BLOG ON THE FLY

Something different today: I'm going to jot down my immediate, visceral reactions to the Phillies lousy play as it happens! I have the ESPN Gamecast going as I write this. Looks like Padilla struggled in the second, giving up a couple of doubles and two runs, although the Mets ran themselves out of a bigger inning when David Wright was thrown at the plate by J-Roll. Jimmy then got one back with a walk, steal of second, steal of third, and a wild pitch by Kris Benson. Well, at least we can run, if not hit.

TOP FIFTH
Pratt bounces out. Padilla gets a rare hit. Jimmy singles him to second. Come on Chaser! Three-and-oh to Utley. Take a strike, Chase, Bobby's on deck. OK, 3-1. Walked him. Bases juiced for Abreu. Just noticed: how could they sit Floyd for this game? He popped it up...dammit. Ok, Pat, it's on you. You love this place. Now is the time. It hit him! Tied up at 2-2. That'll do it for Benson. He'll hit the showers, along with three hookers the grounds crew planted so that Anna Benson will make good on her pledge to have sex with the whole team, including the grounds crew, if Kris cheats on her. Aaron Heilman comes in.

Ok, Bell is in there. He and his whopping .216 average. Comebacker. Nice job, Dave. Well, we tied it up, anyway.

BOTTOM FIFTH
Beltran in against Vicente. Ground out to Big Ryan. That'll bring up Piazza. Base hit up the middle. Pizza-boy is a hitting machine. Mike Cameron steps in. Again, where the heck is Yukon Cornelius? Maybe he's hurt. I'll have to research that. Doh! Double by Cameron, Piazza to third. Way to keep the momentum going, Padilla. Minky is walked to load the bases for D-Wright. We need a DP grounder bad here. Nope. Another double! Two runs are in, it's 4-2, Minky heads to third. Ok, Charlie, I think the Flotilla is taking on water. Diaz is walked to load them again. Hey it worked once. Heilman the pitcher is due up. I guess they'll bat him now that he has a lead. Ryan Madson comes on to try to stanch the hemorrhaging. Polanco replaces Bell for the double switch.

Heilman is taking his hacks. Heilman is caught browsing. Nice job, Ryan. That'll bring up Reyes, bases still loaded. Good morning, good afternoon, good night. Struck him out. Madson is clutch as usual. Ok, not too terrible, only two runs. At least Padilla actually made it out of the fourth today. Maybe by July he can pitch long enough to get a win.

TOP SIXTH
Big Ryan up. Big K. Marlon Byrd makes an appearance. He even has a hit already. And another! Marlon heads for second on Cameron's error. Pratt's up. Pratt K's. Polanco, hitting in the ninth spot, tries to get a big two-out hit. Not happening. Bouncer to third. Still 4-2.

BOTTOM SIXTH
The blogger repairs to the facilities...Kaz bounces out. Beltran out swinging. Pizza-boy gets another hit. Cameron hits into an FC. The score remains 4-2.

TOP SEVENTH
I wonder if Heilman will stay in, or if they have a setup guy they like to use. I guess it's Heilman. J-Roll leads off. Is it me, or is J-Roll a dead ringer for Lauryn Hill? Hits like her too. One out, on strikes. The Chaser is up. Ground out to 1B. Now Abreu. K me. So, so quiet. Stretch time!

BOTTOM SEVENTH
Minky grounds to second. D-Wright K's. Diaz bounces to third. Madson mows them down again. Let's get some runs!

TOP EIGHTH
Pat The Bat starts us off. Heilman still dealing. Burrell out on strikes. The pitcher's spot is due up. Offerman will pinch hit. Jose is aboard with a bases on balls. It's about time somebody got on. Ryan is up. Now's the time, rookie. Double play. That's not what I meant. Still 4-2, and time is rapidly running out. Looper is probably getting warm.

But I'm serious, J-Roll and Lauryn Hill could be related...



BOTTOM EIGHTH
Tim Worrell? Oh no. That lead will soon get bigger. Marlon Anderson leads off, base hit. Reyes up. Sac bunt, Anderson to second. Kaz is the hitter. Grounds to second, moving Anderson to third. Any other reliever gets out of this, but Worrell will find a way to allow that runner to score. Beltran is up. He walks on four straight. Piazza must be salivating. He's already 3-4. And there it goes! Three-run blast. 7-2. Drive safely folks. Thanks, Timmy. Have a nice life pumping gas or selling real estate. Cameron doubles for the exclamation point. Come on Minky, put us out of our misery. He popped up to second. God, we suck.

Well, I gotta run, kids. I'll add a post-mortem tomorrow, and a preview of the Cubs series, if I really feel depressed.