Our first game back

Yesterday was our first game back to Citizens Bank Park since we became parents. Lots of things were different - bootleg vendors sold ponchos instead of pretzels, the sax guy wasn't playing, and they now have a trivia game outside of Bull's BBQ.

But one major thing didn't change - it rained. We sat through it. We got wet. I got grumpy but hung in there.

Despite the hour and 45 minute rain delay - including a scary moment when I dozed off and thought I was blind because I could see only the white of the tarp on the field - it was a pretty good game. Roy Oswalt shut down the Nationals, giving up five hits and a walk with eight strikeouts over seven innings in the 6-0 win. The lack of runs was impressive because he let the leadoff guy on in the first four innings. And in each of those innings, someone got in scoring position, including the first inning when Oswalt struck out Adam Dunn and Ryan Zimmerman after letting the leadoff guy get to third with one out. Roy also went 2-3 with a run and came close to an extra-base hit in his final at-bat.

But he might not have been the player of the game. That award could be claimed by Christine's favorite, Carlos Ruiz, whose only hit was a meaningless single in the 4th and whose fielding was marred with a throwing error and three stolen bases.

Despite those feats, Chooch set up the big two-run 6th inning, which iced the game. With two outs and runners on second and third, the Nationals elected to walk the fearsome Chooch, who's actually been intentionally walked 33 times in his career (nearly all in front of the pitcher), to get to Wilson Valdez.

Valdez, filling in for a resting Chase Utley, was never so insulted in his life and stroked a two-run single to put the Phils up 4-0. Raul Ibanez hit a two-run home after the rain delay in the 7th.

Observations from the stands: It was a fairly uneventful game on and off the field. A funny moment came after the rain delay when the new Nationals second baseman, Alberto Gonzalez, complained that the field was too wet. He was booed when the grounds crew came out to sop up more water. After they left, a bunch of sea gulls (you can sort of see them on the right) swarmed the field, mocking the Nats.

We weren't sitting in our usual area of seats, and it seemed much more quiet than usual. We could hear the radio broadcast floating through the stands. In fact, the crowd never really seemed to wake up until the end of the rain delay when they played Chubby Checker's Let's Twist Again, followed by the original The Twist. The crowd was really going as the Nats took the field and an usher was shown on Phanavision while Twisting.

The team honored Philadelphia native Jerry Crawford, who was umpiring his last game in the city before retiring after a 33-year career. He also umped the last game at the Vet and the first at the Bank. You can read about him in the Inky and Daily News. Instead of giving him a gold watch, the Phillies gave him a plush Phanatic. More on that later this week, but I wonder if that's why the Phillies won so easily.

Debbi Kee's Keenote Chorale did the anthem. ... WPXN's Ben Arnold did God Bless America. No one told him it was raining. He could have trimmed a few minutes off it.

Antiquated T-shirts: We didn't see that many: Cliff Lee, Jim Thome and Jacoby Ellsbury's No. 46.

Babies on the brain: Of course, when we saw the Cole Hamels lunch bag, I was upset we didn't bring Trent. (OK, I was upset we didn't bring Trent as soon as we left the house.) The several young tots we saw in the stands didn't help. There was one nearby (kind of looked like Peyton Manning) who kept staring at Christine. Of course, being the proud, responsible parents that we are, we compared every youngin to Trent. There was no contest: The cutest baby wasn't at the park. ... There were some youngsters on the field with the Phanatic in the middle of the game doing some Latin dances. I dunno why we were amused by this; probably because it's the most people we've seen involved in a Phanatic skit.

Tonight's games: The Phillies faced former mate Brett Myers. On the radio broadcast, Scott Franzke said young Brett was starting for the Phillies. I think somebody is stuck in 2009. Myers pitched well in his return to Philadelphia, but was outpitched for seven innings by Blanton. Myers left trailing 2-1, but Ryan Madson blew it in the 8th. Astros 3, Phillies 2.

Unfortunately, the big story involving a former SoxandPhil is that the Red Sox put in a waiver claim on Johnny Damon, who's considering whether to waive his no-trade clause to Boston. I hope he stays in Detroit. John Lackey was also locked in a pitcher's duel but outpitched the Mariners Doug Fister and got a well-deserved 6-3 win.

Sitting in the rain

When we found out about Trent, we knew we had to give away the Phillies tickets we had for the first weekend he was home.

We planned on making our next game, however, and even toyed with the idea of taking him with us when we found out it was Cole Hamels' lunch bag giveaway day for all kids 14 and under.

Responsible heads prevailed, and we decided it would be our first extended time away from Trent. We spent weeks joking about how our luck of hitting rainy days at the park would probably continue.

Above is a picture of weather conditions when the game started; below is what it looked like during the 1 hour and 45 minute rain delay we sat through. I was even able to get in a nap.

Meanwhile, Roy Oswalt pitched a gem, and the Phillies beat the Nationals 6-0. We'll have our SoxandPhils recap of the rainy day at the park tomorrow - providing I get a chance to write, as Christine has to go back to work and Daddy Daycare opens for business.

The Red Sox also managed a shutout, 5-0 over the Blue Jays, despite rain in Boston. Clay Bucchholz lowered his league-leading ERA.

15 X 2 = Lots of injured SoxandPhils

Yesterday, Todd Zolecki noted that Ryan Howard is the 15th Phillie to land on the DL. Today, Amalie Benjamin noted that Kevin Youkilis is the 15th Red Sox to make this dubious list.

Thirty injured SoxandPhils. You could literally make a team of gimpy 2010 injured SoxandPhils.

Peter Abraham noted that 10 Red Sox have made it unscathed from Opening Day. That's out of the 48 who have been on the big league roster so far.

Meanwhile, the Phillies traded for Ken Griffey Jr.'s friend, Mike Sweeney, because of Howard's injury.

Today's games: Jon Lester stunk up the joint. In the 9th, Indians 9, Red Sox 1. Phillies lead the Marlins 5-2 in the 7th. There was a rain delay.

More quick thoughts on a hot and busy weekend

Trent met his other grandparents today, so baseball was once again an aside.

Another nice win for the Phillies, though, 4-3 over the Rockies, which sets up the possibility of a four-game sweep if Joe Blanton can come through tomorrow afternoon.

The game was delayed by severe thunderstorms. It's the type of game Christine and I are familiar with at the ballpark. It was much better to be inside with family.

It was also Christmas in July. Christine and I have never been in the park for Christmas in July, which might be the only promotion we've never seen in person.

While the Phillies won by scoring a couple runs late, the Red Sox lost to the Mariners 4-2 by giving up three late-game runs.

Unexpected

When we posted last night, the Phillies were losing to the Indians and the Red Sox were getting shut down by Ubaldo Jimenez. But then, the Phillies won a dramatic game, keyed by Jimmy Rollins' first career walkoff home run, and then the Red Sox beat around Cy Jimenez but lost the game when Jonathan Papelbon blew it in the 9th, giving up three runs on two home runs.

Baseball's like life - you never know what's going to happen until it happens.

Today, Joe Blanton pitched 7 2/3 strong innings as the Phillies routed the Indians 12-3. {The rain delay probably kept him from pitching a complete game. By the way, Greg and I are watching the game replay right now. Given our luck over the past few years with bad weather at Phillies games, we're shocked we didn't have tickets to today's matchup.} With the sweep, the Phillies are now 8-7 this year in interleague play with just one series left - the "road" games in Philly against the Blue Jays. Nelson Figueroa's back on the roster, replacing the injured Chad Durbin.

The Red Sox and Rockies just started. Daisuke Matsuzaka, whose return to the roster meant a trip to the DL for Mike Lowell, put them in a hole already. It's 2-0 in the 3rd. Dice threw 37 pitches in the 1st inning.

Page turners

A month ago, I was starting to get concerned that the Red Sox were going to spend the season battling the birds in the cellar of the AL East and Christine enjoyed watching the Phillies as they dispatched the Mets to reclaim their rightful place atop the NL East.

My, how things change.

As David Ortiz - who was pretty much written out of the league - kept saying during the Red Sox awful 11-12 April, they would turn the page. The Red Sox did, improving to 18-11 in May, and so did Big Papi, as FanGraphs noted:

We should just stop writing off David Ortiz until he retires.

Ortiz in April: .143/.238/.286, routinely booed, talk of being released
Ortiz in May: .363/.424/.788, best hitter (non-Morneau division) in baseball

The Phillies also surged in May, building a five-game lead by May 17, but everyone knows the bottom has fallen out over the past two weeks:

The Phillies had a season-high five-game lead in the NL East following a 12-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 17. They had the second-best offense in baseball at the time, averaging 5.73 runs per game. Only the New York Yankees (5.76) had averaged more.

But entering tonight's game against the Braves, the Phillies rank 12th in baseball, averaging 4.69 runs per game.

Quite a fall.

Todd Zolecki didn't have to note that the Phillies are now back in second place (unless they beat the Braves tonight).

Point is, the Red Sox may not be as good as they played in May, but they're definitely not as bad as they played in April. The same is true for the Phillies. It's a long season, and eventually the Phillies will turn the page and begin to play like champions again. If they can ever hit another home run - 63 innings and counting entering tonight's game.

Today's games: Rain. Both teams had rain delays, but the Phillies' delay came in the middle of the 1st inning, forcing an early exit for Cole Hamels, although the Braves sent Tim Hudson back out there. Perhaps hindered by the rain (Game 5 of the 2008 World Series not withstanding), Cole gave up a three-run homer in his two-thirds of an inning. In the 3rd, Braves 5, Phillies 0.

The Red Sox had to wait only a half hour before starting their game, so John Lackey has no excuse for the two-run homer he gave up. Or the 11 hits and a walk. In the 6th, A's 4, Red Sox 3.

Congrats: Roy Halladay was named player of the week. Ryan Howard (4-25), Jayson Werth (1-20) and Chase Utley (3-27) demand recounts.

Yankees = wusses

Instead of just adding "Look back at 2008" at the bottom of today's post, I'm going to lead off with it.

A year ago tonight, Christine and I were scrambling to prepare the house for a small party the next day while getting ready to watch the Phillies first home World Series game in 15 years. I remember the night vividly because there was torrential rain as I went to the store to pick up some last-minute items.

It was kind of reminiscent of last night's rain, except last October was much colder than yesterday's humid 60+ degrees.

The Phillies and Rays waited out the rain and then played a truly memorable game. Jamie Moyer gutted out 6 1/3 innings. We later found out that he had a sleepless night with stomach ailments. The Phillies won in the wee hours of the morning in the bottom of the 9th when Carlos Ruiz hit a ball to third slow enough to score Eric Bruntlett. The Phillies showed championship grit with the weather and the Rays, and pretty much set themselves up for the series win.

The Yankees found themselves in a similar position before last night's scheduled Game 6 of the ALCS. Did they wait out the heavy rain and then play in what were better conditions than what the Phillies and Rays (and Philly fans) suffered through last year? Nope, the game was called off hours before it started.

At home, I couldn't believe it when I hard a host on the MLB Network say "awesome" when they showed a clip of Andy Pettitte having a catch in the drizzle.

If he wants to see a truly "awesome" pitching performance in the rain, he should skip ahead to Thursday's look back at 2008 to review our recap of the first half of Game 5 of the World Series.

I still can't believe we sat through that crap. Christine can't believe that no one understands how bad it was. The Yankees and their fans certainly never will.

I hope New York wins tonight ... against the Arizona Cardinals.

Go Angels!

Snowed out

So a year after the Phillies began their World Series clincher in a monsoon, they've been snowed out. Game 3 will be tomorrow at 10:07 p.m. and Game 4 will be sometime on Monday.

You know what that means ... shopping spree!

How were many players spending the day? Going to the mall.

"What else do you do when it's snowing outside?" Werth said.

Um, J-Dub, when it's snowing, I clear off our cars, go to work and then shovel the driveway when I get home. Christine says she stays inside, but usually she makes it to work.

With the delay, J.A. Happ gets Pedro Martinez's start. Cliff Lee will start Game 4, and I assume, as long as the wife allows him, that Cole Hamels would pitch Game 5, if necessary.

I was thinking this morning, how weird has this Pedro Martinez experience been? He's gone from an intriguing and perplexing signing, to extraneous, to dominant, to forgotten, to playoff starter and then back to "why the hell is he on this team again?"

Red Sox: I made it to the end of last night's game, a 4-1 loss to the Angels, even though it was nearly 1 a.m. and I had to work this morning. Josh Beckett looked like playoff Josh until the 7th inning. He was locked in a 1-1 pitcher's duel with Jered Weaver until then.

Five years ago, I woke up Oct. 17 devastated. The Red Sox were one game from elimination without registering a win in the ALCS. I had to work at the shore that morning and conceded the series to the Yankees.

Coincidentally, work brought me to the shore this morning. But I don't feel as devastated despite the similar predicament. It doesn't look good for the Sox, but they won the ALDS in 1999 and 2003 despite falling behind 0-2. I don't think they're going to pull this series out, but by no means am I giving up.

I say with certainty that their season will not end tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow's game, which starts at noon, it looks like Terry Francona is over his tummy ache and has graduated from bananas and saltines to large quantities of salted pork and caffeine. Ewww.

Washed out. Again.

Despite improving weather forecasts, we headed to Saturday's game fully expecting to get soaked. Whenever there's the slightest chance of rain when we go to a Phillies game - it pours.

We were actually relieved that there was some heavy rain on the way over. The drive wasn't fun, but we arrived in plenty of time and listened to the pregame while looking at rainbows. (There were actually two right next to each, but one was too faint for the camera to pick up.)

First pitch was delayed a few minutes, but we didn't mind. We were dry and set to see Cliff Lee for the first time. His perfect start to his Phillies career was washed away, however, as he got torched for six runs on 10 hits in five innings against the Braves. His microscopic ERA tripled to 1.80. I had a feeling before we went to the game this would be the night the legend of Cliff Lee would come to an end.

Lee pitched well early on. In the second he didn't allow a run even though the Braves had two men in scoring position with one out. But in the fourth he gave up two homers (he had given up none in five starts as a Phillie), and the Braves were en route to an abbreviated 9-1 win.

On-field observations: Ryan Howard's single in the 4th was excellent, just a slow dribbler to second, but because the infield was back for the shift, the Braves had no play. It would have been a routine out if the infield were positioned normally. ... Lee's ERA rose from 0.63 to 1.47 after the first home run; 1.24 to 1.65 after the second; and 1.61 to 1.89 after the final bomb.

Unobservation: In the 2nd, I saw Jayson Werth swing and miss. I thought he struck out and noted it in my scorecard, but it was just the second strike. Brian McCann must have agreed with me because he threw the ball to third instead of back to the pitcher.

Observations from the stands: The QVC Singers did the anthem. Very weird. I kept expecting to see a 1-800 number with a timer posted on the scoreboard. ... Good fan question: "Who is your favorite former Phillies/Braves player?" With 42 percent, people selected BravesandPhil Dale Murphy over Kevin Millwood, Ron Gant and Johnny Estrada. ... The woman who received a marriage proposal wore a shirt "Happ and Lee Ever After." Wonder if she knew she was getting a ring?

Antiquated shirts: Not many, but a couple oddball Yankees - Moose Skowron and Don Mattingly - in addition to the usual Jim Thome, Pat Burrell and Chris Coste. Interesting about Mattingly: Earlier I told Christine that I was surprised Paul Bako wore No. 23 because it seems like one of the most popular uniform numbers, partly because of Mattingly. Maybe it's just a New York/North Jersey thing.

The skies opened: Our pregame confidence was shattered when we heard an usher say a storm was about five minutes away. When it arrived, we immediately hustled up some rows in the 400 level, under cover, to debate whether we should go with our windbreakers, ponchos, umbrellas or some combination. Before we could decide, another usher forced us to the concourse because of the lightning.

We found a good dry spot next to a snack stand that was closed. Until we saw water flowing out of a turned-on light fixture - probably not the safest place to stand.

We hung around until they ended the game in the mid-8th. Although it was pouring, Dan Baker told us to "exercise caution" when leaving. In other words, "You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here."

We're going to one more game this year. I predict monsoon.

Today's games: The Phillies are on ESPN tonight.

Paul Byrd got a surprise start for the Red Sox today because Tim Wakefield's back is acting up. Great. The roider actually came through: three hits, three walks and no runs in six innings. Billy Wagner made his debut, striking out three and giving up a hit in the 8th inning. The Red Sox beat the Blue Jays 7-0.

Dog bites man

As is becoming an unfortunate habit when we go to Citizens Bank Park, Christine and I had to sit through a long, cold, wet and delayed mess of a baseball game. It spanned two calendar days, but at least we didn't have to pay twice for parking.

Only in baseball can the same two teams that played a beautifully crisp 13-inning game in little more than four hours on a pleasant 83-degree night come back the next night and take nearly three hours and forty minutes to play nine innings of slop during a cold and wet night that felt much worse than the listed 71 degrees. Oh, and that game time doesn't include the hour and a half rain delay.

Here's our recap of Game Two of the SoxandPhils showdown in which the 2007 champs beat the 2008 champs, 11-6:

Yesterday, I noted that Antonio Bastardo hadn't had a bad start in either of his first two big-league games. He took care of that early yesterday. Jacoby Ellsbury walked, stole second and went to third when Carlos Ruiz's throw went to center. Ellsbury scored on an errant pickoff attempt at first base after Kevin Youkilis walked. Jason Bay homered him in. As the rain began to drive down, Julio Lugo singled to center, but Shane Victorino let it get by him, allowing two more runs to score. 5-0 before the Phillies even batted.

Daisuke Matsuzka pitched a 1-2-3 first inning. I gave up keeping score because the scorecard was getting too wet, even tucked inside a plastic bag. I joked to Christine that tonight would be the night I would see a no-hitter without a scorecard to record it. I couldn't have been more wrong.

As the Phillies warmed up in the top of the 2nd, Christine was confident her Phillies would make a game of it and predicted a long, ugly back-and-forth affair. They would come back, but not after we spent some quality time in the concourse of the ballpark waiting for the rain to end. Our primary amusement was trying to decide which drunken Red Sox fan would fall down first. There were a couple of close calls, but no winners.

When play resumed, new Phillies pitcher Chad Durbin kept the Red Sox in check for three innings as the Phillies took care of Dice-K. They scored a run in the 3rd on back-to-back doubles by Victorino and Chase Utley. In the 4th, when I made a rare run to the concession stand, Raul Ibanez led off with a home run, followed two batters later by a two-run blast by Pedro Feliz. Dice finished the inning, but that was the end of his night – Red Sox 5, Phillies 4. {Actually, by my count, it was 4-0. Because I was entrusted to keep score when Greg got up, I corrected the early scoring and nullified the 1st inning runs.}

Jack Taschner, who is gaining on Chan Ho Park for the title of least-loved member of the Phillies pitching staff, relieved Durbin in the 5th. The Trashman delivered – he faced nine batters, giving up three runs on four singles, a double and a walk. The inning ending on a flyout to center in which Victorino showed some great range. He made an exaggerated gesture to show the crowd he had the ball. Earlier in the inning, he was miffed that the umpires said he trapped a ball when he thought he caught it on the fly.

The Phillies rallied to get one back off Manny Delcarmen, who's starting to exhibit signs of a slump. The Sox rallied for two more in the 7th off of Sergio Escalona. We had no idea he was called up to replace Friday night's goat, Kyle Kendrick. The teams traded a pair of solo home runs (Jayson Werth in the 7th and Jacoby Ellsbury in the 9th) before Jonathan Papelbon mercifully ended this nightmare of a game at 12:25 a.m.

Observations from the stands: Great national anthem by the United States Air Force Heritage Brass quartet. One of the best renditions I've heard at the park in a long time. ... Rob McElhenney of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" threw out the first pitch. ... Among the many rain ponchos we saw, I spotted one with Buffalo Bills logos on it and another with the Pittsburgh Pirates. ... We spotted a dutiful helper dog during the delay wearing a rain slicker and a Phillies bandanna. ... The subject of the night's scoreboard marriage proposal had an infant in her arms. Christine wondered how the guy convinced her to wait out the cold, wet delay with the baby. ... A grown man behind us wore bright white sneakers with Phillies logos on them.

Christine wanted the Phanatic's late-game dance segment to play off how late it was getting. It didn't, but the PA did play "After Midnight" during the first inning break occurring after midnight. ... Speaking of music, we didn't hear Journey's Separate Ways last night, but Werth is now rotating his at-bat songs, including his original Heavy Metal by Sammy Hagar and newly added Sex on Fire by Kings of Leon. I know you all love J-Dub and his intro music selections, but we can't keep up anymore.

On-field stars: Dice-K (1st), Durbin (2nd), Hideki Okajima (6th) and Ramon Ramirez (8th) for the few 1-2-3 innings in the game that saw the teams combine for 386 pitches (176 by the Red Sox, 210 by the Phillies). ... Ryan Howard surprised everyone by attempting to steal in the 2nd inning. He slid with an awful thud, but it was for naught because Ibanez fouled off the pitch. Christine wondered if he swung out of panic thinking he missed a hit-and-run sign when the big guy took off. ... Ellsbury showed his range in center field all night. ... Mike Lowell made a tremendous spear of a low liner smoked by Howard in the 3rd. It's one of those plays that looks like nothing in the box score, but could have prevented the Phillies from catching up. ... In a game that featured 17 runs on 26 hits and 11 walks, there were too many offensive stars to name. You can look up individual performances here. Although I didn't realize until just now that the Red Sox gave up only one of those walks.

Etc.: Here's some background info on the love affair between Philadelphia fans and J.D. Drew for the Red Sox fan who asked Christine with two outs in the bottom of the 9th whether Drew gets booed in Philly because he used to play here.

Today: No rest for the weary. Todd Zolecki says the Phillies deserve a short game featuring a long outing by J.A. Happ today. The Red Sox could use one too, but two SoxandPhils fans over here could really use one. We'll catch the finale this afternoon (Josh Beckett vs. Happ), then make a call to The Pen at 8 p.m. on MLB and then we'll try to catch up on some of the sleep lost last night.

Jayson Werth goes soft

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tom McCarthy confirmed it was shortly after.

[Image: Austin Chronicle]

Busy night

A long day at work, voting and going to our free movie have left little time for blogging. But it looks like the Phillies have responded to Charlie Manuel's little "attitude adjustment." They were leading the Brewers 11-3 after six innings when the game was delayed to rain.

The Red Sox game was completely rained out.

Let's try this again

The Phillies stand nine outs away from a World Championship - providing they score one more run than the Rays over 4 1/2 innings tonight. I feel less certain about their chances now that Cole Hamels is out of the game, but find me a Phillies fan who wouldn't sign up for this scenario seven weeks ago before the Brewers series.

Before we conclude Game 5 tonight, here's a look back at the wet, wild and weird first half of it from Monday.

We sat out in right field. We couldn't see the pitch count or a large portion of Jayson Werth's territory. But we were in the park for the potential clincher. For the first time in more than a decade, I didn't attempt to keep score or take notes - there was no way with the rain and wind and all the layers of clothes I wore.

The crowd was loud at points, but definitely muted a bit because of the weather. A friend just asked me about the awe and spectacle of being at the World Series, and I had to shrug a bit. It was more just trying to survive the weather than soaking in the atmosphere.

What a weird feeling for what is probably Pat Burrell's last home game in Philadelphia. He's still hitless in the series. The night belonged to Cole Hamels. He survived the slop, giving up two runs (one was very cheap) on a walk, five hits and three strikeouts in six innings. And even though we couldn't see the pitch count, we knew he would have pitched more if the game didn't end after six innings. We were surprised to later learn his count was only at 75. And, there is no way he would give up that second run in the 6th if the field were dry.

I'm still concerned about the offense. They had Scott Kazmir on the ropes but could only muster the two first inning runs on Shane Victorino's bases loaded single. Tonight, they need to come out angry and prove to the world that they are champions no matter what is thrown their way.

The Phillies relievers, pictured here walking out to the bullpen Monday even though they wouldn't be needed for a couple of days, should be well-rested and able to get the nine outs. Game starts at 8:37 after Barack Obama's talk; the partying should start about 9:48.

Observations from the stands: For the World Series, a lot of people were clueless about the game. I'd expect it in the rich seats, but not in our section. The guy next to us cheered for the Hawaiian Thunder. His lady friend had to correct him. He was also taken aback that there were so many umpires on the field. There was another stupid comment behind us, but I forget the details. ... Brad Lidge got his Delivery Man of the Year Award. ... John Oates, filling in for the ill Daryl Hall, sang the National Anthem, one of the better renditions of the playoffs. ... Jim Bunning threw out the first pitch. ... Will they have such festivities before the resumption of the game?

We saw one of our favorites, Doug Glanville, deliver the game ball. I took it as an omen, like the fact the game was played on the same date the Red Sox clinched the 2004 World Series. ... The ballpark's coffee wasn't as bad as I expected. They also served chili, soup, cupcakes and cookies. We were too wet and too cold to try them.

Peeves: I think we weathered the weather pretty well. We had layers and ponchos, but our gloves and coat sleeves got soaked. When we were walking in the concourse, I removed my gloves and kept squeezing water out of my hands as if they were a sponge. ... It's hard to pee with numb hands and three layers of pants. ... Walking into the stadium, we smelled the food from the large tents Major League Baseball set up for VIP post-game parties. Walking out, we heard a band playing inside. Who the hell can party after what had happened? ... We're not calling for Bud Selig's head, like many are, but we just wish he had called the game at a fair point - not when the Rays had an extra half inning to take a lead because of the sloppy field.

Enjoy the conclusion of Game 5 - finally a playoff game that should end in prime time. We'll check back Thursday night to hopefully post a picture of Burrell, Elvis and a trophy.

Game on?

We fully expected to see Pat Burrell and his bulldog Elivs taking a victory lap last night. We may have been over-confident in the Phils chances to wrap it up, but we acknowledged there was the tiniest chance the Rays would somehow bring the series back to Tampa.

To paraphrase another rain-soaked fan in the concourse after the suspension was officially announced: We did not think we would leave a World Series game without knowing who won.

We stuck it out and understand weather throws life some curve balls. But the game should have been called before the Rays tied it up on a mess of a field. That's unfair.

But we'll get them tonight. Or tomorrow. Or whenever this weather breaks.

Christine thinks all the rain we've experienced at the park this year is because I angered the baseball gods by saying we never leave games early. I think last night happened because I kept saying things were falling into place way too easily for the Phillies this postseason.

More details on the first half of our experience at Game 5 to come later. But posting, and thus our normal routines, will be as up in the air as the schedule for the rest of the series.

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.

Thunder and lightning

After waiting out a nasty electrical storm for two hours, the Phillies bats thundered back to beat the Braves 12-10 for a much-needed series win.

It was sort of neat watching the lightning and hearing the thunder from a distance - not so much when it forced us to squeeze in with thousands trying to find the few dry spots in the 300 level. (Citizens Bank Park doesn't provide much coverage in the upper level during the rain.)

The thunder started exactly when the Braves scored their first run in the 1st. The lightning started in the middle of the first when the scoreboard played its Peco Power plays. During the delay, they showed some of the Arena Bowl. (The Philly Soul won).

Enough about the weather - there was a pretty electric game on the field. All week I felt bad that I labeled Joe Blanton a sucky Phillies pitcher after only one start, especially since there were some bad calls and he had a long layoff between starts. No excuses today for giving up two first inning runs. He settled down in the 2nd, helped by nice plays from Eric Bruntlett and Pat Burrell, before he was lifted after the rain delay.

Play resumed in the bottom of the 2nd, and Blanton's replacement didn't get a warm greeting when he was announced as a pinch hitter. But Adam Eaton walked to load the bases, leaving the boos for Jimmy Rollins, who struck out to end the inning. Eaton, helped by the first of three Phillies double plays, pitched a pretty decent 3rd inning. But in the 4th, he gave up two homers, putting the Braves up 5-0. The crowd, which was serenading left fielder Gregor Blanco, changed its tune from "You suck Blanco" to "You suck Eaton." Pitching coach Rich Dubee huddled with the infielders to determine whether Eaton sucks. They decided he does.

It felt like it was going to be an awful game, but the Phillies offense returned for the second straight day in the bottom of the 4th. Chris Coste hit a two-run homer. So Taguchi got another pinch hit, and Jimmy Rollins walked before Shane Victorino hit a three-run homer to tie it up. Pat Burrell hit a solo shot in the 5th to help the Phils take the lead. That inning ended when Chris Coste scorched one back to former Red Sox Julian Tavarez, who snared the liner between his legs.

The Phillies appeared to blow it open by scoring five more in the 6th, capped by Jayson Werth's two-run homer. But there was a scare before that. On a single by Ryan Howard, Shane Victorino was about to be thrown out at the plate, but he hit Brian McCann hard enough to knock the ball loose and leave the catcher unconscious. (He should be OK.) Victorino stayed by home plate, and the crowd gave McCann a cheer as he walked off the field. In the 7th, Jimmy Rollins hit a solo homer, putting the Phillies up 12-5 in an apparent laugher. But Rudy Seanez didn't get the joke, and in the 8th, he gave up four runs while recording only one out. Ryan Madson allowed one more before ending the inning, giving Brad Lidge another save opportunity, which he converted.

Observations from the stands: Wags the Dog made an appearance promoting an upcoming Wiggles show at the Spectrum. It was like the Phillies were taunting us that Elvis wasn't on the field (I'll get to that in a minute). ... Also appearing pre-game for some reason was Miss Philadelphia Brintha Vasagar. ... The anthem was done by Philly's own Ron Ali. Never heard of him. He had a nice baritone voice, but took a little long. ... The Orioles finally won on a Sunday. ... When things looked bad for the Phillies, I heard my first E-A-G-L-E-S chant of the season at the park. Why? ... Blanco acknowledged the fans who jeered him all game. ... Right after the 4th when Victorino hit his three-run homer to tie the game, he was on the scoreboard wishing the fans a happy birthday. What can't the man do? (This, too, I'll explain further in a minute.) ... If there's something Shane can't do, the Phanatic's friend from Gotham City, who looks like Batman, is here to help.

The game before the game: We were at the game way too early. I wanted to get Christine a jersey, but their women's selection is awful unless you want pink, green or some other non-Phillies color. People: Make jerseys just like the players wear, but in sizes women wear. What's the problem?

Walking to our seats, we heard them announce the Phillies father-children game. We had no idea this was scheduled for today. We rushed to our section, knowing that this means Elvis, Burrell's bull dog, is in the house. At least he was in past years, but there was no sign of him today. The kiddies won a lot to nothing. (They don't keep score and the pros didn't get their at-bats.) Kolt Myers knocked a few off his pop, just like the rest of the league. I was surprised that Eaton's little daughter wasn't booed during introductions. If this were held post-game, I bet she would have been. Victorino did most of the pitching, but he wasn't too tired to be the star of the real game. In addition to knocking out McCann, he brushed back his son in the exhibition game.

Red Sox: They're up 7-2 in the 5th, trying to avert a sweep by the Yankees. Manny Ramirez, who's apparently tired of getting paid nearly $20 million per year and winning championships, decided to play well tonight.

Not a fun day

The Phillies, completely stymied for seven innings by Oliver Perez, finally had a threat going in the 8th, down 1-0 to their rivals from New York. With one out, Chase Utley hit one back to Duaner Sanchez, who bumbled and bobbled the ball and couldn't retire Utley. The All-Star stole second, and Jimmy Rollins followed with a walk. With the tying run in scoring position, Jerry Manuel yanked Sanchez and called up Pedro Feliciano for a showdown with Ryan Howard that would likely determine the game.

But then it rained. And rained. The grounds crew took off the tarp after about a half hour, but then it rained some more. After nearly two hours, Christine and I quit standing in the rain and scurried home. I know, we're old and married.

Turns out we didn't miss much. Jayson Werth did hit a two-run homer off Billy Wagner in the 9th. But Brad Lidge, the $37 million man, had allowed the Mets an insurance run in the top of the inning, so the game stretched to 12 innings before Chad Durbin gave up a two-run homer to Fernando Tatis. Mets 4, Phillies 2.

Observations from the stands: There was a hideous smell, sewage-like, in our section. No clue what it was; maybe the Phillies were trying to make the Mets fans feel at home. ... The Phillies went a little horsey for the national anthem, bringing in the All-Star Buglers. It was different, not bad at all. ... Tom McCarthy did his first in-game report in the 300 level right beneath us. We couldn't hear his insights. "Hey, Jimmy Olsen, sit down!" yelled a fellow season ticket holder who seems to get aggravated whenever someone stands in that spot. ... Seated in our section were a few New York tourists who apparently were right off the boat - the duck boat tours, that is. The kids brought their quackers to the game. ... In the 1st, there was an honest-to-goodness "Pat the Bat" chant. It didn't work. Pat Burrell popped out to first with two in scoring position. ... The fans throughout the park chanted in loving remembrance of the Marlon Anderson era. He played left field today. "You suck Marlon" and "Marrrrrrr-lon" roared throughout the game. ... The Mets threatened to blow out Kyle Kendrick in the 2nd. But when Brian Schneider singled to center to load 'em up, Shane Victorino made a nice throw to hold the runners. Kendrick got the next two out. ... Also in the 2nd, another former Phillie, RF Endy Chavez, made a nice catch to rob Carlos Ruiz, which kept Pedro Feliz on second base. He got there when Anderson completely botched a fly ball. ... Home plate umpire Bill Hohn was awful today for both teams. Tons of pitches were miles outside, then he'd wait a few seconds before signaling strike.

The Phanatic has new friends - Reggy the Purple Party Dude and Spanky the Nine-Foot Monkey. They danced, they partied - well, the monkey kind of just hopped up and down. But he did do a belly-flop on a Mets hat. Later, they took out a Mets fan and silly-stringed him. The monkey then shot some string so that it looked as if he were peeing on the Mets fan. Then, the Phanatic rubbed his butt on the fan. It was disturbing, and somehow it's even worse writing about it. ... During the rain delay, a fan ran on the field. I saw the security guards at both ends of the tube that the tarp gets rolled around. I'm sure the guy ran on the field then thought: "I need a place to hide. They'll never catch me in a tube in the middle of the field." ... We found a nice place to keep dry during rain delays in the 300 level. We're keeping it a secret, though.

All-Stars: As the day progressed, I was more and more confident that Burrell was going to make his first All-Star game. He didn't. What a crock. Hopefully Phillies fans show some pride and start stuffing the ballot. I won't mention the name of his toughest competitor, but Burrell is up against a foe with a bigger market and better national name recognition. So start clicking on those ballots.

As expected, Utley was the top vote-getter in the NL. He'll be joined by Lidge, who should buy him dinner in New York with his big payday.

Riding home, I got upset at Terry Francona when I heard Jason Varitek was named as a reserve. The guy is our captain and a leader of two championship teams, but he's in a funk with a .300 on-base percentage. It turns out, however, that although seven Red Sox are going to the game, none were selected by Francona. Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis won the fan vote. Varitek, J.D. Drew and Jonathan Papelbon were selected by managers, coaches and players.

Burrell was also upset at his snub (that's his helmet and batting gloves he threw on the field). Actually, that was his reaction to popping out in the 1st.

Tonight's game: The AL All Stars, I mean Red Sox, are tied with the Yankees 4-4 in the 8th.

Miscellaneous: We got this J-Roll bobblehead free for purchasing the 2008 Phillies yearbook. We'll give the book the typical SoxandPhils treatment sometime soon. ... Who writes the TV listings for Verizon FIOS? When the Sox played the Rays last week on ESPN, it said the top teams in the AL square off when David Ortiz leads the Red Sox against the Rays. They were current enough with the Rays' success but not with the fact that Papi has been injured? Then, this afternoon, WGN had the A's playing the Cubs at Wrigley Field - that was news to the White Sox, who were scheduled to host the A's. Finally, tonight, ESPN rewrote the Red Sox script, subbing Manny for Papi but forgot that the Rays are in first and called the Sox the division leaders.

Rain, wind but no win

"It's one thing sitting through a rain delay when they win," Christine said after Lyle Overbay hit a pinch hit homer to tie today's game at three in the 5th.

"It's more fun watching the clouds," an angry fellow season ticket holder yelled at the team after the Blue Jays scored three more in the 6th to take a commanding lead.

"We don't leave baseball games early," I implied on this blog in March.

Unfortunately, today we left a game early for the third time in our baseball-watching career. The first one was because of extreme heat, the second extreme cold. Today was extreme rain, even though they resumed play by the time we got home.


We sat through the first two-hour delay, but the skies were so dark and the rain was so hard that we didn't attempt the second. We still can't believe how much rain came down. We got soaked as we ran through the downpour and inches of water on the ground.


While the rain sent us packing, it didn't stop the Phanatic's birthday celebration, although portions were moved indoors because of pre-game rain. All the local mascots showed up - except for the Eagles' Swoop. I wonder what that was all about - maybe he was busy scouting another cornerback (or just jealous of the attention the Phanatic receives). All the mascots, and then Dan Dunn, a "jam artist," painted tributes to the green furball. All kiddies received a paint-your-own Phanatic statue. Christine was jealous.


Despite the rain, the game started nearly on time. The young-gun match-up of Shawn Marcum and Kyle Kendrick never really materialized. Kendrick threw a perfect inning and Marcum struck out three in an inning, but he also gave up two runs, two hits and a walk. Both pitchers were yanked after the first rain delay.

We spent the rain delay watching an inning of Royals-Marlins, then the Richie Ashburn DVD, before the Flyers' last game of the year started. I filled out nine All-Star ballots, and of course, we monitored the Red Sox score - an ugly 11-7 win over the Brewers by Josh "2006" Beckett, who gave up four home runs. The Sox are now in first again after a loss by the Rays.


When play resumed, Chad Durbin continued where Kendrick left off. He yielded his first walk in the 3rd and no-hit murmurs started before Rod Barajas doubled with two outs in the 5th, which started a three-run rally. The former Phil drove in a run the next inning.

In the 6th, trailing 6-3, the Phillies attempted a rally. They had one run in, runners on first and second with Pat Burrell coming up. That's when the rains came. We fled. We could see the sun in the distance as we left the stadium. Listening on the radio, we heard Roy Halladay coming in to pitch to Burrell as we pulled into our neighborhood. We couldn't believe the bad weather cleared that quickly.

Observations from the stands: After Pedro Feliz got a hit in the fourth, the PA system played Feliz Navidad, ending abruptly with "Feliz." That was the highlight of the sound system on a day when it was awful - lots of crapping out. ... A few people were nodding off in the stands - not just the head bob, but full-blown conked out. ... Christine gave me a poke in the ribs when she correctly read my mind that I was thinking of my fantasy team when the Blue Jays eliminated the possibility of Marcum getting a loss. But she was wrong: I was thinking about a save for B.J. Ryan. He nearly blew it but managed to save the game, giving the Blue Jays a 6-5 victory.

Hat update: Christine finally found a new one she likes. It's tan with a brown P and says Phillies on the back.

Baseball Mogul update: I'm still in the NLCS against the Diamondbacks. I was up 4-2 in game six and called Christine in the room to see the Phillies go to a World Series. You'd think a Red Sox fan would know better. Hopefully game seven goes better.

Rainy memory

Something occurred to me as I mowed the lawn in the rain today. We're going to our first regular season game tomorrow; it's against the Cubs and it could rain. That combination will always conjure a memory for me.

Last May, Christine's co-worker had tickets he couldn't use so we went to a Saturday afternoon game we hadn't planned to attend. It was a pretty good game: Freddy Garcia actually lasted six-plus innings. Although he and Geoff Geary blew up and gave up six runs in the seventh, the Phillies came right back with six of their own to retake the lead in the bottom of the inning. Brett Myers pitched two innings in a non-save situation in what was a turning point toward him being a dominant reliever.

But for us, an off-field incident will always stick out. There was a rain delay that lasted more than an hour. We sat through it, and the place emptied out for the end of the game.

In the ninth inning, as the rain was pouring down again, Aramis Ramirez fouled one back all the way up to our section. In our row. Since there was no one else left in the row at this point, I ran down the row and dove, coming up banged and bruised but with a game ball. Unfortunately, a kid was a few seats and rows away. He wasn't a cute little kid - more like a teen and he was nowhere near the ball. But that didn't stop a drunk in the section from suggesting the ball belonged to the "kid." I wussed out and gave the ball away. {I tease Greg about this, but he definitely made the right decision. We didn't need a fight over a ball.}

I'm still kicking myself for that. It would have been the second ball I ever got at a park - the first in regulation. In the early '90s, I brought my glove to batting practice at Yankee Stadium. I was there real early, camped in the right field corner. Someone hit a lofting fly right to me. I camped under it, but someone jumped over me and snagged it. Determined, I moved up to the wall and soon a ball was roped there. I reached across a bunch of kids (none of them had gloves and had no chance at it) and wound up with the ball.

Later, I had Pat Kelly sign the memento while I interviewed him for my high school paper when he was signing autographs at a local mall. I wore my Red Sox windbreaker and used my Red Sox pen.

Tonight's games: Christine and I are heading to the city for a party tonight. I know we have to miss the end of the first nationally televised Yankees-Red Sox game and probably all of the Cubs-Phillies game, so we probably won't update until after Sunday's game.