We all scream for t-shirts being thrown into the stands last night at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown.At the new Yankee Stadium yesterday afternoon, J.A. Happ breezed through six innings in his first start of the year, giving up just two runs on four hits. John Mayberry Jr. hit a three-run homer in his second Major League at-bat. Sounds sweet, huh? The Phillies took a 4-2 lead into the 9th but Brad Lidge gave up a two-run homer to Alex Rodriguez to tie it, then two singles to give the Yankees the 5-4 win. End of sweet dream.
I left the car in the middle of the 9th. Walking up to Coca-Cola Park, two Phillies' fans behind me were talking about Lidge coming into the game. "Spot your fastball," said one. "Knucklehead," said the other. A fastball was indeed Lidge's undoing. I didn't hear any of the postgame stuff but can imagine what Lidge said and how he said it. He is the definition of a stand-up guy. I still think it's his knee.
There were parallels aplenty in the IronPigs' game with the Durham Bulls. Lefty Antonio Bastardo pretty much dominated in his Triple-A debut, using a fastball around 90 and mixing in breaking stuff that had the Bulls flailing. In his one mistake inning, the 5th, he gave up three hits, one of them a three-run homer. Bastardo went six, allowing three runs on five hits, walking two and striking out 11. With a hard rain falling, Mike Koplove (he of the 0.44 ERA) came in to close and gave up a two-run homer that proved to be the winning hit in a 5-4 loss for the 'Pigs. David Newhan and Lou Marson went back to back in the third. Bulls' relievers then held the 'Pigs hitless for six. In the end it was a dark and dreary night.
