kuroda snuffs what little offense there is

This image of some pregame event is from five or six years ago, when the Red Barons were still in Moosic. Before the Yankee farm team moved in the turf was swapped out for grass. They now want a new park. But is the park the reason they don't draw that many fans?

Batting Practice Live remains my fave program on MLBN, with the live drop-ins as a close second. Coming down with a cold yesterday, I whiled away a lot of time last night watching baseball on TV. That is how I got to see the many very empty parks around baseball. Atlanta? The team's in first place, the weather was temperate, and the park was empty. But compared with Cincinnati, another first-place team, Atlanta was jumping. Cleveland? Nothing but crickets. Arizona? A ghost town. Tampa Bay? Embarrassing. I didn't see Yankee Stadium but guess it was pretty much sold out. The Giants too should have drawn a decent crowd. OK, school is starting in some places but I think the IronPigs last night drew more than some of these parks.

Dodger Stadium started off empty but reached its usual level, and the place was buzzing as Hiroki Kuroda took a no-hitter into the eighth inning. Fittingly, it was Victorino, who has a history with Kuroda and with Dodger fans, who broke it up. Kuroda was lifted for Kuo, who preserved the one-hitter in a 3-0 blanking of the Phillies, the 11th time the team has been shut out. Halladay gave up one run in the 1st, one in the 2nd, and one in the 5th, but I was already dubious after the first. Kuroda has gone down this road with the Phillies again and again.

For all that the Phillies swept the Padres over the weekend, they only hit .163 doing it.

too much cole for san diego

It took Cole Hamels more than 50 pitches to get through the first two innings, but he only gave up three hits and allowed no runs. After that it was smooth sailing. Hamels went eight innings, allowing four hits, striking out six, and walking none. He retired the last 16 men that he faced.

Mirabile dictu, the Phillies' offense finally showed up for Hamels, first with a lone run in the third to take a 1-0 lead on Pads' starter Clayton Richard. Despite Hamels' dominance, it still felt dicey. Then Mike Sweeney hit a two-run homer in the seventh and handed out hugs all around. It was his first homer as a Phillie. Ryan Madson pitched the ninth, giving up a hit but keeping what was by then a 5-0 shutout intact. In the three-game sweep of the Padres, Phillie starters combined for a 0.82 ERA.

the shane show

Shane Victorino drove in two runs, scored one, and kept the Padres down with a strong outfield assist in a 3-1 Phillies' win. And he did it all against right-handed pitcher John Garland. That's of note because Victorino has been lost batting left this year.

Very quietly, Joe Blanton is pitching very well. Brad Lidge rebounded from his balky outing Friday night with a 1-2-3 appearance yesterday. The Phillies are now 17-4 at Petco Park. Does that bring the Astros at CBP to mind? Baseball is a weird sport.

It's Hawaii vs. Japan in today's Little League World Series in Williamsport.

baez to dl, bastardo recalled

Yesterday Danys Baez was put on the DL with back spasms and Antonio Bastardo recalled from Lehigh Valley to take his place. As much as I have not been a Baez fan, I must say that of late he has been pitching well so this is a bit of unfortunate timing. As for Bastardo, if he would stand up and grab the job, it would be a first. Let's go, Antonio. I say that for several other relievers at the Triple-A level.

I ended up seeing bits and pieces of the Reading game last night on TV, including the final inning when Justin DeFratus came in to mop things up. (Was it only last year that I got his autograph at a Lakewood game?) The R-Phils were up 9-1 and there wasn't much saving going on, but DeFratus still looked very good. Very good. He was recently promoted from Clearwater and seems to be holding his own. Starter Drew Naylor, too, had a very good outing.

a jimmy shimmy

Roy Oswalt was dominant last night for eight and the Phillies scatched out a couple of runs against Mat Latos and the Padres' bullpen for a 2-1 lead. At 102 pitches, Oswalt wanted to finish the game. Charlie Manuel, however, opted to go to Brad Lidge, who went all bizarre on us, balking in the tying run. On to the 12th and a lead-off double by Jimmy Rollins. Polanco then singled and Rollins dashed around third, did a nifty shimmy to evade Torrealba's tag, and slid across home to give the Phillies the 3-2 lead. Whew! Chad Durbin finished it off. All on what was 'bark in the old Petco park' day in San Diego. Fitting that a bulldog--and RoyO is definitely that--started the game for the Phillies.

dismal home series ends 4-6

Kyle Kendrick leaked runs from the start and the offense continued to run with the battery on low. Should I even mention Jasyon Werth trying to score from third on a shallow fly to the strong-armed Hunter Pence? And not even bothering to slide into home? Michael Bourn, meanwhile, got on base, then ran wild the whole series long, while our speedsters were pop-pop-popping out.

The Astros prevailed easily yesterday, wining 5-1 and sweeping the series. What a disaster. It was the first four-game sweep by a visiting team at Citizens Bank Park. A disaster doubled. If the Phillies do not make it to the playoffs, point to this series for sure.

Joe Blanton pitched well on Monday night in a 3-2 loss, Cole Hamels was again brilliant on Tuesday night in a 4-2 loss, Roy Halladay was very good Wednesday night in a 3-2 loss. The bullpen, too, was outstanding throughout the series and the homestand. But the offense is again putrid.

So it's off to San Diego, Los Angeles, and Colorado. Splutter, splutter.

16 exhausting innings

If the Phillies end up missing the play-offs, many of us will think immediately of Tuesday night's game. I missed the first 11 innings because I was at an IronPigs game. But I did catch the other five. When Jimmy Rollins tied the game in the bottom of the ninth, I said to a guy next to me, "Win it now, boys!" But they did not.

It was in the 14th that things fell apart, with the inexplicable taunting of Ryan Howard by fill-in umpire Scott Barry, who seems to have something against Ryans. Last week he tossed Ryan Zimmerman, also for tossing his bat after sriking out. With two on and two out, Barry called Howard out on a check swing that clearly had been checked. Howard, a mild-mannered guy, was furious. There was only one arrogant jerk in this story and it was the umpire, who tossed the star player.

With Howard gone and no position players left, a pitcher had to come in to play the field. Enter Roy Oswalt in left, as Raul Ibanez went to first. I was beside myself. Sure enough the first ball put in play in the 15th was an easy fly to Oswalt, who made the catch to a standing O. Ibanez made the other two outs, including an outstanding play on the speedy Michael Bourn. Alas, the Phillies' offensive woes continued. David Herndon did a yeoman's job pitching late but flagged in the 16th, walking one and hitting another batter. He then got the ground balls he wanted but the double plays needed could not be turned. The Astros went up 4-2 and won the game. The final out was made by Roy Oswalt, batting fourth for Howard. With two on, he worked the count from 0-2 to 2-2, then grounded out.

There's too much to say about this game, too much that would be about this dismal umpiring crew, the Phillies' offense, how the Astros always beat the Phillies at home, the airhead baserunning, and on and on. One thing that was stunning to me is that at 12:20 a.m., there were tons of people in the ballpark. When Oswalt took left, the bottom bowl looked to be filled with standing fans. When he came up to bat in the bottom of the 16th, the place was absolutely rocking with chants of "Let's go, Oswalt".

Beat writer David Murphy had a great piece at High Cheese yesterday about what was going through Oswalt's mind out there in left. Turns out all he wanted was a chance to throw someone out at the plate. He wanted to show the outfielders how it was done! Oswalt was loving every minute of it of his chance to play the field. At Philled In, David Hale, another beat writer, added that Oswalt after the game remarked that he had never had his name chanted by more than maybe five people ever. On Tuesday night it was more like 40,000. Way to go!

that's baseball

A sign up at the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees' park in Moosic.

So I was in Philadelphia tonight and sure enough J.A. Happ beat Roy Halladay, who actually looked unbeatable for several innings and who left in the seventh having thrown about 70 pitches but trailing 3-2. Happ, looking like his usual balletic self on the mound, threw over 100 and got the win. As usual these days, the Phillies mustered only two runs, ho-hum, ho-hum. That is their limit these days.

The umpires were booed roundly when introduced and when they did just about anything. The biggest frisson of the evening was reserved for Ryan Howard, who did not start but did come out to pinch-hit in the 9th. He got a very loud and very pointed standing O, which was repeated after he got a single. Alas, Domonic Brown then struck out, the third strike-out of the inning and that was that. It was a quick game, the best that could be said for it. I didn't really expect the Phillies to win. Once again there was a boneheaded play on the base paths, tonight's by Ben Francisco, who was picked off third on a throw by catcher Umberto Quintero to end a rally threat. What the hell else is new? We now know the (funny) reason for Werth being picked off second on Monday, but it really is a bum way to play baseball.

Kyle Kendrick goes tomorrow, the last hope for a one-game salvage.

fun at the ballpark

The three hotties in front of me last night were totally into the game and into being on the big screen whenever the guy operating the camera was in the vicinity. So was the jumping little girl in front of them, who was all decked out for Irish Heritage Night at Coca-Cola Park. A contingent of Chinese men, all wearing IronPigs caps, was several rows down in the next section. Every time the three hotties started dancing, the men had their cameras out and ready. They too got really into the game, clapping, cheering, standing and waving. It was a funny, funny night at the park. Sad to think that after tonight there are only six home games left in the season.

Vance Worley pitched well enough to keep his team in it but did not figure in the loss, which went to Scott Mathieson, who blew a hold in the 9th. The Phillies recently hired Hall of Fame pitcher Bruce Sutter to work with Mathieson. I don't know if last night's blown game reflected work done or work just begun.

it's the astros

From the old brick ballpark in Reading, Pennsylvania.

For all the folks predicting an easy time of it this week, I had these three words: It's the Astros. That's the team that always beats the Phillies up, even without Oswalt, Bagwell, and Biggio. Same old story last night. Joe Blanton gave up a run in the first, then was very good through the seventh. Carlos Ruiz tied the game with a home run to left. The Phillies managed to get another run off Brett Myers, who looks like a shambling mess again but seemed to be enjoying his return and certainly is pitching well.

Each time the Phils threatened for more, Myers thwarted them. Jasyon Werth's falling asleep at second did not help. How could anyone be picked off at second as a batter is walking to first? It reminded me again of Scutaro last year stealing second in the act of being walked. Shudder. It's odd how many times Werth has not had his head in the game this year. Then there was the confrontational, controversial call in the eighth, which eventually led to Ryan Madson giving up two runs. The Astros took a 3-2 lead and that was the game. My pre-series prediction was the Phillies get one; if lucky, they get two.

Tonight it's Cole (where is the run support) Hamels v. Bud Norris. The Phillies have often knocked Norris around but watch out, he too seems to have found himself.

My feeling about the 'Stros turn out to be right. They are only one of two NL teams with a winning record at CBP, at a rate of something like .638. The other team, the Braves, is only a game over .500 there. Time to lower the 'Stros.

oswalt goes bulldog again

I started having flasbbacks yesterday afternoon. As Roy Oswalt was working his way out of trouble again and again with the pesky Nats, who just love to get on base against the Phillies, I kept thinking of games where I had watched Oswalt do exactly the same against the Phillies. Somebody would get on base, move on over, and just when you thought Oswalt was going to crack, nada. Pretty soon it would be seven or eight innings of the same and that's when you knew that once again Roy Oswalt had beat you.

Yesterday Oswalt went a strong seven, then, with the Phillies ahead 4-0, the rain came down. After a delay of an hour and 44 minutes, play resumed. Raul Ibanez hit a two-run homer and Madson and Romero combined for two scoreless innings. The Phillies won 6-0. They are now 15-10 in shutouts this year. And Roy Oswalt is a bulldog.

fo'-fo'-fo'

No, it was not Moses Malone night at the ballpark last night. Nor were any predictions of postseason wins in sight. Rather, on Thursday night the Phillies had four hits in a 5-2 loss to the Giants; on Friday, four hits in a 1-0 win over the Nationals, and last night again four hits in an 8-1 loss to those same Nats. That also adds up to exactly four runs in three games. The opposition, meanwhile, has been rapping out the hits, and often the runs, too.

I caught bits and pieces of this game on radio, while drifting in and out of a feverish sleep. Kyle Kendrick's clunky start (three walks leading to three runs in the 1st) was pretty much enough to put me in a coma.

I happened to be awake, though, when Nats' starter Steven Strasburg injured his elbow/arm and I immediately switched to the Nats' broadcast. Those two guys are among the more clueless on the air, but I was stunned to hear that they were a step behind the Phillies' duo on the Strasburg injury. I'm not talking time lapse here. Franzke and Andersen had immediately twigged to Strasburg's elbow discomfort and plea for help. The Nats' guys, meanwhile, were speculating about his shoulder and looking at the replay. That's when they finally concluded that it was his elbow.

An injury to a budding ace or to any player is nothing you ever want to see or hear. Strasburg later maintained that he was fine but really the Nats should think seriously about shutting this kid down for the season.

Ryan Howard was activated yesterday afternoon and Ross Gload was put on the 15-day DL. So last night was the first time the starting line-up was, theoretically, intact for the first time in months. Because of the righty Stasburg, Manuel loaded the line-up with lefties. Domonic Brown was in right for Werth and Brian Schneider behind the plate for Ruiz. Howard had a single and an RBI. And that was all she wrote.

halladay, madson, and lidge

It was an exhausting win, with men littering the bases all night--the Nationals alone left 12--, but in the end Roy Halladay, Ryan Madson, and Brad Lidge combined for a 1-0 shutout. The only run that scored--and there were plenty of chances--was in the 3rd, when Jason Marquis walked Chase Utley and Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez doubled Utley home. A highlight of the night was seeing Utley back again in person. Another was the super 7-4 doubleplay he and Ibanez pulled on Ian Desmond. If the Marlins should learn how to field, the Nationals should learn how to run the bases. Or maybe it was just the rookie Ian Desmond who was doing weird stuff out there. In any case, I tottered out of the ballpark. It was, as I said, an exhausting game.

Sad news from yesterday: Tyson Gillies, the outfield prospect in the Cliff Lee deal, was arrested in Florida on charges of cocaine possession for an incident that occurred in June. Gillies, who has been injured for most of the year, appears in a cute ad for the Reading Phillies, but methinks we have seen the last of that one. What a shame if this guy, who is legally deaf and must have worked hard to get to where he is, has thrown it all away. A highly-touted piece in a highly-controversial trade, Gillies got off to a slow start with Reading, then soon got injured. If he had not got injured, he would have played the year in Double-A and this strange incident might never have happened.

the howie show goes on the road

The amazing Reading Phillies' Ryan Howard garden gnome, one of the best promotions ever, sitting amidst marigolds and zinnias.

Good news, good news! Ryan Howard starts a rehab assignment tonight with Single-A Lakewood, where he will have his number there (29) retired before the game. That was scheduled to happen at a September 2 game, with Howard in attendance of course. It had to be postponed, however, because the Phillies now have a make-up game in Colorado on the 2nd.

If all goes well tonight, tomorrow should bring Howard to Lehigh Valley and a rehab with the IronPigs. Let the frenzy begin.

The current Sports Illustrated has an interesting piece on Jayson Werth. The first paragraph is a bit overblown, but ther rest of the article is worth the read. Gotta love people who actually think private lives should be private.

Werth further cemented his place in Phillies' folklore by quoting Charlie Manuel on Jimmy Rollins after Wednesday night's game. Days ago some journalist asked Manuel if Rollins could still hit. Manuel's immediate response, "You bet your sweet ass." Vintage Manuel, of course, but also more proof that Jayson Werth knows how to pick his spots.

phils fall on 100th consecutive sell-out

Last night's game was the 100th consecutive sell-out for the Phillies, who trail only the Yankees in average attendance. Kudos to all, and that includes the fab team, the front office and organization, and the fans.

Unfortunately, the game itself was a dud. As usual, the Phillies did not hit with Cole Hamels on the mound. This time it was Jonathan Sanchez holding them to just one hit through eight innings. They got a couple more in the 9th and even managed to avoid the shut-out but the Giants won it 5-2. Hamels did not have it from the start, giving up three runs in the 1st and another two before leaving after the 5th. It's way past time for this pathetic lack of run support to end.

swing is the thing in 8-2 romp

Oh, what a little good health can do for you. Jimmy Rollins is moving better, looking better, swinging better. Last night he was a double shy of the cycle. He scored the tying run in the third, then put the Phillies ahead in the fourth with a three-run jack into the right field seats. He also stole two bases. All in all, vintage Jimmy Rollins.

Chase Utley hit the ground-out that scored that first run, then got two hits with that sweet swing of his. Raul Ibanez and Carlos Ruiz joined the J-Roll triple parade. Ross Gload--watch that groin--made everyone hold their breaths as he legged out an infield single. He also made another sharp play at first.

The cherry on top came in the 8th, with the Phillies leading 7-2. Pinch-hitter Domonic Brown blasted a solo shot into the second deck in right field--and got a well-deserved curtain call for it.

Joe Blanton was on the mound and finally looking something like his old self. After giving up a lead-off run to Angel Torres, he settled down and was solid. The only other run he allowed was another solo shot, to Pat Burrell, who has quickly become a footnote to the series. Blanton left in the 7th, with one out and two on, but Chad Durbin, in on relief, got a doubleplay ball to end the threat. That was that for the Giants. The Phillies, meanwhile, are starting to look healthy.

like candy to a baby

Let's hear it a bit for Shane Victorino who has been on something of a tear since coming off the DL. He's looking again like the Super-Pest that fans either love or hate.

Tim Dierkes over at MLB Trade Rumors yesterday had a piece about how the Phillies are handing out contract extensions like candy. His bad contracts: Ryan Howard (you either get that one or you don't and Dierkes doesn't), Jamie Moyer (a good neighbor reward, Tim), Cole Hamels (how can he not get that one?), Placido Polanco (the very player that Jimmy Rollins last night called the best hitter on the team), Joe Blanton (well, that one is not looking good this year), Danys Baez (don't get me started), Brian Schneider (yes, why two years not one), Ross Gload (could say the same as for Baez though Gload has been 100x better), and picking up the option of Jimmy Rollins a year early (a no-brainer). All I concluded from the piece was that as a long-time Cubs fan, Tim Dierkes simply does not get it. Ruben Amaro, Jr., however, does.

phillies beat giants

I was waiting all summer for these commemorative stamps to come out and they are now here.

Barry Zito pitched his game early but the Phillies played their game from the fifth on. The Giants took a 1st-inning lead on a doubleplay ground-out and a solo homer by Pat Burrell. (Got that quickly out of the way.) Burrell, playing in his first regular-season game at the 'Zen since 2008, got a standing O when first announced but the big noise was for Chase Utley, playing in his first game since June 28. He went 0 for 5 but it was great to see him back.

After the first, Roy Oswalt, previously 0-3 against the Giants, was pretty much in control. The Phillies tied the game in the 5th and went ahead 4-2 in the 6th. The Giants made it closer in the 7th on a solo shot by Jose Guillen. Then came the ugly eighth, ugly that is for Giant pitching and fielding. By the time it was over, the Phillies had added five runs to their lead. Chad Durbin came in to finish off the game and secure the 9-3 victory, which put the Phillies in sole possession of the NL wild card lead.

Placido Polanco went 4 for 4, Rollins had a three RBI night, Victorino knocked in the go-ahead runs in the 6th with a double, and on and on it went. The only home runs were by the Giants. The Phillies have not homered in their past six games. In that span, they are 5-1.

Tonight it's hard-throwing Matt Cain v. enigmatic Joe Blanton.

chase utley activated from dl; dobbs dfa'd

The Gigantes are in town for a big series with the Phillies and--woohoo--Chase Utley has been activated from the DL. It's been a long time. He was DL'd June 29, after injuring a thumb sliding into second in a game in Cincnnati on the 28th. Once again, though, Utley defies the odds and comes back a couple of weeks early. Just so he is well!

To make room for Utley on the roster, the struggling Greg Dobbs was designated for assignment. If he clears waivers (he should) perhaps he will accept an assignment to the minors. (Details are pending.) It's been sad to see Dobbs, a key contributor to the 2008 team and a guy who seemed to get it, fall off like this.

Tonight's match-up: Barry Zito v. Roy Oswalt. Pat Burrell and Aaron Rowand are also back in town.

thanks very much, young kendrick

Last night's game in New York was pretty much a slog. It started in rain, with water pooled on the infield and the field looking like a mess. The Phillies got on the board first with a manufactured run (single by Rollins, who stole 2nd, then 3rd, then was knocked in) in the 3rd but the Mets answered immediately with a lead-off solo homer by Jose Reyes in the bottom of the frame. That was, however, the only hit the Mets would get the rest of the way, except for a phantom single by Luis Castillo. The Phillis meanwhile put together another run in the 5th, and a third one in the 6th.

Kendrick went 6.2 innings. Chad Durbin finished off the 7th, Madson pitched the 8th, and Lidge, who is 16 for 16 vs. the Mets, threw an easy ninth. Rain was still falling at game end. The Phillies are now a fraction ahead of the Giants in the wild card standings, for what that is worth on this day in August. It does, however, add a bit more to the series starting Tuesday with those same Giants.

halladay dominates

Roy Halladay threw eight dominant innings against journeyman Pat Misch and the Mets last night in a 4-0 win. In the 3rd, Halladay got the first Phillie hit of the game, then scored on a Polanco RBI single. That was all he needed but the Mets gift-wrapped three more runs, as Misch, Ruben Tejada, and David Wright combined for three errors. It took 38+ innings for the Phillies finally to get on the board this year at Citifield. Can we all now move forward? Tonight it's Kyle Kendrick v. Mike Pelfrey, which could be a two-way disaster, a lopsided victory, or an unexpected pitchers' duel. Who knows with these two iffy guys?

Chase Utley played five innings down in Clearwater, going 1-3 with a triple.

the late great abbey lincoln

I've just read that Abbey Lincoln, the great jazz singer and writer, died today at her apartment on the upper West Side of Manhattan. She was 80 but I am still stunned. She seemed more like a force of nature than anything else. One night some years ago I was driving across northern Pennsylvania on the way back from Buffalo, New York, with a friend. Radio reception in that part of the state is the pits but suddenly in the night came the sound of Abbey Lincoln singing "The World Is Falling Down". It was like hearing a voice from heaven. Even my friend, not much of a jazz fan, was impressed. That is one of many favorite Abbey Lincoln songs of mine. She's got lots that speak loud and clear. Thanks, Abbey, and rest in peace.

utley, howard? oh, happy day!

First there was Ryan Howard saying that he thought he would be back once he is officially off the DL so long as the swelling in his ankle continues to go down. Now it's Chase Utley, saying that he may be back on Tuesday! Is any of this possible? Howard is still taking fielding practice and Utley is scheduled to play five innings tonight down in Clearwater.

This news may be the best of the weekend. If the Phillies do not step it up and win tonight behind Halladay, they've got little shot tomorrow behind Kendrick.

more bagels in ny

Cole Hamels again pitched a gem and again got nothing but a wicked line drive off his his right thigh in the 4th. In the 6th, he also got the only Phillies' hit off of knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, a loop single that mercifully broke up the no-hit bid. Hamels has pitched outstanding ball for most of the season, though his 7-9 record would indicate otherwise. In the last nine games, his run support total is nine.

The Mets got their only run on an RBI double by Carlos Beltran that scored David Wright from 2nd. Wright had reached on a misplayed ball by Shane Victorino.

After one of the most dramatically exhilarating games ever on Thursday, the Phillies went silent in NY. They have been blanked 10 times this year, five times by the Mets. Last night was the fourth time in a row that they have been blanked at Citifield. Just think about it: 36 innings without scoring a run. It's confounding, it's embarrassing.

Carlos Ruiz was pulled from the line-up with a tight quad but may be back today when Roy Halladay probably takes on soft-tossing left Pat Misch, who is sure to be another challenge for the offense.

phillies drop dodgers 10-9

For seven innings there was nothing to say about this game. Blanton was awful, the bullpen was awful, and Dodger starter Clayton Kershaw was poised to win a rare one against the Phillies. (Kershaw, by the bye, finally looks to be coming into his own.) Then trailing 9-2 in the bottom of the 8th, the Phillies strung some hits together to make it 9-6.

Hope, huh, especially against the hard-throwing Jonathan Broxton in the 9th, the same closer the Phillies have memorably traumatized in the past. Broxton started off by hitting Polanco and walking Sweeney and Werht. He then got Francisco to hit a grounder to third but third baseman Casey Blake booted the ball and a chance at a doubleplay. Instead, two runs scored on the error.

The Phillies had now cut the lead to one, without the benefit of a hit and with a man on first and second and still nobody out. That brought the man they now call Clooch to the plate. Without doubt, Carlos Ruiz, otherwise known as Chooch, has been the Phillies most clutch hitter all season. He delivered the first and final hit of the game, lifting a double to deep left center. Werth and Franxisco flew around the bases and the Phillies had, most improbably--or not--, come back to stun the Dodgers and take two of three in the series.

more glimmers

Shane Victorino has been activated for tonight's game in Philadelphia and Antonio Bastardo has been sent down. That means that Domonic Brown stays on the roster for a bit longer. Ross Gload, despite what looked like a bad injury last night, is listed as day-to-day. What a boost it would be for him to avoid a trip to the DL. Chase Utley was cleared yesterday to begin baseball activities. Woohoo!

Otherwise, it's raining, it's pouring and you wonder if there will be any games tonight.

oswalt first, lidge last

Roy Oswalt put on a strong showing in his first home game as a Phillie, going seven innings and giving up none. The Phillies scored one in the 4th, on a Dom Brown fielder's choice with the bases loaded. They scored again in the 6th, when Raul Ibanez drove in Mike Sweeney with an RBI double--and extended his hitting streak to 18. Sweeney was pinch-running for Ross Gload who had doubled but pulled up lame at second with a groin injury. What a bummer--and what else is new? Another day, another injury. Gload had been doing a good job filling in for the injured Ryan Howard.

Ryan Madson pitched around a lead-off double in the 8th and Brad Lidge came in for a 1-2-3 final inning. After last night's debacle, it was an all-round good game, with the Phillies besting Chad Billingsly and the Dodgers 2-0, but it was really all about the pitching. Asked after the game about having his old mate Lidge save another game for him, Oswalt replied, "He saved about 60 for me in Houston...Hopefully he can save another 50 or 60 here."

Shane Victorino, meanwhile, was on the second day of his rehab assignment with Lehigh Valley. Tuesday night he played five innings and went 1-2. Last night he played seven. He tripled in his first at-bat, homered in his second, and finished off the night with a two-RIB single in 5-1 win for the IronPigs. Victorino has given the listless 'Pigs a much-needed jolt of his high energy approach to the game and to everything.

brutal start, brutal finish

Kyle Kendrick has a dismal record against the Dodgers and last night's performance only added to it. Kendrick left in the fourth, shortly after throwing a perfect toss to Jimmy Rollins, covering second. It was a dead doubleplay ball but Rollins, inexplicably, fell down. A couple of batters later, Kendrick was headed to the showers. He gave up seven runs in 3.1 innings. For the Dodgers, the good Vicente Padilla showed up, at least early on, throwing what Vin Scully has aptly called his "soap bubble" pitch.

The Phillies came back to make it a 7-4 game but the bullpen, in the person of Bastardo, Herndon, Baez, and Romero, was brutal. Will Danys Baez ever bear down and make some pitches when they are needed? As for Romero, he looked beyond awful in the 9th. Only Contreras and Durbin did their jobs in an ugly 15-9 loss.

Worse, Polanco fell on his injured elbow and came up wincing repeatedly. He was finally lifted but says he is OK. Rollins, who had another mindboggling error on another dead doubleplay ball (he simply dropped it), also seemed to tweak his ankle saving a bad toss by Baez from going into center field. He looked to be in real pain. If the Phillies again lose either of those guys, they are done.

Some bright notes: Dom Brown hit the first homer of his major league career, a solo smash to deep right, and drove in four. Ross Gload had two home runs. Raul Ibanez extended his hitting streak to 17. Not that any of it really mattered.

The last time the Phillies gave up 15 runs was in 2007--here at home--to the Dodgers. I remember that dreadful game, too. But really the fans were quick to boo last night. They sounded like lunkheads. I mean, when Jimmy Rollins trips over second base on a dead-easy play and falls down, you gotta think it's not your night.

bastardo back to philly

As expected, lefty Antonio Bastardo was recalled from Lehigh Valley to join the Philies for the series with the Dodgers. Bastardo, like some other minor league guys, has the talent. Will he finally make the most of his opportunity?

David Murphy, who has become one of the better beat writers covering the Phillies, has an interesting piece on NL contending teams down the stretch on his High Cheese blog for the Philadelphia Daily News. See it here: http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/phillies/A_quick_look_at_the_stretch_run.html

consistency

Despite two stints on the DL, Placido Polanco has been the Phillies' most consistent hitter all season. No surprise, really there. That's what Polly does. His .319 BA leads the team and is 3rd in the league. The guy now carrying the team, though, is Raul Ibanez.

The last time I was at Citizens Bank Park was before the All-Star break. I said to one of the guys who sits next to me that I thought Raul was on his way back, simply because he seemed to be moving better, running better. My neighbor snorted and said, ".280. When he's hitting .280, I'll believe he's back." Well, Ibanez is now hitting .274 and his current 16-game hitting streak is much of the reason that the team is holding its own in the absence of so many key players. During this streak, he has a .407 BA, four home runs, and 16 RBI.

Ibanez says it's all about not doing too much, that in baseball less is more. He also credits his mates, whom he defines in one word: character.

6-5: we'll take it

Early on Roy Halladay did not seem to have his best stuff, then midway he looked good. In the 7th, though, the Mets got the Phillies' lead down to one. But Halladay gutted out the inning and held the score at 6-5. Ryan Madson took care of the 8th, then it was Brad Lidge for the 9th. As soon as he gave up a single to lead-off hitter Josh Thole, I turned the radio off and reached for the Rachel Carson book I am reading. After reading a section on the Chesapeake eel (amazing stuff: They and all American and European eels end their lives with a long migration to the Sargasso Sea), I felt more in tune with the big picture and turned the radio back on. Lidge had just got Reyes to pop up to center. Game over, the Phillies win.

After the Mets took a 2-0 lead in the 1st, the Phillies cut it to 2-1 in the second on a Jayson Werth home run that maybe should have been caught by Carlos Beltran, who looked as bad at the plate as he did in the field. Then in the 3rd, a Jose Reyes error opened the floodgates to a five-run inning, including a three-run homer by Raul Ibanez off of R.A. Dickey, who was soon gone. But the Fightins' did not add on and let the Mets chip away at the lead. You started to get a bad feeling. Was this a game where Halladay gets the run support but loses anyway? In the end, however, the Phillies take two of three from the Mets.

Everyone is now chattering about the young homegrown talent on the Mets, as seven of their starters were from their farm system. Let them produce, then go crazy.

John Mayberry was sent back to Lehigh Valley after the game. Word is that a pitcher (Bastardo?) will take his spot on Tuesday.

faint light, long tunnel

Ryan Howard is off crutches and is saying he will be back when his DL stint expires next week. Shane Victorino is scheduled to start a rehab assigmment with Lehigh Valley on Tuesday. If all goes well, he may rejoin the team this weekend in New York. Woohoo!

former phillies on the mound

An old photo from a game years ago in Oakland.

Lots of former Phillies or Phillie farmhands were pitching last night. Promising farmhand Gio Gonzalez pitched for the Oakland A's, while first-round draft pick Gavin Floyd went for the White Sox against former-Phillie Kevin Millwood of the Orioles. Brett Myers, now of the Astros, was squaring off against Randy Wolf, now with the Brewers. That's not all, though. Bruce Chen, in yet another of his baseball reincarnations, was pitching for the Royals. Gio won, Floyd won, Wolf won, and Chen won. What a bummer that Cole Hamels lost.

hamels suffers another hard-luck loss

Cole Hamels was fantastic, allowing one run on six hits, striking out a season-high 11, and walking none. But the one run was a solo homer to Jeff Francoeur and that was the only run of the game, as Johan Santana (0R, 5H, 6K, 3BB) and the Mets again blanked the Phillies. The Phillies had lots of chances but did not get it done. And Hamels, despite outpitching Santana, was once again a hard-luck loser. It makes me want to scream.

Chris Wheeler said sometime during the broadcast that earlier that day Davey Lopes had said he no longer gets angry with players when they do dumb things, he just feels disappointed. I can understand that but this game has left me vexed. First, there's Jayson Werth, who again made a boneheaded base-running mistake. Werth may have good numbers but he has been irritating to watch for much of this season. Jimmy Rollins was also thrown out at third on a bunt attempt by Polanco, but that was thanks to a rather sensational play by Santana on the ball. And maybe because Jimmy is still limping from his foot injury.

Speaking of which, you would think all the people venting about Rollins' average might want be able to connect his limping to a poor swing.

If Rollins were to go down again, the line-up would be scary. It's already beyond bad without Utley, Howard, and Victorino. Yesterday Chase Utley talked about getting the splint off his thumb. Then MLBN's best program ever, Batting Practice Live, caught Victorino rooting in the ivy beyond the center field wall. He seemed to be looking for balls that had been hit there but it was too funny. On the radio pregame show, Scott Proefrock said that Victorino will likely go on a rehab assignment on Tuesday. Do hope it's with the 'Pigs, who need a shot of octane, if only borrowed.

And what about the pinch-hitters? Dobbs is now something like 3-35. Nice guy and all that but enough. Just as bad is John Mayberry, Jr., and his long, loopy swing. Back to Triple-A with you, kid.

Everyone had better come ready to hit tomorrow. I am so tired of the R.A. Dickey story.

phillies shine on wall of fame night

For seven innings it was a well-paced game, with both starters on their game. Joe Blanton (2 R, 7 H, 0BB) had the best game of his rocky season; Jonathan Niese (1R, 4H, 5BB) settled down in the 3rd. Neither figured in the decision. Chad Durbin pitched a scoreless 8th for the Phillies but Bobby Parnell did not get an out in the bottom of the inning. Two Mets' pitchers later, 11 Phillies had come to the plate, scoring six runs. New guy Mike Sweeney, who also made a nifty diving defensive play, led it off with a single, went 1st to 3rd on a Werth single, and scored the tying run. Many men later Sweeney had the final hit of the inning, another single. In between it was lots of good at-bats, good hitting, and good baserunning. The Chooch train was running; Carlos Ruiz knocked in the go-ahead run in the 8th.

Danys Baez got two outs in the 9th but left with two men on. The struggling J.C. Romero then gave up a three-run homer to pinch-hitter Mike Hessman. Brad Lidge came in for a quick final out in the 7-5 win.

If Mike Sweeney does nothing else in his Phillies' career, he will be remembered for last night. For the 16-year-veteran Sweeney, this is his first stint on a contending team. He has played on winning teams only twice before in his career. It was nice to hear him say that while he and Cliff Lee were both with the Mariners, Lee frequently talked about how wonderful it had been to play in Philadelphia.

Before the game catcher Darren Daulton was inducted into the Phillies' Wall of Fame. All kinds of alumni were on hand (it's Alumni Weekend) for the ceremony, including some of Daulton's partners in crime from the 1993 team. It was sweet to see Johm Kruk give Dutch a hug and a kiss. Tough guys getting mellow. It is still mind-boggling that Daulton, Kruk, and closer Mitch Williams have gone on to careers in the media. All three are very good, too.

phils get a gimme

Roy Oswalt left in the 7th, leading 2-0 and with two on. J.C. Romero and Jose Contreras quickly combined to give up four runs. The Marlins took the 4-2 lead into the 9th and promptly made an error to allow Polanco, leading off, to reach first. The Phillies went on to tie the game, but with two on and no outs proceeded to run themselves out of the inning. Talk about ugly baseball. In the bottom of the 9th, with the tying run on second, Gaby Sanchez laced a game-winner over the third base bag but umpire Bob Davidson saw it differently: foul ball. Cue eruptive anger on the part of the Fish. And no wonder. But Sanchez then made out and the game went on. In the top of the 10th, Carlos Ruiz almost hit a home run, then did, for a 5-4 lead. (Ruiz, the anti-Werth in this series, also doubled in the first two runs for the Phils.) Brad Lidge came in and almost had a 1-2-3 inning but he got the save so say hey.

It was great to see Oswalt pitching like his usual tenacious self.

kendrick and friends top fish

PostMuse (www.postmuse.blogspot.com) sent this sweet postcard from a trip back to her hometown.

Kyle Kendrick had a serviceable six innings, thanks in large part to some good defense behind him, including a stellar catch by Jimmy Rollins and a terrific assist by Domonic Brown. Both plays kept potential tying runs from scoring. The Phillies' offense again took advantage of the Marlins'shoddy defense, stringing together a lot of hits in the 7-2 victory. Brown also had three RBI, including a sac fly off a lefty reliever in the 5th.

The Phillies traded with the Mariners for veteran Mike Sweeney. The other end of the deal (PTBNL or cash consideration) will be determined later. Charlie Manuel says that Sweeney will take Howard's spot at 1st, fueling speculation that Howard will be out for about a month.

Hot pitching prospect Jarred Cosart has been shut down for the rest of the season, which means I will not get to see him pitch at Lakewood. And slugging 1st baseman Matt Rizzotti, who has pretty much come out of nowhere, has been promoted from Reading to Lehigh Valley.

howard to dl; halladay helps himself

On the day that Ryan Howard, the one constant in the line-up all these years, was put on the DL, Roy Halladay took the mound in Florida and led the Phillies to a 6-1 win. Halladay went seven, limiting the Fish to one run on five hits and striking out nine. He also knocked in two with a bases-loaded single. Carlos Ruiz (four hits) and Ben Francisco (three hits)went back-to-back with solo home runs. Chad Durbin finished off the 8th and 9th. It was a good team win and they will need a lot more of them in the absence of Howard, Utley, and Victorino. Jimmy Rollins is playing but still limping.

is that the sound of the dl approaching?

After injuring his ankle Sunday in D.C., Ryan Howard flew to Miami with the team. Last night he headed back to Philadelphia to get the ankle examined by the team doctor. So much for all the talk about not going on the DL. And why wasn't he just sent back to Philadelphia on Sunday? Nothing like a couple of flights to help the swelling. Looks very much as if the current Swiss cheese line-up is facing another hole.

phillies claw back after the big piece goes down

This afternoon's game started with the news that Raul Ibanez had a sore wrist and was out of the game. But it got much worse. In the 1st, John Lannan, who once broke Chase Utley's hand and who has several times hit Ryan Howard, hit Ryan Howard on the elbow. Howard later injured his ankle at second base and had to be helped from the field. Rollins' grim face in the dugout said it all.

So the Phillies took a 2-0 lead, then the Nats tied it, then went ahead, then the Phillies tied it 4-4 and on to extra innings they went. In the 11th, the Phillies scored two and could have scored more but left two on base. (In total they had 11 LOB's today.) Brad Lidge then came in for that rare 1-2-3 save, his first such since late June. Roy Oswalt had a sac bunt in the 11th.

X-rays on Howard's ankle and elbow were negative. Howard says he should be able to play in a few days. Too bad that's what they all say. Jayson Werth is now the only regular to be injury-free. It's all just too numbing.

Weird stats of the day: Cole Hamels has allowed 4+ runs only twice in his past 17 starts. And he is 7-7. The combined averages of Halladay, Hamels, and Oswalt average out to precisely 3.00. The three have given up far fewer hits and walks than innings pitched. And they have a combined record under .500. Any time the offense wants to chip in with some support, it would be lovely.