh to just 4 runs on 10 hits and striking out 4. No that isn't a great line, but when you have a 9 run lead by the 5th inning, particularly against a team like the Pirates, you don't have to be great and Kendrick knew that. He simply did a good job of taking advantage of the lead given to him by going after the hitters and retiring most of them quickly. In the end it was good enough for his 5th win of the season, and the Phils 42 win of the season against 37 losses. That keeps them 5 games back in the NL East which is at least within striking distance. So if that 5 games is down to say 1 or 0 by the all- star break then you can remember this game as turning point in the Phils run toward a 4th straight NL East title. I wouldn't put it past them.
Friday, July 02, 2010
PHILLIES NEWS
Things went from bad to worse for the Phils lineup tonight. While they could only muster 2 runs last night, they came up completely empty in this one. In fact they managed just 5 hits all night long and all of them came off starter, Ross Ohlendorf. With guys like Octavio Dotel and Joel Hanrahan the back of Pirates bullpen is actually very good. Believe it or not with the win tonight they're now 22-0 when leading after 8. So there's no shame in going hitless against them. Ohlendorf is a different story. He came into tonight an imperfect 0-6 with an ERA near 5, yet the Phils had nary a hard hit ball against him and really threatened him only a few times.
In the 3rd inning Dane Sardinha beat out an infield single and Jimmy Rollins was hit in the helmet with a pitch to put 2 on with 2 out for Raul Ibanez but popped out to end the inning. Later Ibanez crushed a 1 out double in the 6th but Jayson Werth followed with a strikeout and after an intentional walk to Ryan Howard, Ben Francisco was robbed of a game tying hit on a lucky diving grab by Lastings Milledge. Finally in the 7th, Wilson Valdez singled and stole second but he too was stranded as Sardhina struck out and Shane Victorino, pinch hitting, grounded out to end the inning. They never had another base runner after that.
The Phils now have just 5 runs in their last 3 games which just goes to show how many holes there are in the Phils lineup when Chase Utley, Placido Polanco, and Carlos Ruiz are all missing from it. The victim of those holes on this evening, was the ageless Jamie Moyer who took the loss, despite allowing only 2 runs on 5 hits, while striking out 8 over 6 innings. It was really a hard luck night all around for him as Pittsburgh got their runs in 4th on back to back swinging bunts that were so slow no one could field them. Otherwise the Phils and Pirates might still be playing right now in extra innings. Instead they lost 2-0 and fall to just 41-37 on the season. It just makes you wonder how much longer they can hang in there until the injuries are too much overcome.
Speaking of injuries the Phils finally got some good news on the injury front today as it was revealed that Brian Schneider and his jammed thumb won't have to go on DL. He's not a great catcher but compared to Sardhina he would be an improvement in lineup. So if nothing else the Phils have his return to look forward to. Who knows maybe their luck is finally turning this season.
In the 3rd inning Dane Sardinha beat out an infield single and Jimmy Rollins was hit in the helmet with a pitch to put 2 on with 2 out for Raul Ibanez but popped out to end the inning. Later Ibanez crushed a 1 out double in the 6th but Jayson Werth followed with a strikeout and after an intentional walk to Ryan Howard, Ben Francisco was robbed of a game tying hit on a lucky diving grab by Lastings Milledge. Finally in the 7th, Wilson Valdez singled and stole second but he too was stranded as Sardhina struck out and Shane Victorino, pinch hitting, grounded out to end the inning. They never had another base runner after that.
The Phils now have just 5 runs in their last 3 games which just goes to show how many holes there are in the Phils lineup when Chase Utley, Placido Polanco, and Carlos Ruiz are all missing from it. The victim of those holes on this evening, was the ageless Jamie Moyer who took the loss, despite allowing only 2 runs on 5 hits, while striking out 8 over 6 innings. It was really a hard luck night all around for him as Pittsburgh got their runs in 4th on back to back swinging bunts that were so slow no one could field them. Otherwise the Phils and Pirates might still be playing right now in extra innings. Instead they lost 2-0 and fall to just 41-37 on the season. It just makes you wonder how much longer they can hang in there until the injuries are too much overcome.
Speaking of injuries the Phils finally got some good news on the injury front today as it was revealed that Brian Schneider and his jammed thumb won't have to go on DL. He's not a great catcher but compared to Sardhina he would be an improvement in lineup. So if nothing else the Phils have his return to look forward to. Who knows maybe their luck is finally turning this season.
FLYERS NEWS
A source has said that the Flyers talks with someone about trading Simon Gagne. It has been said by the Flyers front office that Jeff Carter and Mike Richards are untouchable to their skill level and young age. Gagne on other hand will turn 31 next season and seems to have a propensity in recent years for sustaining injuries. So despite how important he was in the playoffs he is expendable to the Flyers. Still, if they do trade him they better get something good in return.
Thursday, July 01, 2010
PHILLIES NEWS
Ever since the Pirates opened beautiful PNC park the Phillies have struggled to play their best baseball in Pittsburgh. Those struggles continued tonight. Even against Dane McCutchen, a pitcher who came in with an ERA over 11.00, the Phils could muster 2 runs on 6 hits through 5 and a 1/3rd innings. Meanwhile Cole Hamels went 7 strong, allowing just 3 runs on 5 hits while striking out 8. Yet, he found himself uncharacteristically trailing 3-2 when he left for the night.
From there the Phils had a couple golden opportunities against the Pittsburgh bullpen to pull even. In the 6th inning Raul Ibanez reached base on a fielder's choice and stole second to get himself in scoring position for Dane Sardhina, but Sardinha flied out to end the inning. In the 8th inning Jimmy Rollins blooped a one out double just in front of a diving Andrew McCutchen. Ryan Howard and Ibanez, after Werth worked a walk, each had a chance to knock in Rollins and failed with a strike out on a questionable pitch, and fly out respectively. Finally in the 9th inning Sardhina led off with a single, and moved to second on a successful bunt by Wilson Valdez. Ross Gload followed with a ground out to move Sardhina 3rd. So that left it up to Shane Victorino to collect the tying hit but he was called out on another questionable strike three to end it.
So the Phils fall again in Pittsburgh but they should be able to rebound tomorrow at least with Jamie Moyer on the mound. They've got to figure out how to piece together a decent lineup without Chase Utley and Placido Polanco. If Greg Dobbs could just find his swing again they would be okay but that's a big if. At this point Polanco is slated to be out 3-4 weeks while Utley will need surgery for his thumb and will likely miss 8 weeks. Considering he's only out for precautionary reasons, you would think Carlos Ruiz will be back before either them. So if they just hang in there for next couple weeks they should be okay after that with Carlos and Placido back in the fold. They may want to think out bringing in another infielder though. At any rate even with all the injuries they're still 41-36 overall and within 4 games of the top of the NL East. That's something to be proud of at least.
From there the Phils had a couple golden opportunities against the Pittsburgh bullpen to pull even. In the 6th inning Raul Ibanez reached base on a fielder's choice and stole second to get himself in scoring position for Dane Sardhina, but Sardinha flied out to end the inning. In the 8th inning Jimmy Rollins blooped a one out double just in front of a diving Andrew McCutchen. Ryan Howard and Ibanez, after Werth worked a walk, each had a chance to knock in Rollins and failed with a strike out on a questionable pitch, and fly out respectively. Finally in the 9th inning Sardhina led off with a single, and moved to second on a successful bunt by Wilson Valdez. Ross Gload followed with a ground out to move Sardhina 3rd. So that left it up to Shane Victorino to collect the tying hit but he was called out on another questionable strike three to end it.
So the Phils fall again in Pittsburgh but they should be able to rebound tomorrow at least with Jamie Moyer on the mound. They've got to figure out how to piece together a decent lineup without Chase Utley and Placido Polanco. If Greg Dobbs could just find his swing again they would be okay but that's a big if. At this point Polanco is slated to be out 3-4 weeks while Utley will need surgery for his thumb and will likely miss 8 weeks. Considering he's only out for precautionary reasons, you would think Carlos Ruiz will be back before either them. So if they just hang in there for next couple weeks they should be okay after that with Carlos and Placido back in the fold. They may want to think out bringing in another infielder though. At any rate even with all the injuries they're still 41-36 overall and within 4 games of the top of the NL East. That's something to be proud of at least.
FLYERS NEWS
The Flyers continued to make moves today as they traded a 2nd round pick to the Tampa Bay Lightning for young defenseman Andrej Meszaros. Later they resigned Braydon Coburn for 2 years and $6.4 million. After that they signed 39 year old defenseman Sean O'Donnell, Chris Pronger's former Anaheim Duck's teammate for 1 year and $1 million. Finally the finished their activity for the day by signing ex Ranger fighting defenseman Jody Shelley to a 3 year 3.3 million deal. So the Orange and Back now have arguably the deepest defense in the league and now a little over 1 million in cap space to play with. That means Aaron Asham probably won't be resigned and either Darrol Powe or Dan Carcillo will have to be let go as well. Furthermore, if the Flyers still want to make a move for a goalie and perhaps another winger someone will have to be traded away to for cap space. I for one like the improvements on defense and am interested to see what moves the Flyers and Paul Holmgren still have up their sleeves.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
PHILLIES NEWS
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.
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.
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.
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