Jacqueline

My co-blogger Jacqueline Ruyak passed away on October 21 after a brief illness. She and I had been friends for 36 years, but it was only in the last 10 years or so that we discovered our mutual love of baseball. It became a tradition for her to come to the West Coast when her beloved Phillies were playing the Giants. I sometimes went to Philadelphia when my Oakland A's were playing the Phillies. We took road trips together to see spring training games in the Cactus and Grapefruit leagues, Arizona Fall Ball and many minor league games. It is hard to believe that we will no longer sit side by side filling out our scorebooks and commenting on the new crop of cute players. We will no longer mail our team badges to each other. I know that Jacqueline had a passion for writing baseball commentary and our blog was the perfect forum for her. I am forever grateful for our baseball friendship. I cannot imagine spring training without her.

Burrell's Last Stand

We learned that Burrell is suffering from degenerative foot disease that is incurable. Bochy put him in the Giants lineup today so the fans can see him one last time.

Second to last

Fan cheering Coco Crisp





George Zimmer of Men's Wearhouse giving me the evil eye.

With Moneyball set to open on Friday and the Division-leading Rangers in town, you would expect a lively crowd. But Harden cannot seem to get out of the first inning. Two outs, two strikes, three run homerun, a walk, 38 pitches, and finally a K.

Mellow Day at O.co

With A's out of contention, this Businessman's Special had only a smattering of fans. Several Angels fans sporting red are sitting in our section. Still who can complain about this blissful, warm and breezy day?
Harden is pitching quite well and the A's defense is quite sharp, though the players are new and unrecognizable.

catching up on the disabled list

Jimmy Rollins to the DL. Jose Contreras to season-ending surgery. Raul Ibanez takes a shot to the groin. Ryan Howard is out with bursitis in his heel. Jose Contreras is to have season-ending surgery. And Cole Hamels, in what is reported as a bit of roster maneuvering, is on the DL but will pitch on Monday.

two late duds

Five minutes into Friday night's game in Washington, there was a rain delay of almost two and a half hours. Eventually the game was on and the Phillies took a lead into the ninth, when Ryan Madson came on and blew it in excruciating fashion. It ended with a walk-off grand slam by Ryan Zimmerman. The Nats took it 8-4.

On Saturday, Friday's starter Roy Oswalt (scratched after the rain delay) finally started. He was fab for eight shut-out innings. Michael Stutes came in and finished off the 5-0 shut-out. Wilson Valdez was the offensive spark.

What to say about Sunday? Lots, really, but I'll leave it at another rain delay, two blown saves, and a 4-3 loss in ten. Michael Schwimer made his big league debut and but for one fatal pitch was outstanding.

one got away

So here came the Diamondbacks, the real surprise team in the National League. On Tuesday night, the Phillies took a 2-1 lead into the ninth behind Roy Halladay, who appeared to be on cruise control. But two singles and a Lyle Overbay double later, the D'backs had a 3-2 lead and had stolen game one. Cue the second-guessing, which was out of control the next day. Overbay, a former teammate of Doc's, drove in all three of the Arizona runs.

On Tuesday, Cliff Lee was out to avenge his April loss in the desert. The hometown offense took advantage of miscues and romped to a 9-2 win. Lee became the sixth NL pitcher with 13 runs. Three of the six are Phillies.

Last night pitted Vance Worley against 15-game winner Ian Kennedy. The Phillies struck first for three runa, supplied in part by a Mayberry two-run homer. Worley looked to be back to his usual self, but then the rains came for a two-hour+ delay. David Herndon picked up where Worley left off and got the win. 4-1, Phillies.

thome hits his 600th

Cheers for Jim Thome, who last night hit his 599th and 600th home runs. It is a marvelous feat by a great guy. All the best to one of the best!

Thome got his start with the Cleveland Indians, where his hitting coach was Charlie Manuel. Asked after hitting his historic home run who had influenced his career the most, he replied without hesitation, "Charlie Manuel." Thome was later rejoined with Manuel when he signed with the Phillies. He hit his 400th home run at the new park in Philadelphia, where he was a tremendously popular player. He was traded, however, to the White Sox to make room for the emerging Ryan Howard. By then, Thome was about ready to make the shift to DH.

a washed-out split

Rain erased today's rubber match with the Nationals. The Nats won Friday night 3-1. Cole Hamels had 'shoulder stiffness' and Livan Hernandez flummoxed the Phillie offense in a yawner. The Phillies won Saturday 11-3 behind a solid outing by Roy Oswalt. The Nats played sloppy, sloppy ball and the Phillies capitalized at every turn.

Placido Polanco is still missing time with his now balky hip. The guy is falling apart, which is sad.

Dan Uggla had his improbable hitting streak halted today at 33.

Lots of rain is falling here in the Northeast, this time bringing blessedly cool weather with it.

summer mantra

Another super image from Cyrilla Mozenter, who took the photo last week at the Sussex County Fair in northern New Jersey.

what a road trip

The Phillies finished off what is usually a grueling West Coast road trip with a sweep of the Dodgers. That made it a fabulous 9-1 trip. Way to go!

Before the series in Los Angeles started on Monday, Dodger manager Don Mattingly was quoted as saying, "We get Halladay, then we get Lee, then we get the ace," an amusing nod to the season that rookie Vance Worley is having. So what happened in the series?

Monday night it felt like tattered pitching night. Halladay went 6.1 innings, giving up just one run but scattering nine hits. The Phillies, mirabile dictu, actually got to Hiroki Kuroda in a regular season game, touching him for four runs. Victorino had two doubles and a homer, earning him some more West Coast boos. The final score: 5-3, Phillies. Halladay got his 15th.

Tuesday was again a dominant night for Cliff Lee, who pitched eight scoreless innings of shutout ball. Madson gave up a run in the ninth in the 2-1 Phillie victory.

Wednesday afternoon was not kind to the 'ace', who fell behind 5-0 in the first, then gave up another run before being lifted in the fifth. Down six on get-away day, the Phillies nonetheless battled back, with the help of a Hunter Pence two-run homer that got them going. In the sixth, Utley tied it 7-7 with a two-run single, then Howard untied it with a two-run homer. Ibanez made a fabulous, game-saving catch in the ninth and the Phillies finished off the Dodgers 9-8. Wow.

As for the Dodgers, tattered just about sums them up this rocky season.

three of four by the bay

Four in San Francisco, a place where the Phillies rarely fare well, had all the makings of a disaster. On Thursday, though, it was all Cliff Lee, who dominated in a complete game shut-out. Hunter Pence and John Mayberry, Jr. went back-to-back, then Pence singled in another run in the 3-0 victory.

If I had to predict a brawl between the Giants and the Phillies, I would have put Jonathan Sanchez and Chase Utley at the middle of it. Sanchez, after all, has plunked Utley four times in the past three years. But it was reliever Ramon Ramirez who drilled Shane Victorino. A scrum ensued, but like most baseball dust-ups it was more beanbag than beanball. (Both are intensely distasteful to me.) Giant catcher Eli Whiteside looked like a demented bunny in it all. He should also consider getting some of the shoe polish Brian Wilson uses on his beard to do something about his hair. Rookie Vance Worley was solid in a 9-2 Phillie win.

Saturday afternoon it was role reversal in a match-up from the previous week between Cain and Hamels. This time the Phillies got the two early runs and made them stand up. Hamels, like Lee on Thursday, was dazzling. His complete game shut-out was ruined by a Pablo Sandoval solo homer in the ninth. Hamels went the distance in a 2-1 win, the same score that Cain had won by a week earlier.

Roy Oswalt made his return from the DL on Sunday afternoon, went seven, and gave up single runs in three consecutive innings. The Phillies scored early on Tim Lincecum, but once he was given a lead, it was pretty much over.

Carlos Beltran had two cents to say about the brawl. Beltran always has two cents to say about something.

One Sided Rivalry

In an in-stadium trivia game a fan was asked to name the top three rivals of the Giants. after naming the Dodgers and Padres, the fan was stumped. Well the #1 rival is in town and so far they are whipping our bearded fellas.
The G-men are in a slump offensively and the pitching looks awfully tired.
The Phillies are showing what a fabulous team they have assembled this year. Among the standouts: Pence with his aggressive hitting, Worley and Hamels with masterful pitching and lanky Mayberry with great at-bats.
The only excitement the Giants mustered last night was a brawl. Today after giving it up in the first, Cain has settled down but the offensive is vacationing in Siberia.

umemura mariko

Umemura Mariko is the daughter of old friends in Kyoto, who used to run a sweet restaurant in my old neighborhood there. (The fried oysters were awesome.) Mariko was born shortly after I moved into the neighborhood. As a child, she was always drawing, often in the (to me lamentable) manga vein that is so popular, but she always showed real streaks of imagination. She is now a painter. This enchanting fan, which arrived in yesterday's mail, is printed with two of her paintings. Mariko has, by the bye, already won one of Japan's more prestigious art awards.

more numbers

Last week Ryan Howard got his 1,000th hit. Wednesday night's save for Brad Lidge was his 100th as a Phillie. If only he had been healthy for more of his contract.

Last night Jim Thome hit his 598th home run, doing it all with class. How about some love for the big guy?

make it six

The Phillies finished off a sweep of the Rockies yesterday afternoon, a good way to go into San Francisco for a four-game set. On Monday, Cole Hamels looked again to be a hard-luck loser, going seven innings and giving up two runs. Michael Stutes came on in the eighth and gave up a solo home run to put the Rockies up 3-1. Down to their last out in the ninth, however, the Phillies rallied. Pinch-hitter JohnMayberry, Jr. hit a two-run homer to tie it, then in the tenth Shane Victorino hit a solo shot to give them a 4-3 lead. That was the final, wildly improbable, score.

Tuesday figured to be a slugfest with Kyle Kendrick against Aaron Cook. But Kendrick, in what may have been his last start, surprised us all with eight innings of shut-out ball. Ryan Howard hit two homers and the Phillies won 5-0. But all credit goes to Kendrick, who was simply dominant at Coors Field.

Wednesday afternoon was the more typical Coors Field kind of game, with no lead feeling safe--and a lot of dumb plays being made. The Phillies scored first, then fell behind. They again went ahead but had to keep adding on to hold the Rockies at bay in an 8-6 win. Ryan Howard had a double error but also drove in four, on a double and a homer.

Denver native Roy Halladay, not sharp, went seven innings. Bastardo pitched the eighth and gave up a run. Then, big surprise, in came Brad Lidge, another Denver native, for his first close of the year. He was lights out, making for a sweet ending to the series.

cherokee purple

Jozef B. sent these recent photos of his container garden. When he visited in May, I gave him some of my Cherokee Purple tomato seedlings. My seedlings have also turned into plants but they are tall and spimdly, with almost no blossoms. Jozef reports that his are growing taller day by day, are loaded with blossoms, and starting to bear fruit. I was thrilled to see the photos he sent. I guess Buffalo is having a better tomato season than here in Pennsylvania. Neighbors report that their tomatoes too are not bearing. Jozef and his wife Olga are now in Ireland for the opening of an arts festival. By the time they get back, the tomatoes should be ripe for the picking.

sweeping the pirates

The series with the Pirates started Friday night, July 29. On July 29, 2009, Ruben Amaro, Jr. traded for Cliff Lee. On July 29, 2010, he traded for Roy Oswalt. And on this July 29, he traded for Hunter Pence of the Astros, giving up Jarred Cossart, Jonathan Singleton, Josh Zeid, and a player to be named later.

On to the series. Friday night was a 10-3 romp. Roy Halladay threw seven shut-out innings of one-hit ball. Utley homered to start things. Rollins later homered. Everybody hit.

Saturday night was not quite so smooth for Cliff Lee but in the end he got his 10th win of the series in a 7-4 victory. Howard homered, Rollins homered. Hunter Spence made his debut to an adoring crowd and Domonic Brown got a rousing ovation on his return to Triple-A, where he reportedly went straight to manager Ryne Sandberg to say he was back and ready to go, this time in left field.

Raul Ibanez put the Phillies on the board early on Sunday with a solo home run, but the Pirates came back to take a 2-1 lead. The Phillies then went up 3-2, but Worley immediately squandered that and the Pirates took a 5-3. Ibanez then tied it in the eighth with a two-run homer. Ooh, ooh, ooh, Rauuuuul. But he wasn't done. In the 10th, he singled in Hunter Spence to win the game 6-5.

streak is done

Since June 5 the Phillies had not lost two games in a row, but that streak ended last night with consecutive losses to the San Francisco Giants. It was another blah, blah, blah series, with part of the fan base highly vocal and excited about 'proving' something to the Giants. Really, folks? What are you going to do next week when the Phillies are swooning their way through another season series in San Francisco? Save your energy for games that mean something.

Tuesday was the only hometown win, another dazzler by Vance Worley, who tossed his first complete game in the majors, allowing two runs on three hits in a 7-2 win. Chase Utley had an inside-the-park home run, the third of his career. I hope someone kissed his knee after the game.

On Wednesday, Matt Cain outdueled Cole Hamels in a tight 2-1 game. On Thursday, Kyle Kendrick fell to Tim Lincecum, who was there for the picking but the Phillie offense let him off the hook again and again. It put me to sleep.

Carlos Beltran made his Giant debut Thursday night. Did not want him and I am even less thrilled with the prospect of getting Hunter Pence, a guy who strikes out too much for this line-up. Beisdes, the Houston asking price, if correctly reported in the media, is too high. To me, Pence is not an elite player. Give Dom a chance!

cyrilla's garden

Artist Cyrilla Mozenter brightened my day with this photo of the garden at her summer place.

three, then a clunker

The Phillies took three of four from the San Diego Padres during a wrap-around series at the 'Zen. Friday night it was all Cole Hamels: one run on three hits in eight innings, 10 K's, one BB. Phillies took it 3-1.

Saturday, another day of stifling heat and humidity, was home run derby. Chase Utley started it with a three-run homer in the first. Kyle Kendrick kept the Padres at bay for a bit, skirted with disaster in the fourth and fith, and succumbed in the sixth, giving up two homers that tied the game. The Padres then took a 4-3 lead but leading off the seventh pinch-hitter Ryan Howard planted the first pitch he saw beyond the center field fence. Michael Martinez, in a bizarre failed-bunt sequence, then hit a three-run homer. Chase Utley later added a solo shot and the Phillies won 8-6.

Sunday was more heat and humidity. Roy Halladay, off his heat-exhaustion game, labored early and cruised late, setting down the last 10 batters he faced. Ryan Madson, back in the closer's role, pitched the ninth. The Phillies won 5-3.

Monday, another day game, was the clunker. Cliff Lee was not sharp on the mound or in the field. The Padres scored one of their five runs on a casual lob to first by Lee, who did not bother to check the runner at third. That guy, Chris Denorfia, promptly stole home. There were some other knuckleheaded plays in the fields that all added up to a Phillies' loss. Still, three of four ain't bad.

pat gillick day in cooperstown

High fives, hugs and kisses, and heartfelt congratulations to general manager Pat Gillick, who will be inducted today into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Unassuming and reflective, the man is a genius of baseball. Without him, the Phillies would never have made it to the World Series in 2008. Peter Gammons called Gillick "the best general manager since Branch Rickey." High praise and much-deserved. Gillick twice steered the Toronto Blue Jays to World Series championships, took the Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners to the post-season, and in 2008 led the Philadelphia Phillies.

Ruben Amaro, Jr., current GM of the Phillies, always says that he learned from Gillick to listen to the people around him. Gillick, an old-style baseball man, believes baseball goes beyond the numbers and even beyond talent. When assessing a player, he wants to see him firsthand. "Is he intense? Does he have passion? What's his body language? How does he interact with the other players on the team?"

Congratulations to Pat Gillick!

lidge back, baez gone

Brad Lidge is finally back with the team, for the first time all season. To make room for him, struggling reliever Danys Baez was designated for assignment, ending a stint that just did not work out. Baez will best be remembered for his key role in the epic 19-inning game ealier this season, when he pitched five innings, and for being the interpreter and cheerleader for Jose Contreras. Sometimes it's just the wrong place at the wrong time, which is what it was for Baez with the Phillies.

taking two in chicago

The Chicago series started on Monday on a scary note. In conditions of oppressive heat and humidity, Roy Halladay had an almost literal meltdown on the mound. He had to leave the game early in the fifth with heat exhaustion. Rodrigo Lopez, meanwhile, kept the Philadelphia bats limp and the Cubs won the game 6-1. It came out post-game that the visiting clubhouse is a hike through twisting tunnels and down stairs. There was no respite from the heat between innings available to the visitors.

Tuesday night's temperatures were about 12 degrees lower. Cliff Lee started out rocky, surrendering two runs in the first, then held the Cubs to nothing. Matt Garza of the Cubs, however, was doing the same, till the eighth, when Michael Martinez and Chase Utley keyed a two-run rally to tie the game. The Phillies then scored another two in the ninth to win it 4-2. Great comeback win!

Wednesday was all about The Room---and Vance Worley. After Monday's debacle, Cub doctors insisted that the Cubs make a cooling room available to the visitors. That made a big difference to Vance Worley, capable of sweating up a storm on the coolest of days. Worley went eight innings, allowing just one run on three hits. The Phillies, meanwhile, mauled Cub starter Ryan Dempster. Jimmy Rollins homered from each side of the plate and the Phillies won 9-1.

For the most part, the Cubs played like the Cubs, which is to say that they were awful.

ugly but sitll a two-for

The Phillies took two of three from the Mets this weekend, starting with a 7-2 win Friday night. Vance Worley just made it into the sixth but was effective for as long as he lasted. John Mayberry, Jr. knocked in five RBI.

On Saturday, Cole Hamels did a fast fade, running his career record against the Mets to 3-10. Ouch. He was helped not at all by the bumblers on the offense and defense.

Sunday was a Kyle Kendrick surprise. Without impressing in any way at all, KK went seven, allowing just one run. The Phillies struck the main blow in the fifth, a three-run homer by Michael Martinez, in for the ailing Polanco. It was MM's first homer in the big leagues. But the game got ugly in the eighth, when both relief corps started walking men. Both teams scored three in that frame. The Phillies held on for an 8-5 win.

Peachtree Baseball League

8:10 on a summer's evening, a small cluster of boys take fielding practice under the tutelage of retired player, Billy Wagner. Life after MLB consists of finding a way to live meaningfully for the next 50 years. For Billy, coaching his sons and other boys in town is a big focus, as is helping a childhood friend fundraise for a charity, Second Chance, for at-risk youth.
The first fundraiser concert called Two Virginias (venue was Bluefield, WV, just across the border from Bluefield, VA, concluded successfully Saturday night. Six bands played and the normally soft-spoken Wagner gave a heartwarming speech to a sold-out crowd.The event was a success and there are plans to turn the concert into an annual event.
Meanwhile, he coaches the boys in the gathering dark, just like any other father who dreams of their sons in the Bigs some day.

old friends

Artist Honda Takeshi, my former neighbor in Tono (Japan), recently visited some mutual friends of ours there and took these photos to send to me. What a surprise, what a treat. Shige was an absolute guardian angel of mine while I lived in Tono and roped her husband Umakichi into a supporting role. I owe both an endless debt of gratitude. For almost all of their long marriage, they have led a self-sustaining way of life. I miss them--and a couple of other friends there--dearly.

a two-for weekend

The Braves were in town for a much-ballyhooed weekend of pitching. On Friday, Halladay and Beachey each held gave up two runs and into the 10th we went. Raul Ibanez walked it off with a home run to deep right. Journeyman call-up Juan Perez pitched the 10th for the Phillies, striking out the heart of the Braves line-up on exactly nine pitches. Awesome!

All of the Phillie offense in game 2 came via a solo home run by Cliff Lee, who unfortunately also gave up a solo homer to Dan Uggla. Into the 11th this time, when Michael Stutes gave up three. The Braves took it 4-1.

Yesterday pitted Cole Hamels against Derek Lowe. Hamels was masterful, allowing just one run on three hits in eight innings. Lowe gave up four runs in six, then the Phillie offense lit up the soft part of the Braves' bullpen in the seventh and eighth, scoring 10. Raul Ibanez hit a three-run homer and had six RBI on the day. He also made a sterling catch. Except for a sloppy second that contributed to the Braves' scoring, the defense was pretty dazzling.

The Phillies took another series and now it is on to the All-Star break. The IronPigs, too, won, which keeps them quite nicely atop their division.

another two-for, this time in florida

Under new/old manager Jack McKuen, the Marlins continue to look like a lost bunch. I happened to hear Logan Morrison, their promising outfielder, on the radio and he sounded depressed talking about his team. After Monday night's game, he reportedly tweeted to the effect that someone should have told him they'd be facing 'Baby Doc' that night.

On the 4th of July, Vance Worley was stout for seven, giving up just two hits and no runs. Stutes and Bastardo made it hold it and the Phillies beat the Marlins 1-0 in a two-hit shutout. Ricky Nolasco was the hardluck loser.

Tuesday was a beat-down. Cole Hamels gave up two runs over eight innings and the offense clobbered Marlin starter Chris Volstad. Final score: 14-2.

As for Wednesday, let's draw a veil over the game, which featured too, too many gaffes and errors. The Phillies blew a couple of leads to lose 7-6 in 10 innings.

Polanco has been resting his aching back but is still thinking he will take part in the All-Star game. Victorino, out with a thumb injury, was voted to the game as the Final Man in the NL. Take the honor, skip the game, stay home and rest. Not likely to happen, I know.

taking two in canada

A vintage post card showing the tunnel that runs between Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario.

The final (hooray) series of interleague play took place in Toronto. Friday was a total mismatch: Kendrick vs. Romero. In the end, neither impressed. The game was a slugfest, with the Phillies getting in the last lick and winning 7-6. Before the game Roy Halladay took out the line-up card and got a rousing ovation from the sell-out crowd on Canada Day.

Saturday was Roy Halladay day and it started with an epic ovation from the crowd. The Phillies again had to come from behind to do it but they got the 4-3 win and Halladay his 11th in a complete game performance, despite some 9th-inning histrionics by the Jays. Even the crowd got into it, throwing debris on the field.

Sunday's game started all sunny and bright with Cliff Lee on the mound and the Phillies putting up four in the second. Lee's scoreless streak ended at 34 innings in the third, when the Blue Jays got a run. After that, JoJo Reyes put the Phillies to sleep, while the Jays kept pecking away. In the eighth they exploded for four, on three home runs that knocked Lee silly and out of the game. Jays won it 7-4.

a pair from the sox

The much-hyped series with the Red Sox started on Tuesday. Oh, the Sawks, the best offensive team in the majors, but just off two series losses to the Padres at Fenway and the Pirates in Pittsburgh. Philadelphia was next up.

The Sox were without Carl Crawford and their DH. The Phillies were on their fourth closer. In fact, the bullpen, with the exception of Danys Baez, was all from Triple-A.

Tuesday night was a vaunted match-up between Josh Beckett, having a comeback year, and Cliff Lee. It took Lee just five pitches to dispatch the 'patient' Red Sox hitters in the first, which pretty much set the tone for the rest of the game. Lee threw a complete game two-hit shut-out. Domonic Brown hit a two-run homer in the second, then doubled in the fifth and scored on a Lee sac fly. Phillies 3, Red Sox 0.

Everyone predicted a slugfest for Wednesday, which pitted rookie Vance (the Vanimal) Worley against struggling veteran John Lackey. Before the game there was a lot of whining about the DH, or lack thereof. Francona decided to move Adrian Gonzalez to right and put Ortiz at first. Yawn. Worley was super, attacking the strike zone and piling up the outs. Lackey too looked good. Raul Ibanez singled in the first run of the game, in the second. The Sox tied it on a booming double in the fifth by Lackey. (!) Ibanez then untied it in the seventh with a solo homer to right. worley went seven and Stutes and Bastardo came in for, respectively, the hold and the save. Phillies 2, Red Sox 1.

Today's matinee between Jon Lester and Cole Hamels fizzled in the fourth when Adrian Gonzalez drove Hamels out of the game with a wicked liner that took off the pitcher's glove. Hamels finished the play, then got the final out of the inning, but did not come back. X-rays were negative for what is being called a contusion. David Herndon came in and gave up three runs pretty much on bloops. Drew Carpenter later gave up back-to-back shots. The Phillies did nothing till the ninth, when Howard hit a two-run homer off of Bobby Jenks. Red Sox 5, Phillies 2.

In his postgame presser, Charlie Manuel said Hamels is expected to make his next start. Whew.

shane victorino, the flyin' hawaiian

That's the name of a recently-released biography of Phillie center fielder Shane Victorino. Written by Alan Maimon, the book focuses on Victorino's childhood on the island of Maui and his rocky rise to professional fame in the city of Philadelphia.

At age five, the future All-Star was diagnosed with attention-deficit hyper-activity disorder (ADHD), when four teachers at his pre-school threatened to quit because of his uncontrollable behavior. But rural Maui turns out to be a place where the adage that 'it takes a village to raise a child' is a way of life. Blessed with a strong, nurturing family and community and good medical help, Victorino eventually got his ADHD under control. His family encouraged his athletic talents (soccer, track, football, and baseball) as a way to channel his energy, little thinking that their somewhat undersized (5'8") son would eventually be drafted by the L.A. Dodgers.

After some years of toiling in the Dodger system, Victorino was claimed in the Rule 5 draft by San Diego, then later offered back to the Dodgers. A couple of years later, the Phillies picked him up in another Rule 5 draft. When they later offered him back to the Dodgers, LA declined and Philadelphia sent him to its Triple-A team, then in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he ended up becoming the MVP of the International League---on a last-place team. Eventually he made it to the big leagues and the World Series. He still struggles with adult ADHD and now channels more of his energy into a variety of charity efforts in Philadelphia and Hawaii. The account of his first date with his now-wife is a startling, if hilarious, example of the competitive nature of a pro athlete.

This is an insightful baseball book that transcends sport. It's also a warm and wry account of an unusual young man. For all of his struggles with ADHD, Victorino's childhood in some ways sounds almost idyllic.

halladay gets his 10th

Folks should be used to the low-scoring games by now, especially when the Phillies are playing the team with the best ERA in the American League. This weekend series with the A's and their terrific young pitching staff was a case in point.

In Friday night's game, Worley and Moscoso went toe to toe, each working on a no-hitter through five. Worley labored to escape the five-and-dive mode he's been in of late, allowing just one hit in six innings. Moscoso went seven, giving up just two hits. The game went scoreless into the bottom of the ninth, when the Phillies finally got to one-time closer Brian Fuentes, who had previously in his career held them to no runs. With two outs and men on second and third, pinch-hitter Ben Francisco chopped a single over the third baseman's head, scoring Victorino for the 1-0 win.

Saturday night it was Cole Hamels vs. Trevor Cahill. The Phillies scored first but the A's eventually got two off of Hamels, who went eight innings. In the ninth, Michael Stutes had his first real glitch of the year, giving up two more to the A's, who went on to win 4-1. In five games this month, Hamels has a 2-2 record and a 1.45 ERA. He has received a total of 13 runs in support. That number is less impressive when you consider that nine of those runs occurred in a 9-1 win over the Marlins.

If the Phillies continue to play as they did Saturday, which is to say flatfooted and lackadaisical, not to mention incapable of hitting breaking balls, they will be doomed.

Today Roy Halladay went again for his 10th win and was not to be denied. The Phillies scored two in the first off former Phillie farmhand Josh Outman (nice to see him pitching well in the majors)and later added a third in a 3-1 victory. Halladay went the distance for his fifth complete game of the season, helping to save a thin bullpen that has now lost its third closer.

Woohoo

Yellow jerseys rule! Lots of heartache for A's fans this year with all the bumbling and injuries and poor managing and fielding errors, but the team played their hearts out today against a World Series caliber team. Thanks Cahill, thanks Bailey!!


Mrpotani

meet me in st. louis

So the Phillies went from Seattle to St. Louis this week for what turned out to be a rather loopy series. On Tuesday night, Roy Halladay, trying for win #10, was lifted after the sixth with the Phillies down a run. They tied it, then the Cards went ahead by one. But all hell broke loose in the eighth, when the Phillies scored nine unanswered runs off of five Cardinal relievers, who combined to walk three, hit two, and give up five hits. The final score: 10-2.

On Wednesday it was all Cliff Lee again. He started the game throwing seven balls, then went on to pitch his second complete-game shutout in a row. Rollins hit a solo homer in the 3rd, Howard his a two-run shot, and the Phillies won 4-0.

Thursday's story was Roy Oswalt, who gave up four runs in two innings, then left the game with a sore back. The Phillies went on to lose ingloriously 12-2. But the story was Oswalt, who seemed to suggest that the back may be a season- (f not career-) ending injury. Oi vey.

Other injuries to ponder: Jose Contreras is back on the DL and Ryan Madison, conspicuously missing in action this week, has had numbness in his hand. The bullpen is again falling apart. J.C. Romero refused an assignment to Lehigh Valley and is now a free agent. All the work is being carried by the kids.

Fine, Thanks!

Sell out for Bay Bridge Series. Giants and A's fans have a spirited rivalry but all seemed good-natured.





Sweeping is sweet! A gem of a game on Sunday between Cain and Cahill. Both have struggled lately but a perfect summer's day at the O.co Coliseum enabled them to pitch their best games. The A's were miserable a week ago but now with new manager Melvin and their good-luck yellow jerseys their play has finally picked up. And Jemile Weeks, up from Sacramento when Ellis got injured, has brought a bright light to an otherwise undistinguished team.

sleeping in seattle

The Phillies were in Seattle for the weekend, at one of my favorite ballparks. Friday night it was Oswalt vs. rookie phenom Michael Pineda. Oswalt was pedestrian and Pineda had the edge in a 4-2 Phillies' loss. Did I mention Ichiro?

Saturday it was rookie Vance Worley vs. Felix Hernandez. The offense was primed from the get-go, scoring one run in the first. Worley promptly gave it back to prospect Dustin Ackley, making his debut, but hung on for five innings to keep the Mariners from any more scoring. Victorino doubled, tripled, and homered in the 5-1 win, which went to Michael Stutes, out of the bullpen.

Cole Hamels, going for his 10th, was terrific Sunday afternoon but soft-tossing lefty Jason Vargas put the Phillie offense to sleep. Hamels lost 2-0 on a couple of bloops. Vargas tossed his second complete-game shut-out of the season. Yawn. The game was played in front of an enthusiastic sell-out crowd, the second sell-out of the season for the M's.

zasshiki warashi

Doll artist friend Ozawa Yasuko recently sent an envelope of clippings, including a piece that appeared in the Asahi shinbun last year on the 100th anniversary of the publication of the Tono monogatari (legends of Tono), a seminal work in the history of Japanese folklore.

The piece opened with an account of a fire at an inn in Ninohe, a coastal town in Iwate prefecture. Rumor had it that a child dressed in a red kimono was seen darting form the fire and fleeing to the little shrine behind the inn. People said that it was a zasshiki warashi, a child imp believed to bring good fortune to whatever house the child chose to inhabit.

Stories of zasshiki warashi are found elsewhere in Japanese folklore but they are most common in Iwate and other parts of the northeast. When I lived in Kyoto, I used to watch a long-running animated series on NHK television about Japanese folk tales. When I moved to Tono, I ran into the tales in my neighborhood.

A house in a neighboring hamlet had an old wooden statue of what the family called a Kannon, though all agreed that it looked like a Jizo. About 150 years old, the statue was smooth and polished by age. Its story was one I had seen on the NHK series. Once long ago, in the middle of a busy rice harvest the family ran out of help. Suddenly there appeared from nowhere a little boy who pitched in and worked all day helping to harvest the rice. At the end of the day, the family wanted to thank him for his work but he was nowhere to be found.

When they returned home, however, someone noticed muddy footprints leading up to the house, then into the house, and straight to the parlor. There the people of the house found the wooden statue, which has been revered in their family ever since. I got chills hearing the tale and handling the statue.

Zasshiki warashi were rarely seen except in glimpses. Their laughter, however, was sometimes heard. They were believed to insure the good fortunes of the household. When they left, the households inevitably fell into ruin.

4 in 48

The floundering Fish came in Tuesday night for a four-game stand, including a rain make-up, which was played in under 48 hours.

Game 1 on Tuesday night was a tale of two teams. Cole Hamels gave up one run in the first, then dazzled into the eighth, when he left with a tight back. The offense also dazzled, scoring eight of its nine runs on home runs. First there was a two-run shot by Howard in the bottom of the first, all that the Phillies would need. But there was more: two-run homers by Utley and Rollins and two solo homers by Domonic Brown. Five homers in all, including the last one by Brown, which went way into the upper deck. The Phillies won 9-1.

Game 2 on Wednesday afternoon featured a spot start by Kyle Kendrick, who 'did' a Hamels. He gave up one run in the first, then was solid for the next six. Again, the offense, highlighted by a three-run triple by Valdez and a three-run homer by Rollins, sprang to life. The Phillies won 8-1.

Game 3 on Wednesday evening pitted Anibal Sanchez, who had petitioned manager Edwin Rodriguez for match-up against Roy Halladay. Sanchez wanted Halladay, he got him, and he almost beat him, leaving with a 4-2 lead. But the Phillies tied the game in the 9th off closer Leo Nunez and, with two outs and two on, won it in the 10th 5-4. Ruiz's game-winning single was set up by a HPB and a walk. A stunning loss for the Marlins.

Game 4 on Thursday afternoon was pretty much the Cliff Lee show. Lee pitched a complete game two-hit shutout and knocked in the first run of the game with a booming double. The Phillies then tacked on two more runs, including a Howard solo homer. Final score: 3-0. And the sweep was done.

The Fish looked as if they had lost their souls. What is going on with that team? It's scary. Two weeks ago they were one back and in second place in the NL East. They are now 11 and a half games out and in last place.

After the game reliever J.C. Romero was designated for assignment. We shall see where he ends up. Maybe Lehigh Valley?

Brian Gordon, formerly of the 'Pigs, was effective in his debut with the Yankees. The feel-good story will continue for him next week in Cincinnati. Go, Gordon!

ryne sandberg takes the 'pigs to cooperstown

It's an off-day for the IronPigs, who finished off the recent home stand last night with a win over the Louisville Bats. Today is a lovely late spring day and the 'Pigs are headed to Cooperstown with Ryne Sandberg, their Hall of Fame manager. I don't know whose idea this was but it's marvelous. Wish I were there!

After touring the hall with Sandberg, the team will head for Pawtucket, Rhode Island, for a set with the PawSox. There the road will get tougher for the first-place 'Pigs as they will be without Brian Gordon, a mainstay of the rotation this season, and may be losing Vance Worley, their top pitching prospect, as well, should he be called back to Philadelphia to pitch on Saturday in Seattle.

brian gordon to start at yankee stadium

I first heard the news yesterday afternoon that RHP Brian Gordon of the IronPigs had signed a major league deal with the NY Yankees. He will reportedly start for the pitching-strapped Yankees on Thursday in New York against the Texas Rangers.

What a wonderful day it must have been for Gordon, a career minor-leaguer who joined the Diamondbacks' organization in 1997 as an outfielder. What a day, too, for his wife and three kids. In 2007, still in the minors, Gordon made the switch to pitching, eventually earning a call-up to the Rangers, for whom he pitched in just three innings of relief.

Last year he signed with the IronPigs. As a starter this year, Gordon went 5-0 in nine starts, with a 1.23 ERA. He struck out 53 while walking just five in 51.1 innings of work. His overall ERA of 1.23 with the IronPigs was the best in the International League. He was also the first IronPig pitcher to homer in a game.

For Thursday to happen, the Phillies had to release the 32-year-old Gordon, which they did. All the best to Brian Gordon, who took another chance in the minors and made the most of it.

"we're gonna get swinging, baby"

Seven runs, 14 hits, and 16 LOB. Ryan Madson's laughing response to that in the postgame interview: "We're gonna get swinging, baby." Madson was in for the ninth to get some needed work in what was a much-needed 7-3 Phillie win. And with that the four-game losing streak is over.

Today's game went much too long but a win is a win, especially for Roy Halladay, who goes to 8-3. He also walked, singled, and scored a run. Raul Ibanez hit the 1,000th RBI of his career. Both Valdez, in for Rollins, and Utley made spectacular defensive plays. Ryan Howard had three RBI and Domonic Brown just missed getting several. The weirdest Brown miss was a surefire hit up the middle with the bases loaded. However, the ball clipped the 2nd-base umpire, positioned in the infield, and was ruled dead. If the ball had hit the umpire in the outfield, it would have been a fair ball. Who knew? Who knew, too, that 2nd-base NL umpires traditionally have positioned themselves in the infield and Al umps in the outfield.

The attendance for the three-game set was the fourth-largest in PNC Park history. The other three came in the first year's of the park's history.

rollins injured

In the first inning of last night's game in Pittsburgh, Jimmy Rollins hit a foul ball off his right knee and had to beg out in the third. I pretty much gave up on the game at that point. Charlie Morton of the Pirates did his best Roy Halladay imitation and the Phillies put on their usual PNC Park performance, in front of the largest-ever crowd in the history of the park. Credit the crowd to a combination of a large influx of Philadelphia fans and postgame fireworks. The Phillies lost 6-3, with the bases loaded in the ninth. Salvage time today with the 'real deal' on the mound. Rollins is out and, for now, day-to-day.

I saw the sweet sign above at an intersection yesterday on my way to the Mennonite food store in Dryville. Even in miniature, there's something about a turquoise vintage car.

conspicuously absent

Cole Hamels threw eight innings of one-hit ball, but was undone by an unfocused sixth, allowing the Pirates to tie the game 1-1 without benefit of a hit. The Pirates won in the 12th, when Danys Baez gave up a go-ahead single to Jose Tabata. The Phillies had just six hits in 12 innings; two were from Cole Hamels and two from Jimmy Rollins. Other starters were conspicuous by their absence. The Pirates had just five hits. All hits in the game were singles. Gosh.

At least Hamels did not get tagged with another hard-luck loss.

together at last

Shane Victorino is activated from the DL and will be in the line-up tonight in Pittsburgh. That means that the starting line envisaged in spring training will be on the field together for the first time this year. Last year the regular starting line-up played together for maybe 15 games all season. Let's hope that will not be the case moving forward this year.

To make room for Victorino on the roster, John Mayberry, Jr. was optioned to Triple-A. No doubt there is a continuing hue and cry in the blogosphere about the move, where people are as exercised over Michael Martinez, this year's Rule 5 player, as they were last season about David Herndon, another Rule 5 guy. But really, Mayberry has not exactly seized the day, something we who watch him in Lehigh Valley keep waiting for him to do. Back in Triple-A, he will get another shot at that---and at hitting right-handed pitchers.

Martinez, a spark plug in spring training, has appeared sparingly during the season. For the time being, his Rule 5 status keeps him safe. So does the need for an extra back-up utility infielder.

nixed

Layne Nix's solo home run in the third was the difference in today's 2-1 loss to the Nationals, the first time in 14 tries that John Lannan has beat the Phillies. Nix also made the defensive play of the game, a great full-out catch that kept the Phillies from no doubt taking the lead. The limp, listless, lifeless offense mustered five hits in all. Yawn. Roy Oswalt was tagged with the loss.

It's now off to Pittsburgh for a three-game series that starts Friday night. Is this already the start of the annual June swoon?

'hit in the crystals'

Jason Marquis was good, Cliff Lee was not, the bullpen was largely suspect, and the Phillies lost to the Nationals down in D.C. 10-2. The only offense for the Phillies came in the fifth via back-to-back homers by Domonic Brown and John Mayberry, Jr. For Brown, now hitting .333, it was his first of the year. In the bottom of the eighth, Carlos Ruiz got, as Charlie Manuel put it, 'hit in the crystals'.

Young second baseman Danny Espinosa, who homered off Roy Halladay in Monday's game, homered twice off of Lee. Those knocks were pretty much the story of the game.

up. up, and away

Roy Halladay gave up three solo home runs to the Washington Nationals down in D.C. Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez, meanwhile, went back-to-back in the fourth in a see-saw game that saw the Phillies take the lead for good in the seventh. With Polanco on first, Jim Riggleman went to a lefty reliever who has been death on lefties. Charlie Manuel, however, had just this scenario mind when he bunched his big lefty hitters together. Utley walked, Howard singled in Polanco to tie the game, then Ibanez hit a sac fly to score Utley and give the Phils the 5-4 lead. Halladay worked out of a dicey bottom of the seventh, then turned it over to the bullpen.

Halladay is now 10-0 lifetime against the Nationals/Expos. Ryan Madson pitched the ninth for the save. He is now 12 for 12 in save opportunities. It's hot and humid here and everywhere.

Vance Worley was optioned down to Lehigh Valley to get himself together.

triple-a day

After seven innings Saturday night it looked like another hard-luck loss in New York for Cole Hamels. Then down 2-1 in the top of the eighth the Phillies started another comeback. Rollins led off with a single, stole second, and was on his way to stealing third when Utley singled him home to tie the game 2-2. Utley then stole second, Polanco walked, and Howard doubled them in for a 4-2 lead. The Phillies added another run in the ninth, the bullpen did its thing and the Phillies won 5-2. With the win, a rarity for him in NY, Hamels went to 7-2. He went seven innings, gave up five hits, and struck out 10.

Things did not go anywhere near that way for Vance Worley today, who gave up four in the first and four in the second. Bye-bye, Worley. To be fair, a Rollins' error in the first led to three runs. But the Mets were tattooing the lad from the get-go. Since going to the bullpen, then back to the rotation, Worley has been less than sharp.

Today's line-up featured the Triple-A squad, from Worley to battery mate Sardinha, Mayberry at first for a rare off-day for Howard, Martinez in center, and Valdez at second. They scored one run in the third, then left the bases loaded. They threatened in the eighth, which Ibanez led off with a solo home run. The Phillies then added two more but, with Brown on third, the threat was foiled thanks to some overzealous base-running by Jimmy Rollins. (What is going on with him?) They got another in the ninth but fell to the Mets 9-5 on a hot, sticky day in Queens.

overcoming absurdity

Roy Oswalt went just six innings, throwing 91 pitches. I guess the back is not yet well. The Phillies took an early 2-0 lead, then the Mets came back, eventually to take a 3-2 lead. The Phillies tied it in the eighth when Domonic Brown singled and stole second, letting Jimmy Rollins single him in. In the ninth, the Phillies got three more off of closer Francisco Rodriguez, the first time they have ever scored off him. The Mets got a run off of Madson in the ninth but the Phillies held on for the 6-4 win.

Both teams had costly miscues; the Phillies, however, overcame theirs, which included a rare error on Chase Utley when he clanked into Jimmy Rollins on a routine pop-up that was clearly the shortstop's ball and a Michael Stutes pick-off throw to an unmanned second base. Both led to Met runs. The Mets made two errors on one single up the middle, then in the ninth allowed the go-ahead run to score when Domonic Brown singled under the glove of first baseman Daniel Murphy.

I give the usually-surehanded Phillies a pass on the errors. It's likely that the fatigue of the Wednesday and Thursday games had caught up with them.

lee hits, everybody hits

Thursday was get-away day, with a game scheduled for 1:05. So less than 12 hours after the epic end of game 3, the Reds and Phillies were back at it again. This time it was Cliff Lee vs. Homer Bailey. The Phillies scored first, but wouldn't you know that the Reds came back to tie it 4-4 on some more hitting by Jay Bruce. Homer Bailey left after the fourth with shoulder spasms. Lee hung in. In the bottom of the sixth, he smacked a ground-rule double to deep center that scored two. In the seventh, he tacked on another RBI with a single.

Raul Ibanez hit a three-run homer. Chase Utley had a solo home run, his first of the year. Michael Martinez, at shortstop, hit, too. So did Domonic Brown, John Mayberry, Jr., Dane Sardinha and 'pitching sensation' Wilson Valdez. Jose Contreras, just back from the DL, threw the ninth and the Phillies won 10-4.

But for the dramatic Phillie come-backs, it could have been the Jay Bruce series. The rest of the Reds, though, were pretty much held to nothing. Dusty Baker and his boys were no doubt happy to get out of town. Next up for them is to get their pitching in order.

wilson goes babe and wins the game

You just wouldn't expect a game started by Roy Halladay to be finished, and won, by second baseman Wilson Valdez 18 innings later. But that's what happened in game 3 of the Reds series, in a game that went deep into the night. By the time the game ended, after one a.m., starters Halladay and Wood were distant memories. Wood went six, Halladay went seven. Both gave up three runs.

Ibanez led off the bottom of the eighth with a triple---and languished at third. The Phillies loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth---and did nothing. Jay Bruce (him again) led off the 10th with a solo home run that just made it over the right field fence, much to reliever Antonio Bastardo's disgust. Ryan Howard led off the bottom of the 10th with a mammoth homer that skittered down the bullpen stairs. Game tied: 4-4.

In the 11th, J.C. Romero hit a batter and walked two, but managed to get two outs. One was a pick-off at second of Brandon Phillips, who was busy schmoozing with Jimmy Rollins. What a gaffe. With the bases loaded, David Herndon came in for the final out, which he got on a backwards stutter-step catch off the mound, then a hard throw to Howard at first. By the 14th, the two bullpen guys left standing were call-up Carlos Fisher for the Reds and Danys Baez for the Phillies. The two went at it for inning after inning. In the 18th, both were obviously flagging.

With his bench emptied as well, Charlie Manuel went to Wilson Valdez, who had started the game at second. Polanco went from third to second, Ruiz from catcher to third, and Sardinha, who had pinch-hit in the 18th, took over behind the plate. All Valdez had to do was sit down the heart of the Reds' order. He got Votto on a pop-up, hit Rolen, got Bruce on a pop-up and finished off with a pop-up by the pitcher. It took him only 11 pitches. Wow.

In the bottom of the 19th, the pitcher Fisher was looking totally gassed. No wonder. He had thrown almost 90 pitches. (Baez, by the bye, had thrown 73.) An Ibanez sac fly scored Rollins from third and the game was over, six hours and 11 minutes after it had started. It was a total team effort on both sides. You had to feel for Reds' reliever Carlos Fisher who, like Danys Baez, stepped in and did yeoman's work.

The game was one for the ages, for sure. Wilson Valdez got the win and became only the second player in major league history to start a game as a position player and finish it as the winning pitcher. The other time it was done? In 1921 by Babe Ruth.

late error does in the phillies

I'm glad that the Reds and Phillies are not in the same division as their games tend to take odd often excruciating, twists and turns. On Tuesday night it was Vance Worley, just recalled, vs. Johnny Cueto. Worley worked hard for five innings and the Phillies took an early 3-1 lead only to allow the Reds to tie it. With the game 3-3 in the 9th, Ryan Madson came in to hold it there, but bobbled a ball back to him and the runner was safe. Things kind of fell apart after that. Pretty soon the Reds had gone ahead 6-3 on a Jay Bruce double and the game was over.

Ryan Madson took the loss, his first in nine attempts. The good? He seemed to shrug it off. But the early lead, tie, then Jay Bruce RBI was to become a theme in the series.

like old times

Chase Utley got a near-overwhelming ovation in his first at-bat last night. In the end, though, he was the only one in the starting rotation who did not get a hit and one of two who did not score a run but maybe his presence was exactly what everyone else needed. Placido Polanco started the scoring off the Reds' Bronson Arroyo with a 2-run homer in the first. The Phillies then put the game away in the third with a seven-run outbreak, capped by a three-run homer by Jimmy Rollins. Even starting pitcher Cole Hamels had a hit and scored a run in the inning. Raul Ibanez, who also made a fabulous catch at the wall, topped it all off with a solo homer and the Phillies won 10-3.

Hamels went just six innings. Stutes, Bastardo, and Baez each pitched a scoreless inning to finish the game. Brown and Mayberry were in the outfield with Ibanez. Worley pitches tonight in place of the injured Joe Blanton.

It was wonderful to see Utley back in the line-up. The sellout crowd of 45,841 was the largest ever for an in-season game.

oswalt outdueled by harrison

"Let's all get stoned." Thats about all I could think after yesterday's game.

Roy Oswalt looked like he was on the comeback trail, giving up just one run in seven innings of work yesterday. The one run was enough, though, to earn him his first loss ever at Citizens Bank Park. The offense was unable to muster anything against lefty Matt Harrison of the Rangers, who salvaged the final game of the series 2-0. The Rangers and Phillies combined to score just nine runs in three games---and the Rangers are built on offense. Yes, watching the Phillies' current offense could drive one to drink.

Snap out of it, Jimmy. Come back, Chase. Take a deep breath, Polly. Relax, Ryan. Step up, Raul. Seize the day, Johnny. Shine, Domonic. Do your thing, Carlos.

utley is in philly

According to Jim Salisbury of Comcast Sports, Chase Utley is back in Philadelphia. Hallelujah! Not in the line-up today but may be tomorrow. Again, hallelujah!

lee gets the win

Ryan Howard, who had been 0 for 23, led off the second inning with a solo home run, which was all the Phillies needed last night in a 2-0 win over the Rangers. Cliff Lee threw a strong eight innings of shut-out ball and Ryan Madson came in for the close in the ninth, his seventh in as many consecutive wins. The Phillies' second run came via an RBI single from John Mayberry, Jr. But it was Cliff Lee night at the ballpark as the lefty faced his mates from last year's World Series. On the way to his first win in six starts, he struck out 10. He also singled and stole a base.

In his post-game interview, Charlie Manuel said of Lee's performance, "I get the impression that he likes to impress you when he beats you."

3-2 gets it done

Three runs on four hits was just enough for the Phillies to top the Texas Rangers in the first game of (dreary) Interleague play. That and eight strong innings from Roy Halladay topped with a quick helping of Ryan Madson to finish it off. The Rangers scored first in the first, then added another in the eighth. The Phillies got their three on home runs, a two-run shot by the long-missing Ben Francisco, then a solo homer to deep center field by Raul Ibanez. The Rangers' C.J. Wilson was also outstanding but his mistakes, especially the rare homer to a lefty, were more costly.

'pigs take three in the rain

Let's hear it for the IronPigs, who last night finished off a rain-shortened sweep of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees up in Moosic. (Game 4 of the series will be made up later.) Brian Bass, coming off a complete game win his last outing, was solid for six, then ran into trouble in the 7th. Eddie Bonine, out of the 'pen, failed to pick him up and the Yankees turned the 4-0 lead into a 5-4 deficit. Michael Schwimmer held the Yanks there in the 8th, then in a most improbable 9th, Erik Kratz smacked a two-run homer through the falling rain for a 6-5 lead. Schwimmer came back to finish and he put the heart of the order down, 1-2-3.

These are the kinds of games the IronPigs could never win in their first three years. With last night's win, they are now 25-16, three games ahead of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the Northern Division and second in all of the International League.

brown back to bigs, herndon recalled

Quaint Henley Field in Lakeland, Florida, was spring training home for the Detroit Tigers until the mid-1960's. The Tigers now train at Joker Marchant Park and Henley Field is on the National Register of Historic Sites.

Well, well, well. The morning after telling everyone Domonic Brown would not be called up, Ruben Amaro Jr. called the kid up. Shane Victorino is officially on the DL. Scott Mathieson was optioned to Triple A and David Herndon recalled to take his place in the bullpen. Domonic Brown will not, however, be starting tonight against the Rangers' lefty C.J. Wilson. Next move: Worley for Blanton come Tuesday?

ouch! 3 home runs = 7 rbi = game

Twenty minutes before game time last night, Joe Blanton pulled out of his start with a sore elbow. Kyle Kendrick got the emergency start but lasted only three innings, giving up two mammoth home runs to 40-year-old Jason Giambi. Advantage Rockies, 5-0. Kendrick soon gave way to Danys Baez, who gave up another home run to Giambi, to up the Rockies' lead to 7-0. Must have been a merry night in the rain-soaked stands at the ballpark. The Phillies' spring-training squad managed one run. Before last night, Giambi had just four RBI. Last night upped his total to 11.

Both Blanton (elbow) and Victorino (hamstring) are slated for the DL. Wow. The Phillies' outfield is looking awful and there's not much good to say about the infield.

hamels dazzles

A vintage view of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

Cole Hamels and Jorge de la Rosa went toe to toe for eight innings last night, but it was Hamels who came away with the win. Tied 1-1 in the bottom of the eighth, the Phillies scratched out a go-ahead run on a Valdez single, Victorino pinch-hit bunt, wild pitch, and a Rollins sacrifice fly. Ryan Madson made it stand up in the ninth and the Phillies beat the Rockies 2-1. Both starting pitchers were outstanding. So was Madson.

grin and bear it

What else is there to do with the current roster? Enough with Valdez, Sardinha, and Orr. I give Martinez a pass. He has not had enough of a chance to frustrate and annoy and former IronPig Mayberry still gets 'hometown' backing. Romero and even Ibanez are starting to feel like old family pets, flopping about the house. As for Baez: ugh.

Michael Stutes is now gone, with an injury that changed the course of last night's game. Roy Oswalt only lasted five but seemed on his game. The offense, however, was not. The Phillies tied it in the eighth, then gave up the winning run in a 2-1 loss in the ninth. Don't even ask how it happened.

Up in Moosic, meanwhile, the IronPigs were winning 7-3 over the Yankees and solidifying, at least for now, their hold on first place.

'soft, stupid, and gutless'

No, not the Phillies' offense, though it's close to that. These, according to announcer Chris Wheeler, are the words Mel Queen, the former Blue Jays' baseball man who died a couple of days ago, used to characterize the young Roy Halladay. In 2000 the 23-year-old Halladay was sent down to the low minors with a 10.64 ERA in 67.2 innings. (That's still the worst ERA ever for any pitcher with at least 60 innings.)

Queen, a pitching guru, rebuilt the struggling Halladay's mechanics and made him the pitcher he is today. As Wheeler said, it would be hard to imagine anyone telling any 'bonus baby' today that he is 'soft, stupid, and gutless'. Agents, wives, and others would be squawking immediately.

As for the Phillies offense last night, it was near-invisible. The Cardinals walked Ryan Howard three times. Couple that with a pedestrian outing by Cliff Lee, who set a career-high with six walks, and it was no surprise that the Cards won 3-1. Lee (2-4) is now winless in his last six appearances. The Phillies have lost three in a row for the first time this year.

Tonight it's Roy Oswalt, who will be held to about 70 pitches and who is already saying that he's not 100 percent. Sputter, sputter.

tinkering with the line-ups

First, there's the Phillies line-up tonight: Rollins, Valdez (3B), Ibanez, Howard, Mayberry (CF), Francisco, Orr (2B), Ruiz, Lee. If that line-up doesn't make you blanch, what will? Charlie Manuel opted to give Placido Polanco a day off, his second in 40 games, because he needs a rest.

Tony LaRussa, back to the dugout after a long absence, has put Albert Pujols at third and Lance Berkman at first. Should be interesting.

Roy Oswalt, low velocity and all, was activated from the DL and Vance Worley optioned to Lehigh Valley. Oswalt is to pitch tomorrow.

powder 'blues'

Shane Victorino was out of the line-up today with that sore hamstring. Uh-oh.

While I was sleeping yesterday afternoon, the Phillies lost their second straight game to the Braves and their second straight series to them. Roy Halladay lost his second straight game. Both were complete game losses. Yesterday was also his second loss to an NL East opponent since becoming a Phillie. John Mayberry, Jr. hit his second homer of the year, to give the Phillies a brief 2-1 lead. Halladay, for the second start in a row, failed to protect the lead. For too many games, the ragtag Phillies' offense was feeble. In the end, the Braves won 3-2. Until Saturday, the Phillies had been 10-0 in day games. They are now 10-2.

On Saturday, both teams wore throwback Negro Leagues uniforms. The Phillies were the grays of the Philadelphia Stars and the Braves the cream ones of the Atlanta Black Crackers. Yesterday, both teams wore unis from the 1970's. The Phillies were in their iconic powder blues and the Braves in the blue-and-white uniform worn by Hank Aaron in his heyday. Aaron was one of the more prominent honorees of Civil Rights Weekend, held this weekend in Atlanta.

this one went the braves' way

Joe Blanton gave up solo home runs to Martin Prado and Nate McClouth who led off for the Braves, then settled down, only to dive after five. He was at 74 pitches. Jair Jurrjens, meanwhile, had a no-hitter (howl) going into the sixth. Michael Martinez broke it up with a pinch-hit single, then scored on a Rollins' double. But Rollins was then caught in an inexplicable run-down.

The Braves added three more after yet another controversial call not made at second. J.C. Romero, Kyle Kendrick, and Danys Baez did not fare well today out of the bullpen. The Phillies got another two runs but in the end fizzled at 5-3. The Braves made some unexpectedly good defensive plays (Dan Uggla, really) while Kyle Kendrick slipped and bobbled a bunt.

Shane Victorino left the game late with a sore hamstring. Enough with the hamstrings! From Lehigh Valley came the news that Domonic Brown will be out five to six days with a sprained thumb. Oh, these fragile young men.

getting wild in hotlanta

On the day that Carlos Ruiz came off the DL, the Phillies played as if they had taken a night bus from Florida to georgia instead of flying in two nights before.

It all started well, with a three-run homer to dead center by Ryan Howard in the first off Braves' starter Brandon Beachy. But a Hamels' throwing error in the first gave the Braves a run back. (The Phillies would later add another error and a wild pitch and passed ball.) The Braves tied the game in the fifth and went ahead 4-3 in the sixth. Hamels left after that.

In the seventh, the Phillies tied it 4-4 but only after a controversial call by home plate umpire David Rackley. O'Flaherty, in for relief, clearly had Shane Victorino struck out and catcher Brian McCann was halfway to the dugout before he realized that Victorino was still at the plate. The ump had not called the strike. That allowed the Phillies to capitalize and they did, tying the game to the displeasure of all Braves' fans.

More drama ensued. J.C. Romero loaded the bases, with one out, in the bottom of the inning. Charlie Manuel, in an unusual move, called on rookie Michael Stutes, who got Uggla out but only after a moonshot foul ball. Antonio Bastardo then came in, threw three straight balls, before recovering to get the strike-out. Whew.

The Phillies went ahead in the eighth, on an Ibanez single that scored Ryan Howard from second. Vance Worley, another surprise move, allowed a lead-off single to Alex Gonzalez in the bottom of the inning, then set down three in a row. Ryan Madison came in for the save and the Phillies won it 5-4. Bastardo got the win, O'Flaherty the loss.

If the rest of the games in the series follow this pattern, it will be the usual wild weekend in Atlanta. It is also Civil Rights Weekend and lots is going on. The Civil Rights Game will be played on Sunday.

bass goes nine, 'pigs back him up

Brian Bass was stellar last night for the IronPigs, pitching a complete game and giving up just two runs on six hits. The 'Pigs' offense came through in the sixth. With a 1-0 score, the 'Pigs took advantage of some 'creative' baserunning and a string of six singles to plate five. Tack-on home runs made the final score 8-2. The IronPigs are now 20-15, which puts them half a game out of first in the North Division of the International League. Talk about pigs flying!

Brian Bass was the no-doubt star of the game. The night before the IronPigs had had both their starter, Eddie Bonine, and their manager, Ryne Sandberg, tossed in the first inning of the game at Toledo and the bullpen had been taxed. Bass, who came into last night's game with a 7.00 ERA, was sent back to the Lehigh Valley a day early for his start last night. The rest of the team rolled into town by bus from Ohio around 6 a.m. yesterday morning. Bass, however, was ready to go and he gave the 'Pigs all they could hope for. Good job!

threshers on tv

The 'Jimmy' on the card is Jimmy Rollins, who found juicing, thanks to his wife, during the off-season.

Watching a Single-A game on Philadelphia TV was odd, especially when the game featured not one but three rehabbing major leaguers. And no, the stands were not overflowing. Instead, it looked like just another drowsy night in the minors.

Of the three rehabbers, Carlos Ruiz did well enough to have headed to Atlanta to be activated for tonight's game with the Braves. Just in time, too, as Schneider goes on the DL. Chase Utley flashed his sweet swing with a home run, but he still has a way to go. The good news is that he is again in the line-up tonight. Roy Oswalt looked much as he did before he left for Mississippi, which is to say that his velocity was down and his fastball was flat. He is supposed to start on Tuesday in St. Louis but still looks as if his back, or something, is bothering him.

The three were gone in the sixth, when the pace of the game slowed to something like that of a Yankees-Red Sox match-up. Single-A ball takes a great deal of patience.

The NHL has announced that Citizens Bank Park will be the site of the 2012 Winter Classic. The Flyers and the Rangers are scheduled to take part in the game, which will be held on January 2, 2012.

comeback seals series win

Hanley Ramirez led off for the Marlins with a solo home run off Cliff Lee. And that was it until the fifth, when Brian Schneider pulled up lame as he rounded third on the way to tying the game. In the sixth, the Fish put some hits together and got another couple of runs off of Lee. Ricky Nolasco, meanwhile, sailed along.

Then, in the seventh, the Phillies showed some life, scoring one on pinch-hit double by Pete Orr. Out with Nolasco and in with Webb, who also gave up a run. With the score 3-2, Victorino greeted Mike Dunn with a lead-off homer (a real zinger) in the eighth. In the ninth, another double by Orr helped to get a rally going. With two out, Jimmy Rollins laced a single off closer Leo Nunez to plate two. Ryan Madson continued the sterling work of Phillie relievers (Romero in the seventh and Kendrick in the eighth) to put the Fish down 1-2-3. Phillies win 5-3 and take the series.

Brian Schneider is likely headed for the DL with a hamstring injury. That leaves Dane Sardinha as the lone catcher. Tonight, in a game that will be broadcast on Comcast, Chase Utley (knee), Carlos Ruiz (back), and Roy Oswalt (back) will all be appearing with the Clearwater Threshers. If all goes well, Ruiz may rejoin the Phillies tomorrow in Atlants.

missed chances, costly mistakes doom halladay

The pitching duel was indeed a duel, taut and tension-filled. In the end Josh Johnson got a no-decision and Roy Halladay a loss, just his second to an NL East opponent since coming to the Phillies. The other one? To Josh Johnson.

Last night the Phillies took the lead in the second on a Ryan Howard homer to left. They then stranded the bases full that inning and the next. They had their chances but did nothing. In the bottom of the third, Halladay was visibly disturbed after walking Johnson, the first time in his career that he has walked a pitcher. Sure enough, Johnson ended up scoring the tying run off a Bonifacio sac fly.

Johnson was gone after seven. Halladay, much more economical with his pitch count, went eight. A rare error by Jimmy Rollins, a wild pitch by Halladay, a slow throw by Polanco, a timely single by Chris Coghlan---all went into giving the Marlins the 2-1 lead that inning.

John Mayberry got on base in the ninth but the game was over. A taut game that definitely did not go the way the Phillies wanted it to go. A little offense from the bottom of the order would certainly help in games like these.

Word is that Carlos Ruiz is close to a return, that Roy Oswalt may pitch on Tuesday, and that (trumpets blare) Chase Utley is near.

the other side of sunday

The Secrets We Thought We'd Lived Down by David Rathman.

Weinstein Gallery in Minneapolis is having a show of watercolor and ink works by David Rathman. Called The Other Side of Sunday, the exhibition runs from May 19 to July 9. Gotta love this 2011 work shown in the announcement card that arrived today. For information: www.weinstein-gallery.com

snoozing on a monday night in florida

Joe Blanton came off the DL and went five innings, giving up three runs and inducing a whopping four double-plays. His Marlin counterpart Javier Vazquez did not fare so well in a game that was muffled in cotton batting. Jimmy Rollins led it off with a solo home run. The Phillies had 12 hits on the way to six runs and a 6-4 victory. Vance Worley, on in relief for the sixth, seventh, and eighth, again made a case for staying in the bigs. There were few people in the stands (announced attendance was just over 11,000), which made the e-a-g-l-e-s chants that erupted in the eighth inning all the more irritating. The same group of dipwits were at a game in Arizona. Stay home or shut up.

homers do the phillies in

The team that hits the most home runs wins the game 75% of the time, or so I've been told. Last night Cole Hamels went seven innings, giving up three runs on two home runs while striking out nine. Michael Stutes then gave up a two-run shot to pinch-hitter Eric Hinske and the Braves won the game 5-2. The Phillies had plenty of chances against Braves' starter Jair Jurrjens but failed to convert. And they had nary a home run.

kk does it again to the braves

Kyle Kendrick did it again to the Braves, combining last night with four relievers to shut them out 3-0. Kendrick, who was making a spot start in place of the ailing Oswalt, is now 6-1 lifetime against Atlanta. How he does it, nobody knows. The Phillies, meanwhile, got three runs off of prospect Julio Teheran, called up from Triple A to make a start. Ryan Howard hit the 260th homer of his career, moving him into second on the Phillies' all-time home run list. Mike Schmidt, at 548, is first. The Phillies have won all of the last three games not started by their first four.

16 k's but a shutout

Cliff Lee struck out 16 Atlanta Braves last night but the Phillies lost the game 5-0. With two outs in the third, Lee gave up four well-struck balls and the Braves put three runs on the board. Lee went seven,giving up just those three. In his last three starts, he's had a total run support of one.

Derek Lee, meanwhile, had a no-hitter going into the seventh, when Shane Victorino greeted him with a sharp single, then Placido Polanco followed with what was, alas, a ground-rule double. With two on, Eric O'Flaherty came in and struck out Howard, then Francisco, then Ibanez. Threat over. Danys Baez gave up two more runs in the ninth.

Placido Polanco had to leave the game in the seventh with a contusion of his right toe. I don't even want to think about what the line-up will be tonight behind Kendrick.

Up in Boston, meanwhile, the Flyers were swept out by the Bruins in a 5-1 defeat. The Bruins were the better team from the get-go. Magic does not happen twice. The Flyers always have goalie problems, but really their problems went deeper than that. Give Bobrovsky a chance!

oswalt to dl?

It just doesn't end. Roy Oswalt is still having back issues and may go on the DL. It;s the same song for Carlos Ruiz. Meanwhile, Kyle Kendrick will pitch instead of Oswalt on Saturday. Hmmm. KK will face Julio Teheran, the Braves' top pitching prospect, who is being called up to make the start. That means it will be Jair Jurrjens vs. Cole Hamels on Sunday night. Tonight's match-up, another game I shall miss, features Cliff Lee and Derek Lowe. And the DL carousel keeps going round and round.

and worley and halladay make three

Vance Worley picked up where Cole Hamels left off, pitching another six solid innings Wednesday night and contributing a timely single that keyed the offense. Worley allowed just one run on four hits, while striking out seven. He left with the score 7-1, but Danys Baez gave up some runs in the 9th. Final score: 7-4. Raul Ibanez continued hitting. See: homer deep to right.

Last night Roy Halladay finished off the sweep of the Nationals, facing John Lannan. A six-run third, led by Jimmy Rollins, sent Lannan packing. Raul Ibanez hit some more. Maybe he just needed a Natty dose to come out of his slump. His most dramatic hit last night was a second-deck solo homer (yes, another home run) to right. Halladay went seven, a slow night for him. Final score: 7-3. With that, the Phillies swept out the Nationals and now welcome in the Braves.

During the game I switched at one point to the Nats' radio coverage and caught the two announcers discussing a Halladay fan group wearing hospital gowns over their clothes. Last night, in honor of Cinco de Mayo, they were also wearing sombreros and their banner was in Spanish: Los pacientes de Doc. What does it mean, queried one announcer. Must mean Doc's strikeouts, opined the other. Later, when Halladay got a strike-out and the group started chest-bumping, the announcers chimed in again about another 'pacientes' for him. The group is, of course, 'Doc's patients'. But I've often found the Nat announcers to be a step behind.

tsunami #1

Jozef Bajus created this piece, called Tsunami #1, for the Bijutsu fundraiser on at Buffalo State College on May 6.

more numbers to ponder

Artist Jozef Bajus sent this announcement for an art sale to raise funds for relief efforts in Japan. The fundraiser will be held on May 6 at Buffalo State College in Buffalo, New York. All proceeds from the sales and auction of artworks will go to the Japan Society's earthquake relief fund.

Attendance at last night's Jays-Rays game in Tampa was 10,248. Attendance at yesterday morning's Triple-A Lehigh Valley game, vs. the Buffalo Bisons, was a capacity 10,000. Ouch.

Only four teams in the National League currently have records above .500. The American League is not much better, with six.

J.C. Romero has been activated from the DL. To make room for him on the roster, David Herndon was optioned to Lehigh Valley, the first time that Herndon will toil in Triple-A. The stint should give him a chance to work on current issues.

end of an oh-fer

On a night when Cole Hamels threw a complete game victory, Jayson Werth made his first return to Philadelphia, and Jimmy Rollins returned to lead-off, it was Raul Ibanez who loomed the largest, breaking an 0-35 hitting slump with a double. Whew! It should have been an RBI as well but the ball hopped into the stands, forcing Ryan Howard to stop at third. Ibanez added another double later that did get him an RBI.

Hamels was locked in from the start, giving up just one run on five hits, walking one, and striking out six. He needed just 108 pitches to finish the game. He also tripled and singled and scored the first run of the game. Hamels is now 4-1 on the season, with a 1.42 ERA in his last five games.

Jayson Werth received a mix of cheers and boos when he first came to the plate, doffed his cap to the cheers, and with that got a standing ovation. It was pretty cool. He went to his regular spot in right field to a chorus of cheers and another doff of the cap. When playing in Philadelphia, Jayson had always had a great dynamic with the right field crowd and they did not forget that.

In Chicago, meanwhile, Francisco Liriano of the Twins was pitching a no-hitter against the flailing White Sox. Liriano walked six but held the Sox hitless and scoreless in the 1-0 win. It was the first ho-hitter of the season.

reading, lehigh valley, philadelphia

The Phillies finished April with an 18-8 record--despite a handful of key injuries. Placido Polanco had a career-high 41 hits and Ryan Howard an MLB-best 27 RBI.

One of the coolest things about the weekend was the way the young guys are stepping up. Friday night it was Vance Worley starting for Roy Oswalt. After six, he gave way to Michael Stutes, who then gave way to Antonio Bastardo. From the Reading Phillies to the IronPigs to the bigs. On Saturday, John Mayberry tied the game 1-1 with a solo home run, before the Phillies, behind the redoubtable Roy Halladay, went on to win it 2-1.

worley, halladay, and reality

Last night was one of those nights when reality trumps all. I was listening to the Phillies' game on the radio and had switched stations to check the weather. That's when I heard that Osama bin Laden had reportedly been killed in Pakistan and that the president was shortly to address the nation. News then took precedence over baseball, though I heard the game lurch first into a tie, thanks to a Howard single that plated Mayberry, then into extra innings. I also heard the crowd chanting as the world news spread, from phone to phone, around the ballpark. By the time the game ended, around 1 a.m., I was listening to BBC World coverage.

Cliff Lee started the game vs. Chris Young, who once again befuddled Phillie bats with his soft-tossing ways. Lee struggled mightily in the 1st inning, needing 34 pitched to escape, but then held on for another six frames. He limited the Mets to one run. In the end, the Mets won it 2-1 in the 14th. Kyle Kendrick got the loss and former-Phillie farmhand Taylor Bucholz the win.

On Friday Vance Worley started in place of Roy Oswalt and went a solid six innings of two-hit, no-run ball. He struck out five but walked four and used too many pitches (total: 102). Still, he left the game with a shut-out going. The Mets scored all of their runs in the 10-3 loss in the 9th, after getting-to-be hapless David Herndon. Ryan Howard drove in six, with a two-run second-deck blast, then a grand slam. The GS was the 10th of his career.

Saturday was the Roy Halladay show. I was supposed to be there but was unable to make it, so I missed seeing Halladay open the game with 18 straight strikes. He finished the game, a 2-1 Phillie win, with 107 pitches. Of those, 80 were for strikes. What can I say about Roy Halladay?

In other news, Roy Oswalt is supposed to rejoin the team on Thursday and may take a turn in the rotation this weekend. Carlos Ruiz may be back catching on Tuesday. Domonic Brown has been optioned to Lehigh Valley, another step in his return. Joe Blanton and Brad Lidge are soon to start throwing again. J.C. Romero will be on a rehab assignment in Lakewood tomorrow. And Chase Utley played a simulated game yesterday. If all goes well, Clearwater may be his next stop.

glanville on oswalt

Getting by with a little help from my friends, I am posting these 'snapshots' of a non-royal celebration this past Friday. While the big wedding was getting the big news that day, old friend Carolyn who now lives in Welwyn Garden City, just outside London,was at a local street party, which offered old-fashioned attractions--think tug of war, fancy hat competition, egg-and-spoon races, plant swap stall, etc.--for all. It all looks like good fun. If you click on the photo at top, you'll see the odd upside-down bottle attached to hat that won the competition. Gotta wonder why an upside-down bottle.

Doug Glanville had an insightful piece yesterday about Roy Oswalt's going home this week to his tornado-ravaged town. But thoughtful pieces from Glanville are pretty the norm. Tracking how he has turned into such a fine writer, especially on my favorite sport, has been exciting.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=glanville_doug&id=6454756