Ready for next year

Sorry this game recap took so long. I've been busy, plus distracted by some awful baseball.

Despite some September struggles, I'm not giving up on the prospect of a 2011 SoxandPhils World Series.

(Sox in five.)

{Phillies sweep Rays.}

But we are ready for next season after going to our last Phillies game on Sept. 18. Of course, it was night game on a Sunday, so we knew we wouldn't make the whole thing. We agreed we'd leave at 10 p.m., and thanks to some efficient pitching by Cole Hamels and Chris Carpenter, we saw 6 1/2 innings.

I say we're ready for next year because of that early exit. Walking out disgustingly early, I thought of titling this post "The walk of shame."

But I came up with some better spin - it's good practice for when we finally get to take Trent next year and will probably have to leave early.

That's it! What 'til next year! But let's not rush this SoxandPhils Series.

Observations from the stands: The Phillies had clinched the night before against the Cardinals, and the 2011 division flag was already flying.

I bought a scorecard without a program (same edition as the last game we went to), and they gave a sheet with rosters and pitchers from every team. I miss Newsy Notes.

The Phillies and Cardinals relievers looked like a flock of geese trying to form a "V" when walking to the bullpen.

The Phillies honored a whole bunch of staff before the game. Freddy Galvis and Trevor May got minor league players of the years. Trevor May: picture Joe Blanton in high school.

The Cheltenham High School Select Choir did the anthem. I can't remember it, but I've heard they hit all the right notes at the ballpark.

A kid wore a Phanatic head in front of his. He sipped hot chocolate and wore a blanket at times. It was cool, but not as icy as we feared.

The Phanatic skit was odd. He came out to George of the Jungle with a whole bunch of monkeys dancing with him. I joked that he probably bet someone after a Bruce Chen start in 2001 that he would get a whole bunch of monkeys to dance with him if the Phillies ever won five straight division titles.

I felt bad telling Trent about the monkeys the next day because it really sounds a lot more interesting than it was.

Antiquated shirts: Jayson Werth, Darren Daulton, Pat Burrell, Jamie Moyer and a couple others, but my handwriting is poor and the notes are more than a week old

Oh well, that wraps up our game days for the season. See you in the playoffs! (I hope.)

Fool one night, genius the next

Last night I couldn't believe Charlie Manuel left Joe Blanton in to hit with the bases loaded in the 7th inning of a 1-1 game. It was no shocker that the move backfired and cost the Phillies the game. I knew Blanton should have been lifted without knowing he had such dramatic splits this year: an OPS of about .700 for his first 75 pitches, but nearly 1.200 after that.

Somewhere, Grady Little would be proud. In a completely unrelated note, Pedro Martinez will not pitch in 2010 but has not retired.

Given the Blanton experience, I was a little surprised to see Cole Hamels lifted after throwing 97 pitches in eight shutout innings today. (I was at work and not watching the game, so I didn't know it was very hot in St. Louis.) But no worries this time: The Phillies bullpen finished the one-hitter and the bats finally scored two runs in the 11th inning to beat the Cardinals 2-0, averting the sweep.

In the 2nd, the Red Sox and Mariners are scoreless.

Breaking news: Milt Thompson has been fired as hitting coach.

Fenway funland

Venerable Fenway Park is turning into Citizens Bank Park: They're adding a barbecue smokehouse and a Wally's World amusement area for kiddies:

Wally's World at Fenway Park: Is a new area for kids that will operate from the middle of the 2nd inning though the end of the 7th. It's on Yawkey Way and the activities includes games for kids (skee ball, ring toss, speed pitch, etc.) along with kid-friendly concessions.

There will be video game consoles, screens with the game on and you can get coupons for 20 percent off kids merchandise at the team store. Wally himself will be there during the third and fourth innings.

Normally, this would appall me. But I'm a new dad, so I reserve judgment.

Eight years ago today, Christine made my life complete. Usually, we head out of town on our anniversary week, but because our life is a little more complete this year, we're just staying home. Last year's pecan pancakes in Savannah sounds nice, but I'm perfectly happy eating at the Italian place around the corner and hanging with my lovely bride and our adorable baby boy.

Today's games: The Red Sox lost to the A's 6-4. The Phillies and Cardinals are tied at 1 in the 6th.

Pitching questions

So the Phillies suddenly sent Kyle Kendrick to the minors and recalled Andrew Carpenter. But Kendrick might not be down there for long because Jamie Moyer left today's game with an elbow sprain. Further complicating matters is that David Murphy suggests J.A. Happ is on his way back and Matt Gelb suggests that Ruben Amaro may have an ace, or some kind of pitcher, up his sleeve:

Ruben Amaro Jr. wore one of those patented smug looks on his face. The Phillies general manager had just demoted his fifth starter without listing a replacement in the rotation for him.

"I think we know exactly what we're going to do," Amaro said. "I just choose not to tell you."
[...]
That means a trade could be imminent. Amaro did nothing to dissuade that notion, saying Saturday's starter could come from outside the organization.

"We have other balls in the air," Amaro said.

{Happ was pulled early from tonight's minor league game. So, does that mean he's starting Saturday, or could he be part of an upcoming trade?}

They could have used the help tonight. In the 9th, Cardinals 7, Phillies 1. The Red Sox lead the A's 2-0 in the 2nd.

Nice gesture by Dice-K

On Sunday, the Red Sox players threw out some baseballs to fans to commemorate their 600th straight sellout. Daisuke Matsuzaka made sure that the fans in the cheap, well, less expensive seats felt some love:

Every Sox player was given a small bucket of commemorative balls to toss to fans before the game. Daisuke Matsuzaka seemed to take particular glee in trying to reach the seats farthest away.

Dice-K has taken much criticism, a lot of it deserved, but it's nice to see a player remember the folks who sit in the types of seats Christine and I sit in. {Any bets on when he goes on the DL from straining his arm by making those throws?}

Tonight's games: The Phillies trail the Cardinals 8-4 in the 8th. The Red Sox play later in Oakland. Dice-K starts. I hope he doesn't give the A's fans any souvenirs.

A complete game of life

Roy Halladay came to Philadelphia with great expectations. He has exceeded them and improved today to 6-1 with a 1.45 ERA in the Phillies 7-2 matinee win over the Cardinals.

But for the fourth time in seven starts, he failed to pitch nine innings. Doc is often seen as a throwback because of his ability to finish games. He leads active pitchers with 52 complete games - four more than Livan Hernandez, 20 more than Tim Wakefield and 21 more than Jamie Moyer.

We're talking completion today, of course, because another dominant righty for the Phillies, Robin Roberts, died at 83. I know they're completely different eras, but to put Halladay's complete games into context: Roberts had 45 shutouts and 28 consecutive complete games over two seasons.

The guy finished what he started. And judging by the eulogies, he led a complete life on and off the field:

"When I think of Robin there is definitely one word that comes quickly to mind: class. He was a class act both on and off the field. He was definitely one of the most consistent quality pitchers of all time, and the way he lived his life was exemplary. Every young baseball player should should model their life after Robin," Bill Giles, team chairman.

Christine and I don't have many personal memories, but we remember seeing him toss out the first pitch before a Red Sox-Phillies game in 2008. It was the 60th anniversary of his debut.

Awkward transition: From a pair of pitchers with 357 complete games to one who has ... one. And, Daisuke Matsuzaka probably won't be adding to that total tonight.

While taking a walk earlier, I told Christine that Boston's four-game winning streak would end tonight because Dice-K is pitching. I turned the game on in the 1st inning and he already had the Red Sox in the hole 4-0 to the Angels. But in the 5th, it's now 4-4.

We still miss Harry

The other day when we were putting mulch down, I had to hammer some bricks that line our front garden back into place. I thought of Harry Kalas because last year when I put those bricks in, I listened to his memorial service on the radio:

I listened to speeches from Jamie Moyer, Mike Schmidt and assorted politicians float from my garage to the front of the yard where I hammered bricks into the ground.

Now, I'll probably always associate Harry with that flower bed.

That's what I wrote on April 18, 2009, and it is true a year later. I can't weed whack that garden without hearing "Outtttaa heeeerrre!" OK, there's no audio in my head, but I do think of Harry a lot.

A couple days later, Christine and I finished listening to Harry Kalas "Voice of the Phillies," a commemorative tribute CD to the legendary announcer, as we drove down to Baltimore to see the Red Sox.

It was nice to hear his voice again from his time with the Astros and with Richie Ashburn, his Hall of Fame induction and the success of the Phillies in the final years of his life.

On the drive home from Baltimore, we heard the Orioles broadcaster. Their color guy was into self-deprecating humor like Larry Andersen, but it was forced and didn't seem to work. It was just another reminder of how baseball broadcasting will never be the same.

Shut up Wheels.

Full disclosure: Expecting a busy week, I wrote this before Ernie Harwell's death. Listening to the eulogies of the long-time Tigers broadcaster reinforces the reality that baseball broadcasters will never be good again. And it's also striking how similar the tributes for Harry and Harwell sound.

Tonight's games: John Lackey pitched a beauty against his former team. Red Sox 3, Angels 1.

Kyle Kendrick also pitched a gem - seven shutout innings. The Phillies beat the Cardinals 4-0.

[Photo credit: www.baseballvoices.com]

Philly phans

It's official: The Phillies have overtaken the Eagles as Philadelphia's favorite.

The Daily News conducted a survey to determine that 54 percent of the area's fans favor the Phillies compared with 30 percent who prefer the Eagles. The fans also gave 74 percent approval ratings to Citizens Bank Park and Charlie Manuel.

I know it's a combination of the Phillies recent championship run and the Eagles long-running championship futility, but I can't believe how times have changed since I first became acquainted with Philadelphia sports 15 years ago. The Eagles seemed like they would dominate the scene forever. Congrats to the Phightins'.

The most favored Philly sports traditions? Kate Smith singing "God Bless America" at Flyers games, the E-A-G-L-E-S chant and the Big 5. I'm surprised the Phanatic's antics didn't crack the top three. Booing came in 7th.

Coming in 9th: running onto the field and getting tasered.

OK, I made up that last one.

I'm just glad, and I know Christine is, that this episode has not devolved into another indictment of Philadelphia fans. Public opinion seems to view this as an isolated case of stupidity that was properly handled by the police.

Tonight's games: Marquee pitching duels.

You couldn't ask for much more out of Cole Hamels or Adam Wainwright. In the 10th, the Cardinals and Phillies are tied 1-1. Another dolt (why couldn't he be an Eagles fan?) ran on the field in the 9th as Hamels tried to finish a 1-0 shutout before giving up consecutive doubles. Not fair.

{Update: Carlos Ruiz just ended the game with a home run in the bottom of the 10th. Choooooch!}

Ervin Santana and Jon Lester were just as good, but in the 9th it's now Red Sox 5, Angels 1.

[Photo credit: Associated Press]

Doctor, Doctor

This is not about Roy Halladay, even though I recently learned he used to take the field as a Blue Jay to Robert Palmer's Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor).

Nope, this is about another Phillies pitcher, one who won't be toeing the rubber anytime soon. Ryan Madson, who earned his Mad Dog moniker last week by breaking his toe when he kicked a chair after his last blown save, has to go under the blade.

Semi-related: Christine recently read on a Snapple bottle that the big toe has two bones while all the other toes have three. We found that interesting.

I'm sure Mad Dog is getting quite an anatomy lesson about the human toe during this experience.

Tonight's games: The Red Sox lead the Angels 7-4 in the 6th. I can't decide which joke to use: A) Man, the Angels are worse than the Orioles, or B) I wonder how the Red Sox plan to blow this one.

The Phillies got a decent start out of Joe Blanton, but Nelson Figueroa couldn't erase the jam he inherited in the 7th, and the Cardinals lead 6-2 in the 9th. Before the game, Christine predicted a typical Joe B start - four runs in 6 innings. He gave up four runs in 6.2 innings

Elvis is bulldog non grata

The next time Elvis Burrell shows his mug in Fenway, Boss Papelbon better drill his round rump.

I think I'm forgetting my mantra to be patient early in the season after the Red Sox dropped another one. The game suspended by rain last night ended in the 12th inning tonight courtesy of a two-run home run by Pat Burrell. I blame Elvis. Christine's not happy with me right now.

But I'm really not happy with Pat the Bat: As if the first game weren't bad enough, he has three RBI in the first inning of tonight's regularly scheduled game. Clay Buchholz needed 44 pitches to escape the 1st. Rays 4, Red Sox 0.

Phillies: Even when Jamie Moyer was at his best for the Phillies, it would seem like he'd have a bad inning early in which he'd give up three runs. He would then cruise until the 6th or 7th inning without allowing another run while the Phillies would come back for the win.

This year, in an admittedly small sample size (two starts), it seems as if his bad inning has devolved from three to five runs. The Phillies were able to overcome it last time, but not tonight, losing 5-1 to the Marlins. J-Moy gave up five runs on four hits and a walk in the first inning. In his next five innings, he gave up two hits and struck out seven. Unbelievable.

Other games of note: We're following the Mets and Cardinals, scoreless in the 17th inning, and the Rockies' Ubaldo Jimenez flirtation with a no-no against the Braves.

Actually, he did it. Congrats. But we're kind of annoyed that we had to watch the end of the game via box score on the Internet. We don't know why Fox (showing the Mets-Cardinals), one of our 44 ESPN channels or MLB Network (showing Tigers-Mariners) couldn't show the last inning live. That was a disgrace.

'Elua (Hawaiian for two)

You might have guessed that we were discussing weather yesterday because we had tickets to today's game.

With a good chance of thunderstorms and our luck with the weather at ball games, we fully expected a washout. Instead, the weather you see in the picture to the right is what we got from inning one through nine.

Game: The sunny day was fitting for a game dedicated to Shane Victorino and his native Hawaii. The game itself had two simple plot lines: a bunch of two-run home runs and a fine outing by Country Joe Blanton.

The Phillies matched the Cardinals' first inning run, but then Chase Utley (pictured scoring) put them up for good with a two-run home run in the 3rd inning. He was matched by Ryan Howard in the 5th, Jimmy Rollins in the 6th and Raul Ibanez in the 7th.

Victorino, the man of the hour who never seems to shrink when the spotlight is on him, didn't join in the two-run fun, but he did go 2-4 with two singles and a run. He appeared to have a stolen base in the first inning, but the umpire sent him back. We never got an explanation in the stands.

Although his native Nashville wasn't feted throughout the game, Blanton stole the day from Shane-O. He went eight innings, and with just 108 pitches, he could have gone out for the 9th. His strongest inning was his last. After a leadoff single to Skip Schumaker, he struck out Julio Lugo, Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday (pictured) to end the inning.

Despite the protests of a youngster sitting behind us, Charlie Manuel went with Brad Lidge to preserve the 9-2 win. He allowed a double to Rick Ankiel and needed 21 pitches, but he ended the inning without a run, lowering his ERA to 7.00. Former SoxandPhil Joe Thurston made the last out.

Observations from the stands: Lots of Hawaiian music throughout the day. The Phanatic hula'd with professionals, then lead his own thing involving a bunch of guys pretending to row a boat with wiffle ball bats. We didn't get it either. ... The Aloha Hula Show did the national anthem. It was a string version - very different, very nice. ... Stephanos Tsirakoglou sang an operatic God Bless America. He kept it moving. ... That kid I mentioned earlier kept Christine and I entertained with constant chatter, such as "Howard looks weird when he sweats," "Paul Bako has to work his way up in the game" and "Rollins hit a grand slam yesterday. Did Pujols? Did Holliday?" ... Matt Stairs, getting a rare start, used Stone Cold Steve Austin's Glass Shattered entrance music. ... All the Phillies had Hawaiian shirts superimposed on their scoreboard pictures - Stairs got a pink one. ... J-Roll came out to Michael Jackson in his first at-bat, but none of the rest. Christine was taken in the 4th when he chose Kriss Kross' Jump for his intro music. ... It was a very annoying day with people around us. There were constant beer runs and invasions of personal space. None was worse than late in the game when a large guy sitting next to Christine leaned forward and shifted to relieve himself of some gas. It was audible, but thankfully, she did not smell it.

It was also a good day for T-shirt watching, including this new RAUUUUUULL Ibanez version. ... We saw a growing number of Charlie Manuel shirts, including his All-Star T. We also saw two Carlos Ruiz shirts. We were glad to see some love for Cholly and Chooch. ... Kind of tacky is a new Phillies Hall of Fame T-shirt that lists every Phillie in the hall, including stalwarts such as Ryne Sandberg, Tony Perez and Johnny Evers. Well, maybe I would get a Red Sox version, assuming it would have Tom Seaver, Rickey Henderson and Juan Marichal. ... There were also lots of recent antiquated Phillies garb, including Jim Thome, Billy Wagner, Bobby Abreu, Pat Burrell and the debut of Chris Coste to this list.

Pictures: It was such a photogenic day, we couldn't get them all in this post. Keep checking throughout the week for some more highlights.

Red Sox: The less said, the better. John Smoltz gave up six runs in five innings in a 6-2 loss to the Orioles. We're 2.5 behind the Yankees. Oh well, off to watch the highlights of Red Sox left fielders Rickey Henderson's and Jim Rice's induction speeches.

Slammin' Adam Joseph

****Cycle correction****

Today, while celebrating Christine's mom's birthday, talk turned to the weather as the Phillies were attempting to come back against the Cardinals in the 6th inning.

Her mother, who is a big Adam Joseph fan, offered to turn to Channel 6 to check the weather. Christine asked her to wait until we knew whether the Phillies scored. She waited - until Greg Dobbs walked to load the bases - before switching the channel to the weather report.

It didn't seem like that much time had passed, but when the game was turned back on, Jimmy Rollins was in the dugout getting congratulated for his grand slam, which gave the Phillies a 7-4 lead. They scored seven more to beat the Cardinals 14-6.

So in one week, Christine missed a grand slam and a cycle by Rollins. J-Roll to Christine: Please don't watch my at-bats anymore.

Rodrigo "Why do they need Pedro Martinez or Roy Halladay?" Lopez gave up four runs (three earned) over six innings. That's his worst start of the year.

Christine's mom didn't like hearing that she was going to be the subject of tonight's blog.

In other news: The game was delayed several times as some dolt in the stands kept shining a laser pointer on Cardinals batters. And we were quite surprised to see Steven Register on the mound. We had never heard of him before. If this bullpen mess doesn't end soon, The Pen's casting credits will take 10 minutes to roll.

Red Sox: Jon Lester is pitching well; the Red Sox lead the Orioles 5-2 in the 8th.

Our evening with the Savannah Sand Gnats

Christine and I arrived home safely last night. (Technically this morning, thanks to some horrible weather around Washington and a South Carolina sheriff's officer who nailed me doing 70 MPH in a 70 MPH zone.)

Tonight, we timed dinner so we could eat while watching the Phillies-Cardinals game. Of course, there was a rain delay.

"It looks like we should be there," Christine joked when she saw the ominous sky over the ballpark. The game has resumed, but the delay gave me time to post about our top-secret baseball mission I hinted at on Monday.

Two years ago, when we went to Las Vegas, Christine and I went to a minor league game. We decided to make obscure baseball a vacation tradition and bought tickets to the Savannah Sand Gnats, a Single-A team of the New York Mets.

We had such beautiful weather in Georgia - except the afternoon of the game. It rained. But it stopped just in time for the game. We arrived to the grounds crew taking off the tarp.

A combination of the rain, a slick scorecard that didn't take to pencil too well and a longer-than-expected wait at the concession stands (the locals love their boiled peanuts) had me watching the game without keeping score. Too bad, because the hometown pitcher Jeurys Familia struck out 11 Hickory Crawdads (Rangers) in an 8-0 blowout.

The experience: Apparently, season ticket holders get their name on their seat. I couldn't prove whether J.A. Happ is a big Sand Gnat fan under an assumed name. The seats next to us were held by Paula Deen's The Lady and Sons restaurant. ... Paula Deen also has a concession deal selling items such as her pulled pork sandwich and gooey butter cake. ... They only have two umpires in Single-A. The home plate umpire took his job seriously, as if he's going to make it to the majors. He also had the smallest waist I've ever seen on a dude. ... The Gnats misspelled the name of their pitching coach Marc Valdes in their program. ... We also learned that Julio Franco is managing in the Mets minor league system. Isn't he too old to manage? ... A guy next to us wore a Pete Rose Reds jersey. I don't have a problem with that, except that it was a modern jersey. It should have been an old-school model.

The Gnats mascot, Gnate T. Gnat, sucked. He barely showed any life. Speaking of mascots, a toothbrush sponsored by a local dentist cleaned home plate in the middle of an inning. The beauty of minor league ball. ... The two brothers who competed in the dizzy bat contest were from Pittsburgh. ... Because of the rain, we missed out on beeper ball, a game with a beeping ball for blind people, that was to feature local celebrities. We're also missing next week's military day featuring Sgt. Slaughter. ... Just like when we go to a Phillies game, we sat in the second row. Yeah, right. The last time I was that close to the umpire was when I went oh-for-the-season in Little League. {Greg never told me he went oh-for-a-season. All he ever mentions is the year he hit .714.}

At one point, Christine wondered how the players could sit so close to the field and not get hit by a foul ball. I said it wasn't a problem. Seconds later, a ball rocketed into the dugout. No one was hurt. Later, Christine worried about a little girl who gripped the protective netting. Before I could say, "Great, you just jinxed that girl a broken hand," a ball hit the screen. The girl didn't get hurt. ... We were asked for a scouting report on prospect SS Wilmer Flores. He looks like a pre-roided Alex Rodriguez. He started off 0-4 before hitting an inside-the-park home run in his last at-bat that won a local $2,600 worth of lottery tickets because it occurred in the certain pre-selected inning. But it was a sham. He hit the ball to center field, and it bounced off the centerfielder's head, enabling Flores' "homer."

Conclusion: Fun time. The Sand Gnats looked tough, and the Mets would probably be a more formidable foe for the Phillies if they just called up all their Single-A players.

Tonight: The Red Sox lead the Orioles 3-1 in the 8th; the Phillies trail the Cardinals (retooled with Julio Lugo and Matt Holiday) 6-0 in the 7th.

Sox seem to like their new digs

Ever since that strange sight of Red Sox mimicking snow angels on the grass at Yankee Stadium after completing their historic comeback in 2004, I've always considered New York a second home for Boston baseball.

I know it's an extremely small sample size (less than two games), but the Sox are settling in nicely to their new second home.

I didn't know last night's game was on ESPN until I went to bed around 11 p.m. The rain pushed it too late for me to watch anyway, but it looked like I missed a good one. The Red Sox scored a run in each of the first four and withstood one shaky inning by Jon Lester (three runs in the 5th) and the first run given up by Ramon Ramirez this year to win 6-4. Lester finished with 10 strikeouts in seven innings. Jason Bay and Mike Lowell homered, and David Ortiz had two doubles. I have a feeling that tonight is the tonight he is going to finally put one over a fence.

Christine put the over/under for last night's game to end by 1 a.m. I said 1 a.m. give or take 10 minutes, meaning from 12:50 to 1:10. It ended at 1:13.

Things got off to a good start tonight. They scored four runs in the first inning on an RBI single by Papi and a three-run homer by Jason Bay. It's now 4-3 in the 7th. Joba Chamberlain, who might have other things on his mind, couldn't make it out of the 6th.

Phillies: They beat the Cardinals 6-1 last night and are leading 7-3 in the 5th tonight.

Injuries: Reports on Rick Ankiel are good the day after he bent his neck while crashing into the wall. Cole Hamels is still on target to start Friday, but suddenly Chase Utley's status is questionable because his foot is still injured after being nailed by Mike Pelfrey last week. Like the Phillies, the Red Sox' leading MVP candidate was scratched today with injuries sustained by beanballs. Even in a AAA rehab start, Daisuke Matsuzaka labored, and then Jacoby Ellsbury left the game early tonight because of a tight hamstring.

Jayson Werth goes soft

Jayson Werth has traded in headbangers in leather for pulsating keyboards and sleeveless T-shirts. We noticed that he switched his intro music from Sammy Hagar's Heavy Metal to Journey's Separate Ways when we attended our first game of the year on Saturday.

It took us a minute to identify the new song. Actually, I had no shot, but it came to Christine in dribs. She pictured the video - Steve Perry in a sleeveless shirt, something like a dockyard and the woman walking. The music played in her head, and then she finally remembered the lyrics. She told me to write down Separate Ways to check when we got home. She was right.

I don't know whether Werth is a huge Journey fan or whether he's going through some marital trouble. I will assume it's the former and have taken the liberty to check the band's tour dates to see when J-Dub can check them out this summer. I saw two possibilities: Aug. 31 in Uniondale, N.Y. (the Phillies are off in between games at New York and Pittsburgh) and Sept. 13 in Wallingford, Ct. (the Phillies play the Mets at home in the afternoon, but are off the following day before hosting the Nationals).

Unfortunately, the Phillies are in Houston when Journey plays in Atlantic City, and they have a night game when the band plays in Reading.

If the schedule doesn't work out, Werth always can always hit YouTube, where unfortunately all the Separate Ways videos don't have embeddable links.

Tonight: Rain pushed the Red Sox game in New York to 9:30; they're up 1-0 in the 1st. The central time zone pushed the Phillies back to 8 p.m.; they're up 6-1 in the 5th.

Christine was watching Ryan Howard bat with the bases loaded in the top of the 5th.

"Is he going to do it?" I said.

"I don't know," Christine said with a shrug of the shoulders.

"Uh-oh," I said when Howard made contact, which is my pre-home run call, good or bad.

Then, the camera pans to Howard's dad and a woman in the stands cheering the grand slam.

"I bet that's Jayson Werth's mom," Christine said.

Tom McCarthy confirmed it was shortly after.

[Image: Austin Chronicle]

Lidge tried, but couldn't blow his first save as a Phil

After Shane Victorino's three-run homer in the 8th gave the Phillies a 5-2 lead over the Cardinals, it seemed like a safe lead for the usually dependable bullpen.

But Chad Durbin, J.C. Romero, Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge weren't at their best in the 8th and 9th, allowing the Cardinals to load the bases in each inning before Lidge got out of his own jam: Phillies 5, Cardinals 4.

Because of the ugliness of the pen and the offense's late arrival to the party, Brett Myers' second good start in a row may be overshadowed: two earned, four hits, no walks and three strikeouts in six innings.

Since there has been talk that J.A. Happ is in Philadelphia because brass might want him to replace Myers or Joe Blanton in the rotation, each of the young veterans has pitched well. I'm willing to waste Happ's developmental time if it's the push these two starters need.

The competitors both lost, so the Phils have some breathing room heading into their series against the second-place Marlins, who trail by 2.5 games. The Astros, led today by former Phillie Randy Wolf, completed a sweep of the Mets for the first time since 1993, leaving the Mets three games out.

So what: I can understand a player getting one, I repeat one, standing ovation from the crowd if he used to play in a city. But I don't get the St. Louis fans going nuts every time So Taguchi pinch hits against the Cardinals. Tonight was especially inexcusable because he came up in the 7th with two men on and the Cardinals up by a run. Christine and I rooted for him to turn those cheers into jeers, but he didn't come through.

Red Sox: Three in a row for the new-look Red Sox as they completed a sweep of the A's with a 5-2 win. Another good game for Jason Bay (2-4 with two runs). Jed Lowrie is getting plenty of RBI opportunities hitting behind the new guy.

I'm probably overly critical of Daisuke Matsuzaka. He pitched well today: two earned, four hits, two walks, eight strikeouts in six innings. He wasn't terribly inefficient at 105 pitches. He didn't come out for the 7th after a rain delay.

The competitors both had dramatic comeback wins, so the Sox didn't improve their standings. (I incorrectly read the standings yesterday - I've had a lot on my mind.) They trail the Rays by three and lead the Wild Card by two over the White Sox and 2.5 over the Yankees.

Shrewd acquisitions

For the second straight night, mid-season pickups starred for the SoxandPhils.

Country Joe Blanton picked up his first National League win with his first solid start in three outings for the Phillies. And Jason Bay continued to slug in his new digs. He is quickly earning the type of appreciation that makes you understand why Manny Ramirez reportedly wanted to stay.

Since I've been accused of ignoring the Phils, we'll start in the senior circuit. Blanton pitched well - four hits, two walks, one earned with five strikeouts over seven innings. He got his NL ERA under five (4.80). It didn't matter that the Phillies offense no-showed tonight; solo homers by Greg Dobbs and Ryan Howard were enough for the 2-1 win over the Cardinals.

The Marlins won but the Mets lost, so the Phillies lead the now-in-second-place Marlins by 1.5 and the third-place Mets by two.

Red Sox: Jon Lester won his 10th as the Sox blew out the A's 12-2. Bay gave the Sox the lead in the 1st with a three-run homer. He scored another run on a walk. All starters had a hit. Addition by subtraction.

The Rays and Yankees won; Twins lost. We still trail the little doodles (my affectionate nickname for small-market teams trying to defy the odds) by three. We lead the Twins for the Wild Card by a half game and the Yankees by 4.5.

Back to Bay-seball

Now that the Red Sox are a team again, it's time to refocus the blog back on the field, especially since new left fielder Jason Bay had a memorable debut tonight - scoring both runs in a 2-1, 12 inning win over the Athletics.

{Yes, Greg has been glossing over the fact that before tonight, the Phillies were playing good baseball on the field as a team. It matters only when Boston plays well.}

In the 12th, Bay came up with two outs and tripled. After J.D. Drew was intentionally walked, Jed Lowrie hit an infield single to end the game.

Before the game, Theo Epstein said the players felt like a team again. I'm sure a win like this will only solidify those feelings and let them forget the cloud that has been over them.

The Sox remain three games behind the Rays, but expanded their Wild Card lead to 1.5 over the Twins and 3.5 over the Yankees.

Phillies: Not so good tonight. They couldn't gain ground on the Mets and Marlins, who both lost. They still lead the Mets by one game and the Marlins by 1.5, but on a night when Cole Hamels matched up against Kyle Lohse, the young ace should have been able to beat the guy who is having a fluky good year.

Lohse wasn't dominant but kept his Cardinals in the game while young Cole got knocked around for the second straight start. Cardinals 6, Phillies 3.

We couldn't believe the ovation the Cardinals fans gave So Taguchi. Man, if they love him that much, I'm sure the Phils could have dealt him back.

[Photo credit: Associated Press]

Pat wuz robbed

I truly thought the Philadelphia fans would come through. I clicked for Pat Burrell many times, knowing that this could be his last opportunity to make an All-Star team, especially as a Phillie. I surprised myself with my interest in this.

I knew David Wright would be tough to beat - he's from a bigger market in a city that's hosting the All-Star game. Plus, he's got better buzz nationally than Pat the Bat. I didn't think Corey Hart, playing for Milwaukee, would be a serious candidate. Turns out he was. Turns out he didn't deserve it.


Entering Thursday's play, Burrell and Hart had roughly the same playing time. Burrell's averages could all set career highs - .282/.414/.587 - compared with Hart's .293/.332/.504. I admit I didn't look closely at all the candidates' numbers, but if Burrell's on-base percentage was a measly .332, I might have given him a few votes, but I wouldn't be so gung-ho about it.

Looking further, thanks to Hart's advantage in hits (because it appears he has no judgement of the strike zone), each has roughly the same number of total bases. Runs and RBIs are also about the same. Burrell has struck out 12 more times despite 45 fewer ABs, but he has walked 68 times compared with Hart's 17.

In the field, Hart is probably better, although Burrell hasn't (officially) erred this season. Hart records about two outs per nine innings compared with Burrell's one and a half. And Hart has 13 steals, and Pat, as you know, is mobile challenged.

I thought Charlie Manuel's obsession with removing Burrell late in the game would cost him, but turns out it hasn't. I don't know what did.

At least Evan Longoria beat out Jason Giambi despite the Yankees' moustache giveaway.

Today: Burrell, who might have been daydreaming about making the All-Star team, went 0-3 in an afternoon matinee. Didn't matter. The Phillies crisply beat the Cardinals 4-1. Jamie Moyer put in seven strong innings, and Ryan Howard homered twice, raising the batting average to .234 and giving himself a slight shot at Mike Schmidt's team record of 31 first-half homers. Howard already set the Phillies first-half RBI mark.

Delighting Gary Matthews, Alyssa Milano was in the house selling her line of women's sports apparel. He seemed intrigued by her many tattoos.

Competitors: The Mets also won; the Marlins play late. The Red Sox were off, but are now 1.5 games out because the Rays lost.

[Photo credits: MLB.com (Corey Hart), Delwareonline.com (Pat's flip)]

Sox hit like Inspector Gadget

On Sunday we bought the Phillies 2008 Yearbook. Instead of listing height, weight and other basic stats for the Phillies, they had the team answer questions to give the fans some insight into 31 members of the Phightin' Phils. We're going to review their answers.

First category: Favorite Gadget

Best answer: Tom Gordon's "Inspector Gadget."

I loved that cartoon. Go-Go-Gadget!

Other noteworthy responses: Ryan Madson picked his universal remote. Then for another question, he said a broken remote annoys him. Clay Condrey likes his drill. I love my drill, but I'm not sure it would rank as my favorite gadget. I don't know what would.

The runaway favorite with 10 mentions was the iPod. I'm not surprised that five Phillies picked a video game system, but I'm a little surprised they all said Xbox 360. The other multiple answers were iPhone (3), computer/laptop (3) and cell phone (2).

There were no answers to the question from Pat Burrell, Ryan Howard or Chase Utley.

Today's games: The Red Sox couldn't have scored more runs if they had Inspector Gadget in the lineup, completing a sweep of the Twins with an 18-5 drubbing despite a subpar performance by Josh Beckett. {Greg seems to be misremembering Inspector Gadget. Everyone knows that Penny and Brain were the, well, brains in that operation and had to save Gadget in every episode.} Jacoby Ellsbury led the charge with four hits. Every starter except Brandon Moss had at least two hits. Hopefully that's the wake-up call to get them back to winning consistently.

The win puts them 3.5 games in front of the Twins for the Wild Card and two behind the Rays for the division.

The Phillies made like Inspector Gadget and escaped their four-game losing streak. J.A. Happ had a good start, and Ryan Howard hit the go-ahead homer in the 8th to beat the Cardinals, 4-2.

The Mets and Marlins won, and each remains 1.5 games out. Mets fans, unaccustomed to a winning streak, were quite full of themselves on WFAN today.

Baseball Mogul update: I had a good season, winning 109 games. But everything fell apart in the NLCS against the Diamondbacks, who nearly swept. The best I could do was force a fifth game before losing the series 4-1. I think I'll switch to the Red Sox for awhile.

[Photo credits: Phillies 2008 Yearbook (Tom Gordon) and Disney (Inspector Gadget)]