PP phones home

When I woke up to headlines that the Phillies may soon sign Placido Polanco to replace Pedro Feliz at third, I immediately thought of last offseason when I ripped the Phillies for signing Raul Ibanez to replace Pat Burrell. They were similar players, except Ibanez was older. I didn't like it.

Polanco and Feliz are essentially the same age, and Polanco, whom Christine dubbed PP in his first stint as a Phillie, is the better player. There is no doubt PP is the much superior hitter, but he was adequate at second base and will be expected to replace Feliz, an exceptional third baseman who may be one of the best ever. (I wouldn't go that far, but someone who knows more about the subject, Michael Jack Schmidt, said so on WIP this morning.)

Perhaps Polanco will play an adequate third base and no one will miss Pete Happy, but again, I just don't understand how one year for Feliz at $5 million was deemed extravagant while three years and $18 million for PP is considered a bargain.

Oh, and back to the Ibanez comparisons, of course I didn't know that Raul recruited his neighbor to Philadelphia:

During his press conference today at the Bank, Polanco said he resides two blocks from Raul Ibanez in South Florida. About two weeks ago, Ruben Amaro Jr. paid a visit to Polanco, letting him know the Phillies were interested in reacquiring him to play third base. From there, Ibanez became the club's chief recruiter, encouraging Polanco to rejoin the Phillies.

"We work out together," Polanco said, "and he said [Philadelphia] was better than what I told him."

So don't count me thrilled that PP has joined the ranks of Doug Glanville, Jose Mesa and Ricky Bottalico as players with more than one stint with the Phillies.

Christine was upset they got rid of Feliz, but she liked Polanco when he was a Phillie and will reserve judgment until she sees PP take some balls at third.

Rob Neyer and Beerleaguer.com approve of the signing.

Other news: The Red Sox may also sign an infielder similar to Polanco - similar in that I won't be happy with the acquisition and Christine will like his name: Marco Scutaro. ... And a day after the Braves signed former Red Sox reliever Billy Wagner (also a SoxandPhil), they locked up Takashi Saito. No word when the "Former NL Closers Who Briefly Pitched for the Red Sox Caucus" will have its first meeting in Atlanta.

Offseason blahs

With the GM meetings concluded and still more than a month to go before Christmas, this is the first weekend that the offseason really dragged for me.

There is nothing going on. I mean, sure, Andy Martino hasn't updated his blog in more than a week now, but there were no stories in either the Boston Globe or Philadelphia Inquirer today. Not even a lame feature on what the Phanatic is doing for the holidays.

Even Christmas shopping provided bitter reminders of how the season ended. While looking at some doggie clothes (just browsing, we would never buy clothes for a dog, even if we had one), among the Phillies and Red Sox shirts was one that said 2008 World Champions, almost jeering at us that there was no need for a 2009 version.

At another store, amid the piles of books, there were ones recapping the Yankees championship. Christine flipped them over and put a different book on top of them. Reason No. 1,503,303 why I love her.

I can't even get a respite in Sports Illustrated. Every other advertisement in the magazine is congratulating them. I don't remember another champion getting treated like this. Money talks, I guess.

One beat writer is still working: In Scott Lauber's Sunday column, he offers a little disconcerting insight into the Phillies third base situation. Basically, they want to wait out the market and pick up whoever is left - kind of like getting a Christmas tree from a picked-over lot on Christmas Eve:

When they analyzed the market for third basemen, the Phillies envisioned a game of musical chairs in which there seemingly aren't enough spots for each player, a conclusion that led them to decide not to buy out their $5.5 million option on Pedro Feliz's contract.

"We could've misread the market," Amaro said, "but we just feel like there are more third basemen available than there are positions to be filled."

Great, I can't wait to see what scrawny little tree is manning third base next year. I know, I should relax and give the Phillies front office the credit it has earned during the past few seasons.

[Photo credit: Wikipedia]

Farewell Feliz, and A-Gon is gone

Christine and I were finishing dinner after a busy but enjoyable Sunday.

"Oh shoot, the blog," I said, remembering that I didn't have a post and that I'm not yet accustomed to the fact I can no longer just rely on game action.

"Don't worry, maybe something happened today," Christine said.

"Well, we didn't get a chance to answer Matty's question about Pedro Feliz, maybe I'll just make that the post," I said.

"Unless the Phillies have already announced a decision on his option," Christine said.

We both decided there was little chance of that happening on a Sunday. Oops: Phils decline Feliz option.

So, here's how we would have answered Matty's question whether we would pick up the $5.5 million option.

Christine is a definite yes because his defense compensates for his weak bat.

I don't mind Feliz at $5.5 million - that is what he is worth. But I probably would have taken the Phillies' tact: cut him loose and see if you can find a better option in what should be a deflated market with the economy. Besides, remember how Feliz became a Phillie? Nobody else wanted him. So if the Phillies don't find a good deal for a better third baseman, they can always go back to Feliz.

I think that's what GM Ruben Amaro has in mind:

"This doesn't preclude us from bringing Pedro back next season," Amaro said in a statement. "While this allows us to explore other opportunities, we will continue to keep the lines of communication open with Pedro and his representative."

The Red Sox also declined an option on an infielder today, casting aside Alex Gonzalez. They too may bring back Gonzalez at a lesser deal.

Buh-bye, Brett

On July 24, 2002, Christine and I were honeymooning in Niagara Falls. (We took a real honeymoon in Hawaii the next year.) Also on that date, young Brett Myers tossed eight innings of two-hit ball to earn a win in his first major league start for the Phillies.

It was the first of 240 appearances (183 starts) for Myers as a Phillies. In all likelihood, he won't be making any more for the team as the Phillies say they're not bringing him back. Here's the good cop quote from GM Ruben Amaro:

Brett is one of our own. He was here 11 years. It's difficult to let a guy go, just like it was difficult with Pat [Burrell] last year. At the same time, sometimes you have to think about change, so we made the decision. Brett will have opportunities on another club. He's very versatile. He can be a starter or a reliever.

It's not surprising that Brett won't be a Phillie in 2010, but it's kind of odd that the Phillies would publicly sever ties so quickly, even though Myers has caused his share of trouble: the domestic assault charges, using a slur against a reporter, injuring himself in the bizarre SUV incident this year and, most recently, the Cole Hamels "quit" incident.

As Jim Salisbury wrote:

Though no one in the organization would explicitly say it, there were indications that the team had just had its fill of Myers, the club's top draft pick in 1999. The Phils might have put up with Myers' dramatics had he maintained the effectiveness that helped him win 25 games and post a 3.82 ERA in 65 starts over the 2005 and 2006 seasons, but a number of factors hurt his performance, especially the last two seasons, and exhausted the team's patience.

I ran hot and cold with Brett. He was young and immature, but had one of the most beautiful curve balls, a nice little lollipop that literally took my breath away at times. He was on the mound for the final out of 2007 and mostly selfless on the field.

He was one of the longest-tenured Phillies - only Jimmy Rollins has been on the team longer - and his closing comment shows he at least understand the Philly fans:

Myers said he would miss his teammates and thanked the fans, many of whom supported him through his rough times. After eight seasons in Philadelphia, he said, he knows how tough the fans can be, and he expects to feel some of that old tough love when he returns with another team.

"Hopefully, I'll be playing against the Phillies, and when I do, I want the roughest treatment the fans can give me - when I'm pitching," he said, laughing. "I'm an opposing player. You have to give it to me."

I hope the fans remember this quote and give Brett a loving boo before a standing ovation the first time he wears gray in Philly. But after that, respect his wishes and remember he's the enemy.

Other news: Shocker! Brad Lidge was pitching was loose bodies in his elbow; he's headed for the operating room along with Raul Ibanez and Scott Eyre. And Pedro Feliz may join Brett Myers on the Phillies kicked-to-the-curb list this off season.

[Photo credit: Associated Press]

Catching up with SoxandPhils keystone combos

I've read a few interesting tidbits about our teams' midfielders in the past couple days.

Everyone knows Chase Utley is real good and has been the best second baseman in baseball the past few years. This FanGraphs blogger, however, suggests he has been nearly Albert Pujols good, but has largely been ignored by MVP voters. Ironically, this Chase Utley admirer, Erik Manning, covers not the Phillies, but the Cardinals. He notes that Chase hasn't yet cinched a spot in the Hall of Fame, but he's got a good shot at being an all-time upper pantheon type of player.

While checking Utley's Baseball-Reference page to see how close he is to being a Hall of Famer, I noticed some interesting friends and foes in his player comps: David Wright, Victor Martinez, Matt Holliday, Jason Bay, Marcus Giles and Carlton Fisk.

It's hard to believe Utley hasn't finished higher than seventh in MVP voting. Maybe he should try to raise his profile by garnering attention by doing something - say, cursing on a national broadcast.

Or, he could ask the SoxandPhils middle infield MVPs - Jimmy Rollins and Dustin Pedroia - for advice.

Speaking of J-Roll, everyone knows he's having a down year at the plate, but he may be having a historically good season in the field. Jayson Stark reports he could become the first NL shortstop to handle more than 600 chances with three errors or fewer:

When a player is in the midst of a historic offensive season, the world catches on to it by now. But how come, when a guy is chasing a historic defensive season, it's a bigger secret than Dick Cheney's cholesterol count?

The Red Sox MVP second baseman is starting to power up for the stretch run. He weathered a 183 at-bat homerless stretch in the middle of the season and had his first multi-homer game last night:

And as far as the numbers taking care of themselves, he's three homers shy of the 15 he hit a year ago.

"You get more at-bats throughout the year, and it all evens out," Pedroia said. "It's not like I'm going to hit 30 home runs in a year or anything like that. But I'm definitely going to hit some."

And his new double-play mate has a strange season going. I swear I noticed this days ago, but Alex Gonzalez is hitting .289 - that's good. But he's only getting on-base at a .289 clip - that's not good. How does someone go 84 at bats without a walk?

Today's games: Both of our teams are in tight ones against less than top-notch competition. The Red Sox have blown a lead in a game started by Paul Byrd (Manny Delcarman's the culprit of the blown lead) and trail the Orioles 4-3 in the 6th.

When I started updating the scores, the Phillies were starting the 8th tied at four after Cliff Lee gave up a run in the 7th, but the red-hot (Christine swears he's not juiced) Jayson Werth hit another home run, followed by Pedro Feliz. In the 8th, Phillies 6, Nationals 4.

I wonder who gets the ball if it stays close in the 9th.

Whack it

Recently, I've been trying to come up with a way to express how this year for the SoxandPhils (more so with the Red Sox), every time the ship seems to be righted, it springs another leak.

Paul Hagen nailed it today:

The Phillies' rotation has begun to resemble a game of Pop-A-Mole.

Just when one concern seems to be hammered into submission - that would be Cole Hamels - another jumps up to demand their attention. Now it's Cliff Lee.

Perfect analogy. Just when you think the Red Sox can cruise into the Wild Card after winning a series in Tampa, they get drubbed 12-2 against the White Sox, reducing their lead to two games. Just when you think Josh Beckett has a chance at the Cy Young, he enters a month-long funk. Just when you think Ruben Amaro was a visionary for signing Raul Ibanez over Pat Burrell, the werewolf disappears in the second half. (OK, the bulldog still hasn't done much either.)

But you get the point. It's impossible to be steady in this game and, although I've done a much better job of keeping my emotions in check since 2004, it's also the biggest struggle of a fan. You have to remember the cliches that it's a long season and today is never as good, nor as bad, as it seems.

Wait, check that. A FanGraphs blog has found the epitome of consistency, and he mans third base for your hometown Phightin' Phils. The forgotten Pedro, not Martinez but Feliz, has had a very stable OPS in recent years: .709 in 2006; .708 in 2007; .705 in 2008; and .706 so far this year. You can go back one more year to include 2005's .717. And, in those five years his OPS+ (some sort of stadium-adjusted measurement against league averages) has remained between 79 and 85.

Interesting. My favorite thing about Feliz was from before I retired from fantasy baseball (and long before he was a Phillie). He was a solid player, but for fantasy purposes, he was eligible at third, first, outfield and, in some years, shortstop.

Enjoy the day. Tim Wakefield looks to steady the boat against the White Sox this afternoon, while Joe Blanton tries to keep his head underground and away from the mallet against the Astros tonight.

Hitting season

The heat of summer has been delayed this year, and we wondered whether the unseasonably cooler weather has also delayed Charlie Manuel's favorite time of the year - hittin' season.

Last night might have been the beginning of the season. Trailing 7-3 in the 9th, Matt Stairs led off with a pinch-hit home run. I withheld a sarcastic comment for Tom McCarthy who said Cholly had the opportunity to use the big guy.

But the Phillies kept coming. Jimmy Rollins and Chase Ultey got on board, setting up a three-run home run for Ryan Howard. Then, they loaded up the bases for Paul Bako (I think he resembles Chris Coste), who singled to end the game.

Ironically, when I was contrasting John Smoltz's solid start with Cole Hamels' subpar outing last night, I was tempted to write, "But these games appear headed in different directions." I refrained, however, because the Pirates tacked on a couple of insurance runs before the 9th.

Following that dramatic ending, I thought the Phillies would romp or come out dead today - no middle ground. They bookended last night's five-run 9th inning with a five-run 1st inning, highlighted by a Pedro Feliz grand slam. They chased Pirates starter Virgil Vasquez after 48 pitches in the middle of the 2nd. But the Phillies suspended hittin' season for the All-Star Break. They didn't score again behind another good J.A. (Halladay who?) Happ outing - one run in seven innings. Christine predicted the Phillies wouldn't score again when the Pirates pulled their started in the 2nd. In the 9th, J.C. Romero gave up a home run but held on for the 5-2 win, capping an 9-1 homestand to end the first half.

Red Sox: Another fine outing for Josh Beckett, who could make a case for starting the All-Star game if he didn't pitch today. He pitched his second shutout of the year, needing just 94 pitches to blank the Royals on three hits with seven strikeouts in the 6-0 win.

All-Star change: Dustin Pedroia is out of the game to tend to his pregnant wife who has had complications.

"This was certainly not an easy decision," Pedroia said in the statement. "I have a tremendous amount of respect for the game of baseball and for the All-Star Game and am incredibly honored that the fans voted me this year’s starting second baseman for the American League. I am disappointed that I will not be able to enjoy the amazing experience with the other All-Stars, especially with my Red Sox teammates, but it is important that I put my family first at this time."

Guess which slick-fielding second baseman Joe Maddon replaced him with? How about another Ray, Carlos Pena, who didn't deserve to be on the final spot ballot, let alone on the team. Currently there is not another backup second baseman on the team. Maddon is becoming just as bad as Joe Torre.

At least Cholly's outfielders are justifiable.

Mohawks

Sometimes you learn the darnedest things while watching baseball games.

Tonight, for instance, we learned that mohawks are back in style. I'm not talking about the stupid hairdos sported by the Rays during last year's playoffs, nor the travesty that is the remaking of The A-Team into a movie.

Nope, just honest to goodness mohawks.

During a screen shot tonight, they showed a fan with a spiky mohawk. Gary Matthews said they're back in style. Tom McCarthy didn't believe him. I didn't know who to believe, but was probably more aligned with T-Mack than Sarge in this one particular instance.

"Which one's on crack?" I asked Christine.

"Probably McCarthy," she said. "Sarge is up on style."

Ah, so Mohawks are indeed back in style.

Tonight's games: John Smoltz, who was pitching when Mr. T still rocked the mohawk on the original A-Team, should have gotten his first win as a Red Sox tonight, but the game was delayed by rain as he warmed up for the 5th inning with the Sox up 9-1 over the Orioles. That's a shame because it looked like he pitched well: one run on three hits and a walk with two strikeouts in four innings. He threw just 52 pitches, too. The game resumed without the old-timer, and the Sox lead has been cut to 10-5 in the 7th.

The Phillies, meanwhile, took a one-run lead in the 8th on solo home runs by John Mayberry Jr. and Pedro Feliz, but Ryan Madson coughed it right up. They ended up losing to the Braves 5-4 in the 10th inning.

Two Brads didn't get the message

When I fell asleep, I thought the Phillies had the game in hand. So did Todd Zolecki, whose postgame post allowed early-risers like me to relive the roller coaster ending for Brad Lidge and the Phillies:

Sometimes I get the feeling something is going to go terribly wrong in a baseball game, and I get ready to rewrite my game story. I got that feeling when Steve Bartman interfered with Moises Alou in left field in the NLCS in 2003.

But last night was not one of those games.

Even after Brad Lidge put a couple runners on base with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium, I still felt like Lidge was going to get out of the inning and preserve the Phillies' 3-2 victory.

I'll spare you the drama. Lidge didn't come through. Zolecki, however, pins blame on Pedro Feliz, who botched a ground ball with two outs in the 9th. "I just missed it," Feliz said. "I've got nothing more to say." Dodgers 4, Phillies 3.

Red Sox: There was no miracle comeback last night. Julio Lugo continues to draw ire from the fans and media. I don't see the games so I can't weight in. I do believe we need to upgrade defense at shortstop (isn't that what sealed the deal in 2004?) and remove Brad Penny from the team. He was outpitched by Kevin Millwood last night:

Penny pitched under odd circumstances. Roughly 90 minutes before the game, he sat on a clubhouse couch and watched a college game on ESPN. Every couple of minutes along the bottom of the screen, Penny could read about how the Atlanta Braves are reportedly discussing a trade for him with the Red Sox.
...
"That's been my whole career," Penny said. "I don't look at that at all, really."

While Penny couldn't last through the sixth, Millwood dominated. The Red Sox managed six hits in the first seven innings. Millwood struck out five, and his final victim was Lugo.

So despite the fact that both Brads were hurt by their defense, I still say they should have read the memo that this was supposed to be the week of good pitching news at SoxandPhils.

Maybe J-Moy doesn't trust the young'ins: I just like this note in David Murphy's story:

Chris Coste was behind the plate last night for the third time in Jamie Moyer's last four starts. Moyer entered the night 4-1 with a 3.90 ERA in five starts with Coste at catcher, compared to 0-4 with a 10.52 ERA in five starts with starter Carlos Ruiz.

Busy day in 10 clicks

Since I last posted:

• The Red Sox tied a record last night for wild pitches, and Tim Wakefield wasn't even pitching.


• Brett Myers wasn't pulled from last night's game for ineffectiveness, but for a hip injury that he's had for awhile. He may need surgery, which could end his Phillies career.


• Harry Kalas will be inducted to the Wall of Fame. It's such a no-brainer, but I hadn't thought about it before.


• Pedro Feliz might get his 2010 option picked up.


• This afternoon, the Red Sox beat the Twins 3-1 behind a good performance by Josh Beckett and switch-hit home runs by Jason Varitek, who managed the feat before getting ejected along with Terry Francona and two Twins.


• Someone with a vested interest read my book report post. More Roger Clemens posts can be found here. {Hi Rusty Hardin & Associates!}


• Our observation, not previously mentioned on the blog, that Charlie Manuel has lost weight has been confirmed.

Funny, this morning I thought that with an off-day for the Phillies and an afternoon tilt for the Red Sox that I would just write tonight about Todd Zolecki's Random stuff post. I still will.

Like many of our SoxandPhils readers, Zo says he is a fan of intro music. He noted that when Brad Lidge last pitched, he came out to the silly music for a scoreboard bobblehead race instead of Soldiers. I had wondered if they would keep playing that tune if his struggles persist. Lidge might have a similar thought:

"I was coming in to some circus music," Lidge said. "That's about right."

Another favorite silly Phillies thing for Christine and me is Sarge. Especially his hats. He's not only a fashion plate, but also a shrewd salesman:

Gary Matthews' hat collection is available at the Majestic Clubhouse Store, but I told him yesterday that I could not pull off the Sarge hat look. I just don't think I have the cool factor to do it. Sarge assured me that I did, which I thought was nice of him to say.

But then I remembered he's trying to sell hats. Why I oughta (shaking my fist in the air) ...

Final note: I'm always bummed when the Phillies aren't on, especially after a long bad day at work. But the Spelling Bee finals will substitute nicely tonight.

Mixed bag

If I said Ramon Ramirez and Brad Lidge would each pitch 2/3 of an inning and one would get a save and the other a loss, who would have tabbed Ramirez (ERA less than 1.00) as the loser and Lidge (ERA more than 8.00) with a two-pitch save?

Baseball's funny that way.

The Phillies completed a four-game sweep of the Nationals, 8-6, despite Chan Ho Park reverting to his early-season struggles. He was knocked out in the 2nd inning. Sergio Escalona (the surprise call-up to take Andrew Carpentar's roster spot) got the win in his major league debut.

Luckily, the Phillies were playing weak competition and were able to withstand Park's poor outing in a back-and-forth game fueled by the Nationals (then up 6-5) botching a sacrifice bunt by Pedro Feliz in the 8th. The pitcher threw it away, allowing two runs to score. Feliz later scored on an Eric Bruntlett double.

In the 9th, Charlie Manuel let Scott Eyre pitch to two lefties before bringing in Lidge with one out and one on. On his second pitch, Josh Willingham grounded into a double play.

Funny, I started my day watching the DVR of Brad Lidge getting a double play against the Nationals with the bases loaded to clinch the 2008 NL East. Unfortunately, that game was on Fox, so I was stuck with Tim McCarver saying Carlos Roo-is, instead of listening to Harry Kalas' joy.

Red Sox: No joy today. Mariners 3, Red Sox 2. Justin Masterson pitched well in what probably will be his last start because Daisuke Matsuzaka is expected to return from the DL. A 2-2 game on the road isn't very comforting, but I felt good knowing Ramirez was pitching the 9th with Jonathan Papelbon still in the pen.

Alas, for the second time this year, Ramirez allowed a run. It was unearned, and his ERA stands at 0.43. He got the first two men out before allowing an infield hit to Yuniesky Betancourt, who went to second on a throwing error. An intentional walk and then a base hit ended the game.

There's no guarantee the run wouldn't have scored without the error. It was a tough loss, but I cannot blame Ramirez; he's pitched too well this year.

Unexpected

Any Phillies fan would have love it if I had guaranteed that the Phillies would give up just one run in tonight's game started by the struggling Chan Ho Park. And that's what happened as Park pitched six scoreless innings before Scott Eyre and Chad Durbin yielded an unearned run.

Unfortunately, Johan Santana was a tick better, pitching seven dominant innings and winning 1-0.

And if I had predicted there would be just one unearned run for both teams, who would have guessed it was caused by an error by Pedro Feliz and a misplay by Jayson Werth?

It wasn't the greatest start for the Phils in new Ebbets Field, but if it gets Park on track, I'll take it.

Red Sox: They got whupped by Carl Pavano and the Indians tonight, 9-2. Maybe they're just saddened by the news about Jerry Remy, who announced he has lung cancer. “I hope that disclosing my bout with cancer will reinforce the dangers of smoking to every member of Red Sox Nation, especially children,” Remy said.

Walking off with a win at our first game

After attending a World Series clincher, it was a little tough to get amped for a game in early May, especially when starters Oliver Perez and Jamie Moyer were awful.

But by the time Shane Victorino drew a bases-loaded walk on a 3-2 count to force in the winning run in the 10th inning, it felt just a notch below playoff atmosphere.

The game started off ugly. Oliver Perez was toast after 2 1/3 innings - four earned on six walks and five hits. Before walking in the final run, Victorino scored the first run after a lead-off triple. Raul Ibanez drove him in with a sacrifice fly.

Both teams muddled through the middle innings until the floodgates opened in the 6th. After Jamie Moyer retired the first two, Christine and I started debating whether they would try to squeeze one more inning out of him to save the bullpen, even though his pitch count was in the 90s. Before the discussion got too far, Daniel Murphy crushed one out to right. Raul Castro followed with even a bigger blast to center. Former World Champion Alex Cora scored a run after tripling to give the Mets a 5-4 lead, which was erased in the bottom of the inning by a rocket by Ibanez. Things quieted down except for a few nervous innings by Ryan Madson, Brad Lidge and Jack Taschner.

But the game really got good in the 10th against Sean Green (while Frankie Rodriguez stayed in the pen). After Jimmy Rollins grounded out, Pedro Feliz hit a slow little nubber that David Wright couldn't make a play on (Pete Happy would have made the play). Anticipation of a game-ender built as pinch-hit homer extraordinaire Matt Stairs lumbered to the plate. Green, obviously terrified of the big lug, hit him with a pitch. The next pinch hitters, Greg Dobbs and Chris Coste, flew out and walked to load them up for Victorino's game-ending walk. What a thrill.

Mets-Phillies rivalry: I did a double take when I saw someone wearing a Phillies hat and Mets shirt. But then I saw what was printed on the back (pictured on the left). There was also an '07 version. ... Another good shirt had a Mets fan burying his face in his hands. "It must be September in Queens" it said on the back. ... Some stupid Mets fans dressed a Build-A-Phanatic in a Mets uniform. A) That's a waste of $50. B) Mascot envy?

Outdated player shirts: Aaron Rowand, Jim Thome, Edgardo Alfonzo, Mike Piazza, Pat Burrell (including one who put a "Who?" over the five), Lenny Dykstra (Mets), Randy Johnson (Yankees), Dwight Gooden and Scott Rolen.

Game notes: Feliz made a great snare of a liner by Jose Reyes in the 5th - pure instinct. ... In the 7th, Ibanez made a nice play to rob Fernando Tatis. ... In the bottom of the inning, Feliz hit another little nubber that rolled down the third-base line. Wright could only hope it would roll foul. It didn't. ... Of course the play of the game came in the 8th with the Mets threatening to take the lead. With runners on first and second, Carlos Beltran hit a single to right. The Mets sent Omir Santos home, but Jayson Werth nailed him. After the inning-ending out, a pumped-up Ruiz spiked the ball and ran off the field. He led off the next inning but popped out.

Weird lineup today: Victorino, Ibanez, Werth, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins (fifth?!?), Feliz, Eric Bruntlett, Ruiz (we didn't even know he was activated) and Moyer.

Game notes: Gotta love this guy's "World F*cking Champions" sticker. ... The national anthem was performed by the Peabody Veterans Memorial High School Chorale. I was too distracted by my scorecard (I'll explain later) to remember how they did. ... Victorino has a new Hawaiian Punch graphic featuring Punchy. ... Werth changed his intro song. We're not happy. Now, he comes out to Journey's Separate Ways. This is the worst intro music decision since Pat the Bat ditched Dio. ... The roaming vendors seem to offer more selection this year. ... There was an annoying girlie brigade behind us, very loud, but at least they didn't dump anything on us. ... The PA played Home Sweet Home after Jamie Moyer walked with the bases loaded in the 3rd. ... I got my ice cream shuffle mojo back and also picked the winning Septa train and bobblehead bouncer on the scoreboard.

Walking into the park, we saw the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hanging out at the gate. We also saw Christine's second-favorite mascot, the Geiko gecko. Later, the Turtles came out to help the Phanatic save a Phillies helmet from an evil ninja. It was probably the worst Phanatic skit I've ever seen.

Early in the game, Christine noted the "Raul" cheers sound like a howling dog. After Ibanez homered, they played Werewolves of London. ... The Ask-a-Phillies segment asked for their favorite day of the year. We don't think the crowd got the reference when Chase Utley named Halloween. Christine thinks he should have said f*cking Halloween. ... Before the 10th inning, they did the Kiss Cam. Inappropriate. That's for the middle innings of a blowout, not when you're playing your hated rival in extra innings.

OUTRAGE: When I sat down to fill out my scorecard, I noticed the sheet with the roster and "newsy notes" was missing. I went back to the stand, and the clerk told me they're not doing that anymore because the Phillies felt it was a waste of paper. There is other waste the Phillies could have gutted before that useful piece of recyclable paper, such as page 2 in the program that lists every nominal staffer in the organization. And I really could have used a roster when the Mets brought in Ken Takahashi. I had never even heard of him and had no chance at spelling his name correctly. {Uh, scoreboard?} The Phillies win one World Championship, and they think they can just dump on their fans. BOO!

Oh, getting back to Ask-a-Phillie, they kept Harry Kalas in the rotation. He got big cheers when he said Opening Day. And after the excitement of the win started to subside, they played him singing High Hopes on the scoreboard.

It was a very nice mint at the end of a great meal.

Red Sox: They played another ugly one, but salvaged one from the Rays. They won 10-6.

Dice-K pays dividends

When the Red Sox stunned the baseball world two years ago by bidding $51.11111111111 million for the rights to negotiate with Scott Boras and Daisuke Matsuzaka, it was an investment in more than just talent. It was about branding the Red Sox in Japan, and evidence of that strategy might be the fact that Junichi Tazawa is expected to select the Red Sox, even though they didn't offer the most money.

Although Dice hasn't exactly fulfilled the lofty expectations he brought to the United States, he's still a legend in his own country, and surely Tazawa (I think we'll call him Taz) would love to come out of the pen to relieve his fellow countryman.

Phillies: No problems with Chase Utley's surgery; Phils think he'll be ready before late May, which has been the worst-case scenario. Oh yeah, Pedro Feliz had surgery too. I've been forgetting to mention. He should be ready around Christine's birthday (late February).

It really happened

It still seems surreal. We sat in bitter cold for two nights and watched with our own eyes as the Phillies clinched the World Series, but it's still hard to believe it's all over.

I'm sure tonight or tomorrow, Christine will flip on Comcast and be disappointed there's no game. She appreciates what the Phillies have done, but whether a season ends in bitter disappointment or the ultimate win we saw Wednesday, she'll soon be pining for spring training. She just likes watching the game. Meantime, we can still soak in what has just transpired.

Here's the scene from the last game of the year, played on Oct. 27 and Oct. 29. Phils 4, Rays 3, ending the series 4-1 for the 2008 World Champion Phillies.

Parking lot: We arrived way too early, although I guess it's never too early to get to the park for a World Series clincher. We sat in the car and ate sandwiches we brought along. A guy parked next to us and started bickering with a parking lot attendant. It seems he didn't want to pay for parking again. I didn't like having to pony up another $25, but we park at an unofficial lot that doesn't give receipts.

Pre-game inside the park: We walked around a bit, soaking in the fans revving up for the frenzied three innings. We saw Mitch Williams and Michael Barkan doing a pregame show. After they were done, Mitch posed for pictures with the fans.

The Build-A-Bear shop stocked Rays uniforms for the bears. What parent would do that to their child? On Monday, Christine high-fived a guy in a bear costume when we passed the store.

The Phillies apparently weren't planning for four home games. All of the World Series cookies and cupcakes from Monday night were sold out.

When we got to our seats, there was a cute little kid in front of us who decorated a paper towel roll that said "Phillies Rule" on one side and "Slay the Rays" on the other. He gave me high-fives during the game. The dolt sitting next to us on Monday who didn't know Shane Victorino's nickname asked me, "Do we bat first tonight?" How do these people get tickets? And how could you go the last 48 hours without getting it drilled in your head where the game left off?

The Phanatic whipped up an already feverish crowd into near-mayhem. Christine said only he could get such a reaction in Philly. But one of the Rays relievers then taunted the fans by raising his arms, almost suggesting, "Is that the best you got?"

It was like waving raw meat in front of a tiger cage. I don't know which reliever it was, but I'm sure that was the last little bit of fun he had that night.

Before the game started, Dorcus Whigham sang God Bless America. I like her performances. The crowd wanted the usual slow version, but she kept it upbeat, which was a good thing to keep the crowd's spirits high. Between this and Monday's National Anthem, I've never heard so much patriotic singing along.

Game on: With the crowd roaring, waving towels and shaking the stands, the much anticipated chess match between Charlie Manuel and Joe Maddon began with Geoff Jenkins doubling off Grant Balfour. There's never been so much excitement over a leadoff double.

Jenkins went to third on a Jimmy Rollins sacrifice bunt and scored on a Jayson Werth single. That's all they got, but the game felt over.

In the 7th, after striking out Dioner Navarro, Ryan Madson was tattooed by Rocco Baldelli, tying the game at three and costing Cole Hamels his fifth win in the playoffs. I wasn't concerned, but Christine blamed me for flashing the "eight more outs" sign. The Rays gave another scare, but Chase Utley ended the inning by duping a throw to first then throwing out Jason Bartlett at home. This might have been the play of the game.

In the bottom of the 7th, Pat Burrell led off. I've stuck up for him a lot this season, but said no more if he didn't come through with a hit. But I was confident and he ended up nearly homering, but he would up with a double. Eric Bruntlett came out to pinch-run, probably ending Pat the Bat's Philly days. Bruntlett advanced on a groundout and scored on a single by Pedro Feliz.

In the 8th, J.C. Romero had a relatively quiet inning, aided by a double play. David Price escaped harm in his half, setting the stage for Brad Lidge to do it for the soldiers one last time in a perfect season. Everyone notes that his only loss this year was in the All-Star game. I'm not saying he threw that game in July, but there were more World Series games in Philly than Tampa - including the home clincher.

Lidge got Evan "Eva" Longoria to pop out before Navarro singled. Pinch-runner Fernando Perez stole second, putting some doubt in the crowd. I got a little worried when Ben Zobrist hit one to right, but it hung up for Werth to catch. Up next: Eric Hinske, who had already homered earlier in the series. And I feared him throughout the series because he was a Red Sox last year. But he struck out, and Lidge dropped to his knees, shouting something he couldn't remember as Ryan Howard and his mates pummeled him into the ground.

Post-game: National TV ruins everything. Last year, when the Phillies clinched the NL East on the last day of the season, there was pure emotion as they celebrated with their fans.


Tuesday was a bit more orchestrated. Fireworks shot. A banner, rolled up all through the game, unfurled down the batter's eye. The Phanatic wove a 2008 banner, which the players grabbed to do a victory lap around the field.


Then everything was put on hold so Fox could do its official post-game. Bud Selig was drowned out in boos. Cholly got the loudest cheers. World Series MVP Cole Hamels, who's about to cash in after these playoffs, got a sweet 2010 Camaro that Carlos Ruiz probably could have used more.


I noticed one of the cops standing in the outfield threw someone's rally towel back into the stands. Then I saw more towels being thrown at the cop. He was rubbing them in the dirt for people to have a nice souvenir. Very nice gesture by one of Philly's finest.


The crowd was loud and supportive without incident. The only rioting came from the Phillies digging up home plate and the pitcher's rubber, which Jamie Moyer lugged off like a lumber jack.


Harry Kalas sang High Hopes and smacked down the Mets, CC Sabathia, Manny Ramirez and his own son.


We waited and waited, but saw no sign of Pat Burrell and Elvis - the only disappointment of the night.

Today: We woke up tired but happy. I was almost deprived of one of my day-after-a-championship pleasures because the newspapers were nearly wiped at my Wawa. There were a handful of Inquirers and just one Daily News, but it was overlooked by people in front of me because it had fallen apart. I pieced it together for Christine. Joe Wolf’s Vertical Jump has some of the celebratory covers along with some of the ones from Tampa.

Future: The parade is scheduled for Friday, and the stories about how the Phillies are built for the future have run. Just once, I'd like to see someone write that a newly crowned champion is going to fall apart next year. But I think the Phillies are in good shape for next year. The biggest challenges will be replacing Pat Burrell, fortifying the pitching and figuring out how to keep the money-hungry youngsters (Cole Hamels and Ryan Howard) happy.

This team went 24-6 down the stretch, losing just one game in each round of the playoffs. I've told Christine many times she has no idea – even with the suspended Game 5 – how easy it's been for her during the playoffs.

Each of us has been incredibly lucky the past few years. Our teams have won three of the last five championships – two of which ended long droughts. In person, we've seen the last game at the Vet, last year's division clincher and this year's World Series clincher. We'll never have a run like this again.

We probably won't renew our Sunday plan. It was great fun, but we expect other commitments next year. But we know there will be no way to top the baseball we've witnessed. We'll savor it a bit more, but pretty soon we have to get working on SoxandPhils 2009: World Series or bust.

We have some outtake photos that we'll post tomorrow or during the weekend. And Christine will pen some final thoughts on the season as well.

One more to go

The Phillies offense is so bad right now, they've figured out how to erase runs from the scoreboard. After a maddening game in which the umpires didn't call any strikes for Jamie Moyer and the hitters continued to make us yearn for Brett Myers in the batters box, the Phils finally showed some life in the 9th inning.

Trailing 4-1, they loaded it up with no outs against Brewers closer Salomon Torres. Of course, Pedro Feliz swings at the first pitch, grounding right to the third baseman, who turns the 5-4-3 double play. At least, I thought, a run was in and the potential tying run would be at the plate. But no, the umpires ruled Shane Victorino interfered at second base. How can you be charged with interference if the double play is turned? So a run came off the board, and the runners went back to second and third bases. Carlos Ruiz then meekly grounded out, so in the grand scheme of things, that ruling only meant the final was 4-1 Brewers instead of 4-2. Phils still lead the series 2-1.

Our Sunday just got a lot more hectic. The Phillies and Joe Blanton will try to wrap it up in the afternoon and avoid a classic Cole Hamels vs. CC Sabathia winner-take-all matchup. At night, Josh Beckett will try to finish off the Angels. We were hoping the Phils wouldn't need four games so we could tend to some errands in the afternoon, but they couldn't get it done.

The great outings by Hamels and Myers and a few clutch hits in the first two games masked the fact that the offense has disappeared. The Phillies are now hitting .234 with a .339 on-base percentage for the series. They're supposed to be a world-class offense playing a team whose pitching staff consists of a Cy Young award winner and then a bunch of slop. The Phils took out Sabathia, but got shut down by Dave Bush and a bunch of castoffs and roiders in the bullpen.

In 10 2/3 innings, the Brewers bullpen has allowed no runs, four hits and four walks with nine strikeouts. That's disgraceful for the Phillies.

With numbers like that, let's hope the Phillies build an insurmountable lead off Jeff Suppan tomorrow or that he gets a complete game loss.

I have to go now and stop Christine from throwing out our NLCS tickets. See you tomorrow with better news, I hope.

[Photo credit: Associated Press]

Sweep?

This morning, contemplating the pair of SoxandPhils Game 1 wins, I was very proud of myself. I was pleased with each victory, but not getting ahead of myself.

Tonight, however, after Shane Victorino's grand slam off CC Sabathia, I looked at Christine and said "Sweep?"

"Looks that way," she said.

Here are the last 24 hours of Red Sox and Phillies baseball:

Maybe it was sitting in the rain for a few hours on Wednesday. Maybe I'm just getting old. But I was conking out before midnight with the Sox winning 2-1 in the 7th.

I saw enough from Jon Lester to know the game was in hand once Jason Bay hit a two-run homer in his playoff debut that caused John Lackey to go nuts and lash out at his offense.

He's no Jon Lester. The Angels kept getting on base, six hits, a walk and an error in seven innings, but Lester never lost his cool and kept stranding them, except for an unearned run in the 3rd. He wasn't even bothered that his mates couldn't score until the 6th inning. Every time I think I'm not going to underestimate Lester anymore, he raises expectations. These next few weeks will be harder if Josh Beckett's unable to go, but Lester's certainly a capable replacement. Red Sox 4, Angels 1.

Jacoby Ellsbury picked up from last October, going 3-5 with a run, RBI and two stolen bases. Jonathan Papelbon gave up a hit but somehow still struck out the side needing only 13 pitches. I hope Brad Lidge was watching. {I hope Brad Lidge was sleeping. That game ended too late.}

Last year, in the AL Championship Series, everyone thought the Indians, up 3-1, would seal the deal because Sabathia and Fausto Carmona were lined up to finish us off.

This year, Sabathia was unstoppable for the Brewers, and many were writing off the Phillies in Game 2 because of him. Well, the clock struck midnight on his Cinderella season, and Victorino hit a grand slam to cap off a five-run 2nd inning marked by CC's wildness and a nine-pitch at bat by Brett Myers, who walked to keep the inning alive and make the Hawaiian Punch possible. Phillies 5, Brewers 2.

Myers, who later had a 10-pitch at-bat and singled in another inning, didn't take a back seat to Cole Hamels the night after the lefty became the unquestioned ace of the staff. Myers gave up two runs on three walks and two hits with four strikeouts over seven innings.

Lidge - maybe he was watching Papelbon? - rebounded from Wednesday's 35-pitch outing to post a clean 9th on 12 pitches.

Jayson Werth had two hits including a double to start the scoring in the 2nd; Pedro Feliz knocked him in with a double. Atop the order, Jimmy Rollins and Victorino went 5-9. It wasn't all good tonight, as the bats still aren't clicking, leaving 10 men on base. The heart of the order, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell, went 0-10 with seven strikeouts. They have to bust out sometime. Right?

Music: We've been getting a lot of queries about Jayson Werth's intro song. Being a hair metal aficionado, it's one I can answer: Sammy Hagar's Heavy Metal. Rock on.

[Photo credits: Associated Press]

Today was so good, my animosity toward Gagne is subsiding

The Phillies and Brewers were knotted in a pitcher's duel for most of the day game, as the Phils tried to pull within one for the Wild Card - and an opportunity to tie in the nightcap - and the Brewers tried to thwart their challenger.

It was a tense affair until the 8th, when the Phillies got a healthy dose of crappy relief pitching, hammering a former Red Sox for three runs on a walk and three hits in one-third of an inning, leading them to a 7-4 victory.

And guess what? That crappy former Red Sox now working from the Brewers bullpen was not the goggled, roided, washed-up Eric Gagne. It was Brian Shouse.

The Brewers saved Gagne, whose awful performances for the Red Sox last year still haunt me even though they won the World Series, for mop-up duty. He got Carlos Ruiz to fly out to right. Corey Hart, who beat out Pat Burrell for the final slot on the All-Star team this year, turned it into a double play because Pedro Feliz ran from first base as if there were two outs. He's lucky that came at a forgettable moment in the game. But SoxandPhils was taking note.

There were two big blows in the game for the Phillies. In the 6th, down 3-1, it seemed like old times when Chase Utley got hit with a pitch to lead off and Ryan Howard knocked him in with a home run. We didn't get a picture of the Phillies two big bats celebrating at home because of another incident with a drunken fan.

Before I could log the play in my scorecard, I was knocked out of my seat to the ground. I didn't know what happened until I saw a drunk guy whose seat was in the row behind me laying in the row in front of me. Apparently he got "too excited" by the home run and fell - mostly on me, but a little on Christine, too. The park ushers neither checked on us nor seemed to care that there was a patron in the park too stinking drunk to stand up.

He kept talking with his friends, who thought his fall was awesome. Our season ticket neighbor leaned over to us and asked, "What's more annoying, having him fall on you or hearing him keep talking about it?"

Back to the game: While the fall kept Christine from snapping a photo after Howard's homer, she got the next big blast, a three-run homer by Shane Victorino in the 8th to put the Phillies ahead 7-4. (Pat Burrell had just driven in the go-ahead run with a single.)

On-field observations: Great start for Joe Blanton, seen to the right battling fellow fattie Prince Fielder. At first Christine was disappointed we were getting Blanton instead of Brett Myers, whom we still haven't seen live. Then she predicted Blanton would win and Myers would get shelled in the nightcap. Thankfully, that prediction didn't hold up. Blanton did his job - three earned on two walks and five hits with four strikeouts. Take out the first and fifth innings when the Brewers scored their runs, and he gave up one walk, hit by pitch and hit in five innings. ... ESPN's No. 2 Web gem today was Corey Hart's 5th inning catch. From the stands, it looked look an easy fly that he seemed to lose in the sun. ... Chase Utley played like an old-time scrappy second baseman. He had a sacrifice bunt and turned a couple of nifty plays in the field, including a double play in the 5th off of Hart. He fielded it, hustled to beat Jason Kendall to the bag and leaped over him to avoid a collision. It seemed like there would be no time to even attempt a throw to first, but he nailed Hart in plenty of time. ... Why is Charlie Manuel intent on blowing out Brad Lidge's arm? For the second time in two days, he brought him in a non-save situation, apparently forgetting he might need him for the night game.

Observations from the stands: We heard some singer outside the ballpark doing Sweet Caroline before the game. Christine wished harm on those who were singing along with him; I said he's just getting people in the mood for October. ... The Annville Cleonia High School marching band played some jazz standards on the field before the game - it wasn't explained why they were there. Joe Blanton was almost hit by a flag. ... The Phillies, with Burrell's help, handed out trophies for some kids' home run derby contest. The award was bigger than some of the kids and one poor soul (not pictured) got a broken trophy. Jamie Moyer and one of the ball girls also won this contest in their younger days. ... The Malvern Troop 7 Boy Scouts of America presented the colors. ... The Westminster Youth Choir sang the anthem with some bugle accompaniment. It got me in the mood for a fox hunt. ... "They're just torturing me right now," Christine said when the scoreboard featured Myers as one of the stars of the game. At this point, the Brewers still had the lead off of Blanton. ... Great name for the folk singer doing God Bless America - Ace Enders.

The other half of the 2008 World Series: The Red Sox head to Tampa just one game out after a 4-3 win over the Blue Jays. The Rays lost to the Yankees 8-4. Jon Lester pitched really well; Jonathan Papelbon didn't. Papelbon's on our fantasy team; Lester's on our opponent's. His performance may knock us out of the playoffs. We'll find out tomorrow.

Phillies game 2: Great game by Brett Myers, a complete game 6-1 win on short rest. I'd wax poetic and probably remember writing him off with harsh words throughout the season, but tonight's post is long enough. Unbelievable. The Phillies, who control their own destiny, are tied with the Brewers for the Wild Card and trail the Mets - who blew it against the Braves in the 9th today - by just one with two full weeks to go. Can't wait to read the headlines in the New York tabloids tomorrow.

Day-late recap

I wish I could say that we stayed for the end of Sunday night's game. Not even close.

With Greg out of town, I made plans with a friend to go to the game. Unfortunately, her kids and husband passed a cold onto her, so she was unable to make it. So my mom went to the game with me. This is now two games that she's been to in the past two weeks - other season ticket holders in our section are probably gossiping about Greg's whereabouts. Before these games, she hadn't been to a game since 2004 (see sidebar below).

We stayed until the end of the 7th before bowing out. I was driving back to my house during the bottom of the 9th when Pedro Feliz singled home Shane Victorino and was settled in front of the TV when he slammed his three-run home in the bottom of the 11th. Phillies 5, Dodgers 2.

Greg would have enjoyed the game - a little sloppy to be called a pitcher's duel, but he loves low-scoring match-ups. Joe Blanton threw 29 pitches in the 1st inning, allowing one run, before settling down to pitch better over the next five innings. There were also some nifty defensive plays on both sides, including Ryan Howard's sliding grab in foul territory and Victorino's snag in deep center.

I admit that I was getting a little nervous about a no-hitter before Carlos Ruiz singled in the 5th, which led to the Phillies first run.

Notes and observations: I did buy a scorecard, but filled in only the 1st inning. I mostly just needed something to jot down some notes. ... The boos for Manny Ramirez were unbelievable. You would think that he were a Met or J.D. Drew. Is Sox hatred that deep, or is it just Manny? ... The Phanatic did a mid-inning salsa with current Dodgers first base coach and former Phillie Mariano Duncan. I always liked Duncan, but I suppose I have a soft spot for most of the '93 team. ... Speaking of the Phanatic, he drove his four-wheeler right by us near the right field gate as the crowd was streaming into the ballpark before the game. ... The West Chester Community Chorus performed the anthem. It was well-received. ... Chris Coste's fan club is called Coste's Ghosts. I wonder if they were still around in the 10th when he came into the game. ... During one of the mid-inning scoreboard video displays, Jason Bay and Cole Hamels were listed as "Who's Hot." Odd, because I thought Bay had been cooling down. ... My mom likes Kashmir for Chase Utley's intro music. She think it works well.

Sidebar: My mom and I used to go to a lot of games in the early '90s. What better way to spend a beautiful Sunday afternoon than at a ballgame? General admission tickets at Veterans Stadium were only $5, and that's when I first learned that even though the seats may be high, as along as you're behind home plate, all is good. We also brought my younger cousin to quite a few games. We used to tell him that they locked the gates and that we weren't allowed to leave before the 7th inning. It worked, and we would usually manage to stay for the whole game.

As I got older, there were fewer game opportunities because of work and other vital young-adult obligations. We had plans for the three of us (Greg, me and my mom) to go to the last game at the Vet, but she wasn't able to make it because of a family emergency.

When 2004 rolled around, Greg and I decided we wanted to bring her to brand-new Citizens Bank Park on her birthday. With tickets in short supply that year, we had to turn to Ebay to make it to a Saturday afternoon game in July. We settled into our seats with food and got ready to enjoy the game.

Coincidentally, Greg's dad was also at the ballpark that day. His company was holding a regional meeting, and the ballpark was deemed to be a central location for all the participants. So after their meeting in one of the park's conference rooms, they adjourned to a suite to take in the game. We were in our seats, they were in the suite, and his dad gave us a call. He could get us into the suite.

We rushed down to the suite level, and there was a little problem trying to convince security that we did have tickets to be there, if they would just let us go get them from the people in the suite. But at that moment, his dad came out, flashed some tickets and we were in. Were they really extra tickets or just someone else's who was already there? Who knows? Who cares? We were in a suite in the new Phillies ballpark.

It was heaven. Indoor and outdoor seating. Televisions wherever you looked for a better view of the game. And all the food and drink that you could want. We sat outside and enjoyed quite a bit of food; I know Citizens Bank has some of the highest-rated ballpark grub, but this was even better. Best part of the day: The Phillies won.

[That was also the day the 2004 Red Sox took their first steps toward a championship. It was the day Jason Varitek shoved his glove in Alex Rodriguez's face. They had the game on in the suite, but there was no sound so we had no clue what was really going on.]

Now, every game, when we ride up the escalator past the suite level, I look longingly at the closed doors, knowing the good stuff that goes on behind them. I don't know how, but we will find ourselves back in a suite again sometime.

Tonight's action: The Phillies shut out the Dodgers 5-0 to complete the four-game sweep and get some revenge after their last meeting. Brett Myers had yet another good outing, and Jimmy Rollins remembered how to hit, going 3-for-3 and reaching base in all five at-bats. He was rewarded with copious cheers. The Mets beat the Astros 9-1, so the Phillies are still a half-game out in the standings.

Tomorrow night the Mets come to town for a quick two-game series. Pitching match-ups are Pedro Martinez vs. Jamie Moyer and Johan Santana vs. Kyle Kendrick. If Greg were here, I'm sure he would come up with some sort of insights, but I'm not that creative. I'm just looking forward to reclaiming first place.

Red Sox: They also won in 11 innings on Sunday, 6-5 over the Blue Jays. They are off tonight and stand 4.5 behind the also idle Rays. They lead the White Sox and Twins by one game for the Wild Card. The Sox start a series Tuesday against the increasingly irrelevant Yankees. Greg's bummed that he won't be able to watch or listen to the games.

[Varitek photo credit: Associated Press]

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.