It was nice to hear Mike & Mike's "What everyone's talking about" open this morning with a discussion of Tuesday night's outstanding pitching performances by Cole Hamels, Jonathan Papelbon and Jon Lester.
The trio combined yesterday for two wins and a save in 17 innings, two runs, nine hits, three walks and 21 strikeouts.
Yesterday, Christine thought I was a little down on Lester's line and maybe I was, but only in comparison with the gem Hamels put up there.
Anyhoo, here's some of the tidbits of their stellar performances:
Cole Hamels:
It was the lowest-hit shutout in Citizens Bank Park. Two others had three-hit shutouts, most recently by Hamels last year.
Yesterday, I said he has tossed 17 straight scoreless innings, repeating what I heard from Tom McCarthy. Technically that's true for his last two starts, but it's actually 19 if you include the last two innings of an otherwise clunker of a start against the Mets.
I forgot to mention yesterday that Hamels also had a stolen base. It was the first for a Phillies pitcher since 1997 by ... possible future U.S. Sen. Curt Schilling, R-Red Sox Nation. I wish I could go back in time to see the big lug steal a bag in that game.
Jonathan Papelbon:
He had a two-inning save in the 2007 ALCS, but last night was his first in the regular season.
People often talk about cheap saves, but this one was anything but. Two innings, including entering the game with the bases loaded.
Batters facing Papelbon with the bases loaded are now just 3-38.
Last night was the 13th time Papelbon has gone two or more innings in relief (regular season only). He has five wins, two blown saves and last night's save. He has a 0.95 ERA in those 28 1/3 innings. Mariano who?
Jon Lester:
He now has 196 strikeouts for the season - more than any other Red Sox lefty has recorded in one season.
It's not you, it's me: All week, since we learned Brad Penny was going to the Giants, I told Christine he was going to shut down the Phillies. She would get insulted. Not her Phillies, she'd say.
I'd reply that it has nothing to do with the Phillies, it's just that he has to pitch well to make the Red Sox look foolish for dumping him. I fully expected a strong outing, but I couldn't have imagined this: eight shutout innings with five hits and a walk. Unreal. And, he needed only 102 pitches. We're surprised they didn't let him finish the job. Giants 4, Phillies 0.
The Red Sox, meanwhile, with Josh Beckett, the unquestionable ace of a team with an excess of pitching, trail the Rays 5-4 in the 8th. Beckett struggled for his fourth straight start: five runs (four earned) in six innings. We may come back, but we need Beckett to return to form ASAP.
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2 comments:
I was at the game. I watched Penny warming up in the bullpen and I could just tell it was going to be his game. He just had this look about him. ( When you're a baseball person all your life, you can just tell ).
First, he's with a new team and had something to prove.
Next, the Phils haven't seen him in a long time.
Third, Happ was due for a bad game.
Happ didn't pitch too badly. The Phillies should be able to bail out their rookie starter when he has an off-night and gives up four runs.
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