maddux vs. hamels

everybody hits,
pitches too---
just another night

Greg Maddux, my favorite pitcher of the '90's, was going for his 350th win. Cole Hamels, facing him on a decidedly brisk night at Citizens Bank Park, hopes someday to be doing the same. In the event, Hamels gave up 2 runs and 5 hits, outdueling Maddux, who allowed 3 runs and 8 hits. At one point the scoreboard showed Hamels at an awesome 20 balls and 70 strikes. When he left in the 8th, he had thrown 97 pitches, 73 of them for strikes.

Speaking of sterling seniors, Tom Gordon pitched out of a bases-loaded jam, the second time he has done that in his last three outings. The Phillies hit up and down the line-up, to the tune of 12 hits and 7 runs. Centerfielder Scott Hairston was the offense for the Padres, with first a solo homer and later a 2-run shot in the 9th, with the Phillies then up 7-2. He also scored the Pads' other run and made a spectacular catch on a ball that Ryan Howard scorched to deep center. Geoff Jenkins, meanwhile, made a great play from the right field corner to gun down Adrian Gonzalez at second.

The hot Jayson Werth was again in center. Shane Victorino, just off the DL, sat. Hmmm. Maddux left the game to applause. Most on hand knew it was perhaps a last chance to see him in person.

Frank's Big Smile

We'll give the Angels a sick pass for yesterday's 14-2 loss to the A's. Several players are apparently afflicted with the flu bug and so they weren't at their best. Still, it was wonderful to see the no-name A's romp all over Angel Stadium, producing homers (Daric Barton, Jack Hannahan, Emil Brown) and triples (Frank Thomas of all people!) and great pitching (Chad Gaudin). Indeed Thomas had quite a night, being a homer short of hitting for the cycle. He was pulled in the 7th after hitting a double and his pinch runner, Chris Denorfia not only scored, but came to bat in the same inning. Even though Thomas was out of the game, the camera kept panning to him sitting in the dugout with a wide grin on his face. And why shouldn't he and the A's be happy? They've got the best record in the AL for the moment and happy chemistry.

lieby back to philly

It's only for a day but Mike Lieberthal is coming back to retire as a Phillie. This is sweet news. A native of southern California, Lieberthal spent 13 years as a catcher for the Phillies and calls Philadelphia his "second home". He came up through the Phillies farm system and except for the 2007 season, spent with the Dodgers, played his entire career with the Phillies. A two-time All Star, in 1999 he became just the sixth catcher in major league history to hit .300 with 30 homers. The Phillies announced today that Lieberthal will sign a one-day contract for June 1. The game is already sold out. Doug Glanville is the last former Phillie to retire in similar fashion, which he did in 2005.

what's going on!

cutter doesn't
fastball wasn't--
is this our ace?

Brett Myers turned in a lame performance against the Pirates yesterday afternoon while their starter Pat Maholm went the distance for a 2-hitter. Myers lasted just five innings and that was about four too many. Final score: 5-1, and that one run was only because of Pat Burrell's great hustle. The man is doing it all this season! Chutley was spot on with the prank t-shirts he handed out in spring training. Is Burrell man or machine? And what is Brett Myers?

The Sixers went down in flames last night after a fast first half, losing to Detroit 93-84. At the half the Sixers were up 10 but ended the 2nd quarter basically without a score in almost the final four minutes. Not a good sign. Sure enough the Pistons came out firing in the 3rd quarter and the home team never had a chance. The next two games in Detroit a reality check for sure.

high to low

Yesterday started on a high, with the final Met simulcast of the season, Laurent Pelly's brilliant version of Donizetti's comic opera La Fille du Regiment. Both Natalie Dessay, as Marie, and Juan Diego Florez, as Tonio, sparkled. Alessandro Corbelli, Felicity Palmer, and Marian Seldes were also outstanding. The spirit of the Marx Brothers seemed to hover over this very funny production, rich in irony. How good was it? It made my sprained knee feel about 80% better. I drove back from Scranton with a silly smile on my face.

The low was at the ballpark, where the IronPigs gave their most dismal performance of the year, a 10-0 loss to the Rochester Red Wings. The Red Wings's batted around starter J.D. Durbin, who gave up 5 runs and recorded just one out. He left the field to a chorus of boos and went straight to the locker room. Poor guy, especially because he had people in the crowd. I came into the park behind a car with Georgia plates and heard the woman driving tell the guy at the gate that she was a guest of Durbin's. I for one will not forget the two excellent starts J.D. gave the Phillies last year, first in L.A., then in San Diego, on a critical road trip.

Shane Victorino, finishing his rehab in the Lehigh Valley, provided the only reason for the crowd to cheer, with the first of only two hits the 'Pigs mustered and a great running play on a ball that seemed destined to be a triple. Best of all, Vic appeared to be running well. It was again blanket weather at the park. On the way home I listened to the last three innings of the Phillies' 8-4 win in Pittsburgh.

I-76er!

Gov. Ed Rendell (love the guy) proclaimed I-76 to be I-76er for the duration of the Sixers' surprising run in the NBA play-offs. While the Sixers were hosting the Pistons last night in Philadelphia, at the other end of I-76er the Pirates were hosting the Phillies. I meanwhile was in Reading at the R-Phils, watching the game and watching the scoreboard. Early in Reading starter Andrew Carpenter seemed to be nibbling, which allowed the Connecticut Defenders to take a 2-0 lead. Then Carpenter settled down and the R-Phils got one run back but there it stayed till the 7th. Shane Victorino, on rehab assignment, was picked off in a bizarre 9-5-3 double play to end one of the few threats the hometeam mounted. Till the 7th that is, when Jeremy Slayden hit a 2-run homer and the R-Phils went up 3-2.

At that point, the Phillies, who had taken a quick 6-0 lead in P'burgh, were staving off a Bucco rally. And the Sixers, up 4 at the half, were up double digits on the Pistons. Mirabile dictu, the IronPigs, too, were leading 4-2 in Rochester. That's when I had to leave; frozen food was reaching melting point in the car. On the drive home I listened first to the end of the Reading game: R-Phils win. Next: the Sixers, who absolutely demolished the Pistons to the tune of 95-75. Then the Phillies, where sexy dude J. C. Romero was getting the 3rd out in the 8th. Bottom of the 9th, score still 6-5, in came Brad Lidge, a cute guy for sure, who nailed his 6th save 1-2-3.

Star of the game was young Brad Harman, called up from Reading on Sunday. Last night he made his first start in the majors, at 2nd, with Chase Utley playing 1st for the slumping Ryan Howard, who is stuck on the interstate. Harman, an Aussie, got his first ML start, first hit, first RBI, and first run scored. He said that girlfriend and parents, all in Australia, were watching online.

I don't know if it was the mild weather, the Chase Utley giveaway bobblehead, or the Shane Victorino rehab, but the Reading park was packed and jumping. While the R-Phils were warming up pregame, the board flashed a picture of Ruth Hartman, one of the old players from the women's baseball league of the 1940's, who now raises sheep in the Reading area. Hartman, in her 80's, is a fixture at Reading games. There she was on the screen, with her prize-winning sheep named Shane Victorino. On the field, Vic cranked his head round to get a look. Hartman does in fact name her prize-winning sheep after Philadelphia players. Several years ago she got a visit from then-Sixer Dikembe Mutumbo to meet his namesake.

New Additions Add Power, Speed

Frank Thomas has rejoined the A's after being released from the Jays. It works out absolutely perfectly for the A's and Thomas - he's back where he wanted to be last year but couldn't because the A's wouldn't sign a multi-year contract; the A's get him back with the Jays eating Thomas' high salary. His last tenure with the A's was 2 years ago and he was very much liked by his teammates and the fans. He got a standing O when his name was announced in the starting lineup yesterday. Also exciting is the addition of Rajai Davis, who was waived by the Giants. I've seen him play occasionally with the Giants and have admired his speed around the bases and his outfield skills. He seemed to represent the future of the Giants and so it was shocking that the Giants released him. Their loss, the A's gain. Davis contributed right away with 3 hits, one being a triple! The A's have been a pleasant surprise this month, bucking against predictions and trend. April is usually a slow month for the A's - they always have to play catch-up in the warmer months to get into contention. I fully expected the A's to be where the Giants are - bottom feeders. Yet in April, the A's are on top of the ALWest. The question will be, once Duchscherer, Foulke, Buck and Harden get back from the DL, who will be let go? We currently have 3 DH's - Thomas, Cust and Mike Sweeney - way too many. And we do have some surplus outfielders as well...

just another team effort

Jamie Moyer was his usual effective self, going 6 solid and giving up 1 run on 8 hits. Jayson Werth tied the game at 1 on a solo homer, to the obvious delight of his mother, who was in the stands at today's game in Milwaukee. Mom, by the bye, looked more like a girlfriend. Tom Gordon relieved Moyer in the 7th, with 2 on and no outs. He punched out two and finally got a weak ground-out fielder's choice to end the threat. Then in the 8th, Pat Burrell, hitting .500 with RISP, drove a double to left, scoring two to put the Phillies up 3-1. Burrell now has 25 RBI on the year, setting a team record for the month of April. J. C. Romero and Ryan Madson combined for a scoreless 8th and Brad Lidge was lights out in the 9th for his 5th save in five tries. Very good win after yesterday's deflating loss.

resilient and tenacious in pennsylvania

Everybody won last night in Pennsylvania, even the Pirates. Woohoo!

utley does it all

Chase Utley hit his 6th homer in 5 days--he's got 9 in all--and flashed some mean leather in the Phillies' 9-5 win over the Rockies on a cold night in Denver. Yes, after playing a Sunday night game in Philly, the team flew to Denver. Kyle Kendrick tried his best to keep his sinker down but the Rockies weren't having any of it. Yorvit Torrealba put them on the board with a 3-run homer. Pat Burrell answered with a 2-run shot off of Rockies starter Mark Redmond. Then Garrett Atkins hit a 2-run homer of his own to up the Rocks 5-2. In the 6th, though, Jayson Werth tore around the bases for an inside-the-parker. That's when Utley stepped to the plate and smacked another one out. Earlier Utley made a spectacular play, turning a bases-loaded threat into an inning-ending double play. In the 8th the Phillies scratched out a couple more runs on a Ruiz double to take a 6-5 lead. They tacked on 3 more in the 9th.

Anyone else notice how totally sexy Chase Utley is or how stellar J.C. Romero, no slouch himself, has been?

yay, sixers!

The 'upset special'. That's what radio guy Tom McGinnis called the Sixers' 90-86 victory in Detroit last night. Led by 19-year-old Thaddeus Young, the Sixers started the game hot, only to go down by 13 at halftime. They made a run to start the 3rd, then went down 15, but battled back and battled back, took a lead, and stunned the Pistons. For now the Sixers lead the series 1-0. Hats off to Mo Cheeks!

Couldn't watch the Mets-Phillies game because Mike Pelfrey was pitching for the Mets. Take that mouth guard away from him, someone, please. What he does with it while on the mound is revolting. Chase Utley led off with a solo homer and hit a 3-run jack in the 5th to give the good guys a 4-0 lead. Adam Eaton then coughed it right up, but Pete Happy (Pedro Feliz) came in for a pinch-hit homer in the 7th. And that's how it ended, 5-4, two innings later, on a tremendous defensive play by Eric Bruntlett and pick by RyHo at first.

Somebody needs to tell J-Roll about arnica montana pronto.

rollins to dl

Black Sunday. Call-up Chris Snelling joins him. Neither will be available till May 5, at the earliest. It's the first DL stint ever for J-Roll. Tough, tough news. Definitely time for Ryho to get out of his funk.

ok, it's april

All a Phillies fan has to know about yesterday's game is that Jamie Moyer pitched well, giving up just 2 runs, that with 2 outs Ryan Howard (again) bobbled a ball that allowed a runner to reach base, then Ryan Madson, who should just shut up and pitch, promptly gave up a home run to Jose Reyes. The offense continues to be MIA, led by Howard who went 0 for 5, with 3 (more) K's. This team continues in its usual April mode. Still without Rollins and Victorino.

too much/not enough

hamels was good
but santana
had the magic

I was on deadline yesterday and gave the IronPigs tix to the neighbor. He ended up taking his teen-age daughter, an avid softball player, first out to dinner, then to the ballpark. They saw a dreadful game but this morning said they loved the park and had a great time. Sweet.

santana vs. hamels, part one

Tonight at CBP. Should be fun, if it does not turn into one of those over-hyped match-ups that ends up as a bust. So long as the Phillies win, baby. No Jimmy Rollins or Shane Victorino in sight.

Pitcher Brett Myers, who faced Tejada yesterday, had the best line about the silliness over Miggy's age. "Does it matter? He can still hit."

here come the bats, phils win 10-2

Shortstop Miguel Tejada put up the biggest numbers for the Astros today, going from 31 to 33, years old that is. Tejada revealed that he had lowered his real age by two years when he first came to the States from his native Dominican Republic. Numbers in this sunny day game were otherwise all on the side of the Phillies. Starter Brett Myers went seven, allowing 1 run and 5 hits and striking out 8. The bats woke up. Everyone but poor Eric Bruntlett had at least one hit, to the tune of 16 in all. Howard and Burrell had solo back-to-back homers, Utley and Coste had 2-run blasts. Last night's hard luck loser Kyle Kendrick must have been wondering where these hits were yesterday.

good pitching + good defense = disappointing loss

in the minors--
all he wants is
to make the show

After a heavy dose of minor league ball, it felt like coming home last night to be again at Citizens Bank Park. Two struggling pitchers, young Kyle Kendrick and veteran Roy Oswalt, squared off in what turned into a crisp pitchers' duel. Both allowed one run in the first. After that nothing doing till the 5th when Michael Bourn, traded to the Astros in the offseason for Brad Lidge, turned on an inside fastball from Kendrick and hit it just off the foul pole. That was all she wrote, in a 2-1 defeat. Kendrick went seven solid innings, giving up 2 runs and 4 hits and striking out 5. Oswalt was just a bit better. Will the offense please wake up! Ryan Howard in particular is looking tiny. With 2 out in the 9th, Jimmy Rollins hit a pinch-hit single to extend the game but Greg Dobbs then struck out. J-Roll hobbling to first was not a pretty sight. The game took 2 hours and 17 minutes to play and most of the 31,000+ on hand stayed till the end, waiting in vain for another miracle comeback.

Hernandez downs the A's on Dollar Dog Night

It was blanket give-away and dollar dog night at the Mac tonight. While waiting in line to get one of the 10,000 blankets, I saw a group of young Japanese fans enjoying a tailgate tour package, featuring barbecued hotdogs. I didn't see the group inside the Mac - hopefully the tour included the game! In this first of 2 games, the Mariners' offense and defense were superb and they deserved their win, 4-2. Watching Ichiro is always a treat. His first at-bat was classic - a single, a steal to second on a passed ball, a steal to third, then a trot home. Too bad for our pitcher Joe Blanton, who pitched well after a wobbly first inning but couldn't match up with Mariner's ace Felix Hernandez who was definitely on his game tonight.

'pigs on a streak

It was construction workers' night at Coca-Cola Park yesterday. Despite the chilly temps, good pitching, timely hitting, and solid defense helped the IronPigs tame the hard-hitting Toledo Mud Hens and garner a 4-1 win for starter Brian Mazone. Veteran pitcher Steve Kline, picked up last week by the Phillies, made his debut from the bullpen. After getting two quick outs, Kline started talking, with the 2nd base umpire, his infielders, the pitching coach, the home plate ump, and eventually the manager, then came off the field still talking. Another loony lefty.

I was glad I missed the Phillies sleepwalk through Shawn Chacon, who held them scoreless through eight. The 9th, however, was something else. Chris Snelling, called up the other day from the 'Pigs, started the inning with a pinch-hit homer. Chase Utley was hit by a pitch, but Ryan Howard whiffed. Up stepped Pat Burrell. Bingo! 2-run homer, game tied. Geoff Jenkins then reached first on a strike-out, passed ball. Pedro Feliz followed with a wicked hit past third and into the left field corner. Jenkins chugged and chugged. Head down, he ran through the stop sign from 3rd base coach Steve Smith and slid safely (wink, wink) home. Phils win 4-3. WOW!

ironpigs win! the ironp-i-i-i-gs win!

It took 12 tries but they finally did it. The IronPigs beat the Richmond Braves tonight 3-1. Starting pitcher Ron Chiavacci had his curve working all ways for 6 solid innings. With 2 outs, the Braves mounted a threat in the 9th but the last batter flied out to center to strand two runners on base and give the fans who had sat through a cold night of baseball a chance to cheer history. It was the first win ever for the IronPigs, and it happened at home in Coca-Cola Park. I had tix for the Sixers last home game and gave my 'Pigs tix to friends. Hope they enjoyed the game. I meanwhile ended up (circumstances) catching both the Sixers and the 'Pigs on TV.

As for the Sixers, they lost a heartbreaker to the Cavs on a reviewed call made with less than a second on the clock. After a look at the replay, the referees deemed that a foul had indeed been committed and the Cavs got 2 free throws. They made both and won 91-90. Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard were courtside, which brings a miscall from yesterday's game to mind. Mark DeRosa hit what was called a home run to left. Pat Burrell protested. Replay showed that it was a foul ball. The umps conferred and let the call stand. Charlie Manual protested and got tossed for his efforts.

It seems just silly that baseball does not have instant replay for foul/fair boundary calls for home runs. The NBA uses instant replay for shots in the last seconds of games. Tonight was the first time I saw it used to determine a judgement call. I think that's where instant replay should not be used, in the NBA or MLB. But for determining if a shot was made before the quarter or game ends or if a ball is fair or foul, instant replay makes all the sense in the world. A couple of years ago the Phillies were essentially knocked out of the play-offs when they lost a crucial game in Washington. Chase Utley hit what was clearly a home run but the umpires ruled it foul. La Rosa's foul homer yesterday also changed the outcome of the game.

Go, 'Pigs!