good-bye, coca-cola park

This fan in a motorized chair was all set for the game last night at Coca-Cola Park.

It was the last home game of the season and was again a sell-out. Adam Eaton, on the last lap of his unstellar minor league tour, started for the IronPigs, went three, and wasn't awful. But the Syracuse bullpen was better than ours and the Chiefs got the 5-2 win. Despite the 'Pigs' dismal record, it was pretty much a happy time at the park this summer but more about that later. The team drew over 600,000 for the season and has very much become a part of the life of the Lehigh Valley. Is there anything better to say?

The Phillies game in Chicago was ending just as the 'Pigs' game was starting. Brett Myers was solidly nasty for seven, Jayson Werth homered twice (both solo shots) and also singled in two. J.C. Romero held the Cubs off in the 8th and Lidge dispatched them in the 9th. Each game in the series has featured a botched call at 1st. This time the Phillies were able to overcome it. Whew!

Today the Phillies announced the following call-ups: Adam Eaton (of course), J.A. Happ from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, and Greg Golson and Lou Marson from Double-A Reading. More to come tomorrow?

one to go

Intermittent rain fell all night long but it didn't daunt the sellout crowd at the second-to-last home game of the IronPigs' inaugural season.

Carlos Carrasco sparkled, the defense finally played well behind him, and the offense took flight against Syracuse pitching. Carrasco went 6.2, allowing no runs on three hits and striking out nine while walking three. He left to a standing ovation. The Chiefs got their only run in the 9th, in a 9-1 'Pigs' win.

Meanwhile, in Chicago another bullpen malfunction, this after the Phillies had taken a 2-0 lead on Rich Harden and forced him from the game in the 5th with a bloated pitch count. It was a showdown between two ex-A's: Harden and Blanton. When exactly does Joe Blanton start to eat innings? Sadly, it's looking more and more like next season for this team.

In what feels like a going-in-circles kind of move, the Phillies traded lefty Fabio Castro for outfielder Matt Stairs to shore up the bench in the absence of Geoff Jenkins. Castro has unfortunately been in a holding pattern for the past three years. Perhaps he'll take off elsewhere.

another painful loss

Last night the bullpen again blew the game. On Wednesday night, up 3-2, it was an 8th-inning meltdown to the Mets. Last night, up 4-1, it was another 8th-inning meltdown, this time in Chicago. Shouldn't happen. Wednesday it was a waste of an effort against Santana, last night against Dempster. Not to mention the sterling outing last night by Cole Hamels. So why did Charlie not send him out in the 8th?

Tonight I'm off to see the penultimate home game for the 'Pigs. Pitching tonight: #40.

not popping

Asked about the possibility of some kind of trade on last week's manager's show, Pat Gillick said something was likely to 'pop'. Well, all that's popped so far is that Andy Tracy, up from Lehigh Valley, was DFA'd yesterday and Reading righty Andrew Carpenter called up. Carpenter mopped up in the 9th inning of yesterday's dispiriting loss to the Mets and today was sent down. Fabio Castro has been tabbed to replace Carpenter. Why the erratic lefty was called up for the righty-heavy Cubs is anybody's guess. Even if J.C. Romero is not available (say it isn't so), Castro is not exactly the guy to spot for him. It feels as if the season is trickling away.

History in the making tonight at Wrigley as MLB institutes instant replay, for home run calls.

win #7: bigtime bailout

Brandon Watson comes off the field after hitting a home run in an IronPigs' game last month. In last night's deplorable loss to the PawSox, Watson again homered, this time a dramatic three-run shot that ultimately went for naught.

What can I say about the Phillies' 8-7 win over the Mets in 13? Jimmy Rollins was 5 for 5 in his first five at bats and needed only a double this time for the cycle. (Last night it was a homer.) Clay Condrey, on in early relief for Jamie Moyer, most improbably doubled to set the 5th-inning comeback in motion. For one inning Carlos Ruiz moved from catcher to third! With two outs, Eric Bruntlett got the pinch-hit double that tied the game in the 9th. Cole Hamels pinchhit. So did Brett Myers. The Phillies stole 6 bases and had 19 hits. The bullpen threw nine scoreless. Catcher Chris Coste came into the game in the 8th and still went 4 for 4. Then with tonight's starter Kyle Kendrick warming in the bullpen, Victorino led the 13th off with a triple, and Coste finally singled up the gap to bring Vic trotting home. This was all after the Phillies were down 7-0 in the 4th to Pedro and stalwart Jamie Moyer had been chased from the game after three. Some kind of exciting game!

I got home from the 'dismal Pigs game in the bottom of the 9th. As we left the park the Phillies were trailing 7-6 in the 8th. The many Mets fans in my section had been carrying on in headache-making voices over the three rows of seats early in the game: up 2-0, up 5-0, up 7-0, yaddyaddyadda. When they got quiet, I figured something was brewing and sure enough in the 5th it was suddenly 7-5. Was Pedro still in, someone asked. Yes, was the reply. But for me it was time to give a cheer for the Mets' deplorable bullpen. All that got was a dead fish stare from the Mets' fans. That's one of the problems with Mets' fans. They talk trash bigtime when their team's winning but have nothing when they're not.

win #6: taking care of business

Fans mill around the statue of Robin Roberts outside the first base entrance to CPB before last night's finale with the Dodgers.

In his last outing Brett Myers pitched a complete game shutout. Last night he went seven and combined with J. C. Romero and Clay Condrey to beat the Dodgers 5-0 and complete the four-game sweep. Since coming back from his stint in the minors, Myers is 4-1 with a 1.66 ERA. Manny Ramirez, who last night went 0-4 with a walk, called him "one of the nastiest pitchers in the league." It wasn't a pretty game, as Myers surrendered nine hits. He continued working out of jams, notably in the 7th, when with the bases loaded he got Ramirez to fly out to right on a pretty catch by Jayson Werth. The Dodgers stranded 14 and the Phillies 11.

Jimmy Rollins was on base five times, first with a hit by pitch. He got the scoring (and cheering) going in the 2nd with a two-out two RBI single. He also doubled and tripled and scored a run. With everyone in the park anticipating a homer in his final at-bat, he drew a walk.

Just 11 days after being swept by the Dodgers in four in LA, the Phillies returned the favor. It was a great night at the ballpark.

hawaii wins at williamsport

In the end, it was almost no contest as the comeback kids from West Waipahu, on the island of Oahu, beat the powerhouse team from Matamoros, Mexico, by a score of 12-3. The Hawaiian kids had a line-up of great names, such as Tanner Tokunaga, Pikai Winchester, Ulumano Farm, Khade Paris, and Iolana Akau, who played with a fracture in his arm. The Mexican kids had fabulous, fabulous uniforms. Both teams had awesome smiles. The Mexico team, which had dedicated all of its holidays and birthdays to training, was nonetheless sunny in defeat.

All week long Shane Victorino of the Phillies wore a powder blue Waipahu cap, bought for him at Williasmsport by broadcaster Tom McCarthy. Victorino tried to get the team to come to Philadelphia for tonight's game with the Dodgers, but they were scheduled to leave this morning for Hawaii.

win #5: pete makes happy

If Hank, the guy who hands out programs at the Reading ballpark, had been at last night's Phillies game, his smile would have split his face.

With the game tied 1-1, Pedro Feliz, still shaking off the rust from a DL stint, came in to pinch hit in the 7th and popped out on the first pitch. In the 9th, down 2-1 and with two outs, Feliz singled Victorino in to tie the game. Then in the bottom of the 11th, with two on and two outs, Feliz sent the first pitch he saw into the seats in left center. Game over, Phillies win 5-2. It took over four hours, lots of clutch pitching (Blanton, Romero, and Durbin in particular), timely hitting (Ruiz, Utley, Victorino, and Feliz), and some spectacular defensive plays (Rollins, Howard, and Victorino). The 10-minute face-off between Romero and dangerous hitter Matt Kemp, with Juan Pierre agitating on 1st, was awesome. Also key: sacrifice bunts by Blanton and Bruntlett and a walk in the 11th by the recalled Andy Tracy to bring Feliz to the plate. All in all, wow!

Meanwhile, in the Lehigh Valley, Carlos Carrasco had another solid outing, going 6.1-innings and giving up two unearned runs on five hits. He also struck out eight. But again his outing was tainted by shoddy defense behind him. In truth, the defense in all five of his starts has been brutal. Carrasco left the game with a 4-0 lead. What happened after that was just deplorable.

ironpigs start their final homestand

The (San Diego) chicken did a hilarious job coaching first base for one inning a couple of weeks ago in Moosic. At one point the chicken unfurled a fullsized pin-up that he shook at 'Pigs' starter Carlos Carrasco.

Carrasco will be on the mound this evening when the IronPigs start their last homestand of the season. After a miserable start to the season, the 'Pigs rallied to play pretty well. In recent weeks, though, they've again fallen into losing ways. No matter the record of the team, it's been a memorable, and in many ways fun, season. I hope that they make the most of this last homestand. Unfortunately, they start it off facing the powerhouse Pawtucket team.

Dog Day Afternoon at the Park

The annual dog day afternoon at AT&T showcased all kinds of dogs who took in the games. And the Giants won in a pretty exciting game vs the Padres. And with BZ pitching too! He did pretty well today, despite a few shakey pitches. Actually came away with 6 K's! Go Barry!

win #4: the big boys step up for hamels

The dirt dudes take care of business between innings on a hot Thursday afternoon last month at Citizens Bank Park.

Sparkling pitching by Cole Hamels and great offense led the Phillies to a 9-2 victory over talented rookie Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers this afternoon. Hamels went seven innings, giving up 2 runs on 5 hits. Pat Burrell provided a first-inning cushion with a three-run homer. Burrell went 3 for 5, with 5 RBI, which tied a career high. The first four in the order--Rollins, Utley, Burrell, and Howard--were in the thick of things all afternoon. More, more, more.

Geoff Jenkins, who injured his hip running to first last night, was put on the DL and journeyman Andy Tracy called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Jenkins has had a spotty season, hope he comes back rested and ready to go.

win #3: kendrick bounces back

On the field as the national anthem is sung at the Reading park on Thursday night.

It was '70's throwback night in Philadelphia last night and the Phillies' bats came out to play. It didn't look that way early, when Greg Maddux, making his first start since being reacquired by the Dodgers, needed only 11 pitches to dispatch the first six Phillie batters. It didn't help that Kyle Kendrick, pounded in his last two starts, gave up a first-inning homer to Andre Ethier. No doubt the Kendrick detractors were in immediate full cry. I don't quite get why they, from the sour Keith Law to the nothing-but-the-numbers sabermetrics geeks, ignore what the kid has actually done so far in his young career. It's as if wins, with run support or not, count for nothing in their perfect world.

In the end, Kendrick went 5.2 innings, giving up one run on three hits. Maddux was sailing along till Pat Burrell in the 4th finally made him work and drew a walk. Ryan Howard then homered to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead. They finally chased Maddux in the 6th, with a five-run outburst capped by a Coste 3-run homer. Chase Utley later added a solo shot in the 8-1 victory. The bullpen too was solid. This retro things works. Keep it going, guys!

In the last baseball game ever to be played at the Olympics, South Korea beat Cuba to take the gold medal. The USA defeated Japan 8-4 for the bronze. I wonder if Olympians Jason Donald and Lou Marson will get September call-ups.

two won't do

The sun was dipping low in this at-bat last night by the Reading Phillies.

All you need to know about the Phillies game last night is that Jamie Moyer ran his string of consecutive quality starts (three runs or fewer) to 14. In that stretch, the Phillies have won just five of his games. Last night Moyer gave up two runs in 6.2 innings; the Phillies lost 4-3 and the Nationals snapped their 12-game losing streak. Two of three from the Nats does not do it.

Jimmy Rollins has been mediocre for much of the season; since his ill-timed, ill-advised comments on that dumb-jock TV show in LA, he's been dreadful. The comments are just talk (get over it, you loudmouthed Philadelphia fans) but what stunned me was his being late to that Mets game in New York. Chase Utley started off MVP-hot and fell off a cliff. Ryan Howard, despite his league-leading numbers, has been maddeningly inconsistent, while piling up an all-time record for K's. Pat Burrell, in a 'career year', has become invisible. This is not a slump, this is the end of a season.

I listened to the Phillies game driving home from Reading. Lefty starter Antonio Bastardo gave up one run on two hits in 4.2 innings. But the R-Phils' dismal season continued with a 8-1 loss to the Bowie Baysox. It was their ninth loss in a row. They are almost 40 games under .500. Most of the Bowie runs scored on errors or mental mistakes. Despite having several prospects, including two now in Beijing and one in Allentown, this team has been pretty awful. It was a quiet crowd at the park on a rather lovely evening. And so, good-bye to Reading 2008.

Last note: Catcher Lou Marson and shortstop Jason Donald, both with Team USA in Beijing, were named to the Eastern League's end-of-season All-Star team.

win #2: cg shutout

Broad-shouldered bonding before last night's game with the Nats.

Brett Myers overcame some shoddy defense to pitch a complete game shutout, while the woeful Nats were unable to give their young starter Collin Balester anything. Phillies won 4-0, another game that they had to have. Jimmy Rollins was booed each time he came to bat. There were even boos from my section, which prompted me to sing out, "My section's turned stupid!" The man next to me cracked up, and he and I traded pointed comments on fan behavior and comprehension throughout the game. Rollins also got a standing O from the majority of the sellout crowd who were not braying donkeys after he started a spectacular 6-4-3 double play in the late innings.

As Leo Durocher said, "Baseball's like church. Many attend; few understand."

Gio Gio Gio

Gio tried & tried & tried but couldn't get the White Sox out. Let's hope his late season debut doesn't end on the DL.

win #1

Carlos Carrasco stretches pregame last Thursday in Moosic.

Last night, however, Carrasco had a double-A game, seeming to lose focus despite striking out seven. He struggled to the tune of six runs (and two walks) in five innings, which destroyed his 0.48 ERA in a 10-1 IronPigs' loss in Buffalo.

I was station switching last night, from the 'Pigs' coverage to that of the Bisons to the Phillies games vs. the Nationals--skipping the clueless Nats' broadcasters. Thank the stars we have Larry Andersen and Scott Franzke!

Joe Blanton had another sub-par start, lasting only five and giving up four runs. While the Nationals are dismal, their 10-game losing streak made them dangerous. But the much-maligned bottom of the order was able to manufacture enough runs to tie the game. It helped that Charlie had put speedster Victorino in the 6th hole. Then in the 8th, Jayson Werth, hitting in Vic's customary 2-spot, put the Phillies ahead with a solo home run. Brad Lidge nailed it down in the 9th with his 31st straight save. It was a game they had to have.

pickling peppers

pickling peppers
hotter than
my team

Tonight is the start of a nine-game homestand that will just about determine the Phillies' fate. One way or another, the season is drawing to a close. Why am I feeling less than wildly optimistic?

hamels finally gets a (very) little support

The famous (San Diego) chicken was at the game in Moosic last Thursday and lots of fans were geared up. The chicken, meanwhile, lived up to its edgy, funny reputation.

Last night in San Diego, Cole Hamels finally got just enough run support to win his first game since July 3. The difference in the 2-1 game was a Pat Burrell solo homer in the 6th. Burrell also scored the winning (and only) run on Friday. Hamels went eight innings, then Lidge came in for the save. Still, the Phillies were outhit by the light-hitting Padres 7 to 6. For most of this trip the Phillies were in no-hitting land. For over two months now the offense has been pathetic.

It was a disastrous roadtrip, with the team posting a BA around .190. It was all made worse by Jimmy Rollins, who is having a bad year on and off the field. I hate when players turn things into soap operas and that's what Jimmy, with sidekick Ryan, has done.

the amazing mr. moyer

Leaving my favorite farmstand this morning, I came to this intersection on 222.

Seven innings of three-hit shutout ball from Jamie Moyer. One home run in the 7th by Pat Burrell. Solid bullpen work, capped by a Brad Lidge 9th. Put it all together and the Phils beat the Pads last night 1-0 in San Diego. Moyer is now 11-7 on the year. The hard-luck loser: Greg Maddux. Moyer is now 45, Maddux 42. Both were drafted in 1984 by the Chicago Cubs. We're talking about role models here.

meanwhile, out on the coast

The IronPigs take their pregame stretches at yesterday's game in Moosic.

Meanwhile, in LA the Phillies wasted a sterling pitching performance by Brett Myers and were swept by the Dodgers. It's the first time the Phillies have been swept in a 4-game series since 2004 and the first time it's happened at Dodger Stadium since 1962. Ugh. Are we talking regression big time? Myers summed up the series afterwards: We were outpitched and outplayed. You'd think that Phillies hitters would have severe arm strain from tipping their caps so many times to opposing pitchers.