Mets now accepting has-beens, cast-offs

Trot Nixon, a long-time Red Sox fan favorite, is now a Met. That's how bad things are going for the second team in New York, where Willie Randolph is on what seems to be the 12th death watch of the season.

I'll always root for Trot. I wasn't happy when he won a game for the Indians in last year's ALCS, but I didn't hold it against him personally. I hope he can rejuvanate his career as the Mets finish in last.

We're trotting all over the state. We're going to see one of the newest Red Sox fans, then up north into Yankee territory. So we may not update tonight.

Sox-Phils interleague history, 2006: The Sox took two of three in Philly in May - splitting the two games we attended. We didn't go to the opener in which Matt Clement beat Jon Lieber 5-3, keyed by Mike Lowell and David Ortiz homers. In the Saturday game, we saw Josh Beckett for the first time. Sloppy defense on both sides ruined his duel with Brett Myers. Beckett gave up four runs (three earned) in 7 innnigs; Myers gave up six runs (two earned) in 6.1. Sox won 8-4. Beckett also hit a homer and an RBI single.

Before the game, we were stopped by a couple of girls who wanted to take our picture because they were on a scavanger hunt and needed a picture of a couple wearing competing jerseys. We obliged. Our picture is probably on some weirdo Web site like ours.

The finale was a Phillies blowout. Brian and Liza invited us to join them in their section in right field, so I sold the tickets we had bought to a colleague (Red Sox fan). Cory Lidle, who we seemed to see more than any other Phillies pitcher at the time, was pitted against Lenny DiNardo, who combined with Abe Alvarez to give up eight runs in five innings. Future enemy Bobby Abreu was a double away from the cycle. Phils won 10-5.

There was a strange off-field incident: David Wells accused David Dellucci of using steroids.

The teams hooked up again a month later in Boston, and the Phillies faced some serious PR problems for starting Myers in a nationally televised game after reports that he hit his wife. Charges were dropped, and Myers seems to have matured since the incident.

On the field, the Red Sox swept. We didn't go to any games, but I have lots of memories of the series. During the first game, I was sanding and spackling a room we were planning to paint. Josh Beckett beat the Phils 10-2, but I'll remember Scott Mathieson pitching well for 4.2 innings after starter Ryan Madson got shelled. We listened to the middle game (the Myers debacle) while driving to North Jersey for a wedding. David Ortiz had a walk-off homer against Tom Gordon in the 10th. Jonathan Papelbon won it. I don't remember the Sunday finale; we were probably driving home from the wedding. Sox won 8-7 in 12, Craig Hansen over Clay Condrey.

High-scoring down memory lane

With Kyle Kendrick and the Phillies leading the Cardinals by nearly two touchdowns tonight, I couldn't help but think of Sept. 17, 2007. That night, the Phils staked young Kyle to an 11-0 lead. He was pulled from the game after he gave up three runs in the 6th. The Cardinals outscored the Phils 8-1 in the next two innings, and the Phils' 12-11 lead seemed awfully dicey.

With a bullpen that was awful and depleted, the Phillies thankfully scored one more in the 9th. Things were so bad for Charlie Manuel that Francisco Rosario had to get the last two outs for the save. Other notable relievers in the box score that night included Jose Mesa, Antonio Alfonseca and Kane Davis.

Tonight went a lot smoother in the Phillies 20-2 rout over the Cardinals, started by Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell hitting back-to-back-to-back homers in the 1st. They had 21 hits total, paced by four from Carlos Ruiz - the first time he's done that. Cardinals IF Aaron Miles pitched a 1-2-3 9th. The teams started throwing at each other, and I think we may see benches clear before the Phillies leave St. Louis.

Kendrick went seven innings for the win on the anniversary of his big-league debut. He's now 16-6 in his career.

Too bad the Phillies couldn't ship some of those runs to Cincinnati, where the Red Sox lost on the road again, 3-1 to the Reds. They were shut down by Aaron Harang. Justin Masterson nearly matched him (6.2 IP, three runs, three walks, four hits, nine strikeouts) but was a tough-luck loser. His first career loss.

More troubling, three days before the Sox-Phils series, Manny Ramirez's hamstring is acting up again. He left in the 7th.

Sox-Phils interleague history, 2005: The Sox swept three in Philly. I remember the series vividly. The defending champs were in midst of winning 12 of 13 to take a 3.5 game division lead. They seemed primed to roll through the league and repeat as World Champions. But they squandered a five-game lead in August and wound up tied with the Empire - again relegated to the Wild Card based on head-to-head record.

The Phillies put up little fight in the series, losing 8-0, 7-1 and 12-8. In the finale, after young Brett Myers was shelled for seven runs in four innings, the Phils made a game of it, tying the game at eight in the 7th, before the champs put them away with four in the 8th. Winners: Tim Wakefield, Matt Clement and Mike Timlin (then a Sox). Losers: Jon Lieber, Vicente Padilla and Rheal Cormier (then a Phillie).

While I remember the high I was on after the sweep, I can't remember the individual games. We're pretty sure we went to two of them, but we can't find the ticket stubs.

Good night for J-Moy, J-Les and the Red Sox bats

Playing an hour early again so everyone could see the refs try to tie up the Lakers series against the Celtics, the Red Sox crushed the Orioles, 9-2. Jon Lester had a good start backed by a Mike Lowell grand slam (second of the season) and homers by J.D. Drew and Kevin Youkilis. Hopefully the pitchers were paying attention because they have to hit now, as the Sox visit the Reds before coming to Philly.

(Speaking of which, Jimmy Buffett is playing at Citizens Bank Park this weekend. He's in big trouble if he damages the field and one of my players gets hurt.)

Speaking of old guys who should be on the beach, the incredible Jamie Moyer (is he on steroids or Viagra?) gave up only two hits and a walk in eight innings as the Phillies beat the Marlins 3-0, averting a sweep. {He's on neither. Phillies don't have to cheat to win.}

Sox-Phils interleague history, 2004: In the championship season, the Red Sox took two of three in Boston. We didn't go to any of the games, but I remember that it seemed as if Philadelphians took over Fenway. Behind a good Pedro Martinez outing, the Sox trampled the Phillies and Paul Abbott 12-1. Then, I can't remember why, but Randy Wolf was pulled after four innings in the second game. Ryan Madson got the win in relief, 9-2 over Bronson Arroyo. The Sox put up another dozen in the last game, as Curt Schilling beat young Brett Myers 12-3.

A new all-American hero

Big Papi is now Big Daddy, as he became an American citizen today. He didn't make a presidential endorsement. And because he's hurt, David Ortiz didn't get to run on the field with a little American flag, as Manny Ramirez did in 2004.

Also unclear is which Red Sox will be next to pledge allegiance - Daisuke Matsuzaka or Hideki Okajima.

The Red Sox celebrated with a 6-3 win over the Orioles, fetching career win No. 150 for Bartolo Colon. (Didn't he just pitch?)

Things weren't so cheery for the Phillies. Cole Hamels had a strong start - two runs in 8 innings with 12 strikeouts - but his mates abandoned him and trailed 2-1 in the 9th. Erik Bruntlett, on second after pinch-running for Greg Dobbs and a walk by Jimmy Rollins, stole third. Shane Victorino struck out. Bruntlett scored when Chase Utley grounded to short and the Marlins couldn't wrap up the double play.

So the Phillies would have to wait until the 10th to get the lead - just a matter of Tom Gordon in the 9th. Oops. Grand slam, Dan Uggla. Welcome back, Flash. Your ERA is back in the 5's for the first time in more than a month. The Phightin's are now 0-2 since the national media hopped on the bandwagon.

Sox-Phils interleague history, 2003: This is the year things started to get really good between our teams, as they kept swinging haymakers at each other and the Phillies taking the home series 2-1. The series started in June and ended in September.

With a Friday night rainout, Saturday became the first game - the infamous Todd Pratt walk-off homer off of Rudy Seanez (then a Red Sox). Great starts by Randy Wolf and Pedro Martinez yielded a 2-1 Red Sox edge after 7 innings. The Phillies tied it, and the score remained 2-2 into the 12th, when each team swapped runs. In the 13th, the Red Sox scored two runs after the first two men struck out. Jose Mesa, the eventual winner, was pitching. In the bottom of the inning, the Phillies rallied to score three, capped by Pratt's two-run homer. (I kept a pretty good scorecard, but don't know what would have happened if the game went on three more innings.)

We didn't buy tickets to Sunday's game because I worked Sundays at the time. We missed a 5-0 shutout by young Brett Myers. Recently acquired Byung-Hyun Kim didn't fare so well.

The make-up finale was played on Labor Day. It was a Mike Schmidt bobblehead giveaway, which was also postponed from the earlier game. {Schmidt's bat has since been broken on our display model, but we have one unopened in its original box. It'll be our big moneymaker some day.}

Christine couldn't come because she was visiting her newborn niece in Texas. She missed a doozy. It was a great back-and-forth game - Phillies lead 4-0 after two; Red Sox tied it in the 3rd. In the 4th, the Red Sox scored one, the Phillies scored two. After the 8th, the Phillies increased their lead to 9-7 and handed the ball to Mesa to save it. The Red Sox bled in the tying runs off Mesa and Turk Wendell before a Trot Nixon grand slam pretty much ended it. Even Kim, now relieving again, couldn't blow this lead. (He was already in the game and got the win.)

It took forever to get home because without Christine co-piloting, I got lost in Philadelphia. I'm geographically challenged, and somehow this season I've finally learned how to get to and from the park without Christine's help. {Considering that the ballpark is right over the Walt Whitman bridge, this really isn't a huge challenge. But I'm glad Greg has finally learned his way.}

[Photo credit of Papi: Boston Globe]

Serves me right

I guess the baseball gods didn't take kindly to me yawning at both of our teams winning on Sunday. They each lost tonight.

Young Brett Myers gave the Marlins a 3-0 lead in the first. The fish never grew that beyond three runs, but the Phillies never caught up. It seemed like it would be a classic Phillies comeback, but it ended 5-4 Marlins.

Funny little occurrence in the 6th: With two outs, Pat Burrell lined one to left. Luis Gonzalzez missed it (looked like it glanced off his face), and Burrell reached on the error. He should have been on second, but Charlie Manuel didn't bench him like he did J-Roll. I wonder what Mike Schmidt, the scribe, thinks about that.

Burrell scored but tried to give it back by misplaying a ball in left in the bottom of the inning. They ruled it a double. I joked that Pat the Bat was trying to justify all the times Cholly subs him out for running and defense. He then redeemed himself a little bit by hitting a homer in the 8th.

The Red Sox lost to the Orioles, 10-6. They survived another poor Josh Beckett start before Hideki Okajima blew it. His season ERA is now the highest it's been in America since his second appearance of last year - 2.89.

Jacoby Ellsbury had a hit in his first start since turning his wrist into a fruit roll-up. Manny Ramirez extended his hitting streak to 14-games. And the redeeming J.D. Drew homered in his third straight game - fifth in nine games. He has nine on the season compared with 11 last year. I'll take it.

Daisuke Matsuzaka is going to throw a side session tomorrow, but no one's saying when he'll pitch again.

Sox-Phil interleague history, 2002: Red Sox and Phillies didn't play each other.

A quiet off-day

Both teams are off today; things seem to be quiet all around.

The big news for the Red Sox is that Joe Mauer is making a run at taking Jason Varitek's starting spot on the All-Star team. With injuries to David Ortiz and Daisuke Matsuzaka, we have to elect the captain to make sure the Yankees fans have plenty of reminders of who is the dominant franchise in baseball when the All-Star game comes to Yankee Stadium for the last time.

{Yes, the Phillies, the dominant franchise in baseball. However, the team isn't lame and doesn't have to elect a captain, and doesn't need every single one of its players at the game.}

The Phillies' ascent up that mountain is getting national attention, and Todd Zolecki keeps comparing them to the '93 Phils.


Sox-Phils interleague history, 2001: The Red Sox took two of three in a June series at Fenway; we were at all three games. Bleacher seats cost $18. The Sox loss came in the middle game. Making his second start since his infamous quote "Maybe they should wake up the Bambino and have him face me and maybe I'll drill him," Pedro Martinez struggled for seven innings, giving up five runs. Injuries would limit him to fewer than 30 innings for the rest of the season. I felt as if it were the beginning of the end for Pedro. In some ways, it was. But he did pitch three more full seasons, although he wasn't the dominant Pedro of old. Omar Daal, who came to Philadelphia in the 2000 deal that sent Curt Schilling to Arizona, got the win.


The opener was a 3-2 duel between David Cone and Randy Wolf, who took a tough-luck, 8-inning complete game loss. Why has Randy Wolf thrown so well against the Red Sox? Maybe Pat Gillick should call San Diego before the 16th. {No way, don't need him.} I checked the stats: In five starts against the Sox, Wolf is 2-1 with 2.73 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. I'll always remember that game as the debut of Eric Valent, who was drafted by the Phillies as compensation for not signing J.D. Drew. Valent was the Phillies DH that day.

The Red Sox won the last one 5-4. Rheal Cormier (then a Phillie) took the loss. Hideo Nomo won it. Best line in the box score was that the late Rod Beck - the Shooter - and Rich "El Guapo" Garces, got holds. Vicente Padilla, another piece of the Schilling trade, was still a reliever then.

{I got heckled during this series for wearing a shirt with a one-inch-by-one-inch Phillies emblem on it. Every time Phillies fans get a bad rap, I remember this, when Red Sox fans acted like jerks before their team even started consistently winning.}

Triple header

Christine and I, and her Mom, spent a brutally hot day at the ballpark watching the local nine. The Phillies were in Atlanta, so we went real local: the York Revolution and the Camden Riversharks squaring off in unaffiliated baseball at Campbell's Field.

Instead of Cole, Chase and J-Roll, we had Jason Phillips, Aaron Myette and Josh Rabe. Instead of the Phanatic, we had Finley - the friendliest shark we know. Instead of statues of Mike Schmidt, Richie Ashburn and Steve Carlton, there were tributes to the legendary Campbell's kids. And every time a ball was fouled off, a cow mooed. (Foul - or is it fowl? - balls are sponsored by Chik-fil-A.)

We should probably go see the local team more often, but going to a game in the beginning of June is becoming an annual thing for us and the Riversharks. Through work, Christine's Mom gets tickets for the picnic area. Minor league baseball can be entertaining if there's a highly touted prospect or an amusing has-been in the game. This one had neither.

We split in the 7th because of the heat. We had to wait until Myette gave up a hit, which he did in the 5th with one out. Phillips, the be-goggled former Met, Dodger and Blue Jay, followed that hit with an RBI double. It was 5-1 when we left, and when it ended, "the hometown Riversharks were outplayed Sunday to the tune of 9-4," according to the team's press release.

Still undetermined is whether we get free pizza out of the game. They have a promotion where if a pre-selected visiting player strikes out, you get a free slice. If it happens, twice you get two slices. Three times gets a whole pie. Last year, our guy struck out twice, but when we tried to cash in, the pizza place wouldn't honor the tickets because it was eight days after the game. That caveat, that the tickets had to be redeemed with a week of the strikeouts, wasn't mentioned or printed anywhere. I complained to the Riversharks GM, who apologized and offered a free meal at the park. I didn't collect but appreciated the gesture. Today's strikeout player, C Luis Taveras, the older brother of Rockies CF Willy Taveras, was 1-3 with a groundout and flyout by the time we left. He would have gotten another at-bat, but I can't find a box score anywhere.


Phillies: We got home in time to watch the Phillies win (yawn) another close game late against the Braves. Adam Eaton, who leads the Phillies in quality starts, got another one today, but he didn't get his third straight win because the game stayed tied at three until the Phillies scored three times in the 9th. That's now four straight for the Phillies, who distanced themselves from Atlanta with the sweep and could put some more space between them and the Marlins in Florida over the next three games. If so, it'll be at the point where we wonder if the Phillies will just cruise. Christine hopes they learned a lesson from the Mets last year and don't think the division is won until it's clinched.

Red Sox: The Red Sox won again (yawn, again) at home. This time, it was a crisp 2-1 game over the Mariners. J.D. Drew, who's quietly redeeming himself after last year, hit the go-ahead homer in the 6th. Justin Masterson won again (three in four starts). He's now 3-0 with a 2.59 ERA. You have to love young, homegrown pitchers. Not every team can be like the Phillies and get into June using only five starters.

Sox-Phils interleague history, 2000: Phillies swept a home series; two games went more than 11 innings. We didn't go to any games. The opener ended in the 11th when Alex Arias doubled off of John Wadsin, scoring Brian Hunter. The middle game was a 9-3 blowout behind another strong Randy Wolf start. And the finale went 12 innings before Rheal Cormier (then a Sox) gave up a double to Kevin Jordon, scoring Brian Hunter again. Other winners: Jeff Brantley and Steve Schrenk. Other loser: Tim Wakefield.

On second thought, while we searched for ticket stubs to the 2005 Sox-Phils series, we found one from 2000. It was the finale. Curt Schilling gave up five runs in 7.1 innings against Jeff Fassero. Derek Lowe, then a reliever, blew it, causing the extra innings. Pat Burrell played 1B. We don't remember a lick.

The kicker: We can't find any memorabilia from 2005 and can't remember which games we went to. Yeah, we're getting old.