Cotton candy at a stand before Thursday's game at Citizens Bank Park. How can this stuff still be made, much less eaten?It was remote madness last night, switching from the Phillies to the IronPigs to the Sixers. Hate to say it but I had no faith in the Phillies last night. Brett Myers never fares well against the Fish and promised to fare even less well against Josh Johnson. Sure enough, Myers gave up a 3-run homer to Uggla in the first. Johnson, meanwhile, had his way with the visiting hitters. But give Myers credit. Despite laboring mightily, he kept the score 3-0 through six. Clay Condrey then pitched two scoreless innings in relief. Fish closer Matt Lindstrom came in to finish things off in the 9th. Several walks and hits, including a Shane Victorino grand slam, later, the Phillies were up 7-3. Ryan Madson finished things off for the Phillies, allowing two base runners but striking out the side. From trailing 3-0 to winning 7-3, wow, what a comeback!
The Phillies have now broken their own record, set on Thursday, for most homers allowed in consecutive games at the start of a season. That would be 15. Whatever has happened to the taut pitching of last season?
In Allentown the Pawtucket Bosox got off to a 3-1 lead but in the third the IronPigs had their own seven-run uprising in what ended as a 13-3 rout of Pawtucket. Jason Donald may have been showcasing his talents. He made several nifty plays at shortstop and went 3/4 at the plate. John Mayberry Jr. too seems to have found a groove. But the mighty blow was a mammoth shot by Mike Cervenak. Lots of fireworks on fireworks night at the ballpark.
Also announced yesterday, on July 14 Bob Dylan will perform with Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp at Coca-Cola Park. Too bad that's the night of the All-Star game. This year is the one year I do not want to miss that game, because Charlie Manuel will of course manage the NL team.
Then there were the Sixers, hosting the Magic in Philadelphia in Game 3 of the play-offs. Off to a solid start in the game, the Sixers saw their 17-point lead dwindle to two in the 4th. The Magic several times tied the score but the Sixers always answered back, finally winning on an improbable shot by Thaddeus Young with two seconds left on the clock. Way to go! I begin to think the Sixers may win this. The Magic look all kinds of out of sorts.
