Friday, June 24, 2005
FLYING THROUGH O'HARE...WHAT COULD GO WRONG?
I'm off tomorrow morning with the wife to the Bay Area for a week's vacation. We're bringing the laptop, and the place has wireless broadband, so at the very least I'll catch some games on MLB.TV, and I'll even sneak in an entry or two if I get tired of looking at the Monterey coastline and such. I'll also post some shots of the A's/Mariners tilt at McAfee Coliseum when I get back. Maybe I can get Mr. Overrated to sign my program!
CHECK-MET
Bobby, Bobby, Bobby. If you're going to swing at the first pitch, swing! Oh, well. You can't complain too much. We'd be swimming with the Devil Rays without Abreu.
The Phils dropped the game, 4-3, and the series, 2-1, to the recently foundering Metsies yesterday afternoon at the Park. Cory Lidle had another workmanlike effort, where he pitched his usual six-plus innings and gave up his usual four runs. Typically, the Phillies bats have been enough to win these kinds of games, especially at home, but yesterday they couldn't solve the normally very solvable Kaz Ishii. Kaz picked up only his second win of the season mainly by stymieing the big two, Abreu and Burrell. Thome took him deep, but neither Bobby nor Pat nor anyone else for that matter was on base at the time. Jason Michaels had a nice game, getting three hits and keeping the game alive in the ninth for Abreu to ultimately end it with his feeble check swing bouncer to the mound. Braden Looper saved it for New York, and despite what the WFAN idiots have been whining about, he's done a pretty good job, certainly against us.
Once again, Phillies pitchers could not manage to keep Jose Reyes off the bases. The Mets shortstop went 3-for-5 with a run scored and stole three bases. Is it bad execution of the game plan, or just a lack of a game plan? How can you give Reyes anything good to hit when he obviously will swing at anything? If there was one key to why we lost this series, Reyes' anomalous success may be it.
The Phillies fell to 13-20 vs. the NL East. Obviously, there will be no October baseball in Philadelphia if that winning percentage keeps up. The Spawn were blanked by Florida and T.F.N. were off, putting the division deficit to 3.5 games and leaving the wild card lead at a half-game. The Faithless meet the Faithful tonight as the World Champion Boston Red Sox drop by for the first of three. The Champs have won four straight, and nine of ten, although five of those nine wins came at home against the imploding Reds and the perpetually rebuilding Pirates. Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield takes on Jon Lieber in the opener. Now, for those going to the game, the Phillies fans seats are in the upper deck, last three rows. Try to not to disturb the Red Sox fans. They've paid good money for those tickets, and they've traveled all this way. Even when they start up with the "NINE-TEEN EIGHTY" chants, just look the other way.
The Phils dropped the game, 4-3, and the series, 2-1, to the recently foundering Metsies yesterday afternoon at the Park. Cory Lidle had another workmanlike effort, where he pitched his usual six-plus innings and gave up his usual four runs. Typically, the Phillies bats have been enough to win these kinds of games, especially at home, but yesterday they couldn't solve the normally very solvable Kaz Ishii. Kaz picked up only his second win of the season mainly by stymieing the big two, Abreu and Burrell. Thome took him deep, but neither Bobby nor Pat nor anyone else for that matter was on base at the time. Jason Michaels had a nice game, getting three hits and keeping the game alive in the ninth for Abreu to ultimately end it with his feeble check swing bouncer to the mound. Braden Looper saved it for New York, and despite what the WFAN idiots have been whining about, he's done a pretty good job, certainly against us.
Once again, Phillies pitchers could not manage to keep Jose Reyes off the bases. The Mets shortstop went 3-for-5 with a run scored and stole three bases. Is it bad execution of the game plan, or just a lack of a game plan? How can you give Reyes anything good to hit when he obviously will swing at anything? If there was one key to why we lost this series, Reyes' anomalous success may be it.
The Phillies fell to 13-20 vs. the NL East. Obviously, there will be no October baseball in Philadelphia if that winning percentage keeps up. The Spawn were blanked by Florida and T.F.N. were off, putting the division deficit to 3.5 games and leaving the wild card lead at a half-game. The Faithless meet the Faithful tonight as the World Champion Boston Red Sox drop by for the first of three. The Champs have won four straight, and nine of ten, although five of those nine wins came at home against the imploding Reds and the perpetually rebuilding Pirates. Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield takes on Jon Lieber in the opener. Now, for those going to the game, the Phillies fans seats are in the upper deck, last three rows. Try to not to disturb the Red Sox fans. They've paid good money for those tickets, and they've traveled all this way. Even when they start up with the "NINE-TEEN EIGHTY" chants, just look the other way.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
AARON GO BOOM
I was right about the low run total, until Aaron Heilman came in. Up to that point, Robbie Tejeda had gone six innings only allowing one run, and Victor Zambrano had only allowed two runs. Ryan Madson had given up the tying run the top of the 7th to make it 2-2. Heilman is sort of Ryan Madson's opposite number on the Mets. Mets fans are clamoring to get him in the rotation, and he has a similar build and pitching style. Lefthander Royce Ring (not his porn name, as far as we know) started the bottom of the 7th by striking out Abreu and walking Thome. With the righthanded Pat Burrell coming up, Willie Randolph brought in Heilman. Then, basically, all hell broke loose. Heilman hit Burrell with his first pitch, allowed an RBI single to Chase Utley, struck out David Bell, allowed another RBI single to Mike Lieberthal, gave up an infield single to Jason Michaels, wild pitched in a run, and walked Jimmy Rollins. Now with three lefthanded hitters due up, Randolph mercifully pulled Heilman and inserted Korean lefty Dae-Sung Koo. Kenny Lofton timed a few fastballs and then slapped a double down the left field line to clear the bases to give the Phillies an 8-2 lead. Final numbers on Heilman: 1/3 IP, 3H, 5ER, 1BB. Omar Minaya will be accepting apologies from Mets fans on "Mike and the Mad Dog" later today.
Oogie started the 8th and had another rough outing, allowing a 2-run homer to Mike Piazza with two outs. When does Tim Worrell get back? Just kidding. Daddy Wags finished off the Mets in the 9th for a non-save and the 8-4 final.
You know, if Yukon Cornelius were allowed to only play the Phillies for 162 games a year, we'd be speculating about the size of his head and what he told the grand jury in the BALCO case. He hit roughly his 578th home run against the Phils last night, off Tejeda, who has pitched over 16 innings as a starter this year without allowing a run to anybody else.
It's a Lost Productivity Special at Citizens Bank Park this afternoon as Kaz "O-Ren" Ishii takes on Cory Lidle in the rubber game (The Rubber Game, starring Royce Ring!) of the series. Do you even have to ask if Washington and Atlanta won last night? The wild card lead is still a half-game, and the division deficit is still three games. In other news, Wolfie's third opinion was also to get cut, making it nearly certain that he will have the surgery and be out for a minimum of 14 months. Looks like a spot opened up on my Strat team for next season. Meanwhile down in Clearwater, Cole Hamels returned from breaking his hand in a bar fight to strike out eight and walk two in five dominating innings Tuesday. According to the Inquirer, Assistant GM Mike Arbuckle wants to get him 100 innings at A and AA, but if Tejeda craters, Padilla continues to miss starts, Floyd doesn't get it together, and Wade can't swing a deadline deal (if?) the Phils may have no option but to bring him up. Cole, if you must hang out down on South Street, lead with your right hand.
Oogie started the 8th and had another rough outing, allowing a 2-run homer to Mike Piazza with two outs. When does Tim Worrell get back? Just kidding. Daddy Wags finished off the Mets in the 9th for a non-save and the 8-4 final.
You know, if Yukon Cornelius were allowed to only play the Phillies for 162 games a year, we'd be speculating about the size of his head and what he told the grand jury in the BALCO case. He hit roughly his 578th home run against the Phils last night, off Tejeda, who has pitched over 16 innings as a starter this year without allowing a run to anybody else.
It's a Lost Productivity Special at Citizens Bank Park this afternoon as Kaz "O-Ren" Ishii takes on Cory Lidle in the rubber game (The Rubber Game, starring Royce Ring!) of the series. Do you even have to ask if Washington and Atlanta won last night? The wild card lead is still a half-game, and the division deficit is still three games. In other news, Wolfie's third opinion was also to get cut, making it nearly certain that he will have the surgery and be out for a minimum of 14 months. Looks like a spot opened up on my Strat team for next season. Meanwhile down in Clearwater, Cole Hamels returned from breaking his hand in a bar fight to strike out eight and walk two in five dominating innings Tuesday. According to the Inquirer, Assistant GM Mike Arbuckle wants to get him 100 innings at A and AA, but if Tejeda craters, Padilla continues to miss starts, Floyd doesn't get it together, and Wade can't swing a deadline deal (if?) the Phils may have no option but to bring him up. Cole, if you must hang out down on South Street, lead with your right hand.
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
NEW YORK WIN IT
Of course I meant the Phils were off on Monday. Unfortunately, they played last night, and not well. Brett Myers was uncharacteristically atrocious, and all the usual Mets suspects (Yukon Cornelius, Piazza, Minky, Victor "Who Dat" Diaz) contributed to an 8-5 drubbing. Oogie turned a 1-run game into a 3-run game about as quickly as a Tom Cruise romance by giving up homers to Mientkiewicz and, of all people, Brian Daubach in a dismal 8th inning of "relief". The only highlight for the Phillies was their barely insufficient comeback from an early 5-1 deficit, which itself was highlighted by reliever Aaron Fultz's base hit and subsequent head first dive into home plate.
I think the most egregious example of Myers' and the bullpen's awfulness last night was their allowing leadoff mangler Jose Reyes, who entered the night with a .271 OBP, to reach base three times. He eventually scored twice, and was generally in the middle of every Mets rally. If Willie Randolph is going to put such an offensive liability in the no. 1 spot, you have to take advantage.
While T.F.N. also lost, the Atlanta Evil Spawn (A.E.S.?) won, tightening up the wild card race to a half-game. Robbie Tejeda tries to extend his unscored-upon streak as a starter tonight against Victor Zambrano. Zambrano has a 2.49 ERA in the month of June with no home runs allowed. I'd have to bet the under on this one.
I think the most egregious example of Myers' and the bullpen's awfulness last night was their allowing leadoff mangler Jose Reyes, who entered the night with a .271 OBP, to reach base three times. He eventually scored twice, and was generally in the middle of every Mets rally. If Willie Randolph is going to put such an offensive liability in the no. 1 spot, you have to take advantage.
While T.F.N. also lost, the Atlanta Evil Spawn (A.E.S.?) won, tightening up the wild card race to a half-game. Robbie Tejeda tries to extend his unscored-upon streak as a starter tonight against Victor Zambrano. Zambrano has a 2.49 ERA in the month of June with no home runs allowed. I'd have to bet the under on this one.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
LAST DANCE
Monday, June 20, 2005
COASTAL EROSION
The weekend series with the A's was a chance wasted to pick up some ground on T.F.N. On Friday night, the Phils were more or less back to their home selves, chasing Barry Zito with a five-run seventh and coasting to a 6-1 victory behind the once-again stellar pitching of Robbie Tejeda and the lower rungs of the bullpen. On Saturday, though, they ran themselves out of several run-scoring opportunities en route to a 2-1 loss, and blew a 2-1 lead in the sixth on Sunday to lose 5-2. Jon Lieber lost the Sunday game, and continues to disappoint. He's not keeping the ball down consistently, and he gives up way too many homers. Did somebody just give Kevin Millwood a haircut and a shave and sew Lieber's name on his uniform?
Washington didn't fare much better on their West Coaster, going 3-3, but it was enough to extend their lead from 1.5 to 2.5 games. The Phils returned home last night and will face the Mets starting tomorrow, followed by, for some unknown reason, the Boston Red Sox. T.F.N. play the relentlessly mediocre Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh starting tonight before heading home to play their erstwhile Canadian rivals the Blue Jays. It looks like we're just going to have to beat Washington ourselves, much like we couldn't do for lo those many years against the Braves.
I hate to mention it this early, but we still maintain a 1.5 game lead over the Atlanta Evil Spawn for the N.L. wild card. While it's not the most advantageous place from which to embark on a playoff journey, the wild card has been popular recently for World Series champs. We'll definitely take it if we can get it.
The Blue Rocks were giving away Johnny Damon bobblehead dolls on Friday, but we arrived far too late to get one. Due to the crowd for the promotion, we ended up sitting in the upper boxes behind home plate, in the middle of a row of a mostly full section, uncomfortably wedged between an incredibly fidgety corporate outing in front of us, two 250-lb. guys who liked to spread themselves out to my right, a family with incessantly yapping teenagers behind us, and some people to my wife's left who didn't bother us but who we still wished weren't there so we'd have some room. The night was also kind of a downer because the Rocks' longtime PA announcer, Johnny McAdams, had passed away the night before. In addition to doing Blue Rocks' games, Johnny Mac was the PA voice of the Palestra, and he's the only PA announcer I've ever known at Frawley Stadium. They played the entire game without any public address during the game in his honor. Johnny Mac's voice was a rich baritone, as smooth as any I've ever heard at a big-league park. I'll especially miss "8 o'clock, Bulova Watch Time" and his signature call of the "The Wilmington Blue Rocks aaaaaaaaaaaand friends" at the beginning of the game when each of the Blue Rocks take their position with a kid from some local little league team. Thanks for everything, Johnny Mac, you'll be dearly missed.
Washington didn't fare much better on their West Coaster, going 3-3, but it was enough to extend their lead from 1.5 to 2.5 games. The Phils returned home last night and will face the Mets starting tomorrow, followed by, for some unknown reason, the Boston Red Sox. T.F.N. play the relentlessly mediocre Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh starting tonight before heading home to play their erstwhile Canadian rivals the Blue Jays. It looks like we're just going to have to beat Washington ourselves, much like we couldn't do for lo those many years against the Braves.
I hate to mention it this early, but we still maintain a 1.5 game lead over the Atlanta Evil Spawn for the N.L. wild card. While it's not the most advantageous place from which to embark on a playoff journey, the wild card has been popular recently for World Series champs. We'll definitely take it if we can get it.
The Blue Rocks were giving away Johnny Damon bobblehead dolls on Friday, but we arrived far too late to get one. Due to the crowd for the promotion, we ended up sitting in the upper boxes behind home plate, in the middle of a row of a mostly full section, uncomfortably wedged between an incredibly fidgety corporate outing in front of us, two 250-lb. guys who liked to spread themselves out to my right, a family with incessantly yapping teenagers behind us, and some people to my wife's left who didn't bother us but who we still wished weren't there so we'd have some room. The night was also kind of a downer because the Rocks' longtime PA announcer, Johnny McAdams, had passed away the night before. In addition to doing Blue Rocks' games, Johnny Mac was the PA voice of the Palestra, and he's the only PA announcer I've ever known at Frawley Stadium. They played the entire game without any public address during the game in his honor. Johnny Mac's voice was a rich baritone, as smooth as any I've ever heard at a big-league park. I'll especially miss "8 o'clock, Bulova Watch Time" and his signature call of the "The Wilmington Blue Rocks aaaaaaaaaaaand friends" at the beginning of the game when each of the Blue Rocks take their position with a kid from some local little league team. Thanks for everything, Johnny Mac, you'll be dearly missed.
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