50 years ago

Last week, there was a free HBO preview, and Christine DVR'd a documentary, Ted Williams: There Goes the Greatest Hitter that Ever Lived, for me. It was good. It made me think about how there will probably never be an iconic superstar again. In our generation, maybe Cal Ripken, but his back story is bland. I had also forgotten about the whole frozen head thing, so maybe it was not all good.

A few days later, I saw an MLB Network special on the home run Williams hit in his last at-bat, commemorating today's 50th anniversary of the event.

I then tried reading John Updike's classic Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu to Trent, but I gave up. It's harder to read aloud than I thought.

Tonight's games: Irrelevant. The best 2010 regular season National League team lost to the Nationals 2-1. The Red Sox lead the White Sox, but their season is officially done as both the Rays and the Yankees won tonight. Congrats to our AL East foes. Go Rays.

Watching Randy Wolf down the Phillies

We left Trent with Grandmom and headed to the ballpark on a pleasant sun-filled 80-degree day. Unfortunately, the Phillies' performance, notably Kyle Kendrick's, did not match the lovely weather, and former Phil Randy Wolf kept the Phillies offense quiet in the Brewers 6-2 win.

But the 9th-inning meltdown today by the Red Sox in a humiliating 7-5 loss to the White Sox was worse. After being swept by their paler Sox brethren, I am still willing to go down with the ship, but I'll admit that it's about to capsize.

We'll be back tomorrow with all the details from our day at the park – including a bunch of Phanatics, some dancing kids and a very confused Carlos Ruiz. We may also have some other surprises later in the week – time permitting.

Flashback

This week, we found out the Phillies are doling out the opportunity to purchase playoff tickets. And, they're playing the Brewers.

That combination has given me flashbacks to 2008, when I almost talked Christine into not reserving playoff tickets because I thought it was a waste of $20 when the Phillies were 3.5 games behind the Mets and four games behind the Wild-Card leading Brewers. I didn't think they'd sweep the Brewers and Braves to propel them to their World Series win.

How would my life be different if I convinced Christine not to buy tickets and we sat home instead of being at the park for both halves of Game 5 of the World Series? Would I still have a wife? I posed that question to Christine tonight. I didn't get an answer. I'm glad I don't need to know the answer.

More PhilsandBrews: We loved the shirts worn by the family of Brewers pitcher Zack Braddock, a South Jersey native. They said "Phillies by choice, Brewers by blood." We'll have to remember that if Trent winds up playing for a team other than the Red Sox or Phillies: "SoxandPhils by choice, Trent's team by love."

Tonight's games: The Red Sox dropped their afternoon game to the White Sox, 3-1. Then, for good measure, they duplicated that loss in the nightcap. The Phillies beat the Brewers 5-4. The local kid got a blown save.

I forgive Manny

It takes a big man to admit his mistakes. And it takes an even bigger man to remind us that it takes a big man to admit his mistakes after admitting his obvious mistakes.

Manny Ramirez is a big man (no steroid pun intended):

Manny Ramirez was at Fenway before the game was called off and told a small group of reporters (and NESN) that he regretted how his tenure with the Red Sox ended in 2008.

"I think everything was my fault," he said. "You've got to be a real man to realize when you do wrong. Hey, it was my fault, right? I'm already past that stage. I'm happy. I'm in a new team."
[...]
Ramirez said he apologized to Youkilis in June when he played a series at Fenway with the Dodgers.

"I said, 'Hey, what happened between you and me, I'm sorry. It was my fault,'" Ramirez said. "It takes a real man to go and tell a person, 'Hey, it was my fault,' and that's what I did."

Good. Now that the deplorable ending of the Manny Ramirez era has closure, can we just play this weekend's games without documenting every time he scratches himself in this big series - the second time he has come to Fenway as a visitor since his Red Sox tenure ended.

Today's games: The White and Red Sox were hurricaned out. The Phillies scored just one run for Cole Hamels, but this time, it was enough for the 1-0 win over the Brewers. Jose Contreras and Ryan Madson finished the game to give Brad Lidge a day off. The Braves lost, so the Phils are just one game out and still lead the Wild Card by 2.5 games. The Red Sox just need to make up seven games in September, so a SoxandPhils World Series is still possible.

The Phillies need a better scheduler

An ad caught my eye in the Phillies program I bought last week. It was for a sports card and memorabilia show. It's odd because the featured athletes are Curt Schilling and Joe Blanton. (Another current Phillie, Ben Francisco, is also listed.) Fine, you can theme Schilling and Blanton as two rotund pitchers with Phillies connections, but the date is the odd part. The show runs Sept. 24 through Sept. 26.

That's the dates of the Phillies last home series of the year. It's against the Mets, who I'm sure would love to play spoiler against the team that has ruined their recent seasons.

I thought maybe someone made sure the show didn't conflict with games, but nope. Friday's show runs from 5 to 9 p.m. when there's a 7 p.m. game. While Saturday's game time hasn't been announced, it's hard to imagine one not conflicting with a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. show. And there's no way a player can participate in a 1:35 p.m. game Sunday and a show that runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

I think somebody screwed up. I went to the show's site to investigate further and found out that the appearance times for everyone, even former Phils like Curt, Darren Daulton and Geoff Jenkins, are listed as TBD. And there are additional current Phillies booked for the show: Placido Polanco and Ryan Madson.

Christine won't be happy if the Mets beat the Phillies that weekend with a quarter of the team signing cards with Curt Schilling.

Speaking of members of the 2004 Red Sox: Manny Ramirez is leaving the Dodgers, who start a series with the Phillies today, and joins the White Sox, who play the Red Sox on Friday and seven times until the end of the season. As if the end of this season won't be annoying enough.

Tonight's games: The Red Sox are off. The Phillies play late in Los Angeles. I had a nice day with Trent, but I'm pooped and won't attempt to get the beginning of the game into this post.

Catching up with catching

In the news today are stories about the guys behind the plate for the SoxandPhils, Carlos Ruiz and Jas--- err, Victor Martinez.

Nick Cafardo takes a look at V-Mart in a column that broaches a few interesting thoughts: His defense is better than perceived (Chris Coste can sympathize), he may knock Jason Varitek out of Boston as soon as next year, and it may be he, not Joe Mauer, who will be the long-term successor to Tek.

As I hinted yesterday when talking about Brad Penny's stupid comment, perhaps it's not so much that Martinez's defense has been underrated but that Varitek's game-calling genius has been overrated.

I love the Captain and the intangibles he has brought to two championship clubs, but those qualities have not been able to offset Varitek's diminished offense in recent years.

I think this quote from Mike Lowell is telling. He probably meant only to inflate Martinez, but it's hard to read it without thinking it's an honest criticism of Varitek:

I've always thought [calling a game] was a little bit overrated. (Martinez is) an All-Star catcher. I believe there's value in guys who call a good game, but I think now that Victor has caught a few guys a few times he's calling good games. Sometimes that's made a little bit more of than it should be, again, not because it's not important, but I believe an All-Star-type catcher can learn his staff. He caught the Indians and they had a pretty damn good pitching staff. It's not like he's doing something for the first time.

If Varitek is still on the team in 2010, it will be merely, and clearly, as the backup.

The Phillies starting catcher, meanwhile, received plaudits for his mediocre offensive campaign. Mediocre by anyone's standards, but stellar for the Choochster. According to FanGraphs, Ruiz is on pace for his most valuable season. And, if he can maintain or even improve upon his .768 OPS, then he could see some positive offensive value for the first time in his career. Right now, he's at 0.0; his career is -23.5.

He's pleased with his season:

The big thing is, you can have the ability to hit, but if you don't relax, it's tough. If you're a player, man, you want to do good. When you don't, it's tough. Now, I'm hitting the ball gap-to-gap, and it has been good again.

Charlie Manuel still isn't satisfied:

He's got 35 RBIs. I think he could do better than that.

Today: Enjoy the grill. Be grateful if you have a job, and remember those who don't.

The Phillies turn to their stopper, J.A. Happ, to avert the sweep in Houston while a pair of struggling aces, Josh Beckett and Mark Buehrle, square off in Chicago.

Catching up with former SoxandPhils

There was no shortage of tidbits about former Phillies and Red Sox in the news today. Here are the highlights. Followed by some snark.

Helping the Astros enjoy a win at the expense of yet another Brad Lidge blown save wasn't good enough for Phillies discard Chris Coste. He couldn't resist taken a swipe at his former team:

It didn't surprise me they let me go. After four years, they never recognized that I was actually a way-above-average defensive catcher. When my role became righthanded pinch-hitter off the bench, and I wasn't doing well in that role, it made sense. But what I never did understand was that I lost my job as a backup catcher, because in my mind I didn't do anything to lose it.

He also said that because he was constantly removed from games in the 9th inning, it hurt his reputation, suggesting he couldn't catch a slider in the dirt. He acknowledges this could be the last month for the improbable Chris Coste story.

The assessment comes from honest feelings and may be true, but at some point, Coster has to accept that sometimes players fall through the cracks. He was destined, too, but he got at least four years in the big leagues. Many would love that without the constant griping about reputation.

Jim Salisbury reports that the Indians fans aren't happy with the Cliff Lee trade (though Phillies fans haven't been that pleased either during the last two weeks), especially because Jason Donald and Jason Knapp have been injured and Carlos Carrasco got shelled in his major league debut. Unmentioned is that Lou Marson is hitting .240/.313/.320 in AAA.

Egad. This one isn't exactly looking like a repeat of Lee, Brandon Phillies, Grady Sizemore and Lee Stevens for Bartolo Colon and Tim Drew for the Tribe.

Nick Cafardo notes that Carlos Pena could be the first New Englander since Tony Conigliaro to win a home run crown:

"Don't want to get too far ahead of myself, but that would be an honor to be mentioned in the same way as Tony C," said the Haverhill native. "He's a Boston hero and I heard a lot about him growing up in the Boston area."

Good for him. I have no snark.

Cafardo also reports that Brad Penny credited his new catcher, Eli Whiteside, with his dominant outing against the Phillies because he suggested throwing more breaking balls earlier in the count.

Cafardo's snark:

Question: As a veteran pitcher, did Penny ever think about this on his own while he was getting drilled over his last 10 starts with Boston?

My snark: Um, where's the catching genius of Jason Varitek here? Shouldn't the columnist be questioning the Captain, too? But I agree, Penny's a punk.

Finally, hard to believe for those of us who watched him as a Phillie, but Gavin Floyd has pretty much become an ace.

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen loves Floyd, and while he's placed the ace label on Buehrle, he said Floyd has pitched "tough games" for him the last two years. "When we most need him, he shows up," said Guillen. "This kid is so consistent. When he's out there in those situations, you're going to see who's tough. He goes out and dominates."

Today's games: Coste didn't play today, but Michael Bourn went 2-4 with two runs in the Astros third straight win over the Phillies. Cole Hamels' recent dominance has vanished: four earned in six innings. Astros 4, Phillies 3.

Billy Wagner gave up a solo home run after Jon Lester pitched seven scoreless. But the Red Sox scored three more in the 9th for a much-need 6-1 win over the White Sox.

Houston, we have a problem

The Phillies actually scored some runs tonight, breaking a 17-inning drought, and took a 4-3 lead in the 8th inning. Charlie Manuel said he would have Brett Myers make his 2008 bullpen debut in a stress-free situation. Instead, Myers was brought in in the bottom of the 8th.

We thought he would be overly excited and implode, especially after walking the leadoff man. But he got lucky when Lance Berkman tried to steal and was nailed by Carlos Ruiz. Myers finished the inning without incident.

Unfortunately, he didn't come out for the 9th. That's Brad Lidge's inning, no matter how many times he blows it.

He struck out the leadoff man and walked the next guy before Chris Coste, as predicted, singled. Jason Michaels walked. Michael Bourn (how many friggin' former Phils are on this team?) grounded out, allowing Kaz Matsui to be the hero with a two-run single. Game over: Astros 5, Phillies 4.

Red Sox: Not any better. Gavin Floyd retired the first 17, outpitching Tim Wakefield, who I guess did OK for a 42-year-old with no back. White Sox 5, Red Sox 1.

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.

Stupid former Indians pitchers

The recent good performances by Cliff Lee and Paul Bryd, both former Indians, have been wiped away tonight.

After starting 5-0 with a 0.68 ERA for the Phillies, Cliff Lee has been shelled in his last two starts. His ERA rose to 1.80 after giving up six earned runs in five innings on Saturday, and it's now 2.81 after yielding six earned runs in three innings tonight. Jamie Moyer is now in, making his first relief appearance for a starter other than Pedro Martinez. In the 5th, it's Astros 6, Phillies 0.

If he keeps pitching like this, come playoff time, Lee might be keeping J-Moy company in the bullpen.

I still can't get over Pedro Martinez's performance yesterday. Christine joked the other night that he's going to wear a Phillies hat on his Hall of Fame plaque.

He's not, according to a Q&A with Yahoo!'s Answer Man:

DB: Assuming you get there, would you wear a Red Sox cap on your Hall of Fame plaque?
PM: I have no idea, but I would love to. Either that one or a Montreal hat. It's not up to me, it's up to the league, but I think Boston without a doubt. I'll take it.

Then, Pedro talks flowers. It's weird.

DB: Which kinds of flowers are your favorite?
PM: Orchids. All of them.
They're so delicate and tender. So beautiful.
DB: Do you talk to them?
PM: Yes!
DB: What do you say?
PM: I pray for them and tell them they have to get better and that I'm sorry about not taking care of them on time.
DB: Do you feel guilty?
PM: I just ... sometimes, I just don't have the time.
DB: What got you into gardening in the first place?
PM: My mom. She would spend a lot of time in the garden and I used to spend a lot of time with my mom.

In the American League, meanwhile, Byrd no longer has an unblemished ERA. He gave up seven earned runs in 2 1/3 innings, inflating his ERA from 0.00 to 7.56. The Red Sox scored one in the 4th, so the comeback is under way. In the 4th, White Sox 8, Red Sox 1.

Quotable SoxandPhils sluggers

The other day, I forgot to mention a quote that I just loved from Matt Stairs. He wants to play one more year for the Phillies and made his case why he deserves another year:

I'd like to be back, but that's a decision for the team. I'm inexpensive, and I don't complain that I don't play a lot.

While Stairs has been a fan favorite because of his key pinch hits (not so many this year), he's also likable because he's a rare average Joe in this era of athletes with super-sized egos. Who can't relate to wanting to earn $1+ million to sit on the bench, watch a game and chew on some sunflower seeds? You've got to love honesty from the big lug who has a history of being honest, if not the most cautious, with his comments.

The Red Sox big slugger, David Ortiz, also had a quote this week that was more like Stairs' famous postseason quote than his more recent one. Papi explained how Victor Martinez has motivated him this year:

Victor, man, he just push me, man. Every at-bat since he's been here, he just get in my face and start screaming at me and everything. I like it, I really like it. He gets me in the mood.

Eww.

But I guess I'd prefer Papi be turned on by our catcher than steroids.

Today's games: Billy Wagner is in Fenway, but unavailable tonight. (Brad Penny was released to make room for him.) B-Wags probably wouldn't be needed anyway; Junichi Tazawa couldn't follow up on his strong performance against the Yankees last week. He gave up nine runs in four innings. The White Sox lead the Red Sox 9-2 in the 5th.

The Phillies, behind J.A. Happ, lead the Pirates 2-1 in the 7th. Whose turn is it to blow a save tonight?

Hibiscus update: We have a full-fledged flower and more buds ready to bloom.

Stopping to smell the hibiscus

There are only so many ways I can say Brad Lidge blew another one, so I'm going to write about a happier topic.

Six years ago on a belated honeymoon to Hawaii, we bought a little souvenir - a hibiscus root in a little baggie. We planted it in an inside pot and it grew ... and grew ... and grew.

But it never bloomed.

When we moved across town four years ago, we had to drive it in my pickup during heavy rain and wind. Its leaves remained tattered for quite a while, but it kept growing taller. So much that despite our 11-foot arched ceiling, we had to lop off some of it.

But it never bloomed.

This spring, it started listing really bad. We decided it was time to plant it outside. If it lived, great. If not, there was only so much we could do to save our plant we affectionately call Hawaii, even though we were never convinced it was not just a glorified weed from paradise.

Last month, after a storm, it toppled over. The wooden stick that kept it upright had rotted away. We decided to cut it down in size and give it one more chance.

Today, after an evening walk around the neighborhood, we took a close look at Hawaii and noticed ... a bud. Several of them, in fact.

Like the Red Sox winning in 2004, faith has been rewarded. (Christine wondered how I would tie this to baseball.) And, perhaps, at the end of the year, Charlie Manuel's patience in Brad Lidge will yield a bloom.

If not, Lidge still gets a pass because of last season.

Oh, and two more baseball references to Hawaii. The first, obviously, is the Hawaiian connection with Shane Victorino. The other is a little more Rorschach. I think the stigma of the flower (the thing that stick out of the middle) remind me of the Phanatic's tongue and nozzle.

I know, I need help.

Tonight's games: Sorely missed Tim Wakefield returned from the DL, making his first start since July 8. On that date, the Red Sox were 18 games above .500 and had a one game lead over the Yankees for the division and a 4.5 game lead over the Angels for any playoff slot.

Since then, the Red Sox have gone 21-20 and now trail the Yankees by 6 games.

Tonight, Wake has been strong: one run on three hits and a walk through five. The Red Sox haven't done much against former Phil Gavin Floyd and are tied with the White Sox 1-1 in the 6th.

Cole Hamels might be returning from ... mediocrity. He hasn't allowed a run in his first five innings. The Phillies lead the Pirates 1-0 in the 6th.

Another new SoxandPhil All-Star pitcher

All day I expected to write a post on how Mensa members were probably disappointed that they weren't going to open a chapter in the Red Sox bullpen because Billy Wagner didn't want to join Jonathan Papelbon and the Red Sox.

But the six-time All-Star, most famous for insulting Phillies fans and raising alpacas, suddenly changed his mind and will join Curt Schilling, Pedro Martinez, Ken Ryan and Heathcliff Slocumb on the SoxandPhils pitching staff.

Wagner, who said he'd prefer to stay in New York to keep his options open to be a closer next year, had the second-biggest about-face of the day. The first, of course, came from Papelbon,who had said he wanted no part of B-Wags in the Red Sox bullpen when reports first surfaced that the Red Sox claimed him:

It's just a simple thing that when things are taken out of context, you get to where you're going to affect the ballclub. It affects them to where, now you're going to have an effect on whether we're going to get a player or not. Now you're affecting whether we may win a championship. And when you do things like that I just don't think that's the right way to go about it. People make mistakes and people learn from them. I think everybody in this clubhouse is a man and admits to what they do. I've said things in the past and I've never strayed from them. If I need to apologize for something, I'll apologize. This is a situation where there's nothing for me to apologize about. I said nothing demeaning about him. We'll get along great. I know we will. I'm looking really forward to seeing how he works and maybe picking up a couple of things from him.

Theo Epstein said it more succinctly:

I think Pap feels he was misunderstood. He's not a Rhodes Scholar to begin with. When I talked to him directly about it he couldn't have been more excited. When we had our window (to speak to Wagner), Pap went out of his way to make sure he knew he was more than welcome here.

I guess I'm OK with this move - I'm just concerned with how often the recovering Wagner will be able to pitch. If nothing else, it should be an interesting meeting of the minds with him and Papelbon. I don't believe, as Christine predicts, that he will destroy the 2009 Red Sox. {Sure he will. He's going to ruin any chemistry this team may have had; after all, he is a rat, likes to hit young college batters and doesn't mind throwing his teammates under the bus.}

He will be a valuable addition, and come October, he will help do what he could not do as a Met: prevent the Phillies from winning the World Series. {Bwah, ha ha ha ha. Greg, you're too funny. Let me catch my breath. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.}

Tonight's games: Jimmy Rollins led off with a home run on the first pitch. Usually that would prompt Christine to declare the game over. I asked her if it was cinched. She wouldn't admit it, but she was pretty confident in tonight's outcome. He hit another one in the 3rd, and the Phillies were leading until Joe Blanton, who had a laborious outing, gave up a two-run homer in the 6th. Pirates 3, J-Roll 2 in the 8th.

The Red Sox are tied with the White Sox 3-3 in the 8th.

Hittin' hurlers

Pedro Martinez pitched poorly yesterday, but he had a good day at the plate. He struck out in his first appearance, but that was after he ran the count to 3-0, prompting Jerry Manuel to embarrass Oliver Perez by removing him in the middle of an at-bat against a pitcher.

In Pedro's next appearance, he singled in a run with the bases loaded. He added a sacrifice in his last appearance.

Several times over the past few days, I've noted how well things have been going for the Phillies, but this is getting ridiculous. Even their pitchers are hitting well. Over the past six games, Phils pitchers have gone 7-19 (.368), raising their season batting average to .138.

That doesn't seem like much, but this could turn out to be the second-best hitting season for Phillies pitchers since Charlie Manuel took over in 2005. Currently, they're hitting .138/.198/.182. That .380 OPS ranks second to 2007, when the Phillies pitchers posted a line of .155/.202./.185 (.387 OPS). That was a marked improvement over 2006 when they posted a .260 OPS.

Ironically, the year before hitting guru Cholly took over as manger, the Phillies had a fairly respectable season, going .165/.198/.241 with an almost passable .439 OPS.

Maybe pitchers just preferred hitting for Larry Bowa.

Or, perhaps, it's all the new guy. Cliff Lee, despite going 0-2 this afternoon, is out-hitting his opponents .313 to .175 after today's game, a 6-2 win over the Mets. He went seven innings, giving up both unearned runs on six hits with five strikeouts. Brad Lidge closed it out without incident or help of a triple play.

The Red Sox, meanwhile, still clinging to a one game lead for the Wild Card, are trailing the White Sox 4-1 in the 3rd.

Werth needs only 482 home runs to reach Thome, Mantle

Bright side: The Phillies managed to split their four-game series against the Cubs. They won today, 5-3.

Not-as-bright side: They could have easily swept this series. But no more dwelling on that. Let's get to the good stuff.

Jayson Werth bashed the Cubbies again, driving in three runs and hitting another home run. Jamie Moyer continues to pitch unbelievable for a 45-year-old. And, oh yeah, maybe the Phillies were helped out just a little bit by the fact that Carlos Zambrano was scratched to save his "tired" arm for a few more days.

Now it's on to Washington, where the Nationals have won six in a row. I bet the Phils can cool them off.

The Phillies did pick up a game on the Mets last night, as Aaron Heilman walked in the winning run against the Marlins. But today, the Fish failed again, leaving Philadelphia one game behind New York in the standings.

Derrek Lee: Every time I hear his name, I wonder how his daughter is doing. After a quick search, I found out that she was misdiagnosed and will maintain her vision. I'm glad to hear it.

September call-ups: J.A. Happ, Greg Golson and Lou Marson will be joining the big-league club. Oh yeah, and Adam Eaton, too. Boo.

ANTM: Tom McCarthy was doing promos for the upcoming TV season, as the game was on the CW this afternoon. Gossip Girl, 90210, Tyra. Gary Matthews then chimed in.

Sarge: I like that show.

T-Mac: What, America's Next Top Model?

Sarge: Oh yeah.

And yes, he said it exactly how you're imagining it.

Red Sox: Former Phils Gavin Floyd and Jim Thome played a big part in the White Sox beating the Red Sox 4-2 today. And in honor of Thome hitting his 536th career homer, tying him with Mickey Mantle for 14th place on the all-time home run list, I thought it was only appropriate to revisit the 1995 cover of the Indians magazine. I have nothing to say about this picture - I think the snazzy white ensemble and footwear say it all.

The Red Sox open a series against the Orioles on Monday. The O's did the Sox no favors this weekend, as they were swept by the Rays, leaving Boston 5.5 games out of first. The Sox continue to lead the Wild Card by 2.5 games.

No word, that I can find anyway, on their call-ups. Sounds like they could use the reinforcements, though. In addition to half the team being on the DL, the other half had food poisoning this weekend. Blech.

Quick update

So the Phillies did pull off a win today. Jayson Werth, I think, continues to be the unsung hero of this 2008 team. I'm glad to have him around. Today he drove in four runs and hit two homers in a 5-2 win over the Cubs.

The stupid Mets are winning again. Come on Marlins, no more choking until this series is over. We need to pick up a game sometime.

The Phils released Kris Benson. I'm sure the Daily News is sorry that Anna never made it to town.

Fabio Castro seems to be the player to be named later in the Matt Stairs deal. Incidentally, Greg has been so busy working, he forgot that Stairs was on the Red Sox in 1995.

Red Sox: Won yesterday, winning again tonight against the White Sox. Top prospect Michael Bowden made the start and gave up two runs on seven hits in his five-inning major league debut. What a surprise, the Rays won as well. Wild Card lead is still at 2.5 games.

[Photo credit: Associated Press]

Holiday weekend starts with a thud

My company has a flexible work schedule - if you make up the hours during the rest of the week, you can leave early on Fridays. With the long weekend coming up and a Phillies game starting just before 2:30, I was definitely eager to cut out early this afternoon.

I guess I should have stayed at work.

My apologies for sounding like a broken record: good outing by starter Joe Blanton, too many men left on base (10), ineffective bullpen, blah blah. Cubs 3, Phillies 2. Before a pitch was throw in any other game today, the Phils had managed to lose ground. Sweet.

A new extra man: The Phillies seem to have acquired Matt Stairs from the Blue Jays. Greg thinks it's a pretty good pickup. I'm indifferent. The losing has made me numb. (If Greg were home, he would have jokingly threatened to cut me off from the Phillies by now. Maybe I get a bit overly dramatic when they go on skids like this. But come on, the last three games have just sucked.)

Sarge: Gary Matthews didn't say Cubbies or Phillies when he sang during the 7th inning today. He just held the microphone out to the crowd and let them handle it. His grandson Denver joined him in the booth for the singalong.

Red Sox: Josh Beckett was put on the DL, but it's retroactive to August 18. He's tentatively scheduled to pitch next Friday in Texas. Terry Francona says that Beckett's elbow examination went well and that nothing bad was found. The team also DL'd Sean Casey because of a strained neck.

The Red Sox are leading the White Sox 1-0 in the 2nd at home. Maybe they'll fare better against a Chicago team this weekend.

Poor John Danks

Good win for the Red Sox, 5-1 over the White Sox. Josh Beckett pitched eight strong innings, making John Danks a tough-luck loser. He carried a perfect game into the 6th and a no-hitter into the 7th before Kevin Youkilis broke it up with a single and then J.D. Drew later hit a two-run double.

Competitors: The Rays were off but had to DL Evan Longoria today after losing Carl Crawford on Sunday. The Twins beat the Yankees. We're four out of the division lead, two up on the Wild Card.

Phillies: They're playing on the West Coast tonight. Bad news: Gary Matthews was left on the East Coast, meaning Chris Wheeler has to broadcast nine innings. Worse news: They're losing 6-1 to the Dodgers in the 4th. Prediction from Christine: She's not guaranteeing a Phillies win, but a no-decision for Kyle Kendrick. {Um, I'm starting to rethink this prediction. It's now 7-1 and probably an L for K.K.}

Competitors: Mets and Marlins lost. The Mets lost spectacularly with another bullpen disaster.

Other than the rain, great game

I imagine the Phillies will soon begin pestering us to renew our season tickets. Perhaps they should offer better weather as part of the deal. Once again, we spent a Sunday afternoon in the bowels of Citizens Bank Park waiting for a downpour to end. The start of the game was delayed by 1 hour, 45 minutes. It washed out the pregame event: the Phillies Alumni Batting Challenge featuring Ricky Jordan, Ricky Bottalico, Milt Thompson, Mitch Williams, Ozzie Virgil and Tyler Green. The Phanatic was so eager to get things started, he helped the grounds crew roll up the tarp.

At least the game was a neat and tidy three hours as the Phillies wrapped up a series against the Pirates with a 6-3 win thanks to a clutch homer by Chase Utley, a typical Jamie Moyer outing and not-so-typical Jamie Moyer baserunning.

Christine and I sat apart today. Her Mom got a pair of tickets in the 203 section, so she sat with Christine in our usual seats while I sat with Joe Wolf's Vertical Jump in right field. See if you can spot us in this picture Christine took from 400 feet away. (Christine and I won't sit together for the Aug. 24 game either because I will be on a business trip.)

We did see a good game today. The Pirates struck first in the 2nd when former Red Sox Brandon Moss and Doug Mientkiewicz each doubled with two outs. The Phillies came back in the bottom of the third thanks to one of the craziest plays I've ever seen. Carlos Ruiz, who didn't make an out today, led off with a walk. Jamie Moyer bunted to move him into scoring position, but the pitcher, Jason Davis, threw the ball away trying to get Moyer out at first. Moyer kept running toward second, but collided with the umpire. He shoved the man in blue down and motored to second. Former Phillie RF Jason Michaels threw the ball away, allowing Moyer to go to third. The winded 45-year-old hustled home on a Jimmy Rollins sacrifice fly, giving the Phils a 2-1 lead. Moyer then landed on the bench for a much deserved breather.

The game cruised until the 6th when Jason Michaels had a two-out, two-run double, giving the Pirates a 3-2 lead. But in the 7th, the Phillies finally had some extra base hits. Ruiz, for the third time of the day, got on to lead off an inning, this time a double. Greg Dobbs, who set the Phils' team record today for pinch hits in a season, doubled him in. J-Roll and Shane Victorino got out, but Utley homered, putting the Phils ahead 5-3. They scored a final run in the 8th without a hit as former Red Sox Craig Hansen walked three and threw two wild pitches.

Scott Eyre, making his Phillies debut, got the win with a perfect 1/3 of an inning to escape a Clay Condrey jam. Ryan Madson, the closer of the day because Brad Lidge has a sore shoulder, nailed it down.

Observations from the stands: Pat Burrell got a rare day off but had a pinch-walk in the 9th. ... Bill Dancy got the Phils' annual John Vukovich award. ... Four Harmony did the anthem; it was OK. ... Fomer Phillie Rod Barajas is one of baseball's hottest hitters; too bad Bubba Burger can't spell his name. Another former Phil, Marlon Byrd, also made the cut. ... Poor showing by the Phanatic today. Some Olympic-themed bit about a guy from Pittsburgh trying to break the world's weight-lifting record. The Phanatic pulled down his trunks and threw powder in his face. I dunno, not the furball's best effort. ... I took a break during the 7th-inning stretch, and the game broadcast was on in the bathroom. They talked about how Jason Davis was in line for his first win as a starter since 2005. Larry Andersen said, "He's in line for it, but he's not going to get it. Just a hunch." I was back in my seat in time to see his prediction come true.

Biggest cheers: The few times the sun decided to show up.

Biggest boos: The ball girl who misplayed a slow easy grounder. The left field "You suck Moss" chant that increased substantially after he dropped a fly ball.

Other game notes: There were five double plays: the Pirates turned three and the Phils turned two. ... Ryan Howard had a strange day in the field. He dropped a foul ball in the 1st. He turned a nifty 3-6-3 DP in the 4th (he hesitated before realizing he should get the lead runner before tagging first). And on a ground out in the 7th, he jumped off the bag to make sure he had the throw. He made the catch and quickly jumped back on the base. He made the correct call, but it was scary to watch. ... Jason Davis made a great play on his butt in the 4th on a comebacker hit by Eric Bruntlett.

Competitors: The Mets lost to the Marlins and trail by two. The Marlins are 2.5 out.

Red Sox: Couldn't really follow the score today because you can't see the large out-of-town scoreboard when you are sitting in the outfield. The Red Sox lost to the White Sox 6-5 thanks to another poor outing by Clay Buchholz. Tim Wakefield has some shoulder tightness and is heading to the DL; no word on who will start Tuesday.

Competitors: The Rays won their franchise-best 71st game. The Twins and Yankees lost. The Sox trail the Rays by 4.5 but lead the Twins by 1.5 games.

Brett Myers: Even when he's good, he's bad

Christine and I didn't watch baseball together tonight. She stayed upstairs to watch the Phillies, and I was downstairs watching the Red Sox on WGN. (I forgot how bad the homer White Sox announcers are; they're probably worse than tonight's birthday boy Chris Wheeler.)

She came downstairs to report that Brett Myers was pitching well. That's nice, I thought, I can compliment on him on his third consecutive good start, which I will do. He pitched 7 2/3, giving up one earned, five hits and one walk with six strikeouts as the Phils beat the Pirates 4-2.

The only problem is that when Charlie Manuel lifted him in the 8th with only 93 pitches, Myers threw another hissy fit. Cholly obviously wanted J.C. Romero in with a lefty coming up and a man on second in a 3-1 game. But young Brett, who sometimes confuses himself with Pedro Martinez circa 2000, was yelling and screaming all the way to the dugout.

Cholly, who seems tired of being shown up by a pitcher who had to be demoted this year, went right after him in the dugout, poking a finger in his chest. The manager needed to be restrained. I think it's obvious whose side this blog is on.

In his post-game comments, Cholly took the high road, calling it a disagreement between two strong-willed people and a sign that Myers' confidence is back.

We wondered whether they gave player of the game to Jimmy Rollins because of Myers' outburst, although J-Roll did have a good game, 4-4 with two runs, two triples and a stolen base.

Competitors: Mets beat the Marlins and trail the Phils by one. Florida dropped to 2.5 games out.

Red Sox: As I said, I actually got to watch them tonight. I thought they would automatically be the lead story since it was a rare chance to write about them from observation, rather than box score. Thanks, Brett.

Anyhoo, Daisuke Matsuzaka was the story tonight, improving to 13-2 with a 6-2 win over the White Sox. It wasn't a typically ugly Dice-K win. Other than allowing four lead-off hitters to reach base, Matsuzaka was actually efficient. With only 106 pitches through eight, I was surprised Terry Francona didn't let him go out for the 9th. I hope Matsuzaka didn't go Brett Myers on Francona.

In his eight innings, Dice gave up one earned on four hits and three walks with four strikeouts. David Ortiz went 3-5 with a run and three RBIs, which came on a bases-loaded double. Jim Thome hit a meaningless home run in the 9th - I mention because I picked him up this week for my fantasy team.

Competitors: The Twins won, the Yankees lost and the Rays are losing early in the game.