Nobody expected to do much against Brandon Webb, who picked up his 8th win in 8 tries tonight. But the bigger story of the night has to be Brett Myers. Coming off a 7 inning, 10 strikeout performance, it would’ve been nice to string two strong starts together. Myers lasted only 5 innings. He let up 9 hits and 7 runs, 6 earned, all in only 5 innings.
If the Phillies want to compete for the division, they’re going to have to get better stuff out of their “ace”.
-Greg Berlin
Categories: Phillies
Tagged: Brandon Webb, Brett Myers, Phillies
Lots of injury news going around today in The Beast:
Categories: Braves · Mets · Nationals
Tagged: Mets, Nationals, Braves, Paul Lo Duca, Angel Pagan, Roy Oswalt, Brayan Pena, Omar Infante
Categories: Phillies
Tagged: Conor Jackson, Diamondbacks, Phillies, Shane Victorino
Welcome to the sports blogosphere, Ryan Zimmerman.
His first post, entitled “My 1st BLOG!!!”:
This is my first blog of many this season. First off, it’s nice that we have put together some wins lately.
The new stadium is fantastic!!! If you have not been out there yet with the weather getting nicer, please come. It’s an incredible ballpark.
It’s been so nice to see good size crowds. It really is fun to play before a loud crowd that is into the game.
I hated to see Wizards lose in the playoffs. I went to a lot of games this past off season and it was so much fun. Hopefully, they won’t have the injuries they had this season and will be able to go deeper into the playoffs next season.
I will continue to update my blog, so please check back and let me know what you think.
Keep coming out to the ballpark and I look forward to seeing everyone out there this season.
Take Care,
Zim
Not exactly Gilbert or Cooley, is he? Thanks to DC Sports Bog for the heads up.
Categories: Nationals
Tagged: Nationals, Ryan Zimmerman
The Game: Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Philadelphia Phillies
The Matchup: Brandon Webb (7-0, 2.49, 37/16 K/BB, 1.06 WHIP) vs. Brett Myers (2-2, 4.70, 37/12 K/BB, 1.36 WHIP)
The Story: Cy Young hopeful Brandon Webb goes for his 8th win in 8 starts. ‘Nuff said about him.
Brett Myers goes for his 3rd win, after posting a no decision in a strong 7 inning, 10 strikeout outing last week against the Giants. Myers seemed to find his strength again last week after shying away from his fastball in earlier starts this season. We’ll see if the long toss continues to pay off this afternoon.
Last night’s 5-4 win displayed nothing but grit from the Phils, but with Ryan Howard slumping, Pat Burrell cooling off, and Chase Utley coming back down to the stratosphere, the rest of the team has to continue to pick up the slack. Take Eric Bruntlett: He’s probably due only a couple more starts until Jimmy Rollins takes back his leadoff spot, but Bruntlett has filled in great, both in the field and at the plate.
With any luck, the Phillies make this one competitive. If they are able to pull off a win - taking 3 out of 4 from the Dbacks - it would be a very big statement to the rest of the league.
Stat of the Day: Ryan Howard is on pace for 231 strikeouts. His 199 strikeouts last year was a Major League record.
Categories: Phillies
Tagged: Brandon Webb, Brett Myers, Chase Utley, Diamondbacks, Eric Bruntlett, Pat Burrell, Phillies, Pregame, Ryan Howard
As of today, according to Talking Chop:
Andruw Jones: 18-106, 15 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 16 BB, 36 K, 0 SB, .170 BA, .279 OBP, .264 SLG
Mark Kotsay: 34-110, 15 R, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 10 BB, 12 K, 1 SB, .309 BA, .367 OBP, .473 SLG
Categories: Braves
Tagged: Andruw Jones, Braves, Mark Kotsay
Paul Hagen has the story:
The Phillies, who are openly searching for a lefthanded reliever, have acquired Stephen Randolph from the Houston Astros for a player to be named later.
There are reasons to believe that Randolph, 34, could soon join J.C. Romero as the second lefty in the bullpen. He has a 1.23 earned run average for Triple A Round Rock this season and had allowed just 8 hits while striking out 21 in 14 2/3 innings.
There are also reasons to believe he might not be the answer. He has command issues, as evidenced by 11 walks.
Neither general manager Pat Gillick or assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. could immediately be reached for comment this morning.
Randolph, who has just over 2 years of major league service, appeared in 14 games for the Astros last season. He struck out 22 batters in 13 1/3 innings . . . but also walked 22 and allowed 21 hits, accounting for his 12.15 ERA.
In 109 big-league appearances in his career, he has a 5.52 earned run average.
Expect Randolph to report to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. His K/BB is certainly worrying, but Gillick and Amaro are being proactive in their search for a lefty to help out JC Romero.
And boy, doesn’t Ed Wade love to deal with his old team? About time he does something good for the Phillies.
-Greg Berlin
Categories: Phillies
Tagged: Phillies, Ironpigs, Astros, Stephen Randolph, Pat Gillick, Ruben Amaro Jr., Ed Wade
From The Onion:
An 8,976-foot foul ball off the bat of Washington third baseman Ryan Zimmerman crashed through the U.S. Capitol Building rotunda Sunday afternoon, prompting both the Nationals and the opposing Pittsburgh Pirates to gasp, turn to each other in shock, and immediately run full speed out of Nationals Park.
“As soon as I hit it, I knew it was headed straight toward Capitol Hill—I just kept saying to myself, ‘Not the dome, not the dome, not the dome,’” Zimmerman said.
“We are so dead,” Zimmerman added.
Later in the article:
The statement went on to demand that the Nationals pay for all the damages, which total over $400 million—more than five times the entire team payroll. Because of this, players are expected to either find part-time jobs to cover the cost or work off the expenses by taking positions as congressional aides in the offseason.
The Pirates have promised to chip in $5, claiming that is all they have right now.
Categories: Nationals
Tagged: Nationals, Pirates, Ryan Zimmerman, The Onion
Nationals catcher Paul Lo Duca will have an MRI on his right hand today after re-aggravating the injury that has kept him sidelined for much of the year in last night’s loss to the Astros. “Probably the most pain I’ve ever felt,” Lo Duca said.
When he came out of the game, Lo Duca was seen shouting at a spectator in the stands, who had apparently called him a wimp. “If I’m a wimp, come outside and wait for me,” he said. Classy stuff, Paulie.
Categories: Nationals
Tagged: Astros, Nationals, Paul Lo Duca
Mr. Redlegs got me thinkin today. Take a look at this video. The Phanatic goes all out!
(Damn!)
You gotta feel bad for the Lakewood Blueclaws mascot, Buster. What could he possibly have done to deserve this?
Categories: Phillies
Tagged: Lakewood Blueclaws, Phanatic, Phillies
Eric Bruntlett doubled and Chase Utley singled in the top of the 8th for two consecutive RBI hits. Utley’s put the Phils up 5-4. Tom Gordon gave up a leadoff double to Chris Snyder in the bottom half of the inning, but got out of the inning cleanly with three consecutive outs. In the 9th, Brad Lidge went 1-2-3 with two strikeouts and a groundout to first. Ryan Howard finished off the game by diving to touch the bag after electing to finish the play himself.
Before Bruntlett hit the game tying double a scary play happened at first. Shane Victorino struck out swinging, but the ball got passed catcher Chris Snyder and Victorino took off running down the line. As Victorino approached the bag, Dbacks first baseman Conor Jackson reachd in front of Victorino in an effort to catch the ball. A scary collision occurred in which Jackson ended up face down in the dirt and Victorino was clearly shaken up. After a short delay, Victorino stayed in the game and scored from 1st on the very next pitch. Jackson was not so lucky. Clearly shaken up, he walked off the field under his own power.
There was no intentional wrongdoing by Jackson, but I don’t know how responsible it was of him to lean across the basepath in that situation. He was being competitive and trying to make a play. But suppose he caught the ball - Victorino likely would have been called safe because of interference. Luckily, it looks ike both players will get away from this one largely unscaved. In my opinion Jackson should be more careful in that situation. He almost got himself and another player seriously injured.
Kyle Kendrick only let up 3 ER, despite allowing 10 hits and giving up one walk. He threw 60 out of 92 pitches for strikes and punched out two batters in 6 innings of work. It wasn’t pretty - nothing has been for the Phillies this year - but it was a healthy number 5 outing.
The Phillies only managed 7 hits off the Dbacks, and only 4 off of Micah Owings in is 7 innings. Owings recorded 7 strikeouts, allowing 3 ER and 1 HR to Pedro Feliz in the 7th.
This was a gritty, all-around win for the Phils. It wasn’t fun and it wasn’t easy, but they got the job done. The lineup is too potent to ever count them out, and the bullpen is keeping them in every game that isn’t a blow out.
Promising stuff tonight.
-Greg Berlin
Categories: Phillies
Tagged: Brad Lidge, Chase Utley, Chris Snyder, Conor Jackson, Diamondbacks, Eric Bruntlett, Kyle Kendrick, Micah Owings, Pedro Feliz, Phillies, Postgame, Ryan Howard, Shane Victorino, Tom Gordon
Gomez became the first Twin since Kirby Puckett to hit for the cycle tonight, as the Twins defeated the White Sox 13-1.
Categories: Mets
Tagged: Carlos Gomez, Twins, White Sox
