Game Recap:
Roy Halladay pitched eight scoreless innings and scored the first run for the Phillies this year in Citi Field as the Phils took advantage of three New York errors to beat the Mets last night.
What went right?
Jimmy Rollins was 1-4 with a run scored.
Placido Polanco went 2-5 and had the only RBI of the night for the Phils.
Jayson Werth went 1-4 and scored a run.
Shane Victorino was 2-4 and scored a run.
Roy Halladay pitched eight scoreless innings, allowing just four hits while striking out seven. He also went 1-3 at the plate with a run scored.
What went wrong?
Raul Ibanez was 0-5, making him 0-13 since his 18 game hitting streak ended.
Mike Sweeney was 0-4.
Wilson Valdez went 0-3 with a walk.
Ryan Madson pitched himself into trouble in the ninth, loading the bases with two hits and a hit batter before striking out Josh Thole to end the game.
Game Analysis:
It wasn't a pretty game by any means, but the Phillies finally scored a run in New York against the Mets. It took 38.2 innings, but they finally pushed one across. Who scored the run? Why, Roy Halladay of course. Halladay did a bit of everything last night, getting the first hit of the game for the Phillies, scoring their only earned run and pitching eight shutout innings on his way to his 15th win of the season. With the win, the Phillies get a game back from the Braves and move to two games back in the National League East.
The offense didn't have their best showing last night, but they took advantage of the mistakes that the Mets made in the field. New York committed three errors last night, and the Phillies scored three unearned runs because of them. Raul Ibanez hit a sure double play ball in the fifth inning, only to have Ruben Tejada throw the ball into the outfield. Jimmy Rollins scored on the play. An inning later, two runs scored when David Wright channelled the spirit of Bill Buckner, letting a Rollins ground ball go between his legs. It was that kind of night for the Mets, and the Phillies were happy to take advantage of the situation. The offense still didn't look as sharp as they did at the start of the month, but they at least put men on base last night. The Phils had nine hits and two walks, with most of them coming off of starter Pat Misch.
Of course, then there's Roy Halladay. Roy was simply Roy last night, pitching eight scoreless innings and keeping the Mets from even mounting much of an offensive threat. The only time New York got a runner to third against Halladay, he came back by getting a ground ball out and then striking out the next two batters to keep Jose Reyes stranded at third. Other than that, only one Met reached second base against Halladay, who won his fifth start in a row last night. After a bit of a rough patch, it certainly looks like Halladay's is back to being the ace of this staff. He's won five games in a row, has pitched seven innings or more in all five, and has allowed just seven runs in those five games, with five of them coming in a single game. It's simply amazing how well he's been pitching lately, and if you've noticed, the better Halladay has pitched, the better the Phillies have done in the standings. Now, if only they could score some runs when Cole Hamels is on the mound. That would be wonderful.
Tonight, the Phillies look to close out their series against the Mets with another win. Kyle Kendrick (7-5, 4.60 ERA) goes against Mike Pelfrey (11-6, 3.95 ERA).
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Eagles Aftermath-Preseason Week 1: Eagles-28, Jaguars-27
What happened?
The Eagles played their first team offense and defense for the first quarter, and looked very good before squeaking out a win on a David Akers field goal with nine minutes to play in the fourth quarter.
The Good:
Kevin Kolb started his first preseason game as the number one quarterback, and looked good. He completed six of 11 passes for 95 yards. He also picked up 15 yards on the ground on two scrambles.
Michael Vick for most of the second quarter was solid. He completed 11 of 17 passes for 119 yards, and also rushed the ball six times for 50 yards and a touchdown.
DeSean Jackson was outstanding while he was in the game. He caught two passes for 47 yards and had a 17 yard rushing gain as well.
Jeremy Maclin picked up two catches for 32 yards.
Eldra Buckley had a good second half, rushing for 17 yards on four carries and catching two passes for 24 yards.
Riley Cooper made an impact in his first preseason game, catching three passes for 61 yards, including a 46 yard bomb in the second quarter.
The first team defense looked great as a unit. They held the Jaguars without a first down. Maurice Jones-Drew ended up with six total yards, and David Garrard looked flustered out there.
The Eagles held the ball on offense for over 40 minutes.
David Akers was 5-5 in field goal attempts.
The Bad:
Michael Vick had his poor moments as well. He fumbled twice, losing one of them, and also threw an interception in the second quarter that led to a Jacksonville field goal.
The Eagles managed to get into the red zone on their first five drives...and only got one touchdown out of those.
The offensive line struggled at times, forcing Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick to scramble.
The Ugly:
Did anyone else see the second team secondary? They made Luke McCown look like a superstar quarterback. Even Joselio Hanson looked lost out there for a lot of the game. Jacksonville's three touchdowns all came on passes of 30 or more yards.
The Breakdown:
Well, it was only the first preseason game of the year, but Kevin Kolb looked comfortable as the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. All you had to do was see his first pass of the game to know what the difference is between him and Donovan McNabb. Instead of the pass being behind DeSean Jackson or at his feet, Kolb managed to hit Jackson in stride, and the wideout took it for a 21 yard gain. The first team offense looked excellent in the two and a half drives that they were in, and the second team offense, led by Michael Vick, was solid through the first quarter.
There were a few problems, though. Kolb was great in getting the Eagles down into the red zone, but he struggled a bit when they got down there. He also locked in on a single receiver at times, and was lucky that at least one of the passes wasn't picked off. That will decrease with more starting time, and other than that Kolb was very good. He even broke two scrambles when the pressure got to him, and all in all, there was nothing to complain about on his end. LeSean McCoy could have done a little bit more, but it was the first preseason game, so I'm not going to complain much about the first team offense. They got points in both drives that they were on the field, so it was a success.
Even better was the first team offense. In his first game back from injury, Stewart Bradley looked good, and Ernie Sims was around the ball while he was in there as well. The Eagles kept Maurice Jones-Drew from recording a single rushing yard, and held him to six receiving yards on the night. It was exactly what people wanted to see from the Eagles on defense, and they looked good. The first team forced the Jaguars to go three and out on both of their drives that they took part in, and then the second team took over.
The second team defense had some issues, especially in the secondary. Joselio Hanson got beat on a double move by Troy Williamson and gave up a 73 yard touchdown, and Luke McCown had a field day against the Eagles in the second and third quarter. After seeing open field tackles by Ellis Hobbs and Asante Samuel on the first two drives, the second team secondary couldn't live up to those expectations. Hanson is supposed to be competing for a starting job, not getting burned by a wide receiver who washed out in Minnesota and was almost gone in Jacksonville, too. Brandon Graham looked ok in his first game, playing with the first and second team defense. He got pressure on the quarterback, but also needs to learn to play his position a bit better in the NFL. That will come in time, but for what I saw last night, he's going to be good.
Look, it was the first preseason game of the year. It doesn't mean much. Most of the players that were playing in the second half won't have a job next week, but some of them will. Riley Cooper looks like someone that the Eagles are going to keep around for a while, and Chad Hall is someone that is willing to do anything to make this team, and the way he's going, he will. Sure, it's preseason, and it's very, very early, but a win is a win, and seeing what I saw last night makes me very happy.
The Eagles played their first team offense and defense for the first quarter, and looked very good before squeaking out a win on a David Akers field goal with nine minutes to play in the fourth quarter.
The Good:
Kevin Kolb started his first preseason game as the number one quarterback, and looked good. He completed six of 11 passes for 95 yards. He also picked up 15 yards on the ground on two scrambles.
Michael Vick for most of the second quarter was solid. He completed 11 of 17 passes for 119 yards, and also rushed the ball six times for 50 yards and a touchdown.
DeSean Jackson was outstanding while he was in the game. He caught two passes for 47 yards and had a 17 yard rushing gain as well.
Jeremy Maclin picked up two catches for 32 yards.
Eldra Buckley had a good second half, rushing for 17 yards on four carries and catching two passes for 24 yards.
Riley Cooper made an impact in his first preseason game, catching three passes for 61 yards, including a 46 yard bomb in the second quarter.
The first team defense looked great as a unit. They held the Jaguars without a first down. Maurice Jones-Drew ended up with six total yards, and David Garrard looked flustered out there.
The Eagles held the ball on offense for over 40 minutes.
David Akers was 5-5 in field goal attempts.
The Bad:
Michael Vick had his poor moments as well. He fumbled twice, losing one of them, and also threw an interception in the second quarter that led to a Jacksonville field goal.
The Eagles managed to get into the red zone on their first five drives...and only got one touchdown out of those.
The offensive line struggled at times, forcing Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick to scramble.
The Ugly:
Did anyone else see the second team secondary? They made Luke McCown look like a superstar quarterback. Even Joselio Hanson looked lost out there for a lot of the game. Jacksonville's three touchdowns all came on passes of 30 or more yards.
The Breakdown:
Well, it was only the first preseason game of the year, but Kevin Kolb looked comfortable as the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. All you had to do was see his first pass of the game to know what the difference is between him and Donovan McNabb. Instead of the pass being behind DeSean Jackson or at his feet, Kolb managed to hit Jackson in stride, and the wideout took it for a 21 yard gain. The first team offense looked excellent in the two and a half drives that they were in, and the second team offense, led by Michael Vick, was solid through the first quarter.
There were a few problems, though. Kolb was great in getting the Eagles down into the red zone, but he struggled a bit when they got down there. He also locked in on a single receiver at times, and was lucky that at least one of the passes wasn't picked off. That will decrease with more starting time, and other than that Kolb was very good. He even broke two scrambles when the pressure got to him, and all in all, there was nothing to complain about on his end. LeSean McCoy could have done a little bit more, but it was the first preseason game, so I'm not going to complain much about the first team offense. They got points in both drives that they were on the field, so it was a success.
Even better was the first team offense. In his first game back from injury, Stewart Bradley looked good, and Ernie Sims was around the ball while he was in there as well. The Eagles kept Maurice Jones-Drew from recording a single rushing yard, and held him to six receiving yards on the night. It was exactly what people wanted to see from the Eagles on defense, and they looked good. The first team forced the Jaguars to go three and out on both of their drives that they took part in, and then the second team took over.
The second team defense had some issues, especially in the secondary. Joselio Hanson got beat on a double move by Troy Williamson and gave up a 73 yard touchdown, and Luke McCown had a field day against the Eagles in the second and third quarter. After seeing open field tackles by Ellis Hobbs and Asante Samuel on the first two drives, the second team secondary couldn't live up to those expectations. Hanson is supposed to be competing for a starting job, not getting burned by a wide receiver who washed out in Minnesota and was almost gone in Jacksonville, too. Brandon Graham looked ok in his first game, playing with the first and second team defense. He got pressure on the quarterback, but also needs to learn to play his position a bit better in the NFL. That will come in time, but for what I saw last night, he's going to be good.
Look, it was the first preseason game of the year. It doesn't mean much. Most of the players that were playing in the second half won't have a job next week, but some of them will. Riley Cooper looks like someone that the Eagles are going to keep around for a while, and Chad Hall is someone that is willing to do anything to make this team, and the way he's going, he will. Sure, it's preseason, and it's very, very early, but a win is a win, and seeing what I saw last night makes me very happy.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Phillies Recap: Mets-1, Phillies-0
Game Recap:
R.A. Dickey pitched a one hit complete game, out-dueling Cole Hamels, who pitched a complete game as well, to give the Mets the win in the first game of this three game series.
What went right?
This won't take long.
Cole Hamels pitched excellent tonight, but got the loss due to lack of run support. He allowed a single run in eight innings on five hits. He walked two and struck out eight. Oh, he also had the only hit of the night for the Phillies.
What went wrong?
I'm not going to go through each and every player, but other than Cole Hamels, Wilson Valdez was the only Phillie to reach base, and he walked. The rest of the team, Valdez included, was 0-26.
Game Analysis:
Cole Hamels deserves better than this, he really does. Even with his 7-9 record now on the season, Hamels has an ERA of 3.33. That's good enough to be tied for 15th in the National League right now, and no pitcher above him on that list has a losing record like Hamels does. In his last two starts, he's been on the wrong end of 1-0 games at the hands of the Mets, but the Phillies haven't been giving him any run support for most of the year. Since the All Star Break, Hamels hasn't won a single game, but the most runs he's given up in one start is four, and the Phillies ended up winning that game in extra innings.
The problem when he pitches isn't with him. In fact, if Cole Hamels can keep pitching like this, then there's nothing to worry about with him down the stretch. What is a problem is the lack of runs that the Phillies are providing him. In his last seven starts, the Phillies have given him nine runs of support while he's been on the mound, and four of those runs came in a single game. There's no answer for why the Phillies don't hit with Hamels on the mound, but something has got to be done. Tonight was another great example of how far he's come as a pitcher this year. Twice, Hamels had runners on third base with less than two outs, and both times, he managed to get out of the inning without a run crossing the plate. The only time that he did give up a run was when Shane Victorino misread a ball off the bat of David Wright, and Raul Ibanez couldn't come down with the Carlos Beltran shot that followed.
You have to wonder if this lack of support is starting to get to Hamels. Cole has never been one to hide his emotions when things aren't going his way, and with the struggles that this offense has had of late, there has to be something brewing in the back of his mind. Everyone knows that Cole should have almost, if not as many, wins as Roy Halladay does, but with the Phillies giving him little or no run support, it's impossible to win games. When you can hold the New York Mets to one run in back to back starts, you're doing something right. The only problem is that the Phillies were shutout in both of those games, leaving Hamels with the loss and an empty feeling in his stomach.
Right now, the Phillies just have to figure out how to score runs in New York. The Phils have been shutout in their last four games in Citi Field, and something has to change during the rest of this series. It doesn't matter if it's just one run that scores, just something has to be done. This team knows they can play well against the Mets, but something is keeping them from scoring. A lot of it has to do with the New York pitching, since R.A. Dickey was great tonight, just as he was back in May against the Phillies, but some of it has to be coming from the Phils. They have to get over that hurdle and score some freaking runs.
Tomorrow night, Roy Halladay (14-8, 2.34 ERA) goes for his 15th win of the season. For the Mets, Pat Misch will be making his first start of the season.
R.A. Dickey pitched a one hit complete game, out-dueling Cole Hamels, who pitched a complete game as well, to give the Mets the win in the first game of this three game series.
What went right?
This won't take long.
Cole Hamels pitched excellent tonight, but got the loss due to lack of run support. He allowed a single run in eight innings on five hits. He walked two and struck out eight. Oh, he also had the only hit of the night for the Phillies.
What went wrong?
I'm not going to go through each and every player, but other than Cole Hamels, Wilson Valdez was the only Phillie to reach base, and he walked. The rest of the team, Valdez included, was 0-26.
Game Analysis:
Cole Hamels deserves better than this, he really does. Even with his 7-9 record now on the season, Hamels has an ERA of 3.33. That's good enough to be tied for 15th in the National League right now, and no pitcher above him on that list has a losing record like Hamels does. In his last two starts, he's been on the wrong end of 1-0 games at the hands of the Mets, but the Phillies haven't been giving him any run support for most of the year. Since the All Star Break, Hamels hasn't won a single game, but the most runs he's given up in one start is four, and the Phillies ended up winning that game in extra innings.
The problem when he pitches isn't with him. In fact, if Cole Hamels can keep pitching like this, then there's nothing to worry about with him down the stretch. What is a problem is the lack of runs that the Phillies are providing him. In his last seven starts, the Phillies have given him nine runs of support while he's been on the mound, and four of those runs came in a single game. There's no answer for why the Phillies don't hit with Hamels on the mound, but something has got to be done. Tonight was another great example of how far he's come as a pitcher this year. Twice, Hamels had runners on third base with less than two outs, and both times, he managed to get out of the inning without a run crossing the plate. The only time that he did give up a run was when Shane Victorino misread a ball off the bat of David Wright, and Raul Ibanez couldn't come down with the Carlos Beltran shot that followed.
You have to wonder if this lack of support is starting to get to Hamels. Cole has never been one to hide his emotions when things aren't going his way, and with the struggles that this offense has had of late, there has to be something brewing in the back of his mind. Everyone knows that Cole should have almost, if not as many, wins as Roy Halladay does, but with the Phillies giving him little or no run support, it's impossible to win games. When you can hold the New York Mets to one run in back to back starts, you're doing something right. The only problem is that the Phillies were shutout in both of those games, leaving Hamels with the loss and an empty feeling in his stomach.
Right now, the Phillies just have to figure out how to score runs in New York. The Phils have been shutout in their last four games in Citi Field, and something has to change during the rest of this series. It doesn't matter if it's just one run that scores, just something has to be done. This team knows they can play well against the Mets, but something is keeping them from scoring. A lot of it has to do with the New York pitching, since R.A. Dickey was great tonight, just as he was back in May against the Phillies, but some of it has to be coming from the Phils. They have to get over that hurdle and score some freaking runs.
Tomorrow night, Roy Halladay (14-8, 2.34 ERA) goes for his 15th win of the season. For the Mets, Pat Misch will be making his first start of the season.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Phillies Recap: Phillies-10, Dodgers-9
Game Recap:
Down 9-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Phillies scored eight runs in two innings, including four off of Jonathan Broxton, to give them the series win over the Dodgers.
What went right?
Placido Polanco was 2-4 with two runs scored.
Mike Sweeney went 2-4 and scored twice.
Jayson Werth went 2-4, scored three times and had two RBI.
Ben Francisco was 1-5, but drove in two and scored twice.
Carlos Ruiz went 3-5, had the game winning double, scored once and had three RBI.
Wilson freaking Valdez went 2-4 with an RBI.
What went wrong?
Jimmy Rollins walked twice, but went 0-3.
Raul Ibanez was 0-5, ending his hitting streak at 18 games.
Do I have to mention the pitching? Ok, I guess I do.
Joe Blanton had a horrible night, allowing four runs on eight hits in 5.2 innings. He also walked four and struck out three.
Chad Durbin did even worse, allowing two runs on two hits in a little over an inning.
J.C. Romero managed to continue his run at sucking, giving up two unearned runs in two thirds of an inning.
Jose Contreras gave up three hits, but only allowed a run, so that's progress, I guess.
Game Analysis:
Wow. Just wow. There's no simple way to explain tonight's game, but I'm going to try. Simply put, this might be the ignition for the rest of the season for the Phillies. The Phils were down seven runs with just six outs to play, but managed to score four times in the bottom of the eighth, and then managed to win the game without recording a single out in the bottom of the ninth inning. Sure, Casey Blake let a sure double play ball go through his legs, but that's not what matters tonight. What matters is that the Phillies showed that same heart and determination that has gotten them to back to back World Series.
Of course, there was some bad pitching tonight. Joe Blanton didn't make it out of the sixth inning, and only recorded two 1-2-3 innings while he was on the mound. It was typical Blanton tonight. He just hasn't had his best stuff this year, and while the offense has been able to bail him out at times, he has got to settle down at least of the rest of the season. Of course, the bullpen didn't do much better tonight. Every last pitcher that entered the game, save for Danys Baez, allowed a run to cross the plate, and J.C. Romero allowed a run to score for the fourth straight game. Romero has got to do better than that. It's the only way that the Phillies are going to be able to pitch well at the end of the season. For the last year and a half, he's been outstanding, but lately, he's been horrible. Romero looks more like the pitcher the Red Sox put on waivers than the pitcher the Phillies plucked from the scrap heap and salvaged. That has to change.
Even with the pitching issues tonight, the Phillies still managed one of their best comebacks in recent history. Clayton Kershaw kept the offense quiet, but once he left the game, the Phils worked over the Los Angeles bullpen. Raul Ibanez saw his hitting streak come to an end, and Jimmy Rollins didn't record a base hit, but the rest of the offense was on point in the later innings. Mike Sweeney hasn't played that much since coming over from the Mariners, but when he has, he's made an impact. His two runs scored tonight were clutch, as were the at-bats from Jayson Werth, Ben Francisco and Carlos Ruiz in the late innings. Werth scored three times and drove in two, while Francisco had the biggest at-bat of the game, driving a ball between the legs of Casey Blake for a two run single. Even though it was scored an error, without that situation, it's likely that the Phillies would have lost tonight. Carlos Ruiz won the game with a double right after the error, so the Phils caught a break tonight. It doesn't matter, though. At this time of the season, every run and each win matters, so it doesn't matter how it happened. It just matters that it happened.
This win tonight showed the heart and determination that the Phillies have shown over the last few years, only at another level. When a team is down by seven runs headed into the eighth inning, the game should be over. In 98 out of 100 cases, the game is over. With the Phillies of late, however, the game is not over. The Phils have taken Jonathan Broxton to the woodshed twice in the playoffs, and now they've done it in the regular season. The only thing that was missing from the end of tonight's game was Matt Stairs. After scuffling through much of the season, tonight was a game that this team can look back on and see as a turning point. At this moment, the Phillies are just two games back of the Braves in the National League East, and a single game back of the San Francisco Giants for the Wild Card. This showing tonight is exactly what the fans have been expecting all year. These are the Phillies that show heart, that never-say-die attitude, and the level of play that we've gotten used to over the last few years. It's a good feeling to see them back again.
Tomorrow, the Phils head to New York to take on the Mets. Cole Hamels (7-8, 3.45 ERA) can hopefully get his eighth win of the year. He'll take on R.A. Dickey (7-5, 2.65 ERA).
Down 9-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Phillies scored eight runs in two innings, including four off of Jonathan Broxton, to give them the series win over the Dodgers.
What went right?
Placido Polanco was 2-4 with two runs scored.
Mike Sweeney went 2-4 and scored twice.
Jayson Werth went 2-4, scored three times and had two RBI.
Ben Francisco was 1-5, but drove in two and scored twice.
Carlos Ruiz went 3-5, had the game winning double, scored once and had three RBI.
Wilson freaking Valdez went 2-4 with an RBI.
What went wrong?
Jimmy Rollins walked twice, but went 0-3.
Raul Ibanez was 0-5, ending his hitting streak at 18 games.
Do I have to mention the pitching? Ok, I guess I do.
Joe Blanton had a horrible night, allowing four runs on eight hits in 5.2 innings. He also walked four and struck out three.
Chad Durbin did even worse, allowing two runs on two hits in a little over an inning.
J.C. Romero managed to continue his run at sucking, giving up two unearned runs in two thirds of an inning.
Jose Contreras gave up three hits, but only allowed a run, so that's progress, I guess.
Game Analysis:
Wow. Just wow. There's no simple way to explain tonight's game, but I'm going to try. Simply put, this might be the ignition for the rest of the season for the Phillies. The Phils were down seven runs with just six outs to play, but managed to score four times in the bottom of the eighth, and then managed to win the game without recording a single out in the bottom of the ninth inning. Sure, Casey Blake let a sure double play ball go through his legs, but that's not what matters tonight. What matters is that the Phillies showed that same heart and determination that has gotten them to back to back World Series.
Of course, there was some bad pitching tonight. Joe Blanton didn't make it out of the sixth inning, and only recorded two 1-2-3 innings while he was on the mound. It was typical Blanton tonight. He just hasn't had his best stuff this year, and while the offense has been able to bail him out at times, he has got to settle down at least of the rest of the season. Of course, the bullpen didn't do much better tonight. Every last pitcher that entered the game, save for Danys Baez, allowed a run to cross the plate, and J.C. Romero allowed a run to score for the fourth straight game. Romero has got to do better than that. It's the only way that the Phillies are going to be able to pitch well at the end of the season. For the last year and a half, he's been outstanding, but lately, he's been horrible. Romero looks more like the pitcher the Red Sox put on waivers than the pitcher the Phillies plucked from the scrap heap and salvaged. That has to change.
Even with the pitching issues tonight, the Phillies still managed one of their best comebacks in recent history. Clayton Kershaw kept the offense quiet, but once he left the game, the Phils worked over the Los Angeles bullpen. Raul Ibanez saw his hitting streak come to an end, and Jimmy Rollins didn't record a base hit, but the rest of the offense was on point in the later innings. Mike Sweeney hasn't played that much since coming over from the Mariners, but when he has, he's made an impact. His two runs scored tonight were clutch, as were the at-bats from Jayson Werth, Ben Francisco and Carlos Ruiz in the late innings. Werth scored three times and drove in two, while Francisco had the biggest at-bat of the game, driving a ball between the legs of Casey Blake for a two run single. Even though it was scored an error, without that situation, it's likely that the Phillies would have lost tonight. Carlos Ruiz won the game with a double right after the error, so the Phils caught a break tonight. It doesn't matter, though. At this time of the season, every run and each win matters, so it doesn't matter how it happened. It just matters that it happened.
This win tonight showed the heart and determination that the Phillies have shown over the last few years, only at another level. When a team is down by seven runs headed into the eighth inning, the game should be over. In 98 out of 100 cases, the game is over. With the Phillies of late, however, the game is not over. The Phils have taken Jonathan Broxton to the woodshed twice in the playoffs, and now they've done it in the regular season. The only thing that was missing from the end of tonight's game was Matt Stairs. After scuffling through much of the season, tonight was a game that this team can look back on and see as a turning point. At this moment, the Phillies are just two games back of the Braves in the National League East, and a single game back of the San Francisco Giants for the Wild Card. This showing tonight is exactly what the fans have been expecting all year. These are the Phillies that show heart, that never-say-die attitude, and the level of play that we've gotten used to over the last few years. It's a good feeling to see them back again.
Tomorrow, the Phils head to New York to take on the Mets. Cole Hamels (7-8, 3.45 ERA) can hopefully get his eighth win of the year. He'll take on R.A. Dickey (7-5, 2.65 ERA).
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Phillies Recap: Phillies-2, Dodgers-0
Game Recap:
Roy Oswalt won his first game as a Phillie, pitching seven innings of shutout baseball, while Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge did the rest to keep the Phils two and a half games out of first in the National League East and half a game out of the wild card.
What went right?
Raul Ibanez extended his hitting streak to 18 games, going 2-3 with a double and an RBI.
Placido Polanco went 1-4 and scored a run.
Jimmy Rollins was 1-4 with a stolen base.
Domonic Brown went 0-3, but drove in a run, giving him 11 RBI in 13 games that he's played in.
Wilson freaking Valdez was 1-3 with a triple.
Roy Oswalt pitched his best game as a member of the Phillies, picking up the win while throwing seven shutout innings. He allowed five hits and walked two while striking out five.
Brad Lidge recorded his fifth save of the month, striking out two in a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
What went wrong?
Carlos Ruiz was 0-4.
Ross Gload got hurt when he strained his groin in the sixth inning.
Honestly, that's about it. The game was a pitcher's duel.
Game Analysis:
After the Dodgers smacked the Phillies around for 15 runs last night, things didn't look good for the Phils. However, Roy Oswalt looked like the pitcher the Phillies traded for, and the bullpen did their job for two innings as the Phillies were able to take the second game of their series against the Dodgers.
This was the Roy Oswalt that people were expecting to see when the Phillies traded for him. After losing his first start and getting a no decision in his second, Oswalt hadn't exactly lived up to expectations yet. Tonight, in his first start in Philadelphia, he did. Oswalt pitched like the star he was in Houston, keeping Los Angeles from scoring during his seven innings of work. He got into a little bit of trouble, but was able to pitch out of it. This outing tonight is exactly what the Phillies need from Oswalt. He hasn't gotten much run support from the offense yet, but if he can pitch like this for the rest of the season, he's not going to need it. Plus, the offense will do their job during his starts. It just hasn't happened yet.
Once Oswalt left the game, the bullpen did their job, and they did it well. Ryan Madson pitched a scoreless eighth inning, and Brad Lidge worked a perfect ninth inning for his fifth save of the month. Ever since August started, Lidge has looked like a better pitcher. He's saved five games in a row, and hasn't given up a run yet this month. When you add in the facts that he's only given up two hits and no walks while striking out six, it's only better. This is the Brad Lidge that the Phillies need to close out games. If he can keep pitching like this, the Phillies are going to get even closer to a playoff appearance for the fourth season in a row. I'm not saying this is going to look good for the rest of the season, but at least at the moment, Lidge looks excellent.
The offense couldn't get many runs across the plate tonight, but the two that scored were all that were needed. Raul Ibanez is simply on fire right now. He has an 18 game hitting streak, and his batting average is .277. Compared to where he was hitting just two months ago, this is an amazing improvement. Domonic Brown isn't hitting the ball great right now, but he had four RBI and his first major league home run last night, and he drove in another run tonight. So far, he has 11 RBI in 13 games, which is very nice, but his batting average is struggling. He'll pick things up as he goes along, but with Shane Victorino coming back soon, I don't know how much time he's going to get, or if he's going to get sent back down to Triple-A. It's all up to Charlie at this point. I think he should stay, but that's only one opinion.
It wasn't the best game out there tonight, but it was a win, and that's all that matters. The last few weeks have been good to the Phillies, and that's with Chase Utley, Shane Victorino and Ryan Howard on the disabled list. Luckily, Victorino should be back soon, and Utley and Howard should be following suit shortly after. If the Phillies can get healthy, they are going to be a team to look out for at the end of the season. They're too good to just fade away.
Tomorrow, Joe Blanton (4-6, 5.65 ERA) goes for the Phillies. Clayton Kershaw (10-7, 3.19 ERA) pitches for the Dodgers in the final game of this series.
Roy Oswalt won his first game as a Phillie, pitching seven innings of shutout baseball, while Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge did the rest to keep the Phils two and a half games out of first in the National League East and half a game out of the wild card.
What went right?
Raul Ibanez extended his hitting streak to 18 games, going 2-3 with a double and an RBI.
Placido Polanco went 1-4 and scored a run.
Jimmy Rollins was 1-4 with a stolen base.
Domonic Brown went 0-3, but drove in a run, giving him 11 RBI in 13 games that he's played in.
Wilson freaking Valdez was 1-3 with a triple.
Roy Oswalt pitched his best game as a member of the Phillies, picking up the win while throwing seven shutout innings. He allowed five hits and walked two while striking out five.
Brad Lidge recorded his fifth save of the month, striking out two in a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
What went wrong?
Carlos Ruiz was 0-4.
Ross Gload got hurt when he strained his groin in the sixth inning.
Honestly, that's about it. The game was a pitcher's duel.
Game Analysis:
After the Dodgers smacked the Phillies around for 15 runs last night, things didn't look good for the Phils. However, Roy Oswalt looked like the pitcher the Phillies traded for, and the bullpen did their job for two innings as the Phillies were able to take the second game of their series against the Dodgers.
This was the Roy Oswalt that people were expecting to see when the Phillies traded for him. After losing his first start and getting a no decision in his second, Oswalt hadn't exactly lived up to expectations yet. Tonight, in his first start in Philadelphia, he did. Oswalt pitched like the star he was in Houston, keeping Los Angeles from scoring during his seven innings of work. He got into a little bit of trouble, but was able to pitch out of it. This outing tonight is exactly what the Phillies need from Oswalt. He hasn't gotten much run support from the offense yet, but if he can pitch like this for the rest of the season, he's not going to need it. Plus, the offense will do their job during his starts. It just hasn't happened yet.
Once Oswalt left the game, the bullpen did their job, and they did it well. Ryan Madson pitched a scoreless eighth inning, and Brad Lidge worked a perfect ninth inning for his fifth save of the month. Ever since August started, Lidge has looked like a better pitcher. He's saved five games in a row, and hasn't given up a run yet this month. When you add in the facts that he's only given up two hits and no walks while striking out six, it's only better. This is the Brad Lidge that the Phillies need to close out games. If he can keep pitching like this, the Phillies are going to get even closer to a playoff appearance for the fourth season in a row. I'm not saying this is going to look good for the rest of the season, but at least at the moment, Lidge looks excellent.
The offense couldn't get many runs across the plate tonight, but the two that scored were all that were needed. Raul Ibanez is simply on fire right now. He has an 18 game hitting streak, and his batting average is .277. Compared to where he was hitting just two months ago, this is an amazing improvement. Domonic Brown isn't hitting the ball great right now, but he had four RBI and his first major league home run last night, and he drove in another run tonight. So far, he has 11 RBI in 13 games, which is very nice, but his batting average is struggling. He'll pick things up as he goes along, but with Shane Victorino coming back soon, I don't know how much time he's going to get, or if he's going to get sent back down to Triple-A. It's all up to Charlie at this point. I think he should stay, but that's only one opinion.
It wasn't the best game out there tonight, but it was a win, and that's all that matters. The last few weeks have been good to the Phillies, and that's with Chase Utley, Shane Victorino and Ryan Howard on the disabled list. Luckily, Victorino should be back soon, and Utley and Howard should be following suit shortly after. If the Phillies can get healthy, they are going to be a team to look out for at the end of the season. They're too good to just fade away.
Tomorrow, Joe Blanton (4-6, 5.65 ERA) goes for the Phillies. Clayton Kershaw (10-7, 3.19 ERA) pitches for the Dodgers in the final game of this series.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Phillies Recap: Phillies-6, Mets-5
Game Recap:
Roy Halladay allowed five runs in seven innings, but the Phils scored six times off of R.A. Dickey in three innings to get their six win in seven games.
What went right?
Jimmy Rollins went 2-4 with a run scored.
Raul Ibanez was 1-4 and had a three run home run to increase his hitting streak to 15 games.
Jayson Werth was 3-4, scored twice and had a solo home run.
Brian Schneider went 1-2 and had an RBI.
Wilson freaking Valdez was 2-4.
Roy Halladay scuffled at times, but still picked up his 14th win of the season. He struck out ten in seven innings, while allowing five runs on nine hits and a walk.
What went wrong?
Domonic Brown went 0-3.
Honestly, that's about it.
Game Analysis:
On a day when Roy Halladay wasn't at his best, the offense managed to bail him out, thanks to a five run third inning, as the Phillies beat the Mets for the second time in three days. It wasn't the prettiest win in the world, but the Phillies still managed to take two of three from the Mets, and they're still two games back of the Braves in the National League East.
There are going to be games when Roy Halladay is not pitching at his best, and today was one of them. Even though Halladay struck out ten through seven innings, he didn't always have his best stuff. In a season where the Phillies haven't always been able to provide run support, they did so today, and Halladay got the win. After a rough first inning, Halladay looked solid for most of the game, but got into trouble in the sixth and seventh innings, and that was enough to make everything close again. Luckily for him, the bullpen was solid today, as both Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge did their jobs to save the win and keep the Phillies two games behind the Atlanta Braves for first place in the National League East.
The Phillies have struggled against junk ball pitchers all year long, but they had one good inning today against R.A. Dickey. In the third inning, the Phils struck back with their offense, scoring five times and forcing Dickey out of the game by the time everything was said and done. Raul Ibanez hit a three run home run to continue his hitting streak, but that was the icing on the cake that was the third inning today. The Phillies got the batters up that they needed to, and they were able to score enough runs to take home another win. It's what they've been doing over the past two weeks. Sometimes, it hasn't been pretty, but it's been enough.
For this team, wins are as valuable as gold right now. The Phillies have been struggling of late, and taking two of three from the Mets, who shut out the Phils for the series the last time these two teams played, is a very good thing. When you add to that the fact that the Phillies are only two games out of first place, then everything is coming together for this team right now. The offense is starting to work well without Chase Utley or Ryan Howard and the pitching staff is even better at the moment. When Roy Halladay can allow five runs and still win, something is going right. It's about time that I've had this option this year.
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers come to town. Kyle Kendrick (7-4, 4.37 ERA) takes the mound for the Phillies. He'll be facing former Phillie Vicente Padilla (5-3, 3.09 ERA).
Roy Halladay allowed five runs in seven innings, but the Phils scored six times off of R.A. Dickey in three innings to get their six win in seven games.
What went right?
Jimmy Rollins went 2-4 with a run scored.
Raul Ibanez was 1-4 and had a three run home run to increase his hitting streak to 15 games.
Jayson Werth was 3-4, scored twice and had a solo home run.
Brian Schneider went 1-2 and had an RBI.
Wilson freaking Valdez was 2-4.
Roy Halladay scuffled at times, but still picked up his 14th win of the season. He struck out ten in seven innings, while allowing five runs on nine hits and a walk.
What went wrong?
Domonic Brown went 0-3.
Honestly, that's about it.
Game Analysis:
On a day when Roy Halladay wasn't at his best, the offense managed to bail him out, thanks to a five run third inning, as the Phillies beat the Mets for the second time in three days. It wasn't the prettiest win in the world, but the Phillies still managed to take two of three from the Mets, and they're still two games back of the Braves in the National League East.
There are going to be games when Roy Halladay is not pitching at his best, and today was one of them. Even though Halladay struck out ten through seven innings, he didn't always have his best stuff. In a season where the Phillies haven't always been able to provide run support, they did so today, and Halladay got the win. After a rough first inning, Halladay looked solid for most of the game, but got into trouble in the sixth and seventh innings, and that was enough to make everything close again. Luckily for him, the bullpen was solid today, as both Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge did their jobs to save the win and keep the Phillies two games behind the Atlanta Braves for first place in the National League East.
The Phillies have struggled against junk ball pitchers all year long, but they had one good inning today against R.A. Dickey. In the third inning, the Phils struck back with their offense, scoring five times and forcing Dickey out of the game by the time everything was said and done. Raul Ibanez hit a three run home run to continue his hitting streak, but that was the icing on the cake that was the third inning today. The Phillies got the batters up that they needed to, and they were able to score enough runs to take home another win. It's what they've been doing over the past two weeks. Sometimes, it hasn't been pretty, but it's been enough.
For this team, wins are as valuable as gold right now. The Phillies have been struggling of late, and taking two of three from the Mets, who shut out the Phils for the series the last time these two teams played, is a very good thing. When you add to that the fact that the Phillies are only two games out of first place, then everything is coming together for this team right now. The offense is starting to work well without Chase Utley or Ryan Howard and the pitching staff is even better at the moment. When Roy Halladay can allow five runs and still win, something is going right. It's about time that I've had this option this year.
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers come to town. Kyle Kendrick (7-4, 4.37 ERA) takes the mound for the Phillies. He'll be facing former Phillie Vicente Padilla (5-3, 3.09 ERA).
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Phillie of the Week: August 1-7
The Phillies have been one of the hottest teams in baseball since the end of July, but as the season moves on, there's been one player that's been even better than anyone. This week's Phillie of the Week is:
Carlos Ruiz
During this week, Carlos was on top of his game, hitting .357 with two home runs and seven RBI. If he can keep hitting like this, then the Phillies are going to have one less thing to worry about through the end of the season.
Carlos Ruiz
During this week, Carlos was on top of his game, hitting .357 with two home runs and seven RBI. If he can keep hitting like this, then the Phillies are going to have one less thing to worry about through the end of the season.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)