300 for charlie, another win for the phils

Charlie Manuel got his 300th win last night as Phillies' manager. Since 2005, when he took over, the Phillies have won more games than any other NL team. Big kudos to Mr. Manuel and the Fightin's.

Last night's game featured two 23-year-old pitchers: Kyle Kendrick for the Phillies vs. Jo-Jo Reyes for the Braves. The Phillies scored first, on a 5th-inning solo homer by catcher Carlos Ruiz. Pat Burrell added another in the 6th. But Krazy K, who walked an unacceptable five, lost his one-hit shutout in the bottom of the inning, via a two-run homer by Chipper (Who Else) Jones. The bullpen again took over and did a magnificent job. In the 8th, Victorino led off with a walk. Chase (Who Else) Utley tripled him home. Ryan Howard then brought Ut in. In the 9th, with the Phillies up 4-2, Rollins tacked on some insurance with a majestic 2-run homer (a big man's homer, one of the broadcasters called it). Brad Lidge, already up and warmed, came in for the finish. So far, so good.

shane shines in unbelievable comeback

Some kind of comeback! In the 9th, the Phillies scored the tying run on dead-cert game-ending pop-up to 2nd baseman Kelly Johnson, who dropped the ball. Then in the 10th, Shane Victorino hit a triple to knock in the go-ahead run and Utley doubled him in to put the Phils up 4-2. In the bottom of the frame, with 2 outs and 2 on, Yunel Escobar singled up the middle. One run scored, but an absolute laser from Victorino in center allowed catcher Chris Coste to tag out the sliding Gregor Blanco. Bang-bang, game over. Replays showed that umpire Angel Marquez had indeed got the call right. But Victorino was not the only arm worthy of note last night. Jamie Moyer was again sterling, allowing only a 2-run homer in the 6th to put the Braves up 2-1. (Tim Hudson meanwhile held the Phillies to their 1st-inning run, also sparked by a Victorino triple.) The bullpen then came in and held the Braves' offense down, allowing the unlikely 9th-inning drama to unfold.

Said Brad Lidge of the unbelievable win, "The Force was with us tonight."

on the road and into the fire

Tonight is the start of a road trip from Atlanta to Miami to St. Louis. The Phillies then come home to host the Red Sox and Angels. Talk about a daunting stretch. Tonight it's Tim Hudson vs. Jamie Moyer. On the road the Braves are dismal but at home they are something like 24-8. The big news from Atlanta this week was that John Smoltz, just back from the DL, will have season-ending surgery. Smoltz says he hopes to return to baseball, but at his age it's iffy. Maybe his next baseball gig will be in the booth: he's always got an opinion on everything. My fave Bravo pitcher will always be Greg Maddux, but it's sad to see Smoltz's career come to an abrupt end.

Meanwhile, the baseball draft is here and just about gone. For the first time in a decade the Phillies had a lot of 1st-round picks. As usual, they seem to have gone for the high-ceiling, toolsy high school kids. Since I wouldn't know any of these players, high school or college, if I fell over them, all it means to me is a trip to Williamsport maybe next month.

hamels throws another complete game shut-out

Phillies win! Game over. They take three from the Reds and now head for Atlanta.

The only thing that would have made this afternoon's sellout game better was a beer. Cole Hamels, with a ridiculous lifetime ERA against the Reds, continued his mastery of Cincinnati with a three-hit complete game shutout. Rookie Homer Bailey wasn't bad himself, going into the 7th and giving up five runs, two of them earned. This was less than 24 hours after a fabulous game Wednesday night that the Phillies lost 2-0. Edinson Volquez, the dominating rookie pitcher who came over in the Josh Hamilton deal, held the Phillies to just two hits. Unbelievably, Brett Myers had a perfect game through four and a no-hitterthrough 6.2 . In the end it was a superb outing for Myers, despite his hard luck loss. For Hamels, today was an excellent bouceback game after two rocky starts.

Ken Griffey, Jr., in pursuit of his 600th home run, pinch hit in the previous three games, but played today. He led off the 9th to a nice ovation, then hit a ball to deep center that brought the crowd to its feet. But Shane Victorino caught it in front of the wall. Jr. walked off to a rousing ovation and responded with a tip of his cap to both sides of the park. It was an unexpectedly sweet moment, especially when one thinks of where Griffey, a great player, would be were it not for the many injuries that have plagued him in recent years.

Jimmy Rollins was lifted from the game for not running out a routine pop-up in the 3rd to short, which shortstop Paul Janish inexplicably booted. (Janish later made a much more difficult play.) Carlos Ruiz scored on the error but Rollins ended up on 1st. Charlie Manuel lifted him in the 5th for Eric Bruntlett. Manuel later declined to talk about it with the media, saying only that he and J-Roll had settled things. Was Rollins upset? Said Rollins, "That's like breaking the law and getting mad when the police show up." He added that Charlie has two rules: be on time and hustle, and that he had broken one of them. Message sent, message received.

Mets Close Out the Giants

A gorgeous wind-blown day at AT&T. Too bad the Giants let the Mets get away with another win. The year of "rebuilding" the Giants has been pretty tedious so far although I'm surprised at the number of fans that turn out for these games. Across the Bay the A's, also "rebuilding," has a youthful, energetic team that isn't afraid to battle against their high-priced opponents. Sometimes they get beat but other times, like the recent Tigers series, the A's have no trouble sweeping. Too bad the stadium is so empty. I don't get it - between the two Bay Area teams, the A's are hands-down more talented and exciting to watch than the Giants.

Bay Bridge Baseball

Pedro Martinez pitching for the Mets at AT&T
Dontrell's Mom
Willis' high leg kick
Willis congratulating teammates

A fun baseball evening...Taking advantage of the rare dual scheduling (A's and Giants rarely are in town together), we decided to take in both ball games. First we drove to Oakland to take in the A's vs Tigers at the Mac for four innings, then we rushed to the AT&T to watch the Giants vs Mets. I'd never seen Dontrell Willis pitch "live" and so it was a great treat to sit only 13 rows away from home plate. He wasn't in the best of shape because this was his first game after coming back from a hyperextended knee injury but he still displayed his high leg kick and great emotion. Wonderful to capture his mom in the stands too!
We were walking to the AT&T park during the 5th inning Zito debacle where 6 runs scored so thankfully we missed that. The Giants ended up losing but they made it close, coming back from a 9-1 deficit to 9-6 but Wags came in for the Mets save. One more game today at the AT&T.

good eaton

The story last night in Philadelphia was pretty much Adam Eaton, who pitched 6.2 innings, giving up 1 run and 3 hits and walking none. It was a taut 1-1 game till Reds' starter Aaron Harang hung one for Pat Burrell, who smacked it deep into the left field seats for a 2-run homer. Tom Gordon allowed a run in the 8th but the boos were reserved for his walking the pinch-hitting Griffey, Jr. In the 9th Brad Lidge skirted trouble to preserve the 3-2 lead and notch his 15th save in 15 attempts. It was pretty much Eaton's best outing as a Phillie. May he keep it up. Today's matchup is sizzling rookie Endison Volquez vs. Brett Myers. Thunderstorms are forecast all day.

utley all over

In the morning Chase Utley was announced as the NL Player of the Week. In the evening he drilled a laser to right in the 1st to put the Phillies up 2-0 over the visiting Cincinnati Reds. That was his 5th homer in five days, the second time he's homered five games in a row this season. The last time the Phillies faced Bronson Arroyo, they hit four homers off him; last night they hit three. Jay Bruce, the Reds' engaging young phenom, also homered in the 5-4 loss. Kyle Kendrick got the win; the Phillies are 9-3 in games started by KK. Chad Durbin came in for Kendrick in the 6th; Flash took over in the 8th. In the 9th, Lidge struck out the first two men, then Joey Votto hit a liner that Utley made a diving catch on to end the game. The look on Lidge's face was priceless. Jimmy Rollins had to hide his smile in his glove. Some kind of fun.

just another comeback win

little bit of this
little bit of that---
all together now

And it was a team effort to come back yesterday afternoon from a 5-1 deficit to the Fish. Geoff Jenkins tied the game with a 2-run pinch-hit homer and in the 7th Pat Burrell put the Phils in front with a clutch 2-RBI double. Then Tom Gordon, with a verbal assist from Jimmy Rollins, held the Marlins down in the 8th and My Guy Lidge closed the door in the 9th. Did I mention the flashy glove work by the big man at 1st? Or Rollins' heads-up baserunning? Or Victorino's hotness? Or, speaking of hot, Chutley's 20th homer? Or how about Jamie Moyer, who once again bent but did not break? Sure, he gave up 5 runs (on 3 bad pitches), but he settled in and went 7. Once again Moyer was matched up with a young phenom half his age and once again he came away with the W.

It was an interesting series. Could be lots of good games in the offing with the young Marlins, who will be truly dangerous when they and their manager put it all together.

So long as he's not injured, I never worry about Cole Hamels, a delicious young man. I worry even less after hearing him quoted to the effect that he was looking forward to talking with Moyer, Gordon, Seanez, and Lidge about his recent rocky outings. The kid knows his stuff.

thud

That was the sound of the Phillies falling 7-3 to the Fish and falling out of first. Well, that didn't last long! That was also the sound of the clunker thrown last night by Cole Hamels, who was visibly annoyed by his outing. It's also the second "worst" game by him in a row.

As I write this Mike Lieberthal is being interviewed on the pregame show. Today's the day he again dons a Phillies uni in order to "retire" officially from MLB. Lieberthal sounds absolutely giddy. He's making me smile.

I left the park at the end of the 6th, soon after Hamels was lifted, and took this shot of the 1st base entrance.

myers takes a giant step

It didn't look pretty in the first. After Hanley Ramirez drilled the first pitch of the game up the middle, Brett Myers seemed incapable of throwing a strike. Two walks and three hits later the Marlins had a 3-0 lead. The Phillies, meanwhile, went meekly in the bottom of the inning. The second, however, was a different story: Myers set the Marlins down in quick order and the Phillies--woulda ya know--batted around to the tune of 7 runs. Myers went a strong eight, hitting his spots, using his devastating curve, and pitching inside, while striking out a season-high 11 and allowing just those 3 runs on 6 hits. Mr. Mop-up, Clay Condrey, came in to finish the game. Final score: 12-3. More home runs by Utley, Coste, and Howard. All you can do is enjoy it while it lasts. Phillies now in first by 1/2 game and 8 games over .500.

'pigs fly

Fefe, the Miss Piggy of Coca-Cola Park, smooches a fan at the IronPigs' game this afternoon on Kisscam.

Who'da thunk it? In the 1st, IronPigs outfielder Javon Moran, called up this week from Reading, had an inside-the-park home run, the first in Coca-Cola Park history. In the 4th, with 2 outs and the pitcher up at bat, Indianapolis outfielder Kevin Thompson stole home. What are the chances of seeing either in a game? We saw both. The 'Pigs had to come back twice but in the end they won 8-5 on a hot day in the sun. Moran went 4 for 5. The 'Pigs took 3 of 4 from the Indians and left after the game for Louisville, where I owe an editor some captions. Who'da thunk it?

utley's all-star animals

Chase Utley and his wife Jenn are today hosting a charity casino in Philadelphia to benefit the Pennsylvania SPCA, one of their favorite causes. This logo, from the Chase Utley site (see baseball links) is too much! Right now, though, the Utleys are cat people; they've got two. They live in an apartment and won't get a dog till they have a yard. How lovely that Chase Utley is leading all NL All-Star balloting.

kendrick is solid, offense scores early

Hugs and kisses all around so far during the current homestand. Since scoring just one run in 17 innings last Monday and Tuesday in D.C., the Phillies have rocked their opponents for 67. Consistency is still a goal but this is no feast-or-famine offense. Last night the Phils jumped out early on Rockies' starter Ubaldo Jimenez, who can throw from 70 to 100 with deceptive ease and who last year twice stifled them. Ah, big young man with dazzling fastball, curveball, slider. But the Phils got 4 off Jimenez in the 1st and 3 in the 2nd. Starter Kyle Kendrick took advantage and pitched his best game of the season, going 7.1 innings, giving up 2 runs on 7 hits---and working on his change-up. As with Jamie Moyer the night before, the offense no doubt eclipsed the good starting pitching. But let's hear it for Kendrick, a pitcher I like to watch at work.

In Allentown, meanwhile, the IronPigs were making the most out of a good pitching performance by Brian Mazone and clutch hitting from the bottom of their order to defeat Indianapolis 7-2. I was supposed to go to the game with a friend but a sudden spring cold put me in bed instead.

crushing rocks

The Phillies take the field at the start of last night's game vs. the Colorado Rockies.

It was a seesaw game through three, then turned into a blur of red pinstripes. A day after shredding Astros' pitching in a 15-6 win, the Phillies crushed the decimated Rox 20-5. They batted around three times, in the 4th, 6th, and 8th, and had a season-high 19 hits. Chase Utley had a career-high 6 RBI, including his 16th homer (a 3-run shot). Chris Coste had the only other Phillie homer. Shane Victorino scored four. So Taguchi, getting a start in right, had three hits (woohoo). And Jamie Moyer was solid through seven. With the win, Moyer became the 6th pitcher to record a win against all 30 MLB teams. Curt Schilling and Terry Mulholland, who also pitched for the Phillies, are among the others.

Sweeping the Sox

Mike Sweeney autographs balls for the Oakland Royals
Manny, Julio and Poppy

A's Celebrate Sweep as Dejected Sox Player Walks Away

What a pleasurable series the A's had against the Bosox! I listened to the game on Friday evening and attended the night game and day game over the weekend. Boston came into Oakland with a 7-game winning streak while the A's limped home from a so-so road trip and nearly got swept by the visiting D-Rays. Luckily the A's bats caught on fire in the last game vs the D's but it was the stellar pitching staff that kept the Sox bats and fans quiet. Friday night, Harden turned in a stellar performance, mowing the fearsome Sox lineup in short order. Last night, it was Duchscherer's turn, pitching a no-hitter until the 7th. And today, Kentucky Joe Blanton finally got a "W" with a gritty performance on the mound and help from fellow teammates Keith Foulke, Alan Embree and Houston Street. Too bad for John Lackey, whose no-hitter chances were dashed today in the first inning. The no-star A's were dissed in Japan and the Mac was filled with Red Sox Nation types but it was the A's and their fans who prevailed this time. It was nice too to see the Oakland youth team, Oakland Royals, take to the field before the National Anthem. Go A's!!!!!!

outside affairs

"From my experience I have come to the conclusion that to be a baseball fan, a person must devote his or her time to it, and not let outside affairs interfere as outside affairs will surely suffer. For baseball fever is absolutely incurable, and once you catch it, you might as well resign yourself to the inevitable; that is, your friends might, for you will be willing enough to stand it."

Lulu Glaser, a comic opera prima donna popular around the turn of the 20th century, wrote this in a wonderful piece called The Lady Fan, which appears in Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend, Women Writers on Baseball (edited by Elinor Nauen). I often think of it when, as now, "outside affairs" come knocking.

shattered bats

Fans didn't have much reason to come to their feet at last night's IronPigs game, though the t-shirt toss got them going. Otherwise, much as he used to do to the Philies, Knight starter Tomo Oka flummoxed the 'Pigs in a 5-2 loss. Bats also figured in what excitement there was. One went sailing into the crowd behind the visitors' dugout, as a 'Pig struck out extravagantly. A couple of others shattered spectacularly. One exploded, its jagged pieces flying high into the backscreen and making fans cower. The maple bats put players and coaches at risk. Will it take an injury to a fan for MLB finally to do something about them?

As for the game in Houston, this morning's headline in the Inky said it all: Eaton pitches well, Phils still lose. Ryan Howard more and more makes a case for a future at DH. More effort, please, with the glove!

fun and games

A school band from Nazareth did a good job with the national anthem last night at the IronPigs' game. Note the Phillie Phanatic standing at attention in the background. On a brisk evening more suited for football than baseball, the 'Pigs opened their current homestand with a brisk game. Brian Mazone went 8 innings and basically kept the visiting Charlotte Knights looking slow and clunky. The 'Pigs took an early lead, added on to it, and won 7-2. Quite nicely done.

On the way home I tuned into the Phillies game just about in time to hear Ryan Howard sock another homer to put the Fightings up 5-2 in a seesaw game. By the time I got home, the Astros had come back in the 6th to tie it. But in the 8th Charlie Manuel called on the slumping Pat Burrell, who had sat out the game, to pinch hit. Burrell worked a full count and delivered with a solo homer. The Phillies then tacked on another run to make it 7-5. Tom Gordon pitched a scoreless 8th, then it was Brad Lidge time. Lidge, facing his old team for the first time, got two outs, then gave up a single to Miguel Tejada. Up stepped the sizzling Lance Berkmann, who has been on a total tear. Hideous flashback time: Billy Wagner serving up a meatball to his buddy Craig Biggio in a key game in Philly. But Lidge came right at Berkmann and got him to pop up to short on the first pitch. That's the way! Ryan Howard, still hitting under .210, now has 13 home runs and 31 RBI. He had three hits in the game and was just--LOL--a triple short of the cycle. Also of note: Pedro Feliz worked two 3-2 counts.

all cotton

Cotton candy takes center stage one April evening at a Reading Phillies game.

Charlie Manuel actually smiled after Ryan Howard hit his second home run, a 2-run hang 'em- bang 'em shot in the 6th. By the end of that inning, the Phillies had sent 13 to the plate and put 8 more on the board for a 12-0 lead. Jamie Moyer went six innings and was masterful, allowing hits but keeping the Nats off-balance and off the board. He also drew a pivotal walk in that 6th-inning outburst. Clay Condrey, on for the last three innings, surrendered two runs. Thanks to that peculiar rule of baseball about pitching the last three innings of a game, he got the save in a 12-2 win. It was good to see Charlie smiling again. Of late he's been ducking his head or drumming his fingers on the dugout railing. Howard's first homer, by the bye, was a long-gone solo into the second deck. He got the Phillies on the board in the 1st with an RBI double. Pedro Feliz and Shane Victorino also homered. Last night the Nats' new park was suddenly looking like a hitters' park.