Closing time

When we left last night, Christine was upset that she was probably going to have to turn in without knowing how, or whether, the Phillies game ended.

Well, we went to bed a little later than I would prefer, but we saw the ending.

Christine brushed her teeth very grumpily.

Brad Lidge still has a chance (if Charlie Manuel keeps going to him in the 9th) to sneak into the top 10 for most blown saves in a season. He's two away from being tied for second with five pitchers who have 13, including a couple with SoxandPhils connections - Jeff Reardon (1986) and Dan Pleasac (1987).

Mike and Mike this morning reprieved their "Brad Lidge Over Troubled Waters" parody from the 2004 NLCS. I had it in my head today. Christine reminded me they played it, well, the unparody version, to close Harry Kalas' funeral.

We've been missing Harry this week. Tom McCarthy and Chris Wheeler are driving me nuts. My new irritation is how they get overly excited. Chase Utley can score a run in a 7-0 game, and they will make it sound like the Phillies won the World Series in the 13th inning of Game 7.

Christine noted that I've taken to calling out "Saaarrge" when Gary Matthews enters the booth in the 4th inning, as if he were Norm from Cheers.

Tonight's games: Both teams are playing in the central time zone. The Phillies lead the Brewers 8-1 in the 6th - after a three-run homer by Jimmy Rollins, which according to T-Mack was the second time in the same inning the Phillies broke the game open.

Sarge called the home run "a little guy driving a Cadillac." We've been speculating that Sarge has a deal with Cadillac in which he's going to get a free one if he says the company's name a certain number of times a season. If so, good thing he announces for the home-run-happy Phillies.

J.A. Happ, who hasn't yet been reinjured, is pitching well - one run on three hits and a walk with seven strikeouts after five innings.

The Red Sox lead the Royals 3-0 in the 5th. David Ortiz homered (11 more RBI to 100), and Clay Buchholz is also pitching well: three hits and seven strikeouts through five shutout innings.