Predictable. In fact, I did predict it. Odalis Perez did in fact stymie the Phillies hitters last night, holding them to a paltry five hits in eight innings on his way to a leisurely 5-1 win in the series finale. Chase Utley (who else?) scored the only run for the Phils after tripling in the second inning. Corey Lidle struggled to find the strike zone, walking six before turning a 4-1 game over to Aaron Fultz, who allowed a homer to Jason Phillips during his second and final inning of work. The game was put hopelessly out of reach (by Phillies' standards) in the fifth when two of Lidle's walks were driven home by a Jeff Kent double.
Just when we thought we had some traction in the wild card race, we drop another game to the Astros. Andy Pettitte beat Ryan Drese of the Nats to propel Houston to a 2.5 game lead. Next, we travel down the coast to San Diego, which of course is German for "a whale's vagina". Actual Padre ace Jake Peavy starts tonight against our paycheck ace, Jon Lieber. The Astros get the lowly Bucs at home for three, meaning this could be the weekend they put us in the rearview mirror for good. Great Odin's raven!
Friday, August 12, 2005
Thursday, August 11, 2005
BROKEN THOME
We won another one! On the road!
Ryan Howard, as of yesterday the full-time first baseman for the Phils for the remainder of the season now that Jim Thome will be undergoing season-ending elbow surgery, crushed a salami in the ninth inning off beleaguered Dodgers closer Yhency Brazoban to propel the Phils to a 9-5 win.
Bobby Abreu hit another first inning homer, this time with only one on, to start the scoring. Jeff Kent answered with a three-run shot in the bottom half of the first. The Phillies tied it on a bases-loaded grounder by Brett Myers in the fourth. That's when the sandman took over for me. After I dozed off, the Phillies took a 5-3 lead on a Pat Burrell double and a Howard ground out in the fifth. The simmering volcano that is Milton Bradley re-tied the game with a two-run dinger off Myers, who ended up pitching seven decent innings except for the homers. Good thing this wasn't a home game or we'd have to endure more endless hand wringing about how much of a bandbox Citizens Bank Park is. I mean, sure it is, but does anybody think Dave Montgomery is going to tear out ten rows of $30 seats in left field? He'd rather pimp out his own mother. Knowing him, he may do that anyway, if she's still alive.
Back to the action, so to speak. The Phils blew an opportunity to take the lead in the eighth after Black Hole Sun #2, Mike Lieberthal (I guess Charlie doesn't watch Daily News Live), uncharacteristically doubled to lead off, and was pinch run for by Endy Chavez. Tomas Perez bunted Chavez to third, but then J-Roll whiffed and Lofton lined out to center to end the threat. I'm happy to have been sound asleep for that inning. Oogie retired the Dodgers in the bottom half of the eighth to set up Howard's game winner. Brazoban hit Utley to lead it off, and after Chase stole second, Bobby was given a free pass and Burrell drew another walk the hard way. I didn't see the slam, but according to ESPN, Ryan hit it to right-center, which is unusual for him. With the four-run lead, Madson was summoned, and he retired the Dodgers in order to rest up Wagner in case he's needed in game three. By the way, I'm going to stop calling them the Swingin' Bullpen Trio and start using names from RateItAll.com for famous trios, you know, to mix it up. Therefore, tonight's game was Bacon and Lettuce with no Tomato.
The Astros beat the Nats 7-6 to help them start a new losing streak in one-run games, we hope. We're back in second place in the wild card, still 1.5 games out, with the Nats and Marlins two games back. I'll bet you'll never guess what Atlanta did. I think that 30-5 run I predicted for the Braves is coming true. God bless 'em. We aren't going to catch them, that's for certain.
Ryan Howard, as of yesterday the full-time first baseman for the Phils for the remainder of the season now that Jim Thome will be undergoing season-ending elbow surgery, crushed a salami in the ninth inning off beleaguered Dodgers closer Yhency Brazoban to propel the Phils to a 9-5 win.
Bobby Abreu hit another first inning homer, this time with only one on, to start the scoring. Jeff Kent answered with a three-run shot in the bottom half of the first. The Phillies tied it on a bases-loaded grounder by Brett Myers in the fourth. That's when the sandman took over for me. After I dozed off, the Phillies took a 5-3 lead on a Pat Burrell double and a Howard ground out in the fifth. The simmering volcano that is Milton Bradley re-tied the game with a two-run dinger off Myers, who ended up pitching seven decent innings except for the homers. Good thing this wasn't a home game or we'd have to endure more endless hand wringing about how much of a bandbox Citizens Bank Park is. I mean, sure it is, but does anybody think Dave Montgomery is going to tear out ten rows of $30 seats in left field? He'd rather pimp out his own mother. Knowing him, he may do that anyway, if she's still alive.
Back to the action, so to speak. The Phils blew an opportunity to take the lead in the eighth after Black Hole Sun #2, Mike Lieberthal (I guess Charlie doesn't watch Daily News Live), uncharacteristically doubled to lead off, and was pinch run for by Endy Chavez. Tomas Perez bunted Chavez to third, but then J-Roll whiffed and Lofton lined out to center to end the threat. I'm happy to have been sound asleep for that inning. Oogie retired the Dodgers in the bottom half of the eighth to set up Howard's game winner. Brazoban hit Utley to lead it off, and after Chase stole second, Bobby was given a free pass and Burrell drew another walk the hard way. I didn't see the slam, but according to ESPN, Ryan hit it to right-center, which is unusual for him. With the four-run lead, Madson was summoned, and he retired the Dodgers in order to rest up Wagner in case he's needed in game three. By the way, I'm going to stop calling them the Swingin' Bullpen Trio and start using names from RateItAll.com for famous trios, you know, to mix it up. Therefore, tonight's game was Bacon and Lettuce with no Tomato.
The Astros beat the Nats 7-6 to help them start a new losing streak in one-run games, we hope. We're back in second place in the wild card, still 1.5 games out, with the Nats and Marlins two games back. I'll bet you'll never guess what Atlanta did. I think that 30-5 run I predicted for the Braves is coming true. God bless 'em. We aren't going to catch them, that's for certain.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
PAT RE-ACQUAINTED WITH BAT
The Dodgers went back to Brad Penny after all, and he pitched well, but the Phils jumped on reliever Steve (Doctor) Schmoll for five runs in the eighth inning and won 8-4. Pat Burrell hit a three-run homer, his first since July 19th (are they blaming that on the Home Run Derby, too?), and Ryan Howard followed with a solo shot. I went to bed after Chase Utley fanned to end the top of the third inning. Robbie Tejeda went five, allowing two runs on five hits and four walks. Aaron Fultz preceded the Swingin' Bullpen Trio to finish out the game. Oogie Urbina gave up two runs after the Phils had taken a 6-2 lead, but then the Phils rallied for two more runs in the ninth to make it a non-save opportunity for Billy Wagner.
Nice win. Unfortunately, with Penny starting game one, that means we get Lowe and Perez again in games two and three. Lowe throws sinkers, and you just have to ask Tomo Ohka (or his interpreter) about how much the Phillies love swinging at and missing balls in the dirt. Perez, meanwhile, is another in a procession of lefthanders that routinely mystify the Phillies lineup. I'm reading that the "Black Hole" numbers regarding David Bell and Mike Lieberthal hitting back-to-back have made it onto Comcast Sportsnet. Good work by blog commenter George S. and blogger Jason Weitzel of Beerleaguer. Maybe Charlie will think about batting Bell second against Perez. Bell has a 1.026 OPS vs. southpaws in 106 plate appearances. Or, since it's a mini-travel day, maybe he'll start Todd Pratt (1.239 OPS vs. lefties in 34 PA). Or both. Anything but the Black Hole, please!
The Astros lost to the Nationals and the Marlins won, moving all three wild card trailers up a game. The Nats are a game out, we're a game and a half, and the Fish are two out. I can't believe we're still in this thing. Intellectually, I'm looking at all the upcoming road games, the Astros parsimonious starting pitching, the way our offense decides to take games off once or twice a week, the fact that we're relying on walk-machine Robbie Tejeda to somehow continue to not give up bunches of runs, Jon Lieber's 5.00 ERA, etc., etc., and coming to the conclusion that there is no way, no how this bunch will be playing meaningful games in late September. But then I look at the standings and we're always within one good week of taking the wild card lead. I wish we would either make a 20-5 or a 5-20 run and get it over with. It's the uncertainty that I hate the most. I'm blaming it on the wild card. Without that, this division race is o-vah. The Braves are calling up guys from Richmond who are better than all the veterans on the Phillies roster, and they keep winning even if most of their lineup isn't old enough to remember Steve Carlton, and the rest were once teammates with him (Julio Franco, 1987 Indians). The wild card, though, is sitting there, beckoning to us like a Siren perched on a rock, driving us all to madness. I guess that would make Charlie Manuel Ulysses, although he fits in better as Everett from "Oh Brother Where Art Thou". Or at least Delmar.
Nice win. Unfortunately, with Penny starting game one, that means we get Lowe and Perez again in games two and three. Lowe throws sinkers, and you just have to ask Tomo Ohka (or his interpreter) about how much the Phillies love swinging at and missing balls in the dirt. Perez, meanwhile, is another in a procession of lefthanders that routinely mystify the Phillies lineup. I'm reading that the "Black Hole" numbers regarding David Bell and Mike Lieberthal hitting back-to-back have made it onto Comcast Sportsnet. Good work by blog commenter George S. and blogger Jason Weitzel of Beerleaguer. Maybe Charlie will think about batting Bell second against Perez. Bell has a 1.026 OPS vs. southpaws in 106 plate appearances. Or, since it's a mini-travel day, maybe he'll start Todd Pratt (1.239 OPS vs. lefties in 34 PA). Or both. Anything but the Black Hole, please!
The Astros lost to the Nationals and the Marlins won, moving all three wild card trailers up a game. The Nats are a game out, we're a game and a half, and the Fish are two out. I can't believe we're still in this thing. Intellectually, I'm looking at all the upcoming road games, the Astros parsimonious starting pitching, the way our offense decides to take games off once or twice a week, the fact that we're relying on walk-machine Robbie Tejeda to somehow continue to not give up bunches of runs, Jon Lieber's 5.00 ERA, etc., etc., and coming to the conclusion that there is no way, no how this bunch will be playing meaningful games in late September. But then I look at the standings and we're always within one good week of taking the wild card lead. I wish we would either make a 20-5 or a 5-20 run and get it over with. It's the uncertainty that I hate the most. I'm blaming it on the wild card. Without that, this division race is o-vah. The Braves are calling up guys from Richmond who are better than all the veterans on the Phillies roster, and they keep winning even if most of their lineup isn't old enough to remember Steve Carlton, and the rest were once teammates with him (Julio Franco, 1987 Indians). The wild card, though, is sitting there, beckoning to us like a Siren perched on a rock, driving us all to madness. I guess that would make Charlie Manuel Ulysses, although he fits in better as Everett from "Oh Brother Where Art Thou". Or at least Delmar.
Monday, August 08, 2005
BITTER BREW
Another weekend of lost opportunity. The Brewers took two of three from the Phils at home at a time when home games are dwindling to a precious few. On Friday, Ben Sheets was his dominant self, as feared, ceding only an eighth inning homer to Bobby Abreu over nine innings. Corey Lidle matched the big righthander, giving up one solo homer to Geoff Jenkins over eight innings. With the Swingin' Bullpen Trio gassed from overuse, Charlie was forced to employ first Frenchie Cormier, who negotiated the ninth, and then Geoff Geary, who was not as fortunate in the tenth. Bill Hall led off the inning with a single, and was doubled to third by Damian Miller. Bobby made a poor cutoff throw to Utley, allowing Hall to score, and then Utley threw one in the dugout trying to get Miller heading for third, awarding him home plate as well. The Phils got the first two runners on in the tenth, but then Jimmy Rollins, Jason Michaels, and Utley went quietly against emergency closer Matt Wise for a 3-1 final.
Saturday was a laugher against lefty Chris Capuano and reliever Rick Helling. The Phils chased Capuano after five innings with homers by Todd Pratt and J-Roll, and then scored three runs off Helling in the sixth before he could retire a batter to put the game out of reach. They added another run in the seventh to make the final score 8-2. Jon Lieber was sharp, allowing seven hits and one walk in seven innings. Russell Branyan hit a monster blast into the visitors (or upper) bullpen in the seventh in garbage time.
Sunday was another one of those games when I really question why I've been wasting my time on this maddening bunch of malingerers. The immortal Tomo Ohka took the mound for Milwaukee, sporting a mediocre 4.07 ERA against the rest of the league and working on his second team after being traded away by the Nationals. Ohka proceeded to completely baffle the Phillies for eight innings, getting them to swing at slider after slider on their shoetops. Adjust, dammit! Vicente Padilla was pitching almost as well, having made one terrible pitch to Rickie Weeks, who smacked it to deep left center to score the only two runs of the game. 2-nuthin. 2-nada. 2-zip. 2-oh(ka). Oh damn.
With the Astros win Sunday night, we're back to 2.5 games out of the wild card, trailing both Florida and Washington, who are now tied at two games back. Florida starts a four game set with the Rockies today with a day/night doubleheader at Coors Field. The Nats and Astros duke it out in Houston for three starting Tuesday. I guess we have to root for Washington to take two of three there, since they are closer to us. We wouldn't want them to sweep or else they'd have the wild card lead, and we'd have no way to make up any ground on them. Then again, none of it matters unless we sweep the Dodgers. We were supposed to get the same pitching matchups as we had at the Bank, when we lost two of three, but the Dodgers moved Brad Penny back to game two and will start rookie D.J. Houlton in the first game tomorrow night. Houlton didn't become a starter until June, and he's been so-so since moving to the rotation, which is an improvement on the downright awful he was in the bullpen. He's certainly a more appealing sight out there than Odalis Perez, who made the Phils look foolish in recording the only 1-0 victory by an opposing pitcher in the history of Citizens Bank Park. In any event, it's getting to the point where I look forward to off days. That can't be good.
Saturday was a laugher against lefty Chris Capuano and reliever Rick Helling. The Phils chased Capuano after five innings with homers by Todd Pratt and J-Roll, and then scored three runs off Helling in the sixth before he could retire a batter to put the game out of reach. They added another run in the seventh to make the final score 8-2. Jon Lieber was sharp, allowing seven hits and one walk in seven innings. Russell Branyan hit a monster blast into the visitors (or upper) bullpen in the seventh in garbage time.
Sunday was another one of those games when I really question why I've been wasting my time on this maddening bunch of malingerers. The immortal Tomo Ohka took the mound for Milwaukee, sporting a mediocre 4.07 ERA against the rest of the league and working on his second team after being traded away by the Nationals. Ohka proceeded to completely baffle the Phillies for eight innings, getting them to swing at slider after slider on their shoetops. Adjust, dammit! Vicente Padilla was pitching almost as well, having made one terrible pitch to Rickie Weeks, who smacked it to deep left center to score the only two runs of the game. 2-nuthin. 2-nada. 2-zip. 2-oh(ka). Oh damn.
With the Astros win Sunday night, we're back to 2.5 games out of the wild card, trailing both Florida and Washington, who are now tied at two games back. Florida starts a four game set with the Rockies today with a day/night doubleheader at Coors Field. The Nats and Astros duke it out in Houston for three starting Tuesday. I guess we have to root for Washington to take two of three there, since they are closer to us. We wouldn't want them to sweep or else they'd have the wild card lead, and we'd have no way to make up any ground on them. Then again, none of it matters unless we sweep the Dodgers. We were supposed to get the same pitching matchups as we had at the Bank, when we lost two of three, but the Dodgers moved Brad Penny back to game two and will start rookie D.J. Houlton in the first game tomorrow night. Houlton didn't become a starter until June, and he's been so-so since moving to the rotation, which is an improvement on the downright awful he was in the bullpen. He's certainly a more appealing sight out there than Odalis Perez, who made the Phils look foolish in recording the only 1-0 victory by an opposing pitcher in the history of Citizens Bank Park. In any event, it's getting to the point where I look forward to off days. That can't be good.
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