Game Recap:
Home runs by Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth helped pace Cole Hamels, who pitched seven strong innings for his fifth win of the season.
What went right?
Ryan Howard was 2-3 with a walk, two runs scored, a home run and two RBI.
Jayson Werth went 2-4 with a two run home run and two runs scored.
Shane Victorino was 1-2 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Cole Hamels looked sharp, allowing one run on three hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out eight.
What went wrong?
Jimmy Rollins went 1-3, but had to leave the game in the sixth inning when he strained his right calf again.
Placido Polanco went 0-5.
Carlos Ruiz was 0-4.
Game Analysis:
After a game like this, you would hope that the talk would be about how good the Phillies looked last night. Both Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth had two run home runs that got the Phils going on offense, and Cole Hamels had possibly his best outing of the season. Instead, the talk is about Jimmy Rollins and his right calf, which seems to not want to get healthy this season.
Before the Rollins talk starts, the Phils were solid last night against Boston. They managed nine hits off of Boston starter John Lackey and the Red Sox bullpen, and walked five times. Against an American League team, that's exactly what you need to do, and the Phillies did it well last night. They had that patience back at the plate that was so good at the start of the year, and part of it had to do with Rollins being back in the leadoff position for the first time since April. Unfortunately, it wouldn't last long, as the buzz surrounding Rollins' return was shortlived.
In the sixth inning, with the Phillies leading 4-1, Rollins came up limping after a single. Juan Castro replaced him and would score later in the inning, but the focus was once again on Rollins and his calf. The Phils shortstop had been off the disabled list for all of five games, but now he's going back again. This afternoon, the Phillies put Rollins back on the disabled list with another right calf strain, but this time the injury doesn't seem as bad. While the last one was a higher grade strain, this one was apparently a level one, meaning he should be back in two weeks or so. Regardless, the Phils seemed to be getting back into a groove with Rollins in the lineup again, and it sucks to have him be knocked out for another two weeks, at least. This team works so well with him at the top, and without him, there have been games this year where the Phillies have struggled.
Aside from the injury woes, Cole Hamels looked great last night. After giving up a first inning home run, Hamels settled down and allowed just three base runners in the next six innings. His changeup was moving and his fastball had more life on it than at any other time this season. It was good to see the old Cole out there, especially against an American League team. Even though the Red Sox are having a down season at the moment, they are still a dangerous team and can break out a huge offensive performance at any time, so for Hamels to control them like he did was great. Boston showed how good they were with several deep at bats, and still Hamels only gave up three hits and one walk. It was that type of night for Cole, who won his fifth game of the season and dropped his ERA to 3.92. The bullpen had a few moments in attempting to finish what Hamels started, but they did their job.
The scary thing about the Phillies is that they have the best record in the National League and are 11 games over .500 without Jimmy Rollins, J.A. Happ, Brad Lidge and Ryan Madson playing with them right now. Add in the fact that Joe Blanton, J.C. Romero, Rollins and Lidge all missed time earlier in the season, too, and you have to wonder how good this team really is. Without their leadoff hitter, closer and top setup man, the Phillies are still playing top level baseball. Eventually, most, if not all of these players will be back in the lineup or rotation. Can you imagine how good this team will be then?
In about ten minutes, the Phils and Red Sox will get on the field for game two of their series. Kyle Kendrick (2-1, 5.24 ERA) goes against Daisuke Matsuzaka (2-1, 7.89 ERA).
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
It's official, the Sixers have a head coach
After a night of speculations and reports, the news is now official. As first reported by ESPN.com, the Philadelphia 76ers have hired Doug Collins to be their new head coach. The contract is for four years, and hopefully Collins will last most of that time, as the Sixers have been through enough coaches since Larry Brown left. This is a safe move from the Sixers, but not necessarily an exciting one.
In terms of best coaches available, Collins was near the top of the list this offseason. He's had plenty of coaching experience before, with stops in Chicago, Detroit and Washington and has a career 332-287 record, making him at least better in that regard than Eddie Jordan. He was also the first overall pick by the Sixers back in 1973, so he has history in this town, and his work ethic was second to none as a player in Philadelphia. Coming to a team with young talent that gave up on the head coach last year, having a coach with a strong work ethic that he can pass along to his team is a very important thing to keep in mind.
That being said, this move is pretty neutral. The Sixers needed a head coach, and they got a head coach. Collins has never set the world on fire with his coaching ability, and all three teams he manned actually got better once he left. He's not the biggest name that's out there, and certainly isn't a name that's going to bring that much attention to Philadelphia, but the Sixers could have made worse choices as well. This isn't a bad move, but it's just a simple move, nothing more. It's not like bringing in a Phil Jackson or Pat Riley or someone just below that level. It's about bringing in a head coach with experience and the skill to lead players and make them better, and that's what Collins can do. He's not going to lose the team like Eddie Jordan did last year, but he's going to have to work to make them better.
This upcoming draft, with Collins at the helm of the team now, is going to set the stage for the Sixers for the rest of the decade. The biggest issue with this team is that they don't have that "give me the ball" player than Allen Iverson was in his prime in Philadelphia. Instead, they have a bunch of young players, like Thaddeus Young, Marreese Speights, Lou Williams, Jrue Holiday and Jodie Meeks, mixed in with older players such as Samuel Dalembert, a square peg in a round hole like Elton Brand and Andre Iguodala, who tried to become that superstar and was never able to reach that level. Where the Sixers go with the 2nd pick in the draft is any one's guess, but whomever they pick is going to have to at least get close to that superstar level. That's what teams expect out of the 2nd pick in the draft, and that's what the Sixers need. Honestly, they need help at just about every position, but if they pick the wrong player, the team could even move backwards again. If they trade the pick for veterans...I don't even want to talk about it.
Regardless, Doug Collins is the new head coach, and I wish him the best of luck. As long as he lasts longer than Eddie Jordan, he's ok in my book.
In terms of best coaches available, Collins was near the top of the list this offseason. He's had plenty of coaching experience before, with stops in Chicago, Detroit and Washington and has a career 332-287 record, making him at least better in that regard than Eddie Jordan. He was also the first overall pick by the Sixers back in 1973, so he has history in this town, and his work ethic was second to none as a player in Philadelphia. Coming to a team with young talent that gave up on the head coach last year, having a coach with a strong work ethic that he can pass along to his team is a very important thing to keep in mind.
That being said, this move is pretty neutral. The Sixers needed a head coach, and they got a head coach. Collins has never set the world on fire with his coaching ability, and all three teams he manned actually got better once he left. He's not the biggest name that's out there, and certainly isn't a name that's going to bring that much attention to Philadelphia, but the Sixers could have made worse choices as well. This isn't a bad move, but it's just a simple move, nothing more. It's not like bringing in a Phil Jackson or Pat Riley or someone just below that level. It's about bringing in a head coach with experience and the skill to lead players and make them better, and that's what Collins can do. He's not going to lose the team like Eddie Jordan did last year, but he's going to have to work to make them better.
This upcoming draft, with Collins at the helm of the team now, is going to set the stage for the Sixers for the rest of the decade. The biggest issue with this team is that they don't have that "give me the ball" player than Allen Iverson was in his prime in Philadelphia. Instead, they have a bunch of young players, like Thaddeus Young, Marreese Speights, Lou Williams, Jrue Holiday and Jodie Meeks, mixed in with older players such as Samuel Dalembert, a square peg in a round hole like Elton Brand and Andre Iguodala, who tried to become that superstar and was never able to reach that level. Where the Sixers go with the 2nd pick in the draft is any one's guess, but whomever they pick is going to have to at least get close to that superstar level. That's what teams expect out of the 2nd pick in the draft, and that's what the Sixers need. Honestly, they need help at just about every position, but if they pick the wrong player, the team could even move backwards again. If they trade the pick for veterans...I don't even want to talk about it.
Regardless, Doug Collins is the new head coach, and I wish him the best of luck. As long as he lasts longer than Eddie Jordan, he's ok in my book.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Well, Game 3 could have gone better...
No one really expected the Flyers to sweep Montreal right out of the way in the Eastern Conference Finals, did they? Even after the Flyers took care of business against the Canadiens in the first two games in Philadelphia, they still had to go to Montreal for the next two games, and you know that Canadien fans had their sights set on this game since Game 7 of the second round came to a close. Tonight, Montreal was the better team as they finally figured out how to get a puck past Michael Leighton and stop the Philadelphia attack at Jaroslav Halak, as they cruised to a 5-1 victory that cut the Flyer lead in the series to 2-1.
Over the past two games, the Canadiens have said that they need to get more people in front of the net to create chances while they're on offense. Tonight, they were able to work that plan with extreme precision from their very first goal on. Mike Cammalleri finally got his first goal of the series in the first period to start things off for Montreal, and it was all downhill for the Flyers after that. Tom Pyatt added a second goal in traffic later in the first to put Montreal up 2-0, and the Canadiens weren't done yet, scoring twice more to put the game out of reach by early in the third period and then adding one final goal as the final period came to a close.
This game wasn't all on Michael Leighton, though. To be honest, he played well and never gave up. He made several good saves, but when there's traffic in front of the net, and bounces are going the wrong way after going the right way for the first two games, there's not much you can do about that. It also didn't help that Chris Pronger's turnover in the first period allowed Montreal to take a 2-0 lead into the first intermission and gave them even more momentum heading into the second period. All in all, it was just a poor game from the Flyers, who have shown much more than what they did tonight in the playoffs.
In the long run, this game didn't really prove anything. Most people knew that the Canadiens weren't going to go down without a fight, because they've done just that in the first two rounds of the playoffs. They came back from a 3-1 hole against the top team in the Eastern Conference and a 3-2 hole against the defending Stanley Cup Champions. Montreal is a tough team to finish off, and they showed that again tonight. This series isn't going to be an easy one to finish for either team.
On the opposite side of the coin, the Flyers clearly aren't as poor of a team as they were tonight. They didn't get the bounces tonight, and they allowed Montreal to create traffic in front of Michael Leighton, which were two things that they had going their way in the first two games of this series. However, just as most people knew that Montreal wasn't going to go away, those same people knew that the Flyers weren't going to win every game in the Eastern Conference Finals by shutout and they would have to play with their backs against the wall at some point and time. Tonight wasn't pretty for Philadelphia, but I think they needed it. The Canadiens came out at home for the first time in ten days and hit the Flyers right in the mouth. Now, the ball is back in Philadelphia's court. Game 4 is Saturday afternoon, and a win by the Flyers gives them a chance to close out the series in Philadelphia in Game 5.
I think the Flyers would love a chance to close things out that way, and I certainly wouldn't mind seeing it, either.
Over the past two games, the Canadiens have said that they need to get more people in front of the net to create chances while they're on offense. Tonight, they were able to work that plan with extreme precision from their very first goal on. Mike Cammalleri finally got his first goal of the series in the first period to start things off for Montreal, and it was all downhill for the Flyers after that. Tom Pyatt added a second goal in traffic later in the first to put Montreal up 2-0, and the Canadiens weren't done yet, scoring twice more to put the game out of reach by early in the third period and then adding one final goal as the final period came to a close.
This game wasn't all on Michael Leighton, though. To be honest, he played well and never gave up. He made several good saves, but when there's traffic in front of the net, and bounces are going the wrong way after going the right way for the first two games, there's not much you can do about that. It also didn't help that Chris Pronger's turnover in the first period allowed Montreal to take a 2-0 lead into the first intermission and gave them even more momentum heading into the second period. All in all, it was just a poor game from the Flyers, who have shown much more than what they did tonight in the playoffs.
In the long run, this game didn't really prove anything. Most people knew that the Canadiens weren't going to go down without a fight, because they've done just that in the first two rounds of the playoffs. They came back from a 3-1 hole against the top team in the Eastern Conference and a 3-2 hole against the defending Stanley Cup Champions. Montreal is a tough team to finish off, and they showed that again tonight. This series isn't going to be an easy one to finish for either team.
On the opposite side of the coin, the Flyers clearly aren't as poor of a team as they were tonight. They didn't get the bounces tonight, and they allowed Montreal to create traffic in front of Michael Leighton, which were two things that they had going their way in the first two games of this series. However, just as most people knew that Montreal wasn't going to go away, those same people knew that the Flyers weren't going to win every game in the Eastern Conference Finals by shutout and they would have to play with their backs against the wall at some point and time. Tonight wasn't pretty for Philadelphia, but I think they needed it. The Canadiens came out at home for the first time in ten days and hit the Flyers right in the mouth. Now, the ball is back in Philadelphia's court. Game 4 is Saturday afternoon, and a win by the Flyers gives them a chance to close out the series in Philadelphia in Game 5.
I think the Flyers would love a chance to close things out that way, and I certainly wouldn't mind seeing it, either.
Phillies Recap: Phillies-5, Cubs-4
Game Recap:
The Phils got home runs out of Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley, but it was Raul Ibanez's single in the bottom of the eighth inning that allowed the Phillies to split their two game series with the Cubs.
What went right?
Placido Polanco went 2-4 and scored a run.
Chase Utley was 1-2 with two walks, a solo home run and three runs scored.
Jimmy Rollins was 1-3 with a three run home run.
Raul Ibanez was 2-4 with an RBI.
Joe Blanton pitched well, going seven innings and allowing three runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out three.
Jose Contreras pitched in and out of trouble in the ninth, allowing the Cubs to get runners on the corners with no outs before retiring the side for his second straight save.
What went wrong?
Shane Victorino was 0-4.
Ryan Howard went 0-3 with a walk.
Ross Gload batted twice and was 0-2.
Paul Hoover went 0-3.
Antonio Bastardo faced only one batter in the top of the eighth...and gave up a game tying home run.
Game Analysis:
After not getting anything from their offense over the past two games, the Phillies came out and set an early tone this afternoon, as Chase Utley launched a Ryan Dempster pitch into the seats in the first inning. Fom there, the Phils would add three more runs on a Jimmy Rollins home run in the sixth inning, but it came down to a clutch hit by Raul Ibanez and clutch pitching by Jose Contreras to give the Phillies their first win in three games.
The Phils got home runs out of Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley, but it was Raul Ibanez's single in the bottom of the eighth inning that allowed the Phillies to split their two game series with the Cubs.
What went right?
Placido Polanco went 2-4 and scored a run.
Chase Utley was 1-2 with two walks, a solo home run and three runs scored.
Jimmy Rollins was 1-3 with a three run home run.
Raul Ibanez was 2-4 with an RBI.
Joe Blanton pitched well, going seven innings and allowing three runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out three.
Jose Contreras pitched in and out of trouble in the ninth, allowing the Cubs to get runners on the corners with no outs before retiring the side for his second straight save.
What went wrong?
Shane Victorino was 0-4.
Ryan Howard went 0-3 with a walk.
Ross Gload batted twice and was 0-2.
Paul Hoover went 0-3.
Antonio Bastardo faced only one batter in the top of the eighth...and gave up a game tying home run.
Game Analysis:
After not getting anything from their offense over the past two games, the Phillies came out and set an early tone this afternoon, as Chase Utley launched a Ryan Dempster pitch into the seats in the first inning. Fom there, the Phils would add three more runs on a Jimmy Rollins home run in the sixth inning, but it came down to a clutch hit by Raul Ibanez and clutch pitching by Jose Contreras to give the Phillies their first win in three games.
The offense was better today after scoring just two runs in the last two games against average pitching. Today, the Phils got runners on and actually drove them home. Though four of their five runs came on home runs, it was the final run that scored that was the biggest. With two outs in the inning, Raul Ibanez singled home Chase Utley from second with what turned out to be the game winning run. That's the same kind of play that this team had last year and for much of this year as well. When the chips are down, someone is going to step up and make a big play at the plate. Today, it was Ibanez, but tomorrow, it could be any one of the eight position players that comes to the plate in a key situation. The Phillies were also patient at the plate, walking four times compared to just three strikeouts. It wasn't their best performance on offense, but after the last two games, it was good enough.
In his fourth start of the season, Joe Blanton had another typical "Joe Blanton" start, which is that he went seven innings and allowed anywhere from three to five runs. That's what the Phillies should expect out of Blanton, and he delivered today. He was pitching even better than that through the first four innings, but he gave up a run in the fifth and then two in the seventh before getting out of trouble. Though he only threw 71 pitches, I think Charlie Manuel might have taken him out of the game at that point not only because he didn't want to risk Blanton reaggravating his injury, but he saw how Blanton had pitched in the seventh inning. In most of Blanton's starts, he has one big inning where he gives up a few runs. Though the seventh wouldn't count as a big inning, I think Charlie could see that the eighth inning could turn out that way, and decided to nip things in the bud before they even happened.
Of course, all of that didn't matter, since Antonio Bastardo allowed a Kosuke Fukudome home run to lead off the top of the eighth inning and tie the game. Luckily for Bastardo, Danys Baez came in and settled things down for the rest of the inning, and the Phils took the lead back thanks to the Ibanez single in the bottom of the eighth. Then, came the ninth, where Jose Contreras faced his first true closer situation. He hit Alfonso Soriano after an 11 pitch at bat, then had him advance to third on a Mike Fontenot single, putting runners on the corners for Starlin Castro, Chicago's best prospect. Contreras fought back and got Castro to strike out, then did the same to Aramis Ramirez before getting Geovany Soto to pop up to end the game. That is the kind of moment that Contreras was going to need to experience while still getting his feet wet at the closer position. There are going to be one run games in the ninth inning where you make mistakes and put men on. The toughest thing to do is to not let the situation get to you and make even more mistakes. Today, Contreras did just that and showed that he might just be the best pitcher for the job until Brad Lidge comes back again. That's exactly what the Phillies needed today, and they got it.
Tomorrow, interleague play kicks off for the first time this season as the Phillies welcome in the Boston Red Sox. Cole Hamels (4-2, 4.29 ERA) will go against John Lackey (4-2, 4.86 ERA).
Phillies Recap: Cubs-4, Phillies-1
Game Recap:
Despite seven innings and seven strikeouts from Jamie Moyer, the Phillies only managed five hits and a single run for the second straight game as they lost to the Chicago Cubs.
What went right?
Ryan Howard was 1-4 with an RBI.
Jamie Moyer may have gotten the loss, but he pitched well, allowing just two runs on four hits in seven innings. He struck out seven and walked one.
What went wrong?
Shane Victorino went 0-4.
Jayson Werth was 0-4.
Carlos Ruiz was 0-2.
Chad Durbin pitched one and a third innings and helped put the game out of reach, allowing two runs on one hit. He walked two and struck out two.
J.C. Romero didn't fare much better, giving up a single hit, but it was the one that allowed two runs to score on Chad Durbin's tab. He did strike out two, though.
Game Analysis:
For two games in a row, the Phillies have been unable to do anything on offense, but I'm not that worried yet. The starting pitching has been great, and the offense will get back on track, so everything that is happening right now with this team isn't anything to worry about at the moment. Two runs in their last 18 innings is a problem, but it's not anything major. This team will bounce back and play well again, it's that simple.
Tonight, Jamie Moyer may have gotten the loss, but like Roy Halladay last night, he pitched well enough to win. Anytime you can get seven innings and two runs allowed out of Jamie Moyer, something is going right, and that's all there is to it. If the Phils can't match his effort, he's going to lose, but he deserves to win in a situation like this. Tonight, that wasn't the case, but he'll have other chances as the season goes on. It's a shame to have him waste one of his best efforts on the season in a loss, but that's the way it has to be sometimes. Moyer pitched well, but the offense and bullpen let him down, so he got hit with the undeserved loss. It's a shame, but it's part of baseball.
For the last two games, the Phils haven't been able to get anything going on offense, but these stretches happen during a 162 game season. Remember, the Phillies scored 12 runs on Monday night, so this team can score runs whenever they please, but every team goes through stretches where they can't score. It just so happens that these droughts happen most often when a team has a high scoring output in their previous game. For the Phillies, it's been two games since they've had a good showing on offense, but this team isn't going to stay quiet for long. With everyone back on offense for the first time since the home opener, this team is going to score runs, it's just a matter of when, not if. Chase Utley came back tonight and batted third, and everyone that was in the season opener played on offense tonight. Runs are going to score, and if they get efforts from their starters like they did tonight, they have nothing to worry about.
I still don't think that this team has any issues at the moment. The Phils are still three games up in the National League East, and are the highest scoring team in the National League, so I don't think it's anything to worry about. The Phils are going to bounce back from this little downswing on offense, it's going to be just fine.
Tomorrow, the Phils go for the series split with the Cubs, as Joe Blanton (1-2, 5.49 ERA), faces off against Ryan Dempster (2-4, 3.49 ERA).
Despite seven innings and seven strikeouts from Jamie Moyer, the Phillies only managed five hits and a single run for the second straight game as they lost to the Chicago Cubs.
What went right?
Ryan Howard was 1-4 with an RBI.
Jamie Moyer may have gotten the loss, but he pitched well, allowing just two runs on four hits in seven innings. He struck out seven and walked one.
What went wrong?
Shane Victorino went 0-4.
Jayson Werth was 0-4.
Carlos Ruiz was 0-2.
Chad Durbin pitched one and a third innings and helped put the game out of reach, allowing two runs on one hit. He walked two and struck out two.
J.C. Romero didn't fare much better, giving up a single hit, but it was the one that allowed two runs to score on Chad Durbin's tab. He did strike out two, though.
Game Analysis:
For two games in a row, the Phillies have been unable to do anything on offense, but I'm not that worried yet. The starting pitching has been great, and the offense will get back on track, so everything that is happening right now with this team isn't anything to worry about at the moment. Two runs in their last 18 innings is a problem, but it's not anything major. This team will bounce back and play well again, it's that simple.
Tonight, Jamie Moyer may have gotten the loss, but like Roy Halladay last night, he pitched well enough to win. Anytime you can get seven innings and two runs allowed out of Jamie Moyer, something is going right, and that's all there is to it. If the Phils can't match his effort, he's going to lose, but he deserves to win in a situation like this. Tonight, that wasn't the case, but he'll have other chances as the season goes on. It's a shame to have him waste one of his best efforts on the season in a loss, but that's the way it has to be sometimes. Moyer pitched well, but the offense and bullpen let him down, so he got hit with the undeserved loss. It's a shame, but it's part of baseball.
For the last two games, the Phils haven't been able to get anything going on offense, but these stretches happen during a 162 game season. Remember, the Phillies scored 12 runs on Monday night, so this team can score runs whenever they please, but every team goes through stretches where they can't score. It just so happens that these droughts happen most often when a team has a high scoring output in their previous game. For the Phillies, it's been two games since they've had a good showing on offense, but this team isn't going to stay quiet for long. With everyone back on offense for the first time since the home opener, this team is going to score runs, it's just a matter of when, not if. Chase Utley came back tonight and batted third, and everyone that was in the season opener played on offense tonight. Runs are going to score, and if they get efforts from their starters like they did tonight, they have nothing to worry about.
I still don't think that this team has any issues at the moment. The Phils are still three games up in the National League East, and are the highest scoring team in the National League, so I don't think it's anything to worry about. The Phils are going to bounce back from this little downswing on offense, it's going to be just fine.
Tomorrow, the Phils go for the series split with the Cubs, as Joe Blanton (1-2, 5.49 ERA), faces off against Ryan Dempster (2-4, 3.49 ERA).
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Leights out for Montreal: Flyers up 2-0
When you try and put a dominant Game 1 victory behind you, coming out and being outshot 16-6 in the first period of Game 2 normally isn't the way to get that done. However, Michael Leighton stopped all 30 shots the Canadiens threw at him tonight, and the Flyers did their job on the power play as they took a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals, moving them to within two games of their first Stanley Cup Finals in 13 years.
The story of the game tonight begins and ends with Michael Leighton. Ever since he was forced back into the starting goalie postion, thanks to Brian Boucher's injury, he's been nothing but clutch. After giving up three goals in the first period of Game 7 against Boston, Leighton has been lights out, shutting out the Bruins in the last two periods of Game 7 and becoming the first Flyers goalie to record back to back playoff shutouts since Bernie Parent back in 1975. That's pretty good company right there. He did his best work tonight, keeping Montreal off the board in a period that they completely dominated. The Canadiens worked the Flyers over in the first period, but Leighton was able to keep them from scoring a single time, and the Flyers were able to strike first on a power play goal by Danny Briere just four minutes into the game. From there, it became a battle of Leighton against the Montreal offense, and Leighton was more than up to the challenge. I don't know why the Flyers were able to claim him off of waivers from Nashville, but I'm not going to complain. Ever since he came to Philadelphia, he's been lights out, and now he has the Flyers just two wins away from the Stanley Cup Finals.
The offense was on point once again tonight, even with the reduced number of shots. Danny Briere is simply on fire right now, and he scored his ninth goal in 11 playoff games. For all of those people that thought Briere was overpaid on his way out of Philadelphia, I want to apologize. Without him playing right now, the Flyers wouldn't have made it this far, and he isn't showing any signs of stopping at the moment, either. He's the hottest player in the playoffs at the moment, and he's just been on point since the mid-way point of the New Jersey series. Right now, I wouldn't want to play for Montreal, because then I would have to try and stop him. The same can be said for Simon Gagne, who scored his sixth goal of the playoffs tonight. Ever since he came back into the lineup, the Flyers have been on a different level, and Gagne just might be why. He scored again tonight, giving him a point in every game that he's played in since he returned, and six goals since his return as well. At this point, I want every Flyer to break their foot and come back quickly, since it worked so well for Gagne.
The power play was on point again tonight, as the Flyers scored twice while keeping Montreal from picking up a goal on the man advantage. The Canadiens went 0-4 on the power play, which is one of the big reasons why the Flyers have 2-0 lead in the series right now. So far, everything is going the way of the Flyers, and that includes trips on the man advantage. Briere and Gagne scored with Philadelphia on the power play, and the goal by Gagne seemed to take Montreal completely out of the game. The power play by the Flyers had been the biggest reason why they are up 2-0 right now, and Montreal is going to have to try and stop that if they want to even get back in the series.
I don't think this series is over yet, not by a longshot. The Canadiens have been the team in the playoffs that have been impossible to write off, having come back from 3-1 and 3-2 holes against Washington and Pittsburgh. Until the Flyers have the lead in the final game and the horn is sounding, I'm going to believe that Montreal can come back. Right now, though, things are going Philadelphia's way. Michael Leighton is playing even better than he did before his injury, and the offense is on fire right now with Danny Briere and Simon Gagne playing as well as they are. Even with all of that, this team has to put the last two games behind them and try to focus only on Game 3 in Montreal. The Canadien fans are going to be crazy with their team down two games, and it's only going to get worse if the Flyers let them take the lead. The Flyers have Montreal against the ropes, and they have to finish them off before they can come back. I think they can do that.
The story of the game tonight begins and ends with Michael Leighton. Ever since he was forced back into the starting goalie postion, thanks to Brian Boucher's injury, he's been nothing but clutch. After giving up three goals in the first period of Game 7 against Boston, Leighton has been lights out, shutting out the Bruins in the last two periods of Game 7 and becoming the first Flyers goalie to record back to back playoff shutouts since Bernie Parent back in 1975. That's pretty good company right there. He did his best work tonight, keeping Montreal off the board in a period that they completely dominated. The Canadiens worked the Flyers over in the first period, but Leighton was able to keep them from scoring a single time, and the Flyers were able to strike first on a power play goal by Danny Briere just four minutes into the game. From there, it became a battle of Leighton against the Montreal offense, and Leighton was more than up to the challenge. I don't know why the Flyers were able to claim him off of waivers from Nashville, but I'm not going to complain. Ever since he came to Philadelphia, he's been lights out, and now he has the Flyers just two wins away from the Stanley Cup Finals.
The offense was on point once again tonight, even with the reduced number of shots. Danny Briere is simply on fire right now, and he scored his ninth goal in 11 playoff games. For all of those people that thought Briere was overpaid on his way out of Philadelphia, I want to apologize. Without him playing right now, the Flyers wouldn't have made it this far, and he isn't showing any signs of stopping at the moment, either. He's the hottest player in the playoffs at the moment, and he's just been on point since the mid-way point of the New Jersey series. Right now, I wouldn't want to play for Montreal, because then I would have to try and stop him. The same can be said for Simon Gagne, who scored his sixth goal of the playoffs tonight. Ever since he came back into the lineup, the Flyers have been on a different level, and Gagne just might be why. He scored again tonight, giving him a point in every game that he's played in since he returned, and six goals since his return as well. At this point, I want every Flyer to break their foot and come back quickly, since it worked so well for Gagne.
The power play was on point again tonight, as the Flyers scored twice while keeping Montreal from picking up a goal on the man advantage. The Canadiens went 0-4 on the power play, which is one of the big reasons why the Flyers have 2-0 lead in the series right now. So far, everything is going the way of the Flyers, and that includes trips on the man advantage. Briere and Gagne scored with Philadelphia on the power play, and the goal by Gagne seemed to take Montreal completely out of the game. The power play by the Flyers had been the biggest reason why they are up 2-0 right now, and Montreal is going to have to try and stop that if they want to even get back in the series.
I don't think this series is over yet, not by a longshot. The Canadiens have been the team in the playoffs that have been impossible to write off, having come back from 3-1 and 3-2 holes against Washington and Pittsburgh. Until the Flyers have the lead in the final game and the horn is sounding, I'm going to believe that Montreal can come back. Right now, though, things are going Philadelphia's way. Michael Leighton is playing even better than he did before his injury, and the offense is on fire right now with Danny Briere and Simon Gagne playing as well as they are. Even with all of that, this team has to put the last two games behind them and try to focus only on Game 3 in Montreal. The Canadien fans are going to be crazy with their team down two games, and it's only going to get worse if the Flyers let them take the lead. The Flyers have Montreal against the ropes, and they have to finish them off before they can come back. I think they can do that.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Phillies Recap: Pirates-2, Phillies-1
Game Recap:
Roy Halladay pitched a complete game, but got hit with the loss, as the Phillies could only muster one run on six hits against Zach Duke and the Pittsburgh bullpen.
What went right?
This won't take long.
Ryan Howard went 3-4 with a run scored.
Roy Halladay got the loss tonight, but it wasn't because of him. He pitched a complete game, allowing two runs on nine hits. He walked one batter and struck out six.
What went wrong?
The Phillies had three errors.
Placido Polanco went 0-4.
Jimmy Rollins was 0-4.
Ben Francisco was 0-4.
Carlos Ruiz went 0-3.
Juan Castro had an RBI, but also had one of the three errors the Phils had.
Game Analysis:
Sometimes, after riding a hot offense for a few games, the offense goes cold. That was the case tonight, as the Phillies managed only one run and six hits in support of Roy Halladay. The Doc got pegged with a loss tonight, but he didn't deserve it. Nine hits and two runs in a complete game effort is certainly worth getting a win, but tonight he couldn't do it. The Phillies just didn't have an answer for Zach Duke and the Pittsburgh bullpen, as they were shutdown against the Pirates.
The offense just had nothing tonight from the start of the game. When your top three hitters in the lineup go a combined 1-12, then you know something is wrong. Tonight, that was the case for the Phillies, as only Shane Victorino was able to get a hit from the top of the lineup. Ryan Howard had three of the six hits for the Phillies, and no other position player had more than a single hit, meaning the Phils had very few chances to score runs, and they didn't take advantage of those chances when they had them. In the fifth inning, Juan Castro brought Ryan Howard home with a single, but Jayson Werth was thrown out at the plate. That was the last real chance the Phillies had to take the lead, and instead they let Pittsburgh take it back in the very next inning when the Pirates manufactured a run. It just wasn't a pretty game tonight.
I'm not going to pin this loss on Roy Halladay, because I can't. Anytime that a pitcher can throw a complete game loss, something is going right on the mound, and something is going very wrong at the plate. Halladay was his usual dominant self, allowing just two runs in his effort. However, his nine hits were a bit high, but he still managed to get out of a lot of trouble, even with his defense committing three errors with him out there. This is the second start in a row that the offense hasn't done much for Halladay while he's been out there, and I hope it's not a trend, because even Roy Halladay needs runs to win games. Losing 2-1 complete games is not a fun thing to keep doing during the season.
Regardless, this is just a single game, and it's nothing to worry about. With this offense, you are going to get games where they just can't seem to score runs, and one of those games was tonight. Roy Halladay pitched very well, but there's no answer for a bad offense. Luckily, the Phils still have a decent lead on first place in the National League East, and I fully expect them to bounce back as this week goes on. One loss is nothing to get worked up about, not in a long Major League Baseball season.
Tomorrow, the Phillies open a two game series against the Cubs. Jamie Moyer (5-2, 4.57 ERA) will face off against Tom Gorzelanny (1-4, 3.60 ERA).
Roy Halladay pitched a complete game, but got hit with the loss, as the Phillies could only muster one run on six hits against Zach Duke and the Pittsburgh bullpen.
What went right?
This won't take long.
Ryan Howard went 3-4 with a run scored.
Roy Halladay got the loss tonight, but it wasn't because of him. He pitched a complete game, allowing two runs on nine hits. He walked one batter and struck out six.
What went wrong?
The Phillies had three errors.
Placido Polanco went 0-4.
Jimmy Rollins was 0-4.
Ben Francisco was 0-4.
Carlos Ruiz went 0-3.
Juan Castro had an RBI, but also had one of the three errors the Phils had.
Game Analysis:
Sometimes, after riding a hot offense for a few games, the offense goes cold. That was the case tonight, as the Phillies managed only one run and six hits in support of Roy Halladay. The Doc got pegged with a loss tonight, but he didn't deserve it. Nine hits and two runs in a complete game effort is certainly worth getting a win, but tonight he couldn't do it. The Phillies just didn't have an answer for Zach Duke and the Pittsburgh bullpen, as they were shutdown against the Pirates.
The offense just had nothing tonight from the start of the game. When your top three hitters in the lineup go a combined 1-12, then you know something is wrong. Tonight, that was the case for the Phillies, as only Shane Victorino was able to get a hit from the top of the lineup. Ryan Howard had three of the six hits for the Phillies, and no other position player had more than a single hit, meaning the Phils had very few chances to score runs, and they didn't take advantage of those chances when they had them. In the fifth inning, Juan Castro brought Ryan Howard home with a single, but Jayson Werth was thrown out at the plate. That was the last real chance the Phillies had to take the lead, and instead they let Pittsburgh take it back in the very next inning when the Pirates manufactured a run. It just wasn't a pretty game tonight.
I'm not going to pin this loss on Roy Halladay, because I can't. Anytime that a pitcher can throw a complete game loss, something is going right on the mound, and something is going very wrong at the plate. Halladay was his usual dominant self, allowing just two runs in his effort. However, his nine hits were a bit high, but he still managed to get out of a lot of trouble, even with his defense committing three errors with him out there. This is the second start in a row that the offense hasn't done much for Halladay while he's been out there, and I hope it's not a trend, because even Roy Halladay needs runs to win games. Losing 2-1 complete games is not a fun thing to keep doing during the season.
Regardless, this is just a single game, and it's nothing to worry about. With this offense, you are going to get games where they just can't seem to score runs, and one of those games was tonight. Roy Halladay pitched very well, but there's no answer for a bad offense. Luckily, the Phils still have a decent lead on first place in the National League East, and I fully expect them to bounce back as this week goes on. One loss is nothing to get worked up about, not in a long Major League Baseball season.
Tomorrow, the Phillies open a two game series against the Cubs. Jamie Moyer (5-2, 4.57 ERA) will face off against Tom Gorzelanny (1-4, 3.60 ERA).
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