Thankfully the Phillies are off tonight because the Red Sox have given us more than enough to chew on. Consider the day's events: a threat against black and Latin players on the Rays and Sox; a Manny Ramirez altercation with the team's traveling secretary; and, oh yeah, the team was in Tampa to try to reclaim first place against their new rivals.
When Manny fought with Kevin Youkilis I initially, and incorrectly, blamed the petulant star. I don't think I'm wrongfully jumping to conclusions for blaming him for shoving to the ground the traveling secretary who couldn't accommodate a ticket request. Manny apologized, and Jack McCormick said there's no ill will. Another stupid distraction for a team when it's faced with a young, hungry challenger. And, oh yeah, if I were Manny I'd be real pissed that the team couldn't get 16 of my friends into Houston to watch me drop two of three against the Astros.
More serious: Someone threatened players on both teams. I thought we were past that.
On a lighter note of law enforcement, former GM Dan Duquette is in trouble with the Massachusetts Ethics Commission for selling 2004 World Series tickets to a local mayor at face value. Duquette wanted his minor league team to play ball at a park in the mayor's town. Both the Duke and the mayor deny wrongdoing. I appreciate this story on so many levels.
Finally, David Ortiz says he won't play in the All-Star game. Still no word on whom will take his spot in that stupid home run derby promotion that got Hank Steinbrenner in a tizzy.
That's it. No more news today. Oh yeah, Sox lose 5-4 to Rays. 1.5 games out. We'll get 'em tomorrow.
Jun 30, 2008
Jun 29, 2008
OK, no more interleague until the All-Star game
The Red Sox finished up their last interleague series by dropping a set to the Astros. Their magic number is now 76 - to clinch the Wild Card over the Twins. Yes, the Rays - the team no one took seriously - is in first place at the midway point. I never wrote them off. They won't choke like the Yankees, but I'm confident my guys will pull away with the division at some point.
In today's 3-2 loss, Josh Beckett pitched OK. I won't mention who allowed an inherited runner to score the decisive run. Did I mention I dropped Hideki Okajima from my fantasy team tonight? On a bright note, Dustin Pedroia has taken over for J.D. Drew as the hottest bat in the Sox lineup, hitting .484 since the Sox crossed leagues on June 13. The Sox finished their interleague schedule 11-7.
The Phillies, meanwhile, finished 4-11 against the American League. There will be no sweet sorrow for the Phils leaving Texas, where they lost tonight 5-1, dropping the series to the Rangers. Typical Jamie Moyer gave up three runs, but untypically he couldn't get out of the 6th. The vaunted Phillies hitters are MIA again - they can't wipe their asses with a tent pole, to paraphrase Charlie Manuel.
Finally, how has there not been more mention of the fact that Jamie Moyer was in the Mitch Williams-Rafael Palmeiro trade between the Cubs and Rangers in 1988? When that deal was made, who would have thought that the last man standing wouldn't be the 23-year-old lefty flame thrower, nor the 23-year-old All-Star outfielder, but the crafty 25-year-old lefty?
In today's 3-2 loss, Josh Beckett pitched OK. I won't mention who allowed an inherited runner to score the decisive run. Did I mention I dropped Hideki Okajima from my fantasy team tonight? On a bright note, Dustin Pedroia has taken over for J.D. Drew as the hottest bat in the Sox lineup, hitting .484 since the Sox crossed leagues on June 13. The Sox finished their interleague schedule 11-7.
The Phillies, meanwhile, finished 4-11 against the American League. There will be no sweet sorrow for the Phils leaving Texas, where they lost tonight 5-1, dropping the series to the Rangers. Typical Jamie Moyer gave up three runs, but untypically he couldn't get out of the 6th. The vaunted Phillies hitters are MIA again - they can't wipe their asses with a tent pole, to paraphrase Charlie Manuel.
Finally, how has there not been more mention of the fact that Jamie Moyer was in the Mitch Williams-Rafael Palmeiro trade between the Cubs and Rangers in 1988? When that deal was made, who would have thought that the last man standing wouldn't be the 23-year-old lefty flame thrower, nor the 23-year-old All-Star outfielder, but the crafty 25-year-old lefty?
Jun 28, 2008
Ugly win for Phils; hideous loss for the Sox
"I'm tired of the Phillies being stuck in jams and sucking," Christine said before Brad Lidge struck out Josh Hamilton and Milton Bradley to end the game with the potential tying run on base.
And that quote summed up tonight's game - a rare win for the Phillies, 8-6 over the Rangers.
Cole Hamels didn't have his best stuff but labored for seven innings, giving up four runs. Fortunately, he was matched up against Vicente Padilla, who pitched like he did when he was a Phillie. And we may have a legitimate sighting of the offense - every starter except Pat Burrell had a hit. Chase Utley had three, including a homer, and Ryan Howard also hit one out. Jimmy Rollins tried to stretch a triple into a homer in the 6th, but ran through a stop sign and was thrown out at home. Wonder if he's due for another benching.
Funny moments in the broadcast: Chris Wheeler on Hamels' pitch count at the start of the 7th: "He's thrown 193 pitches." I think he forgot to clarify that it was actually only 93 pitches. Not even Dusty Baker would leave a young ace out there for 193 pitches. ... In the dugout, Brett Myers put on a catchers mask (hmm, with the way he's pitching, maybe not such a terrible idea). He then gave it to So Taguchi, who also put it on. We'd love to hear the conversation between those two.
Stinky Sox: Ugly, ugly, ugly game for what may be the second-place Red Sox. Jon Lester entered with 11 straight starts of three earned runs or less - the longest for a Sox starter since Pedro Martinez in 2002-03. Lester gave up six in five innings tonight in a wild back and forth 11-10 loss to the Astros.
The offense, paced by four hits each by Dustin Pedroia and Mike Lowell, more than did its job. Lester gets a pass - he's entitled to a bad start every couple of months. But the bullpen? Two runs, one earned, for David Aardsma in the 7th, and three for Manny Delcarmen in the 8th.
The Rays are tied with the Pirates in the 13th inning. If they win, the Red Sox are once again the hunters.
And that quote summed up tonight's game - a rare win for the Phillies, 8-6 over the Rangers.
Cole Hamels didn't have his best stuff but labored for seven innings, giving up four runs. Fortunately, he was matched up against Vicente Padilla, who pitched like he did when he was a Phillie. And we may have a legitimate sighting of the offense - every starter except Pat Burrell had a hit. Chase Utley had three, including a homer, and Ryan Howard also hit one out. Jimmy Rollins tried to stretch a triple into a homer in the 6th, but ran through a stop sign and was thrown out at home. Wonder if he's due for another benching.
Funny moments in the broadcast: Chris Wheeler on Hamels' pitch count at the start of the 7th: "He's thrown 193 pitches." I think he forgot to clarify that it was actually only 93 pitches. Not even Dusty Baker would leave a young ace out there for 193 pitches. ... In the dugout, Brett Myers put on a catchers mask (hmm, with the way he's pitching, maybe not such a terrible idea). He then gave it to So Taguchi, who also put it on. We'd love to hear the conversation between those two.
Stinky Sox: Ugly, ugly, ugly game for what may be the second-place Red Sox. Jon Lester entered with 11 straight starts of three earned runs or less - the longest for a Sox starter since Pedro Martinez in 2002-03. Lester gave up six in five innings tonight in a wild back and forth 11-10 loss to the Astros.
The offense, paced by four hits each by Dustin Pedroia and Mike Lowell, more than did its job. Lester gets a pass - he's entitled to a bad start every couple of months. But the bullpen? Two runs, one earned, for David Aardsma in the 7th, and three for Manny Delcarmen in the 8th.
The Rays are tied with the Pirates in the 13th inning. If they win, the Red Sox are once again the hunters.
Jun 27, 2008
Welcome back
On a night when both our teams played in Texas for the first time ever, Daisuke Matsuzaka and the Phillies offense decided to show up.
It was a typical Dice-K start - five innings, no runs, two hits, three walks and four strikeouts. And, of course, 87 pitches. But it's better than last time, when he couldn't get out of the 2nd inning. Red Sox 6, Astros 1.
For the Phillies, hold your hats. They scored more than four runs for the first time in nearly two weeks, back when they beat the Sox 8-2. I thought the 3rd inning could be a turning point in the season. Tied at one, the Rangers intentionally walked Pat Burrell to load them up for Ryan Howard, who struck out. But Pedro Feliz homered, giving the Phils a 5-1 lead.
That lead lasted about five minutes with Brett Myers pitching. He, and later Clay Condrey, gave back those five runs in the 3rd. There was an unnerving blank stare on Myers' face as he watched the rest of the inning from the dugout.
The Phillies, down by two, threatened to tie the game in the 9th. It was the sort of rally they use to have before they stunk. They scored one, but couldn't tie and lost 8-7 to the Rangers. And my thoughts in the 3rd were probably premature; only seven hits off a pitching staff that ranks last in the league in ERA and second to last in batting average.
It was a typical Dice-K start - five innings, no runs, two hits, three walks and four strikeouts. And, of course, 87 pitches. But it's better than last time, when he couldn't get out of the 2nd inning. Red Sox 6, Astros 1.
For the Phillies, hold your hats. They scored more than four runs for the first time in nearly two weeks, back when they beat the Sox 8-2. I thought the 3rd inning could be a turning point in the season. Tied at one, the Rangers intentionally walked Pat Burrell to load them up for Ryan Howard, who struck out. But Pedro Feliz homered, giving the Phils a 5-1 lead.
That lead lasted about five minutes with Brett Myers pitching. He, and later Clay Condrey, gave back those five runs in the 3rd. There was an unnerving blank stare on Myers' face as he watched the rest of the inning from the dugout.
The Phillies, down by two, threatened to tie the game in the 9th. It was the sort of rally they use to have before they stunk. They scored one, but couldn't tie and lost 8-7 to the Rangers. And my thoughts in the 3rd were probably premature; only seven hits off a pitching staff that ranks last in the league in ERA and second to last in batting average.
Jun 26, 2008
Short-lived renaissance
Charlie Manuel juggled the lineup again - didn't work. The Phillies couldn't do anything against Rich Harden and lost the game 5-0 and the series 2-1 to the A's. That's now five straight series losses and a 4-11 record in that span.
Adam Eaton had a decent outing, but does it even matter anymore?
And I don't know whether the Phillies are stealing signs, but if they are, they need to be doing a better job of it. {Phillies don't cheat.}
Adam Eaton had a decent outing, but does it even matter anymore?
And I don't know whether the Phillies are stealing signs, but if they are, they need to be doing a better job of it. {Phillies don't cheat.}
Jun 25, 2008
Wake wins battle of the aged; Cholly mixes things up
In the battle of the 40-somethings, Tim Wakefield outdueled Randy Johnson. It was much closer than the 5-0 final. I actually got to see the ESPN Red Sox broadcast and Wake's knuckleball flutter past the Diamondbacks, giving up only two hits and a walk in seven innings. The Big Unit gave up two runs in six innings before Kevin Cash hit a three-run homer off Juan Cruz.
And, honestly, we weren't thinking about our fantasy team when Craig Hansen loaded the bases in the 9th, setting up a save for Jonathan Papelbon.
Off the field, however, the focus was on the two biggest names on the DL for the Sox: Curt Schilling may not be done, and David Ortiz relived his T-ball days.
In Phillyland, Charlie Manual might want his slumping bats to go back to T-ball to get reacquainted with that strange little white orb that's baffled them lately:
His theory tonight: Pick a lineup out of a hat.
1. Jayson Werth, RF
2. Chase Utley, 2B
3. Jimmy Rollins, SS
4. Pat Burrell, LF
5. Ryan Howard, DH
6. Pedro Feliz, 3B
7. Shane Victorino, CF
8. Chris Coste, C
9. Erick Bruntlett, 1B.
So far, it's working. The Phils are leading the A's 2-0 in the 4th. My alarm clock is set to WIP; I'm sure Angelo Cataldi will greet me in the morning with how they blew it.
And, breaking news: Shawn Chacon beat up Ed Wade.
And, honestly, we weren't thinking about our fantasy team when Craig Hansen loaded the bases in the 9th, setting up a save for Jonathan Papelbon.
Off the field, however, the focus was on the two biggest names on the DL for the Sox: Curt Schilling may not be done, and David Ortiz relived his T-ball days.
In Phillyland, Charlie Manual might want his slumping bats to go back to T-ball to get reacquainted with that strange little white orb that's baffled them lately:
We've got guys not hitting. I mean swinging bad. Swinging at balls in the dirt. Chasing balls over their heads. It looks like they've never seen a baseball. Really. They can go back to square one and think about what they've always done. And that's be aggressive, but at the same time be patient enough to get good balls to hit. That right there is how we're going to come out of it.
His theory tonight: Pick a lineup out of a hat.
1. Jayson Werth, RF
2. Chase Utley, 2B
3. Jimmy Rollins, SS
4. Pat Burrell, LF
5. Ryan Howard, DH
6. Pedro Feliz, 3B
7. Shane Victorino, CF
8. Chris Coste, C
9. Erick Bruntlett, 1B.
So far, it's working. The Phils are leading the A's 2-0 in the 4th. My alarm clock is set to WIP; I'm sure Angelo Cataldi will greet me in the morning with how they blew it.
And, breaking news: Shawn Chacon beat up Ed Wade.
Jun 24, 2008
If not the Phillies ...
From the looks of it, the Diamondbacks might make worthy foils to the Red Sox should the Phillies continue to falter and spoil the chances of a Sox-Phils World Series.
{I think Greg conveniently forgot that, like the Phillies, the Sox have a Florida team right on their heels. It will take two teams to win to make it a Phils-Sox World Series.}
Last night, the billed pitching match-up of Dan Haren and Josh Beckett lived up to the ESPN hype. Haren won 2-1. Even though it was a loss, I prefer low-scoring pitching duels and would have loved to watch, except I only caught an occasional pitch because of work.
Tonight the Red Sox, who blew a prime opportunity to come back against the D-Backs in the first game, stole one back with four runs in the 8th to win 5-4.
In other Sox happenings: Kevin Youkilis injured his eye during infield warmups Monday; he didn't start tonight but came in for defense in the 9th. Curt Schilling's surgery went well; he could start throwing in January if he decides to try a comeback. And the Sox are slumping at the polls, especially Jason Varitek, who's now trailing Joe Mauer for the starting spot in the All-Star game.
The Phillies are playing too late for us East Coasters. They're scoreless through three in Oakland.
{I think Greg conveniently forgot that, like the Phillies, the Sox have a Florida team right on their heels. It will take two teams to win to make it a Phils-Sox World Series.}
Last night, the billed pitching match-up of Dan Haren and Josh Beckett lived up to the ESPN hype. Haren won 2-1. Even though it was a loss, I prefer low-scoring pitching duels and would have loved to watch, except I only caught an occasional pitch because of work.
Tonight the Red Sox, who blew a prime opportunity to come back against the D-Backs in the first game, stole one back with four runs in the 8th to win 5-4.
In other Sox happenings: Kevin Youkilis injured his eye during infield warmups Monday; he didn't start tonight but came in for defense in the 9th. Curt Schilling's surgery went well; he could start throwing in January if he decides to try a comeback. And the Sox are slumping at the polls, especially Jason Varitek, who's now trailing Joe Mauer for the starting spot in the All-Star game.
The Phillies are playing too late for us East Coasters. They're scoreless through three in Oakland.
Jun 23, 2008
The first time the Sox visited Philly ...
This starts an occasional series where I look at some of the amusing baseball paraphernalia I salvaged from my parents' attic.
There seemed to be fewer Red Sox fans in the stands at Citizens Bank Park last week. Perhaps the Phillies strategy of selling Red Sox tickets only to those who bought multi-game packs worked. But back in 1998, the Phillies made no bones about marketing to Red Sox fans. Heck, they even promoted Red Sox players for the series. Look at this:
That's not a program from Fenway; it's the official Phillies magazine I bought at Veterans Stadium. Besides the cover story on Pedro Martinez, there's a nice story on Terry Francona. (He, unlike Pedro, was a Phillie then.) There's also a story about the young, upcoming Bobby Abreu and the new Phillies Web page, Phanland. They have a screen shot of it, and one of the headlines is that the Phils are resuming talks with J.D. Drew. I wonder how that turned out.
I have this program because not only was it Boston's first trip to Philly for interleague play, it was the first time Christine and I went to a major league game together. It was a bad game, as you can see I got bored with keeping score. Stupid Steve Avery.
There seemed to be fewer Red Sox fans in the stands at Citizens Bank Park last week. Perhaps the Phillies strategy of selling Red Sox tickets only to those who bought multi-game packs worked. But back in 1998, the Phillies made no bones about marketing to Red Sox fans. Heck, they even promoted Red Sox players for the series. Look at this:
That's not a program from Fenway; it's the official Phillies magazine I bought at Veterans Stadium. Besides the cover story on Pedro Martinez, there's a nice story on Terry Francona. (He, unlike Pedro, was a Phillie then.) There's also a story about the young, upcoming Bobby Abreu and the new Phillies Web page, Phanland. They have a screen shot of it, and one of the headlines is that the Phils are resuming talks with J.D. Drew. I wonder how that turned out.
I have this program because not only was it Boston's first trip to Philly for interleague play, it was the first time Christine and I went to a major league game together. It was a bad game, as you can see I got bored with keeping score. Stupid Steve Avery. Our outfield that night: Troy O'Leary, Darren Lewis and Darren Bragg. Kevin Jordan hit cleanup for the Phillies. Their double play combo was Mark Lewis and Desi Relaford.
Surely the Phillies were looking to better things ahead, like when their farm system would start developing MVP-caliber talent, such as the legendary reliever Kyle Kawabata. And Brandon Duckworth, whose claim to fame was being part of the Billy Wagner trade. Oh, and getting quacked at on his Baseball-Reference page. And when he was stinking up the joint for the Phillies, we called him Mr. Stinkypants. The Phillies did have a real grim, determined-looking prospect in the system at that time. His name? Jimmy Rollins.
I hope you enjoyed this. The Phillies are off, and the Sox start a series with the Diamondbacks. I'm working an all-nighter and may not be able to update. Hopefully the Sox can take care of business.
Jun 22, 2008
This is getting depressing
There was high drama today. In the 3rd, the Phillies trailed the Angels 3-0 with Chase Utley at the plate. It was time for Chase to be Chase again. And he was, hitting a clutch two-out double to snap his 0-24 skid. A standing ovation ensued. He scored on a Ryan Howard single, but then started a new hitless streak (two strikeouts and counting). His run accounted for half the scoring the Phillies could muster against Jered Weaver and the Angels bullpen.It was a 3-2 loss to complete the first sweep of the Phillies this year. Poor Cole Hamels lost a decent start to Weaver, a fellow beach bum first-rounder from California who pitched all right but not as good as young Cole.
Everyone is excited that the Phillies may acquire a starter midseason. I'm not terrible excited because 1) When do the Phils ever get the big name? 2) Will said "big name" make that big of a difference? 3) It's the offense that's been problematic every since they put up 20 against the Cardinals.
Case in point: today's first inning. Jimmy Rollins leads off with a single. He steals second before Greg Dobbs walks. There's no excuse for not scoring when you have two on, no outs, for Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell. But Utley flies out, and then, after a double steal, the next two strike out. You had the feeling they would be in trouble from then on.
Observations from the stands: When we returned to our usual Sunday seats after having different seats for each of the Red Sox games, there were people sitting in them. It felt like someone was squatting in our home. They then argued with us as we told them they were in the wrong section. ... Remember the Pat Burrell fan? Shocking development. He wore a Cole Hamels jersey today and barely cheered for Pat the Bat. Odd. It's like they had a falling out or something. We weren't the only ones in our section to notice. ... During pre-game warm-ups, two Angels, Howie Kendrick and Erick Aybar, played along with the Phanatic's shtick where he asks them to throw him the ball. One of them did; the Phanatic missed. ... The Schuylkill Choral Society sang the national anthem - nothing to say about it.
The jumbo-tron caught one of the Angels relievers - I'm pretty sure it's Jose Arredondo - carrying the backpack o' snacks to the bullpen. I remember our first game at Citizens Bank, watching Ryan Wagner lug a Barbie bag for the Reds. ... Dale Murphy was the last Phillie (1991) to hit a grand slam in extra innings. After that trivia, we joked Pedro Feliz was going to do it today. Ha. ... One real nice thing about the three mid-week Red Sox games was no God Bless America. I wish they never started that Sunday tradition. ... Walking out I saw a true SoxandPhils fan, wearing a Red Sox hat and Chase Utley jersey. I didn't get over to him to try to pitch the blog. ... Later, around our house, I saw our neighbors' kid wearing a Phillies Curt Schilling T-shirt. It looked rather new, too.
On-field observations: When J-Roll stole second in the 1st, the catcher just dropped the ball; it looked like he threw it behind him. (No, Weaver isn't doing that either in the above picture, that's the rosin bag.) ... Casey Kotchman's 3rd inning home run was smoked, hitting the Bud sign in right. ... Carlos Ruiz picked Aybar off first in the 3rd. ... Hamels spun a nifty double play in the 4th. ... Howard actually leaped to snag a liner in the 6th. ... Reggie Willits had a web gem-caliber diving catch to rob Burrell in the 8th. ... When J-Roll came up with the tying run aboard, we challenged him to prove his MVP mettle. He was intentionally walked after Eric Bruntlett stole second. Then, it was up to So Taguchi against Francisco Rodriguez. I think you already know who won that epic battle.Red Sox: One of our teams finally won this weekend; it just took them 13 innings to remember how to do it against the Cardinals. It was painful watching the scoreboard as one-time Sox Joel Piniero shut them down. Looks like another strong start for Jon Lester, a blown save for Jonathan Papelbon and a huge day for Kevin Youkilis - homering in the 7th to tie it at two and then a two-run blast in the 13th to win it, 5-3.
Jun 21, 2008
A night to miss
We had a party to attend this evening, so we missed the Red Sox playing the Cardinals on Fox. We didn't miss much. Daisuke Matsuzaka, returning from the DL, lost for the first time this year, 9-3. He didn't make it out of the 2nd, giving up seven runs in 1+ inning.
The lead over the Rays is now a half game, which is amazing because the Sox have been on a tear despite a rash of injuries. Today's loss snaps a streak in which the Sox have won six straight series - in the last four, they've lost the first game and then won the next two. Also making a move is the Yankees - just 4.5 games behind the Rays for the Wild Card.
The slumping Phillies (three wins in their last 11 games and four straight series losses) still lead the division by one game. Although the disastrous Mets, who I'm sure would love revenge for last year, lurk only four games out.
So in case you couldn't guess it already, the Phils lost again. Brett Myers wasn't awful, but why send a pitcher struggling with his psyche out in the 8th inning of a tie game? Did you expect different results?
After the 8th inning ended, I was hoping the Phillies would make a comeback in the 9th against Francisco Rodriguez, which would be a double treat for us. First, a Phillies win. Second, good news for my suddenly beleaguered fantasy team, which is playing a team with K-Rod on it. But So Taguichi blew it with an error in the top of the inning, and the Angels took a 6-2 lead. After the Phillies pretended to pose a threat against Jose Arredondo, K-Rod came in and ended the game on four pitches.
Cole Hamels goes tomorrow. We're confident they'll win, but the next four...
The lead over the Rays is now a half game, which is amazing because the Sox have been on a tear despite a rash of injuries. Today's loss snaps a streak in which the Sox have won six straight series - in the last four, they've lost the first game and then won the next two. Also making a move is the Yankees - just 4.5 games behind the Rays for the Wild Card.
The slumping Phillies (three wins in their last 11 games and four straight series losses) still lead the division by one game. Although the disastrous Mets, who I'm sure would love revenge for last year, lurk only four games out.
So in case you couldn't guess it already, the Phils lost again. Brett Myers wasn't awful, but why send a pitcher struggling with his psyche out in the 8th inning of a tie game? Did you expect different results?
After the 8th inning ended, I was hoping the Phillies would make a comeback in the 9th against Francisco Rodriguez, which would be a double treat for us. First, a Phillies win. Second, good news for my suddenly beleaguered fantasy team, which is playing a team with K-Rod on it. But So Taguichi blew it with an error in the top of the inning, and the Angels took a 6-2 lead. After the Phillies pretended to pose a threat against Jose Arredondo, K-Rod came in and ended the game on four pitches.
Cole Hamels goes tomorrow. We're confident they'll win, but the next four...
Jun 20, 2008
Another open letter
Dear Phillies,
Remember when you used to win games? You would pitch, you would hit, you would score. I know, it's becoming just a blurry memory for me, too. Sure, you've lost only three in a row, but that makes you 3-7 in your last 10 games. Not too hot. And coincidentally, this downturn has come at the exact same time that you really started to receive national attention, that analysts started to say, "Hey, this team is for real. The Phillies are the team to beat in the National League."
I hope that this is just a bump in the road and that there won't be many more 7-1 games like tonight, where you got outhit by the Angels 17-2 - at home, no less. I hope Brett Myers can stop the bleeding tomorrow night because it will be good both for him and for the team. I hope Chase Utley breaks his ugly hitless streak.
We're all waiting for you to resume the level of play you were at before the Marlins series. I'll see you on Sunday, when you'll try to extend your new winning streak to two.
Love,
Christine
The Red Sox lost too, 5-4 to the Cardinals. But the story is that our champion, and probably the player with the best stints as both a Phillie and Red Sox, is likely done. It's not like we were expecting Curt Schilling to come back, but it still stings - sort of like when an elderly loved one dies. It's not tragic, but still sad.
Curt thanked us today, but anyone who rooted for the Sox before 2004 thanks him again. In his words:
Remember when you used to win games? You would pitch, you would hit, you would score. I know, it's becoming just a blurry memory for me, too. Sure, you've lost only three in a row, but that makes you 3-7 in your last 10 games. Not too hot. And coincidentally, this downturn has come at the exact same time that you really started to receive national attention, that analysts started to say, "Hey, this team is for real. The Phillies are the team to beat in the National League."
I hope that this is just a bump in the road and that there won't be many more 7-1 games like tonight, where you got outhit by the Angels 17-2 - at home, no less. I hope Brett Myers can stop the bleeding tomorrow night because it will be good both for him and for the team. I hope Chase Utley breaks his ugly hitless streak.
We're all waiting for you to resume the level of play you were at before the Marlins series. I'll see you on Sunday, when you'll try to extend your new winning streak to two.
Love,
Christine
The Red Sox lost too, 5-4 to the Cardinals. But the story is that our champion, and probably the player with the best stints as both a Phillie and Red Sox, is likely done. It's not like we were expecting Curt Schilling to come back, but it still stings - sort of like when an elderly loved one dies. It's not tragic, but still sad.
Curt thanked us today, but anyone who rooted for the Sox before 2004 thanks him again. In his words:
If this was my last shot, and it is over, I wouldn’t change a thing (ok well that’s not totally true because I WOULD push rewind, go back to a few instances and shut my mouth, but hey we can’t all be perfect) that happened to me, with me or on any teams I played on. In 22 years I would say I had the honor of playing with some of the greatest of all time, and at most 3-4 really bad people, that’s not a bad thing.
Jun 19, 2008
Juan Samuel? Really??
Lost in the craziness of the Sox-Phils series was the announcement that Juan Milton Samuel will be enshrined on the Phillies Wall of Fame. As someone who studied the backs of baseball cards in the 1980s more closely than his school books, I know Samuel was a good player, although not, as the sponsor of his Baseball-Reference page claims, "quite simply, the greatest baseball player in the history of the world."I didn't follow the Phillies back then, but I admired his combination of speed and power, racking up double digits in all categories. But I know enough about Philly to know that he is not the most deserving Phillie - Lenny Dykstra, Darren Daulton and John Kruk are the obvious ones. And unlike Samuel, they contributed to a Phillies postseason.
A fan vote narrowed the choices for wall nominee to Daulton, Dykstra, Kruk, Samuel and Greg Gross. Then, a committee of media and Phillies executives chose Samuel to be inducted.
I'm not sure how Gross even ended up in the mix. I understand the arguments against choosing Dykstra (links to steroids and other issues) and Daulton (his philosophical musings); as for Kruk, maybe they're unhappy that he bailed on his Phillies announcing and has become a national media figure. But I still don't get it. I'll be happy to cheer Juan's induction, but if the Phillies keep flying their '93 NL pennant, they should induct players from that squad.
Harper: I forgot to mention yesterday the little baseball fan seated behind his. His name was Harper, and he was attending his first game with his pop-pop, who provided running commentary for his grandson. It was very cute and wholesome. And the next time the media or populous want to bemoan baseball, they should sit in the park and take in nine innings with little Harper and his cap and pack of Red Sox playing cards.
[Image: Baseball Reference Bullpen]
Jun 18, 2008
Until we meet again
It wasn't the prettiest game, but the Red Sox beat the Phillies 7-4, to win the 2008 Sox-Phils regular season series 2-1. But come October, each team starts 0-0.
Today the bats, led by Philly favorite J.D. Drew's three-run home run, stoked young Justin Masterson to a 4-0 lead in the 1st. Mike Lowell then hit a solo shot. Boston added two more in the 3rd when Brandon Moss, pinch-hitting for Coco Crisp (we learned after the game he somehow hurt his hand grounding out in the 1st), hit a two-run single. Drew had another RBI in the 4th and finished a triple shy of the cycle.
Masterson was better and worse than his line (five innings, two runs, four hits, two walks and a strikeout). The side-arm slinger was a bit wild and gave up runs in the 1st and 5th; he had a couple 1-2-3's in between. His counterpart, Kyle Kendrick, was yanked after three.
The Phillies, meanwhile, never really seemed into it except for a two-run 7th inning rally that created a save situation for Jonathan Papelbon. Craig Hansen didn't retire any of the three batters he faced before yielding to Manny Delcarmen, who put out the threat.
Observations from the stands: Our seats were much lower and closer to the action, but we were a bit off center and had trouble judging fair-foul balls down the left field line. ... I saw an old-school Twins T-shirt with the "Win Twins" logo. ... An older couple in front of us wore complementary home and away Mike Timlin jerseys. The woman's was autographed, as was her visor. We couldn't read the names, though. ... Jeanette Bayardelle, from The Color Purple, sang the National Anthem. She was good, but I want the song done quickly. ... I didn't bring a pencil - it doesn't run like ink if it gets wet - and of course there were a few raindrops as the game started. But it wasn't much, and the weather turned out to be one of the nicest of the season for us. ... In the 2nd, the Phillies had runners on first and second, and Kyle Kendrick's bunt was snagged on a fly by Sean Casey. I pointed to second, where Greg Dobbs was way off base. Casey threw him out - score that 3-Greg-6. ... In the 4th, Geoff Jenkins couldn't hold onto his bat after a strikeout - it flew down the line.
Elbows: I got an elbow from Christine in the 5th when Masterson got Chase Utley (hitless in his last 20 ABs) to ground out, ending a threat. I got another elbow the next inning when I said, "I just said they would get to the World Series, not that they'd win it" when Christine lamented that her team stinks. I got a third for slapping my scorecard when Ryan Howard struck out, ending the Phillies best rally in the 7th.
More observations: The Citizens Bank Seven prize packs were won in our section, two rows down. Christine, who is on a quest to win some sort of prize from her team, was very disappointed. ... Howard made a couple of nice plays; Christine noted how we go crazy when he makes a routine play. "He's set the bar low," I said. ... We loved our beer guy. He had some sort of custom-made gadget to automatically unscrew the caps. It was attached to his hand by a glove and appeared to be a drill with a fitting to grab the cap. Christine kept hoping people would order more beer so we could see it in use. ... In honor of the 60th anniversary of his debut, Robin Roberts threw out the first pitch to Cole Hamels. ... I'm sure Christine is glad to see the Red Sox leave town, but we both concede that each fan base didn't embarrass themselves with any real craziness. I got only one "Red Sox sucks" the entire series. Hopefully, each side can remain civil when they battle again in October.
Today the bats, led by Philly favorite J.D. Drew's three-run home run, stoked young Justin Masterson to a 4-0 lead in the 1st. Mike Lowell then hit a solo shot. Boston added two more in the 3rd when Brandon Moss, pinch-hitting for Coco Crisp (we learned after the game he somehow hurt his hand grounding out in the 1st), hit a two-run single. Drew had another RBI in the 4th and finished a triple shy of the cycle.
Masterson was better and worse than his line (five innings, two runs, four hits, two walks and a strikeout). The side-arm slinger was a bit wild and gave up runs in the 1st and 5th; he had a couple 1-2-3's in between. His counterpart, Kyle Kendrick, was yanked after three.
The Phillies, meanwhile, never really seemed into it except for a two-run 7th inning rally that created a save situation for Jonathan Papelbon. Craig Hansen didn't retire any of the three batters he faced before yielding to Manny Delcarmen, who put out the threat.
Observations from the stands: Our seats were much lower and closer to the action, but we were a bit off center and had trouble judging fair-foul balls down the left field line. ... I saw an old-school Twins T-shirt with the "Win Twins" logo. ... An older couple in front of us wore complementary home and away Mike Timlin jerseys. The woman's was autographed, as was her visor. We couldn't read the names, though. ... Jeanette Bayardelle, from The Color Purple, sang the National Anthem. She was good, but I want the song done quickly. ... I didn't bring a pencil - it doesn't run like ink if it gets wet - and of course there were a few raindrops as the game started. But it wasn't much, and the weather turned out to be one of the nicest of the season for us. ... In the 2nd, the Phillies had runners on first and second, and Kyle Kendrick's bunt was snagged on a fly by Sean Casey. I pointed to second, where Greg Dobbs was way off base. Casey threw him out - score that 3-Greg-6. ... In the 4th, Geoff Jenkins couldn't hold onto his bat after a strikeout - it flew down the line.Elbows: I got an elbow from Christine in the 5th when Masterson got Chase Utley (hitless in his last 20 ABs) to ground out, ending a threat. I got another elbow the next inning when I said, "I just said they would get to the World Series, not that they'd win it" when Christine lamented that her team stinks. I got a third for slapping my scorecard when Ryan Howard struck out, ending the Phillies best rally in the 7th.
More observations: The Citizens Bank Seven prize packs were won in our section, two rows down. Christine, who is on a quest to win some sort of prize from her team, was very disappointed. ... Howard made a couple of nice plays; Christine noted how we go crazy when he makes a routine play. "He's set the bar low," I said. ... We loved our beer guy. He had some sort of custom-made gadget to automatically unscrew the caps. It was attached to his hand by a glove and appeared to be a drill with a fitting to grab the cap. Christine kept hoping people would order more beer so we could see it in use. ... In honor of the 60th anniversary of his debut, Robin Roberts threw out the first pitch to Cole Hamels. ... I'm sure Christine is glad to see the Red Sox leave town, but we both concede that each fan base didn't embarrass themselves with any real craziness. I got only one "Red Sox sucks" the entire series. Hopefully, each side can remain civil when they battle again in October.Jun 17, 2008
All tied up with one to go
Not pictured is Ryan Howard's fourth strikeout to lead off the 9th against Jonathan Papelbon, who also struck out the next two batters to close out Jon Lester's 3-0 win. The Red Sox-Phillies series is tied at one. The decisive game, a Businessperson's Special, is tomorrow at 1:05.Tonight's story was Lester, who like Cole Hamels last night, showed how a good young lefty can dominate even the best of offenses. He tossed seven shutout innings with a walk, six hits and five strikeouts.
It looked like it would be a short night for the venerable Jamie Moyer, as the Red Sox rolled up his pitch count thanks to five walks. (Christine thinks the umps weren't calling strikes for him.) But the cagey pitcher managed to last five innings, yielding only two runs.
Not much to speak of from the Red Sox bats. Coco Crisp hit a two-run homer in the 2nd and scored the third run in the 6th. Led by his two stolen bases, the Red Sox tied a club record with six, including one by the dreamy Sean Casey. It's not what you think: Look closely at his scoreboard photo above. It's not the typical game face or smart-ass grin that typically graces the big screen. No, it's puppy dogs and rainbows. He looks head over heels or something.
Observations from the stands: We were still higher than usual, but aligned nearly directly behind home plate. ... The field looked a bit better, but you could still see the Jimmy Buffett remnants. ... They're no Hooters, but the Dartmouth Cords did a good job with the National Anthem. ... In the 1st, J.D. Drew had a good strategy, hitting a grounder right at Ryan Howard, who promptly coughed it up. But it bounced right toward Chase Utley, who retired Drew 3-4-3. ... After Jimmy Rollins grounded out on the first pitch in the bottom of the 1st, Shane Victorino bunted his first pitch for a single. "What the hell is he doing?" Christine said before she even knew he'd be safe. Utley then made up for it with an 11-pitch fly out. ... We saw a guy in an old-school Expos hat. I guess all Expos hats are old school. ... Pat Burrell likes newspaper word jumbles, according to the "Ask the Phillies" segment that runs between innings. ... After a leadoff walk by J-Roll in the 6th, Mike Lowell speared a liner from Victorino and was able to double off Rollins at first. ... After Hideki Okajima struck out Chase Utley to end the 8th, I did a little fist pump. Christine punched me. ... Before the 9th, they showed Jon Runyan of the Eagles on the scoreboard to pump up the crowd. Didn't work.
Also ineffective was the Phanatic's attempt to spoof Papelbon by breaking out his Riverdance shtick. When the "umpire" ripped off his uniform to show off his kilt and join the dance, Christine thought it explained why the Red Sox seemed to get all the calls tonight. The fans bugged us more than usual tonight. No one can stay seated during a game. I understand getting up once or twice, but people were getting up once or twice an inning with no regard to whether a pitch was about to happen. I think I missed 25 percent of the pitches in the game because people were standing in the way. "Why do we go to games again," mused Christine, who was also aggravated by some obnoxious Phillies teenagers sitting behind us. They came to "beat up some Red Sox fans" but showed their mettle by taunting Jacoby Ellsbury after he was caught stealing in the 9th and Papelbon for striking out Howard because "he's the easiest guy in the world to strike out." I won't mention the crude things they said.
Odds and ends: It seems Bartolo Colon, headed to the 15-day DL, tweaked his back Monday when he struck out so poorly his helmet fell off. There's more ammo for Hank Steinbrenner's crusade to bring the DH to the National League. And listening to the Mets game on the way home, the announcers said there was already some incident with Jose Reyes and Jerry Manuel. Details fuzzy at the moment.
We must remember the less fortunate
While we here at SoxandPhils are giddily dreaming of October, it would be irresponsible if we didn't take a moment to remember the poor Mets fans today.
I'm sure they have long accepted that their team is going nowhere, but now that Willie Randolph has been fired in the dead of the night, how are they going to spend the rest of the season? I guess they can always speculate on whom the permanent manager will be.
Speaking of which, the Phillies are trying to get fans to vote Chase Utley and Pat Burrell into the All-Star game. Utley doesn't need the help; Burrell does. But now that Randolph is gone, the organization and fans should start putting pressure on Clint Hurdle to name Charlie Manuel to replace him as a coach.
And Willie's classless firing - did they at least pay for his return trip from California? - didn't surprise those who made preseason predictions on this site, except the Mets fan.
All right, back to teams that matter. See you at the park tonight.
I'm sure they have long accepted that their team is going nowhere, but now that Willie Randolph has been fired in the dead of the night, how are they going to spend the rest of the season? I guess they can always speculate on whom the permanent manager will be.
Speaking of which, the Phillies are trying to get fans to vote Chase Utley and Pat Burrell into the All-Star game. Utley doesn't need the help; Burrell does. But now that Randolph is gone, the organization and fans should start putting pressure on Clint Hurdle to name Charlie Manuel to replace him as a coach.
And Willie's classless firing - did they at least pay for his return trip from California? - didn't surprise those who made preseason predictions on this site, except the Mets fan.
All right, back to teams that matter. See you at the park tonight.
Jun 16, 2008
Phillies draw first blood
In the first game of the 2008 World Series prequel, there was about five minutes all night when it seemed like the champs would win in Philly. Then the Phillies soundly beat the Red Sox, 8-2.
Before Bartolo Colon could say cheesesteak, Jimmy Rollins hit a lead-off homer. Then Ryan Howard squared off against fat Bart in what may be the heaviest matchup in baseball history - more than a quarter ton combined. Ryan Howard won the battle of the bulge, creaming a two-run homer. He made it 4-0 with a solo shot in the 4th. Colon was lifted after four with back spasms.In the bottom of the 5th, the Sox showed some life with solo home runs from Dustin Pedroia, who snapped out of a slump tonight and was a triple shy of the cycle, and J.D. Drew, who is still so beloved in Philly that all the fans go "Dreeeeewwwww!" whenever he bats. {I think Greg needs to get his hearing checked. They were saying Boo-urns.}
But then things got ugly in the 6th when Terry Francona called upon Mike Timlin, an unsung hero for several Red Sox postseasons. He didn't have it tonight: He recorded two outs, but gave up four runs. It was painful. Timlin's been a warrior for us, but maybe he's done. His ERA is now 7.06, although a fellow Red Sox fan points out that in 19 games between his first four disastrous outings and tonight, he has posted a 2.89 ERA. When Francona removed Timlin, for some reason the fans again started their J.D. Drew cheer for the former Phillies manager.Individual stars: Cole Hamels shut down the champs for 7-plus innings. He also showed great hustle, almost beating out a ground-out to first. He did get a hit in his fourth at-bat. ... Howard, 3-5 with two homers and a triple. Yes, a triple. Jacoby Ellsbury misplayed it. ... Rollins, 3-5 with a homer and three RBI. ... Pat Burrell, 2-2 with two walks and a triple. Yes, a triple. (See Ryan Howard's.)
The plastic Red Sox helmet the Phanatic smashed put up more of a fight tonight than my team.Observations from the stands: Our seats were 12 rows higher than our normal seats. We couldn't believe what a difference that made. Then again, we were only one row from the top of the stadium. ... Worst heckle of Manny Ramirez: "Get a haircut." ... They played "Feliz" from Feliz Navidad again after a nice defensive play in the 5th. ... Colon striking out feebly in his two plate appearances was hysterical - he lost his helmet on one swing. ... Hamels made a nice snare on a liner hit by Jason Varitek. ... The crowd was actually civil for a Sox-Phils game. I didn't get heckled, and there really didn't seem to be any ugliness. ... Time of game: 2:42.
Musicians at Citizens Bank Park: Jimmy Buffett and his Parrotheads left the field a mess. It looked worse in person than it does in the picture. The grass was yellowed all over the outfield. Thankfully, it seems mostly cosmetic, and no one got injured. Hooters frontmen Rob Hyman and Eric Bazilian were more respectful of the playing surface when singing the National Anthem tonight. {Amusingly, they played the beginning of "And We Danced" before kicking into the anthem.}
Jun 15, 2008
The 2008 World Series begins Monday
"Oh no, it's tomorrow," Christine said upon realizing what's to come. She'll have to deal with thousands of marauding Red Sox fans and probably some not-too-nice comments coming our way from the Philly denizens as they spot a couple wearing competing colors when the Sox and Phillies square off tomorrow night - the first such meeting since SoxandPhils made its debut.
"Bring it on," I say. Never mind that we have Bartolo Colon against Cole Hamels in the opener; we've faced worse odds than fat Bart vs. the young and talented Mr. Hamels.
Today, the Red Sox look locked and loaded for National League warfare: Josh Beckett was an ace again for seven innings as the Sox beat the Reds 9-0. Jacoby Ellsbury had three hits and set the team's rookie record for stolen bases in a season. The seasons he, Jon Lester and Justin Masterson are having make me really pleased we didn't trade for Johan Santana.
Although Jonathan Papelbon coughed one up Saturday, the Sox came back and took two of three in Cincinnati.
The Phillies, meanwhile, head in the opposite direction. Remember the saying "Tinker to Evers to Chance?" Today, it was, "Utley to Gordon to ... uh-oh." After Tom Gordon got two outs in the 10th, there were two ground balls to second; each would have ended the inning. But first Utley erred, then Gordon erred. Game over: Cardinals 7, Phils 6. Combined with Saturday, when Kyle Lohse outpitched Adam Eaton (who again didn't stink!?!), that's two straight losses since Friday night when the Phillies impersonated a football team.
Travel update: Our friends have the cutest little Red Sox hat for their baby. Every infant should have one. {No way. Cute little Phillies hats only. And even though Greg didn't mention it, Kush is cute with or without the hat.}
I gave my Dad an unexpected Father's Day gift - unexpected in that it surprised me, too. I got rid of a couple boxes of junk I have left in his attic - mostly old books, scorecards and magazines. Christine's pleased with how much I threw out, but I salvaged a few that I'll be sharing with the blog once this week's craziness subsides.
Sox-Phils interleague history, 2007: The Phillies and Red Sox wrapped up their exhibition schedule with a two-game set in Philly. I didn't want to go. (I'm not a fan of exhibition baseball.) But when I heard our new Japanese import Daisuke Matsuzaka was scheduled to pitch in the finale, I decided I should go because who knows when I'd get to see him live.
I don't remember much, except it was cold and Dice-K wasn't impressive.
They didn't play any meaningful games in 2007 because the Rockies swept the Phillies out of World Series contention. Tomorrow begin the preview of this year's fall classic. We'll update with our story and pics (unless Christine gets so mad at me that she won't edit the photos) as soon as we can.
"Bring it on," I say. Never mind that we have Bartolo Colon against Cole Hamels in the opener; we've faced worse odds than fat Bart vs. the young and talented Mr. Hamels.
Today, the Red Sox look locked and loaded for National League warfare: Josh Beckett was an ace again for seven innings as the Sox beat the Reds 9-0. Jacoby Ellsbury had three hits and set the team's rookie record for stolen bases in a season. The seasons he, Jon Lester and Justin Masterson are having make me really pleased we didn't trade for Johan Santana.
Although Jonathan Papelbon coughed one up Saturday, the Sox came back and took two of three in Cincinnati.
The Phillies, meanwhile, head in the opposite direction. Remember the saying "Tinker to Evers to Chance?" Today, it was, "Utley to Gordon to ... uh-oh." After Tom Gordon got two outs in the 10th, there were two ground balls to second; each would have ended the inning. But first Utley erred, then Gordon erred. Game over: Cardinals 7, Phils 6. Combined with Saturday, when Kyle Lohse outpitched Adam Eaton (who again didn't stink!?!), that's two straight losses since Friday night when the Phillies impersonated a football team.
Travel update: Our friends have the cutest little Red Sox hat for their baby. Every infant should have one. {No way. Cute little Phillies hats only. And even though Greg didn't mention it, Kush is cute with or without the hat.}
I gave my Dad an unexpected Father's Day gift - unexpected in that it surprised me, too. I got rid of a couple boxes of junk I have left in his attic - mostly old books, scorecards and magazines. Christine's pleased with how much I threw out, but I salvaged a few that I'll be sharing with the blog once this week's craziness subsides.
Sox-Phils interleague history, 2007: The Phillies and Red Sox wrapped up their exhibition schedule with a two-game set in Philly. I didn't want to go. (I'm not a fan of exhibition baseball.) But when I heard our new Japanese import Daisuke Matsuzaka was scheduled to pitch in the finale, I decided I should go because who knows when I'd get to see him live.I don't remember much, except it was cold and Dice-K wasn't impressive.
They didn't play any meaningful games in 2007 because the Rockies swept the Phillies out of World Series contention. Tomorrow begin the preview of this year's fall classic. We'll update with our story and pics (unless Christine gets so mad at me that she won't edit the photos) as soon as we can.
Jun 14, 2008
Mets now accepting has-beens, cast-offs
Trot Nixon, a long-time Red Sox fan favorite, is now a Met. That's how bad things are going for the second team in New York, where Willie Randolph is on what seems to be the 12th death watch of the season.
I'll always root for Trot. I wasn't happy when he won a game for the Indians in last year's ALCS, but I didn't hold it against him personally. I hope he can rejuvanate his career as the Mets finish in last.
We're trotting all over the state. We're going to see one of the newest Red Sox fans, then up north into Yankee territory. So we may not update tonight.
Sox-Phils interleague history, 2006: The Sox took two of three in Philly in May - splitting the two games we attended. We didn't go to the opener in which Matt Clement beat Jon Lieber 5-3, keyed by Mike Lowell and David Ortiz homers. In the Saturday game, we saw Josh Beckett for the first time. Sloppy defense on both sides ruined his duel with Brett Myers. Beckett gave up four runs (three earned) in 7 innnigs; Myers gave up six runs (two earned) in 6.1. Sox won 8-4. Beckett also hit a homer and an RBI single.
Before the game, we were stopped by a couple of girls who wanted to take our picture because they were on a scavanger hunt and needed a picture of a couple wearing competing jerseys. We obliged. Our picture is probably on some weirdo Web site like ours.
The finale was a Phillies blowout. Brian and Liza invited us to join them in their section in right field, so I sold the tickets we had bought to a colleague (Red Sox fan). Cory Lidle, who we seemed to see more than any other Phillies pitcher at the time, was pitted against Lenny DiNardo, who combined with Abe Alvarez to give up eight runs in five innings. Future enemy Bobby Abreu was a double away from the cycle. Phils won 10-5.
There was a strange off-field incident: David Wells accused David Dellucci of using steroids.
The teams hooked up again a month later in Boston, and the Phillies faced some serious PR problems for starting Myers in a nationally televised game after reports that he hit his wife. Charges were dropped, and Myers seems to have matured since the incident.
On the field, the Red Sox swept. We didn't go to any games, but I have lots of memories of the series. During the first game, I was sanding and spackling a room we were planning to paint. Josh Beckett beat the Phils 10-2, but I'll remember Scott Mathieson pitching well for 4.2 innings after starter Ryan Madson got shelled. We listened to the middle game (the Myers debacle) while driving to North Jersey for a wedding. David Ortiz had a walk-off homer against Tom Gordon in the 10th. Jonathan Papelbon won it. I don't remember the Sunday finale; we were probably driving home from the wedding. Sox won 8-7 in 12, Craig Hansen over Clay Condrey.
I'll always root for Trot. I wasn't happy when he won a game for the Indians in last year's ALCS, but I didn't hold it against him personally. I hope he can rejuvanate his career as the Mets finish in last.
We're trotting all over the state. We're going to see one of the newest Red Sox fans, then up north into Yankee territory. So we may not update tonight.
Sox-Phils interleague history, 2006: The Sox took two of three in Philly in May - splitting the two games we attended. We didn't go to the opener in which Matt Clement beat Jon Lieber 5-3, keyed by Mike Lowell and David Ortiz homers. In the Saturday game, we saw Josh Beckett for the first time. Sloppy defense on both sides ruined his duel with Brett Myers. Beckett gave up four runs (three earned) in 7 innnigs; Myers gave up six runs (two earned) in 6.1. Sox won 8-4. Beckett also hit a homer and an RBI single.Before the game, we were stopped by a couple of girls who wanted to take our picture because they were on a scavanger hunt and needed a picture of a couple wearing competing jerseys. We obliged. Our picture is probably on some weirdo Web site like ours.
The finale was a Phillies blowout. Brian and Liza invited us to join them in their section in right field, so I sold the tickets we had bought to a colleague (Red Sox fan). Cory Lidle, who we seemed to see more than any other Phillies pitcher at the time, was pitted against Lenny DiNardo, who combined with Abe Alvarez to give up eight runs in five innings. Future enemy Bobby Abreu was a double away from the cycle. Phils won 10-5.There was a strange off-field incident: David Wells accused David Dellucci of using steroids.
The teams hooked up again a month later in Boston, and the Phillies faced some serious PR problems for starting Myers in a nationally televised game after reports that he hit his wife. Charges were dropped, and Myers seems to have matured since the incident.
On the field, the Red Sox swept. We didn't go to any games, but I have lots of memories of the series. During the first game, I was sanding and spackling a room we were planning to paint. Josh Beckett beat the Phils 10-2, but I'll remember Scott Mathieson pitching well for 4.2 innings after starter Ryan Madson got shelled. We listened to the middle game (the Myers debacle) while driving to North Jersey for a wedding. David Ortiz had a walk-off homer against Tom Gordon in the 10th. Jonathan Papelbon won it. I don't remember the Sunday finale; we were probably driving home from the wedding. Sox won 8-7 in 12, Craig Hansen over Clay Condrey.
Jun 13, 2008
High-scoring down memory lane
With Kyle Kendrick and the Phillies leading the Cardinals by nearly two touchdowns tonight, I couldn't help but think of Sept. 17, 2007. That night, the Phils staked young Kyle to an 11-0 lead. He was pulled from the game after he gave up three runs in the 6th. The Cardinals outscored the Phils 8-1 in the next two innings, and the Phils' 12-11 lead seemed awfully dicey.
With a bullpen that was awful and depleted, the Phillies thankfully scored one more in the 9th. Things were so bad for Charlie Manuel that Francisco Rosario had to get the last two outs for the save. Other notable relievers in the box score that night included Jose Mesa, Antonio Alfonseca and Kane Davis.
Tonight went a lot smoother in the Phillies 20-2 rout over the Cardinals, started by Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell hitting back-to-back-to-back homers in the 1st. They had 21 hits total, paced by four from Carlos Ruiz - the first time he's done that. Cardinals IF Aaron Miles pitched a 1-2-3 9th. The teams started throwing at each other, and I think we may see benches clear before the Phillies leave St. Louis.
Kendrick went seven innings for the win on the anniversary of his big-league debut. He's now 16-6 in his career.
Too bad the Phillies couldn't ship some of those runs to Cincinnati, where the Red Sox lost on the road again, 3-1 to the Reds. They were shut down by Aaron Harang. Justin Masterson nearly matched him (6.2 IP, three runs, three walks, four hits, nine strikeouts) but was a tough-luck loser. His first career loss.
More troubling, three days before the Sox-Phils series, Manny Ramirez's hamstring is acting up again. He left in the 7th.
Sox-Phils interleague history, 2005: The Sox swept three in Philly. I remember the series vividly. The defending champs were in midst of winning 12 of 13 to take a 3.5 game division lead. They seemed primed to roll through the league and repeat as World Champions. But they squandered a five-game lead in August and wound up tied with the Empire - again relegated to the Wild Card based on head-to-head record.
The Phillies put up little fight in the series, losing 8-0, 7-1 and 12-8. In the finale, after young Brett Myers was shelled for seven runs in four innings, the Phils made a game of it, tying the game at eight in the 7th, before the champs put them away with four in the 8th. Winners: Tim Wakefield, Matt Clement and Mike Timlin (then a Sox). Losers: Jon Lieber, Vicente Padilla and Rheal Cormier (then a Phillie).
While I remember the high I was on after the sweep, I can't remember the individual games. We're pretty sure we went to two of them, but we can't find the ticket stubs.
With a bullpen that was awful and depleted, the Phillies thankfully scored one more in the 9th. Things were so bad for Charlie Manuel that Francisco Rosario had to get the last two outs for the save. Other notable relievers in the box score that night included Jose Mesa, Antonio Alfonseca and Kane Davis.
Tonight went a lot smoother in the Phillies 20-2 rout over the Cardinals, started by Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell hitting back-to-back-to-back homers in the 1st. They had 21 hits total, paced by four from Carlos Ruiz - the first time he's done that. Cardinals IF Aaron Miles pitched a 1-2-3 9th. The teams started throwing at each other, and I think we may see benches clear before the Phillies leave St. Louis.
Kendrick went seven innings for the win on the anniversary of his big-league debut. He's now 16-6 in his career.
Too bad the Phillies couldn't ship some of those runs to Cincinnati, where the Red Sox lost on the road again, 3-1 to the Reds. They were shut down by Aaron Harang. Justin Masterson nearly matched him (6.2 IP, three runs, three walks, four hits, nine strikeouts) but was a tough-luck loser. His first career loss.
More troubling, three days before the Sox-Phils series, Manny Ramirez's hamstring is acting up again. He left in the 7th.
Sox-Phils interleague history, 2005: The Sox swept three in Philly. I remember the series vividly. The defending champs were in midst of winning 12 of 13 to take a 3.5 game division lead. They seemed primed to roll through the league and repeat as World Champions. But they squandered a five-game lead in August and wound up tied with the Empire - again relegated to the Wild Card based on head-to-head record.
The Phillies put up little fight in the series, losing 8-0, 7-1 and 12-8. In the finale, after young Brett Myers was shelled for seven runs in four innings, the Phils made a game of it, tying the game at eight in the 7th, before the champs put them away with four in the 8th. Winners: Tim Wakefield, Matt Clement and Mike Timlin (then a Sox). Losers: Jon Lieber, Vicente Padilla and Rheal Cormier (then a Phillie).
While I remember the high I was on after the sweep, I can't remember the individual games. We're pretty sure we went to two of them, but we can't find the ticket stubs.
Jun 12, 2008
Good night for J-Moy, J-Les and the Red Sox bats
Playing an hour early again so everyone could see the refs try to tie up the Lakers series against the Celtics, the Red Sox crushed the Orioles, 9-2. Jon Lester had a good start backed by a Mike Lowell grand slam (second of the season) and homers by J.D. Drew and Kevin Youkilis. Hopefully the pitchers were paying attention because they have to hit now, as the Sox visit the Reds before coming to Philly.
(Speaking of which, Jimmy Buffett is playing at Citizens Bank Park this weekend. He's in big trouble if he damages the field and one of my players gets hurt.)
Speaking of old guys who should be on the beach, the incredible Jamie Moyer (is he on steroids or Viagra?) gave up only two hits and a walk in eight innings as the Phillies beat the Marlins 3-0, averting a sweep. {He's on neither. Phillies don't have to cheat to win.}
Sox-Phils interleague history, 2004: In the championship season, the Red Sox took two of three in Boston. We didn't go to any of the games, but I remember that it seemed as if Philadelphians took over Fenway. Behind a good Pedro Martinez outing, the Sox trampled the Phillies and Paul Abbott 12-1. Then, I can't remember why, but Randy Wolf was pulled after four innings in the second game. Ryan Madson got the win in relief, 9-2 over Bronson Arroyo. The Sox put up another dozen in the last game, as Curt Schilling beat young Brett Myers 12-3.
(Speaking of which, Jimmy Buffett is playing at Citizens Bank Park this weekend. He's in big trouble if he damages the field and one of my players gets hurt.)
Speaking of old guys who should be on the beach, the incredible Jamie Moyer (is he on steroids or Viagra?) gave up only two hits and a walk in eight innings as the Phillies beat the Marlins 3-0, averting a sweep. {He's on neither. Phillies don't have to cheat to win.}
Sox-Phils interleague history, 2004: In the championship season, the Red Sox took two of three in Boston. We didn't go to any of the games, but I remember that it seemed as if Philadelphians took over Fenway. Behind a good Pedro Martinez outing, the Sox trampled the Phillies and Paul Abbott 12-1. Then, I can't remember why, but Randy Wolf was pulled after four innings in the second game. Ryan Madson got the win in relief, 9-2 over Bronson Arroyo. The Sox put up another dozen in the last game, as Curt Schilling beat young Brett Myers 12-3.
Jun 11, 2008
A new all-American hero
Big Papi is now Big Daddy, as he became an American citizen today. He didn't make a presidential endorsement. And because he's hurt, David Ortiz didn't get to run on the field with a little American flag, as Manny Ramirez did in 2004.Also unclear is which Red Sox will be next to pledge allegiance - Daisuke Matsuzaka or Hideki Okajima.
The Red Sox celebrated with a 6-3 win over the Orioles, fetching career win No. 150 for Bartolo Colon. (Didn't he just pitch?)
Things weren't so cheery for the Phillies. Cole Hamels had a strong start - two runs in 8 innings with 12 strikeouts - but his mates abandoned him and trailed 2-1 in the 9th. Erik Bruntlett, on second after pinch-running for Greg Dobbs and a walk by Jimmy Rollins, stole third. Shane Victorino struck out. Bruntlett scored when Chase Utley grounded to short and the Marlins couldn't wrap up the double play.
So the Phillies would have to wait until the 10th to get the lead - just a matter of Tom Gordon in the 9th. Oops. Grand slam, Dan Uggla. Welcome back, Flash. Your ERA is back in the 5's for the first time in more than a month. The Phightin's are now 0-2 since the national media hopped on the bandwagon.
Sox-Phils interleague history, 2003: This is the year things started to get really good between our teams, as they kept swinging haymakers at each other and the Phillies taking the home series 2-1. The series started in June and ended in September.
With a Friday night rainout, Saturday became the first game - the infamous Todd Pratt walk-off homer off of Rudy Seanez (then a Red Sox). Great starts by Randy Wolf and Pedro Martinez yielded a 2-1 Red Sox edge after 7 innings. The Phillies tied it, and the score remained 2-2 into the 12th, when each team swapped runs. In the 13th, the Red Sox scored two runs after the first two men struck out. Jose Mesa, the eventual winner, was pitching. In the bottom of the inning, the Phillies rallied to score three, capped by Pratt's two-run homer. (I kept a pretty good scorecard, but don't know what would have happened if the game went on three more innings.)
We didn't buy tickets to Sunday's game because I worked Sundays at the time. We missed a 5-0 shutout by young Brett Myers. Recently acquired Byung-Hyun Kim didn't fare so well.
The make-up finale was played on Labor Day. It was a Mike Schmidt bobblehead giveaway, which was also postponed from the earlier game. {Schmidt's bat has since been broken on our display model, but we have one unopened in its original box. It'll be our big moneymaker some day.}
Christine couldn't come because she was visiting her newborn niece in Texas. She missed a doozy. It was a great back-and-forth game - Phillies lead 4-0 after two; Red Sox tied it in the 3rd. In the 4th, the Red Sox scored one, the Phillies scored two. After the 8th, the Phillies increased their lead to 9-7 and handed the ball to Mesa to save it. The Red Sox bled in the tying runs off Mesa and Turk Wendell before a Trot Nixon grand slam pretty much ended it. Even Kim, now relieving again, couldn't blow this lead. (He was already in the game and got the win.)
It took forever to get home because without Christine co-piloting, I got lost in Philadelphia. I'm geographically challenged, and somehow this season I've finally learned how to get to and from the park without Christine's help. {Considering that the ballpark is right over the Walt Whitman bridge, this really isn't a huge challenge. But I'm glad Greg has finally learned his way.}
[Photo credit of Papi: Boston Globe]
Jun 10, 2008
Serves me right
I guess the baseball gods didn't take kindly to me yawning at both of our teams winning on Sunday. They each lost tonight.
Young Brett Myers gave the Marlins a 3-0 lead in the first. The fish never grew that beyond three runs, but the Phillies never caught up. It seemed like it would be a classic Phillies comeback, but it ended 5-4 Marlins.
Funny little occurrence in the 6th: With two outs, Pat Burrell lined one to left. Luis Gonzalzez missed it (looked like it glanced off his face), and Burrell reached on the error. He should have been on second, but Charlie Manuel didn't bench him like he did J-Roll. I wonder what Mike Schmidt, the scribe, thinks about that.
Burrell scored but tried to give it back by misplaying a ball in left in the bottom of the inning. They ruled it a double. I joked that Pat the Bat was trying to justify all the times Cholly subs him out for running and defense. He then redeemed himself a little bit by hitting a homer in the 8th.
The Red Sox lost to the Orioles, 10-6. They survived another poor Josh Beckett start before Hideki Okajima blew it. His season ERA is now the highest it's been in America since his second appearance of last year - 2.89.
Jacoby Ellsbury had a hit in his first start since turning his wrist into a fruit roll-up. Manny Ramirez extended his hitting streak to 14-games. And the redeeming J.D. Drew homered in his third straight game - fifth in nine games. He has nine on the season compared with 11 last year. I'll take it.
Daisuke Matsuzaka is going to throw a side session tomorrow, but no one's saying when he'll pitch again.
Sox-Phil interleague history, 2002: Red Sox and Phillies didn't play each other.
Young Brett Myers gave the Marlins a 3-0 lead in the first. The fish never grew that beyond three runs, but the Phillies never caught up. It seemed like it would be a classic Phillies comeback, but it ended 5-4 Marlins.
Funny little occurrence in the 6th: With two outs, Pat Burrell lined one to left. Luis Gonzalzez missed it (looked like it glanced off his face), and Burrell reached on the error. He should have been on second, but Charlie Manuel didn't bench him like he did J-Roll. I wonder what Mike Schmidt, the scribe, thinks about that.
Burrell scored but tried to give it back by misplaying a ball in left in the bottom of the inning. They ruled it a double. I joked that Pat the Bat was trying to justify all the times Cholly subs him out for running and defense. He then redeemed himself a little bit by hitting a homer in the 8th.
The Red Sox lost to the Orioles, 10-6. They survived another poor Josh Beckett start before Hideki Okajima blew it. His season ERA is now the highest it's been in America since his second appearance of last year - 2.89.
Jacoby Ellsbury had a hit in his first start since turning his wrist into a fruit roll-up. Manny Ramirez extended his hitting streak to 14-games. And the redeeming J.D. Drew homered in his third straight game - fifth in nine games. He has nine on the season compared with 11 last year. I'll take it.
Daisuke Matsuzaka is going to throw a side session tomorrow, but no one's saying when he'll pitch again.
Sox-Phil interleague history, 2002: Red Sox and Phillies didn't play each other.
Jun 9, 2008
A quiet off-day
Both teams are off today; things seem to be quiet all around.
The big news for the Red Sox is that Joe Mauer is making a run at taking Jason Varitek's starting spot on the All-Star team. With injuries to David Ortiz and Daisuke Matsuzaka, we have to elect the captain to make sure the Yankees fans have plenty of reminders of who is the dominant franchise in baseball when the All-Star game comes to Yankee Stadium for the last time.
{Yes, the Phillies, the dominant franchise in baseball. However, the team isn't lame and doesn't have to elect a captain, and doesn't need every single one of its players at the game.}
The Phillies' ascent up that mountain is getting national attention, and Todd Zolecki keeps comparing them to the '93 Phils.
Sox-Phils interleague history, 2001: The Red Sox took two of three in a June series at Fenway; we were at all three games. Bleacher seats cost $18. The Sox loss came in the middle game. Making his second start since his infamous quote "Maybe they should wake up the Bambino and have him face me and maybe I'll drill him," Pedro Martinez struggled for seven innings, giving up five runs. Injuries would limit him to fewer than 30 innings for the rest of the season. I felt as if it were the beginning of the end for Pedro. In some ways, it was. But he did pitch three more full seasons, although he wasn't the dominant Pedro of old. Omar Daal, who came to Philadelphia in the 2000 deal that sent Curt Schilling to Arizona, got the win.
The opener was a 3-2 duel between David Cone and Randy Wolf, who took a tough-luck, 8-inning complete game loss. Why has Randy Wolf thrown so well against the Red Sox? Maybe Pat Gillick should call San Diego before the 16th. {No way, don't need him.} I checked the stats: In five starts against the Sox, Wolf is 2-1 with 2.73 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. I'll always remember that game as the debut of Eric Valent, who was drafted by the Phillies as compensation for not signing J.D. Drew. Valent was the Phillies DH that day.
The Red Sox won the last one 5-4. Rheal Cormier (then a Phillie) took the loss. Hideo Nomo won it. Best line in the box score was that the late Rod Beck - the Shooter - and Rich "El Guapo" Garces, got holds. Vicente Padilla, another piece of the Schilling trade, was still a reliever then.
{I got heckled during this series for wearing a shirt with a one-inch-by-one-inch Phillies emblem on it. Every time Phillies fans get a bad rap, I remember this, when Red Sox fans acted like jerks before their team even started consistently winning.}
The big news for the Red Sox is that Joe Mauer is making a run at taking Jason Varitek's starting spot on the All-Star team. With injuries to David Ortiz and Daisuke Matsuzaka, we have to elect the captain to make sure the Yankees fans have plenty of reminders of who is the dominant franchise in baseball when the All-Star game comes to Yankee Stadium for the last time.
{Yes, the Phillies, the dominant franchise in baseball. However, the team isn't lame and doesn't have to elect a captain, and doesn't need every single one of its players at the game.}
The Phillies' ascent up that mountain is getting national attention, and Todd Zolecki keeps comparing them to the '93 Phils.
Sox-Phils interleague history, 2001: The Red Sox took two of three in a June series at Fenway; we were at all three games. Bleacher seats cost $18. The Sox loss came in the middle game. Making his second start since his infamous quote "Maybe they should wake up the Bambino and have him face me and maybe I'll drill him," Pedro Martinez struggled for seven innings, giving up five runs. Injuries would limit him to fewer than 30 innings for the rest of the season. I felt as if it were the beginning of the end for Pedro. In some ways, it was. But he did pitch three more full seasons, although he wasn't the dominant Pedro of old. Omar Daal, who came to Philadelphia in the 2000 deal that sent Curt Schilling to Arizona, got the win.
The opener was a 3-2 duel between David Cone and Randy Wolf, who took a tough-luck, 8-inning complete game loss. Why has Randy Wolf thrown so well against the Red Sox? Maybe Pat Gillick should call San Diego before the 16th. {No way, don't need him.} I checked the stats: In five starts against the Sox, Wolf is 2-1 with 2.73 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. I'll always remember that game as the debut of Eric Valent, who was drafted by the Phillies as compensation for not signing J.D. Drew. Valent was the Phillies DH that day.
The Red Sox won the last one 5-4. Rheal Cormier (then a Phillie) took the loss. Hideo Nomo won it. Best line in the box score was that the late Rod Beck - the Shooter - and Rich "El Guapo" Garces, got holds. Vicente Padilla, another piece of the Schilling trade, was still a reliever then.
{I got heckled during this series for wearing a shirt with a one-inch-by-one-inch Phillies emblem on it. Every time Phillies fans get a bad rap, I remember this, when Red Sox fans acted like jerks before their team even started consistently winning.}
Jun 8, 2008
Triple header
Christine and I, and her Mom, spent a brutally hot day at the ballpark watching the local nine. The Phillies were in Atlanta, so we went real local: the York Revolution and the Camden Riversharks squaring off in unaffiliated baseball at Campbell's Field.Instead of Cole, Chase and J-Roll, we had Jason Phillips, Aaron Myette and Josh Rabe. Instead of the Phanatic, we had Finley - the friendliest shark we know. Instead of statues of Mike Schmidt, Richie Ashburn and Steve Carlton, there were tributes to the legendary Campbell's kids. And every time a ball was fouled off, a cow mooed. (Foul - or is it fowl? - balls are sponsored by Chik-fil-A.)
We should probably go see the local team more often, but going to a game in the beginning of June is becoming an annual thing for us and the Riversharks. Through work, Christine's Mom gets tickets for the picnic area. Minor league baseball can be entertaining if there's a highly touted prospect or an amusing has-been in the game. This one had neither.We split in the 7th because of the heat. We had to wait until Myette gave up a hit, which he did in the 5th with one out. Phillips, the be-goggled former Met, Dodger and Blue Jay, followed that hit with an RBI double. It was 5-1 when we left, and when it ended, "the hometown Riversharks were outplayed Sunday to the tune of 9-4," according to the team's press release.
Still undetermined is whether we get free pizza out of the game. They have a promotion where if a pre-selected visiting player strikes out, you get a free slice. If it happens, twice you get two slices. Three times gets a whole pie. Last year, our guy struck out twice, but when we tried to cash in, the pizza place wouldn't honor the tickets because it was eight days after the game. That caveat, that the tickets had to be redeemed with a week of the strikeouts, wasn't mentioned or printed anywhere. I complained to the Riversharks GM, who apologized and offered a free meal at the park. I didn't collect but appreciated the gesture. Today's strikeout player, C Luis Taveras, the older brother of Rockies CF Willy Taveras, was 1-3 with a groundout and flyout by the time we left. He would have gotten another at-bat, but I can't find a box score anywhere.
Phillies: We got home in time to watch the Phillies win (yawn) another close game late against the Braves. Adam Eaton, who leads the Phillies in quality starts, got another one today, but he didn't get his third straight win because the game stayed tied at three until the Phillies scored three times in the 9th. That's now four straight for the Phillies, who distanced themselves from Atlanta with the sweep and could put some more space between them and the Marlins in Florida over the next three games. If so, it'll be at the point where we wonder if the Phillies will just cruise. Christine hopes they learned a lesson from the Mets last year and don't think the division is won until it's clinched.
Red Sox: The Red Sox won again (yawn, again) at home. This time, it was a crisp 2-1 game over the Mariners. J.D. Drew, who's quietly redeeming himself after last year, hit the go-ahead homer in the 6th. Justin Masterson won again (three in four starts). He's now 3-0 with a 2.59 ERA. You have to love young, homegrown pitchers. Not every team can be like the Phillies and get into June using only five starters.
Sox-Phils interleague history, 2000: Phillies swept a home series; two games went more than 11 innings. We didn't go to any games. The opener ended in the 11th when Alex Arias doubled off of John Wadsin, scoring Brian Hunter. The middle game was a 9-3 blowout behind another strong Randy Wolf start. And the finale went 12 innings before Rheal Cormier (then a Sox) gave up a double to Kevin Jordon, scoring Brian Hunter again. Other winners: Jeff Brantley and Steve Schrenk. Other loser: Tim Wakefield.On second thought, while we searched for ticket stubs to the 2005 Sox-Phils series, we found one from 2000. It was the finale. Curt Schilling gave up five runs in 7.1 innings against Jeff Fassero. Derek Lowe, then a reliever, blew it, causing the extra innings. Pat Burrell played 1B. We don't remember a lick.
The kicker: We can't find any memorabilia from 2005 and can't remember which games we went to. Yeah, we're getting old.
Jun 7, 2008
Back to normal
The Red Sox and Phillies won in typical fashion; the Sox blew by the Mariners 11-3, and the Philles beat the Braves 6-2.
The Phillies, as usual, kept it close enough, blowing a 2-0 lead in the 6th before putting away Atlanta late in the game. The winning hit was an RBI triple by Chase Utley, of course. Another three and two-thirds shutout innings by the bullpen.
In afternoon action, Tim Wakefield and the bats took care of Seattle with no apparent drama. Jacoby Ellsbury pinch ran, so maybe he'll be OK.
Kevin Youkilis ended his record error-less streak at 1B, and Manny Ramirez homered, somewhat mirroring the different directions they're headed in public opinion. Everyone thought Manny would wind up being the bad guy in their little spat the other night, but it turns out players say Youk is to blame. I guess the Greek God of Walks thinks only He knows the strike zone.
Nonetheless, the Sox appear to have circled the wagons, and it seems like this will be just a footnote in the season.
Sox-Phils interleague history, 1999: The Phillies won two of three in Fenway. We had just graduated from college and didn't have the extra money or vacation time, so we didn't go to any of the games. In the first game, Tim Wakefield, then a reliever, quashed a Phillies 8th inning rally (started by a Ron Gant triple) to save the 6-4 lead. In the finale, Randy Wolf pitched a strong seven and one-third innings, out-dueling Mark Portugal (then a Red Sox). Other winners: Brian Rose and Robert Person. Other losers: Paul Byrd and Bret Saberhagen.
The Phillies, as usual, kept it close enough, blowing a 2-0 lead in the 6th before putting away Atlanta late in the game. The winning hit was an RBI triple by Chase Utley, of course. Another three and two-thirds shutout innings by the bullpen.
In afternoon action, Tim Wakefield and the bats took care of Seattle with no apparent drama. Jacoby Ellsbury pinch ran, so maybe he'll be OK.
Kevin Youkilis ended his record error-less streak at 1B, and Manny Ramirez homered, somewhat mirroring the different directions they're headed in public opinion. Everyone thought Manny would wind up being the bad guy in their little spat the other night, but it turns out players say Youk is to blame. I guess the Greek God of Walks thinks only He knows the strike zone.
Nonetheless, the Sox appear to have circled the wagons, and it seems like this will be just a footnote in the season.
Sox-Phils interleague history, 1999: The Phillies won two of three in Fenway. We had just graduated from college and didn't have the extra money or vacation time, so we didn't go to any of the games. In the first game, Tim Wakefield, then a reliever, quashed a Phillies 8th inning rally (started by a Ron Gant triple) to save the 6-4 lead. In the finale, Randy Wolf pitched a strong seven and one-third innings, out-dueling Mark Portugal (then a Red Sox). Other winners: Brian Rose and Robert Person. Other losers: Paul Byrd and Bret Saberhagen.
Jun 6, 2008
Phils lick Braves; Sox lick their wounds
Christine was a little cranky tonight as Chris Coste popped up his first pitch in the 9th with the tying run on second and two outs in a 2-1 game.
"When Jamie Moyer gives up two runs, the Phillies should not be losing the game," she said earlier.
But Braves 2B Kelly Johnson dropped the pop-up, allowing the tying run to score; Pedro Feliz, trying to score the go-ahead run, was thrown out at home.
The Phils survived Tom Gordon's scary 9th inning and scored two in the 10th inning, highlighted by Shane Victorino's second triple of the game. The bottom of the 10th was also scary for Christine - who was blaming me for confidently starting a "Phillies win" post - as Brad Lidge put two on. Another hit seemed like it would tie the game, but Shane-O gunned out the tying run at home. Phils win, 4-3.
Will the Gordons match the Griffeys?: One of Gordon's sons, Devaris Strange-Gordon, was drafted by the Dodgers.
In Looneyville: The Sox lost an 8-0 drubbing to the Mariners, ending their 13-game home winning streak. Bartolo Colon had his first poor outing. Only three of his six runs were earned, but he can only blame himself for making two errors.
Suspensions have been handed down for yesterday's fight. Red Sox: Coco Crisp, 7 games; Jon Lester, 5 games; and Sean Casey, 3 games. Rays: James Shields, 6 games; Jonny Gomes, 5 games; Edwin Jackson, 5 games; Carl Crawford, 4 games; and Akinori Iwamura, 3 games.
Manny and Kevin Youkilis patched things up, but still no strong indication what that dust-up was about. They say Jacoby Ellsbury is day-to-day.
Sox-Phils interleague history, 1998: Phillies swept two in Boston, then split two at home. I can't believe they played four games home and away without a day off. I don't remember interleague play being set up like that. I digress. I had come down to Trenton from North Jersey for a school function, so Christine and I caught the Wednesday night game at Veterans Stadium. It was our first major league game together; we had been to a couple of minor league Trenton Thunder games previously (when they were an affiliate of the Red Sox, not the Yankees).
What a treat. Steve Avery was knocked out in the third after giving up seven runs. The Sox chipped away at Carlton Lower, but could only manage a not-as-close-as-it-looks 11-8 loss. Gregg Jefferies was the star of the game for the Phils. A general admission ticket cost $5. Other winners in that series were Wayne Gomes, Mark Portugal and Bret Saberhagen. Other losers were Tom Gordon (then a starter), Derek Lowe and Matt Beech, who in subsequent years would be part of a more infamous footnote in SoxandPhils lore.
"When Jamie Moyer gives up two runs, the Phillies should not be losing the game," she said earlier.
But Braves 2B Kelly Johnson dropped the pop-up, allowing the tying run to score; Pedro Feliz, trying to score the go-ahead run, was thrown out at home.
The Phils survived Tom Gordon's scary 9th inning and scored two in the 10th inning, highlighted by Shane Victorino's second triple of the game. The bottom of the 10th was also scary for Christine - who was blaming me for confidently starting a "Phillies win" post - as Brad Lidge put two on. Another hit seemed like it would tie the game, but Shane-O gunned out the tying run at home. Phils win, 4-3.
Will the Gordons match the Griffeys?: One of Gordon's sons, Devaris Strange-Gordon, was drafted by the Dodgers.
In Looneyville: The Sox lost an 8-0 drubbing to the Mariners, ending their 13-game home winning streak. Bartolo Colon had his first poor outing. Only three of his six runs were earned, but he can only blame himself for making two errors.
Suspensions have been handed down for yesterday's fight. Red Sox: Coco Crisp, 7 games; Jon Lester, 5 games; and Sean Casey, 3 games. Rays: James Shields, 6 games; Jonny Gomes, 5 games; Edwin Jackson, 5 games; Carl Crawford, 4 games; and Akinori Iwamura, 3 games.
Manny and Kevin Youkilis patched things up, but still no strong indication what that dust-up was about. They say Jacoby Ellsbury is day-to-day.
Sox-Phils interleague history, 1998: Phillies swept two in Boston, then split two at home. I can't believe they played four games home and away without a day off. I don't remember interleague play being set up like that. I digress. I had come down to Trenton from North Jersey for a school function, so Christine and I caught the Wednesday night game at Veterans Stadium. It was our first major league game together; we had been to a couple of minor league Trenton Thunder games previously (when they were an affiliate of the Red Sox, not the Yankees).What a treat. Steve Avery was knocked out in the third after giving up seven runs. The Sox chipped away at Carlton Lower, but could only manage a not-as-close-as-it-looks 11-8 loss. Gregg Jefferies was the star of the game for the Phils. A general admission ticket cost $5. Other winners in that series were Wayne Gomes, Mark Portugal and Bret Saberhagen. Other losers were Tom Gordon (then a starter), Derek Lowe and Matt Beech, who in subsequent years would be part of a more infamous footnote in SoxandPhils lore.
Jun 5, 2008
What the *&^%$?????
You would expect that the mid-game benching of reigning MVP Jimmy Rollins for not hustling would be the story tonight on a blog dedicated to all things Red Sox and Phillies.Unfortunately, it isn't.
The Red Sox couldn't just quietly finish their sweep of the second-place Rays, who were looking for blood after some questionable plays last night. (I haven't seen them; I can only go by Globe accounts, so I make no judgement.) Coco Crisp accused Rays shortstop Jason Bartlett of a shady block of second base in the 6th inning on Wednesday. He took revenge with a hard slide into 2B Akinori Iwamura in the 8th.
Tonight, James Shields beaned Dustin Pedroia in the 1st. In the 2nd, he nailed Crisp, igniting what looks to be (from Globe photos) a great brawl. Crisp, Shields and Jonny Gomes (who pummeled Crisp when he was held down by C Dioner Navarro) got ejected.
Things got worse from there: Jacoby Ellsbury sprained his wrist in the 4th inning; it bent backward and rolled up like the ground tarp. Then, Manny Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis got into some sort of shoving match; it looked like Manny threw a punch. I'm not the biggest believer in intangibles anymore, but I wonder if David Ortiz's injury has contributed to the Sox losing their cool all around.
Oh yeah, Manny left the game in the 7th with a tweaked hamstring. Great.
But the Sox held on for a 7-1 win, sweeping the Rays, who now trail by 1.5 games. It looks like we have a new spirited rivalry brewing. (I'm still rooting for Tampa Bay to keep the Empire out of the playoffs.)
I thought this would be the quirky news of the day: A matinee 5-0 shutout by Cole Hamels was overshadowed by the fact that J-Roll was removed from the game for not hustling. He popped up to short left field. The shortstop dropped the ball, but J-Roll wasn't hustling and remained on first instead of second. Charlie Manuel is getting props; the star shortstop is saying the right things.
There is no explanation. I just didn't do it. It happens every once in a while. Sometimes the manager gets you. It shouldn't happen. I'm not disappointed in myself. I know better. Just go out there and make sure I don't do it again. Nothing to get disappointed about. Something you learn from. Don't do it again.
Draft day: The Red Sox took high school SS Casey Kelly. I once interviewed his dad. The Phillies also took a high schooler, Anthony Hewitt, with their top pick.
Sox-Phils series: We're days away from the Red Sox-Phillies series. It'll be the first time since 2001 that we've gone to the entire series and probably the first time ever both teams have squared off as legitimate World Series contenders. With Red Sox fans grating on people more than ever and Phillies fans emboldened by last year's division crown yet still frustrated by the championship drought, things could get ugly in Philly when the Red Sox come to town.
We thought we'd take a look back at the on-field history of these teams that are sometimes linked as interleague rivals but always linked by me and Christine.
1997: This was "pre-C" (pre-computer with decent Internet and pre-Christine). So to me, this series was probably just a box score in a Yankee-covering newspaper, no different from games against the Twins or Mariners. In a June series featuring two teams more than 15 games out, the Sox swept at home. Winning pitchers were John "Way Back" Wadsin, Aaron Sele and Jeff Suppan. Losers were Ricky Bottalico, Scott Ruffcorn and Curt Schilling. The Red Sox won the first game in the 10th inning when Ricky Bo hit Troy O'Leary with the bases loaded. Attendance ranged from 25,000 to 27,500.
[Photo credit: Boston Globe]
Jun 4, 2008
Brett's back, but I'm in trouble
With the Red Sox and Rays battling for first place on ESPN and the Phillies hosting the Reds, tonight was a night where we toggled between channels on just about every pitch. In the early innings, I noted only one team (the Rays) had a hit.
The Sox struck next, with four hits and three runs off Edwin Jackson in the 3rd inning to ride a solid Josh Beckett start to a 5-1 win. They're back in first place by a half game.
The Phillies got their first hits off Edinson Volquez in the 4th inning, leaving young Brett Myers the last one seeking history. He retired the first 13 before walking Adam Dunn in the 5th. I got nervous when Joey Votto came up in that inning because I just picked him up for my fantasy team, and according to Christine, it's always my fault if someone on the fantasy team hurts her Phils. Votto walked, and the no-no remained in tact until Votto doubled in a run in the 7th. Christine kicked me. Phillies lost 2-0.
Although the offense was a no-show and Myers lost his no-no, the important thing may be that he's now put up two real good starts in a row. Both of our teams are in first place, and it's very possible that the showdown in Philly in less than two weeks could be a World Series preview.
If it is, I'm going to need some shin guards in October.
Baseball Mogul update: After a meltdown in game 6, I won game 7 of the NLCS and then went on to win the World Series against the Rangers. Memo to the Phillies brass considering Pat Gillick's replacement: Hire me, and I'll win the big one in 2010. {Memo to Greg: In real life, you don't get to replay game 7 of the World Series when things don't go your way.}
The Sox struck next, with four hits and three runs off Edwin Jackson in the 3rd inning to ride a solid Josh Beckett start to a 5-1 win. They're back in first place by a half game.
The Phillies got their first hits off Edinson Volquez in the 4th inning, leaving young Brett Myers the last one seeking history. He retired the first 13 before walking Adam Dunn in the 5th. I got nervous when Joey Votto came up in that inning because I just picked him up for my fantasy team, and according to Christine, it's always my fault if someone on the fantasy team hurts her Phils. Votto walked, and the no-no remained in tact until Votto doubled in a run in the 7th. Christine kicked me. Phillies lost 2-0.
Although the offense was a no-show and Myers lost his no-no, the important thing may be that he's now put up two real good starts in a row. Both of our teams are in first place, and it's very possible that the showdown in Philly in less than two weeks could be a World Series preview.
If it is, I'm going to need some shin guards in October.
Baseball Mogul update: After a meltdown in game 6, I won game 7 of the NLCS and then went on to win the World Series against the Rangers. Memo to the Phillies brass considering Pat Gillick's replacement: Hire me, and I'll win the big one in 2010. {Memo to Greg: In real life, you don't get to replay game 7 of the World Series when things don't go your way.}
Jun 3, 2008
Somehow, the bullpen didn't blow it
I'm hoping that the Phillies have one of their patented offensive explosions on Wednesday because the back end of this bullpen is getting a little beat. Tom Gordon and Brad Lidge made it interesting in the 8th and 9th innings tonight, but they managed to get out of their respective innings with minimal damage, giving the team a 3-2 victory over the Reds.
Neither Gordon nor Lidge was sharp tonight. Gordon allowed a lead-off triple, which scored on a sacrifice fly, before facing pinch-hitter Ken Griffey Jr. Griffey came out to a nice ovation from the fans but didn't hit No. 600, as he walked on four pitches. Flash then managed to get out the next two batters. Lidge also faced only five batters, but it felt like a lot more - maybe because of his 20 pitches, only nine were strikes.
Adam Eaton pitched well again, his third good start in a row. Good thing too, considering that Kris Benson can't stay healthy.
Chase Utley continued his hot streak by going 2-for-3 with a walk, a RBI and a run. Baseball's infatuation with the second baseman is reaching new levels every day; I've run out of adjectives to describe his play right now. He continues to lead the NL in all-star voting and is second in baseball behind only David Ortiz. (Theo Epstein swears that Ortiz will be OK, but he'll still be out for at least two to three weeks and won't be playing in the Philadelphia series.)
[I hadn't considered that aspect of his injury.]
But come on, Phillies fans, where's the ballot-box stuffing for Pat Burrell? He added another two RBIs tonight with his 6th inning home run. He continues to rank sixth in outfield voting, trailing undeserving players like Griffey and his lofty .255 batting average, non-home-plate-touching cheater Matt Holliday, and whiny, unoriginal Met Carlos Beltran. Show Pat the Bat some love (eww, not like that) and throw some votes his way. (Josh Hamilton, too. I'm a sucker for a good comeback story like his.)
The Phillies lead in the division is now 2.5 games, after the Braves came back to beat the Marlins.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox also staged a comeback tonight to beat the Rays 7-4. The Sox now trail in the division by only half a game and are 22-5 at home this year. Which means they're 14-20 on the road. So two weeks from now, there might be some pretty spirited conversations and blogging going on around here. We counted out to the possible starting pitchers - Moyer, Kendrick and Eaton vs. Lester, Colon and Wakefield. Well, it's not as bad as some past pitching match-ups that we've been witness to. Check back later in the week as we reminisce over the last 10 years of Phillies-Red Sox interleague games.
Neither Gordon nor Lidge was sharp tonight. Gordon allowed a lead-off triple, which scored on a sacrifice fly, before facing pinch-hitter Ken Griffey Jr. Griffey came out to a nice ovation from the fans but didn't hit No. 600, as he walked on four pitches. Flash then managed to get out the next two batters. Lidge also faced only five batters, but it felt like a lot more - maybe because of his 20 pitches, only nine were strikes.
Adam Eaton pitched well again, his third good start in a row. Good thing too, considering that Kris Benson can't stay healthy.
Chase Utley continued his hot streak by going 2-for-3 with a walk, a RBI and a run. Baseball's infatuation with the second baseman is reaching new levels every day; I've run out of adjectives to describe his play right now. He continues to lead the NL in all-star voting and is second in baseball behind only David Ortiz. (Theo Epstein swears that Ortiz will be OK, but he'll still be out for at least two to three weeks and won't be playing in the Philadelphia series.)
[I hadn't considered that aspect of his injury.]
But come on, Phillies fans, where's the ballot-box stuffing for Pat Burrell? He added another two RBIs tonight with his 6th inning home run. He continues to rank sixth in outfield voting, trailing undeserving players like Griffey and his lofty .255 batting average, non-home-plate-touching cheater Matt Holliday, and whiny, unoriginal Met Carlos Beltran. Show Pat the Bat some love (eww, not like that) and throw some votes his way. (Josh Hamilton, too. I'm a sucker for a good comeback story like his.)
The Phillies lead in the division is now 2.5 games, after the Braves came back to beat the Marlins.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox also staged a comeback tonight to beat the Rays 7-4. The Sox now trail in the division by only half a game and are 22-5 at home this year. Which means they're 14-20 on the road. So two weeks from now, there might be some pretty spirited conversations and blogging going on around here. We counted out to the possible starting pitchers - Moyer, Kendrick and Eaton vs. Lester, Colon and Wakefield. Well, it's not as bad as some past pitching match-ups that we've been witness to. Check back later in the week as we reminisce over the last 10 years of Phillies-Red Sox interleague games.
Jun 2, 2008
Smooth sailing for the Phils, not so much for the Sox
The Phillies held off the Reds 5-4 tonight, keeping their hold on first place. Kyle Kendrick didn't pitch particularly well, but the bullpen kept the game in check. Another great game all around for the 2008 MVP Chase Utley. Even Harry Kalas doesn't know how to handle it. After Utley ended the game with a diving catch, Harry revived his "Chase Utley, you are the man," but it sounded forced. Tom Gordon pitched a clean 8th without a chat with Jimmy Rollins.
Things weren't as smooth for the World Champs tonight, as they finished their series with the Orioles before beginning their big showdown with the first-place Rays. For the second time in a row, they wasted a great Tim Wakefield start. Tonight's culprit was Hideki Okajima (four runs in two-thirds of an inning). He's been in my fantasy team's doghouse, but I started him this week.
More importantly, with our best pitcher already on the DL, David Ortiz could be out for a month, or even the whole season. Not good.
Manny trivia: Guess which pitcher has been most victimized by the newest member of the 500-homer club? Jamie Moyer. Christine points out that J-Moy is 45. When Manny Ramirez is 45, Moyer will be 54 and more likely than Manny to still be playing then.
Things weren't as smooth for the World Champs tonight, as they finished their series with the Orioles before beginning their big showdown with the first-place Rays. For the second time in a row, they wasted a great Tim Wakefield start. Tonight's culprit was Hideki Okajima (four runs in two-thirds of an inning). He's been in my fantasy team's doghouse, but I started him this week.
More importantly, with our best pitcher already on the DL, David Ortiz could be out for a month, or even the whole season. Not good.
Manny trivia: Guess which pitcher has been most victimized by the newest member of the 500-homer club? Jamie Moyer. Christine points out that J-Moy is 45. When Manny Ramirez is 45, Moyer will be 54 and more likely than Manny to still be playing then.
Jun 1, 2008
Finally, a nice day at the park
An innings-eating start by Jamie Moyer, a clutch comeback by the offense and a shut-down performance by the bullpen. It was quite a win for the once-again first-place Phillies, 7-5 over the Marlins. (And, for the first time this year, we went to a game when it wasn't raining, freezing or both.)The Phillies hung tough, even after the Marlins took a 5-1 lead in the 3rd. The turning point came in the 6th with the Phillies down 5-3. Geoff Jenkins pinch hit for So Taguchi with Pat Burrell on and two out. Moyer, who had thrown 81 pitches to that point, was on deck. I mused out loud whether Charlie Manuel would let him hit if Jenkins hit a homer. As soon as I said it, Jenkins crushed one to right. (Moyer struck out and then pitched a good 7th, making Cholly look like a genius, according to Christine.) The rest of the game seemed like a formality. It was just a matter of how they would win it.
Burrell answered that with a two-run double to the delight of this guy in our section who must be the biggest Pat the Bat fan out there. He always wears his jersey and starts a pronounced clap every time Don Henley starts playing Burrell's intro music. Although Burrell won the game, it wasn't all good for his fan. A kid about 12 years old dumped some chocolate ice cream on the back of the jersey. (You can see some of it near his left shoulder.) We're not sure if he felt it because he didn't seem to wipe it off.
In-game notes: Ryan Howard made not one but two great plays in the field. A diving catch of a bunt in the 7th. The inning before, he speared a liner and then doubled off the runner at first. ... Marlins CF Cody Ross had a nice catch off Pedro Feliz in the 3rd. We'll be watching Web gems tonight. ... Mike Jacobs' 2nd inning homer hit a billboard that says "great home run." ... Tom Gordon started out shaky in the 8th, walking the first batter and going two balls on the next, Hanley Ramirez. Jimmy Rollins went to the mound. It worked. Ramirez struck out and the next two flew out.
Pre-game festivities: Michael Scott Lieberthal, possibly the greatest Phillie to ever don the tools of ignorance, signed a one-day minor-league contract to retire in the red pinstripes. He threw out the first pitch, then caught a second first-pitch from some corporate sponsor.Observations from the stands: J-Roll, who had been using the song from the Geico caveman in the airport commercial, has gone back to rap intro music. The Geico music ended just as quickly as it started; it was weird. ... I filled out 19 All-Star ballots. It got tedious, but I didn't want them to go to waste. ... Saw some odd jerseys today. We thought we'd see plenty of Lieberthals, but saw only one on the way out. We did spot a Curt Schilling from his Phillies day and a Daisuke Matsuzaka hat. But the kicker was a couple near us wearing home and away Doug Glanville jerseys.
We thought it was funny because we were at the game when New Jersey native Doug Glanville signed a one-day contract to retire as a Phil. He may have been the last player to do this before today.
Giveaways: Like Mother's Day, Father's Day was celebrated early at Citizens Bank Park. Although not a dad, I'm older than 15 and qualify for the giveaway: a picture of a hat. On a hat. Sometimes the Phillies marketing department is quite clever; sometimes they got nothing. Here's the hat on a hat, next to the pink visor Christine got on Mother's Day. (We forgot to post a picture of it last month.)
Red Sox: Another decent outing for Bartolo Colon and Manny Ramirez's 501st homer led the Sox past the Orioles, 9-4.
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