2012 Home Schedule Ends on a Sour Note for Phillies
The Phillies closed out their 2012 home schedule on Thursday night with a loss; that was 2 straight losses to the Nationals. Worse, they got smacked around by a teenager in both losses as 19-year old Bryce Harper hit a homer in each of those 2 games.
The losses caused the Phillies home record to dip below the .500 mark for the first time since 2000. They finished with a record of 40-41 at home. It is a very sad ending to a very sad season, which is not even over yet. The Phillies still have 6 more games in Miami and Washington before they can slink off to into the off-season.
The Phillies overall record is now 78-78 so they can still finish with a winning record if they have a winning road trip. But if this team continues to play as if they are already at home sitting on the couch, that may not happen.
Last night, the Phillies had Nats pitcher Gio Gonzalez on the ropes in what looked like it might be a total knock-out very early. Gonzalez was wild, walking 3 in the 1st inning and allowing a 3-run, bases-clearing double to rookie Darin Ruf. Still shaky in the 2nd inning, the Phils had a chance to pounce all over Gonzalez and failed.
Once they let him off the hook, Gonzalez found his stride and the Phillies did not score another run the rest of the game. They had only 3 hits from the 3rd inning on.
Now, all fans can do is hope the Phillies muster just a little bit of pride and finish the season strong, giving everyone hope for the 2013 season.
“LIKE” us on Facebook for more updates & photos!
Phillies photos by Jenn Zambri Photography
A Ruf Day for the Nats in Philly
The fact that Nationals came into last night’s game with the best record in baseball was simply fuel for the Phillies fire who were determined to give their Division rival a tough time. Nats pitching got Ruf’d up by the Phillies who homered 3 times in the game and won by a score of 6-3.
Carlos Ruiz smashed a 2-run shot in the 3rd and Domonic Brown added another homer in the 6th. But the biggest bang of the evening came off the bat of rookie Darin Ruf in the 2nd inning. His first major league hit wound up being a home run to left center field. That was a fitting start to his major league career as Ruf had already hit 38 homers this year in Double-A ball.
But the best part of Ruf’s homer was watching him get the silent treatment in the dugout for the entire inning. Not even the bat boy would acknowledge the rookie. Ruf tried to give him a fist bump and was totally denied. Finally, after a lot of muffled giggling and players attempting to maintain their composure, he was mobbed by his teammates. That had to be some kind of record for blowing off a rookie after his first home run.
After the game, Ruf told reporters, “That was very loving of them…The longest silent treatment of all time, I guess.” Welcome to the Bigs, kid.
Game 2 with the Nationals starts tonight at 7:05pm.
“LIKE” us on Facebook for more updates & photos!
Photo by Philly.com
Loss to Braves Kills Phillies Playoff Hopes
While they are not “officially” out of it yet, the Phillies have dropped to 5 games out of the Wild Card race after 2 straight losses to the Braves. With 4 teams in front of them and only 9 games to go, the Phillies playoff hopes are all but dead.
On the mound today, Cliff Lee put forward a valiant effort, working in and out of trouble throughout the game. Despite his many challenges, he kept the Phillies in striking distance. Lee struck out 11 and allowed only 1 earned run over 8 innings. But the offense did little to help him.
Tim Hudson is a great pitcher, but the Phillies made him look totally unhittable. John Mayberry Jr. and Kevin Frandsen accounted for the only hits in the game for the Phils; yes, 2 hits…total. The only run they scored involved a walk to Jimmy Rollins, a Braves error, a sac bunt and a sac fly.
The sun was quite an issue today as well as clouds rolled in and out over the ballpark. Some plays in the field were solid, and others looked a bit complicated as the shadows wreaked havoc.
And then there was a little controversy over whether or not Frandsen was out of the box when he bunted. He was called out and manager Charlie Manuel apparently thought holding the umpires hand might help his cause:
Or maybe not…
So the Phillies went on to lose the game by a score of 2-1, all but eliminating their playoff hopes.
Here is the full Photo Album from the game.
And the only good news of the day…I won a signed Cole Hamels bat in the Sunday Season Ticket holder Fan Appreciation Day event! Whoo hoo!
“LIKE” us on Facebook for more updates & photos!
Photos by Jenn Zambri Photography
Howard’s 300th; One Win and a Loss Against the Braves
The Phillies won their 4th straight game Friday night in the opener against the Braves that included a pre-game salute to Chipper Jones. Jones will retire after 19 years with the Braves after this season. The Phillies gave Jones a painting of one of many home runs he hit in Citizens Bank Park.
Jones received a number of salutes while the Braves traveled to away games this year. And to thank the Phillies, Jones went 0-for-4 in the home teams’ 6-2 win over his Braves. Thanks, Larry. And Happy Retirement ;o)
However, the tables were turned on Saturday afternoon. The Braves found their bats and Roy Halladay hit another brick wall. Clearly, not all is well with Halladay as he claims. He has had only a few good starts since coming off the DL; the rest have been very un-Doc like.
This afternoon, Halladay did not even make it through 2 innings. His final line had 7 earned runs in 1.2 innings on 5 hits and 3 walks. It was ugly. Charlie Manuel looked on in disbelief before he finally ran out to the mound to lift Doc from the game.
With the Cardinals win today, the Phillies could ill afford any more losses. But the offense was weak today against the Braves pitching. The only excitement came when Ryan Howard hit a milestone home run; it was the 300th of his career, putting him in 2nd place behind Mike Schmidt all time for the Phillies.
Howard has now hit a home run in 4 straight games. Seeing his bat wake up again is a pleasant site. However, the Phillies are still in a dire situation as far as the playoffs are concerned. The loss today knocks them back to 4 games out of the Wild Card behind 3 other teams with only 10 games to go.
“LIKE” us on Facebook for more updates & photos!
Howard head shot by Jenn Zambri Photography
Phillies Annihilate the Mets in Finale of 3-Game Sweep
On Thursday night, the Phillies gave the Mets a spanking and then some. It was an outright stomping to the tune of 2 touchdowns and a safety. If you are not a football fan, that is the baseball equivalent of 16 runs.
The 16-1 pummeling began with an 8-run 1st inning. The Phillies went all the way through the line-up, batters 1-8, before a single out was recorded by the Mets. The starting pitcher was lifted from the game 7 batters in and his final line read 7 earned runs and zero innings pitched…ouch. The next pitcher who came in hit Erik Kratz with a pitch to force in another run.
This was the first time the Phillies had their first 8 batters reach base to start a game since 1975. It was also the first time since 1912 that they scored at least 8 runs in the 1st inning while on the road. Know what else happened in 1912? The Titanic sank.
For the Mets, this was a game to forget, if they can. For the Phillies, it was a nice opportunity to bump up their batting averages and stats. Here are those than benefitted the most from the Mets’ ineptitude:
That is a lot of hitting.
With 2 outs in the 9th the night before, Ryan Howard hit a 2-run homer to win the game. And with 2 outs in the 9th last night, Howard smashed a Grand Slam home run, adding insult to injury for the Mets. The Phillies scored 7 runs in that final inning.
Rookie pitcher Tyler Cloyd quietly had a great game in between all the offensive fireworks. Cloyd gave up only 1 run on 3 hits over 8 innings. He was the only starter in the game who did not get a hit for the Phillies, but since he pitched well, he is forgiven ;o)
Despite the sweep of the Mets though, the Phillies are still 4 games out of the Wild Card race as the Cardinals keep winning. They are running out of games quickly.
Of the 12 remaining games, the next 3 are at home against the Braves. Game time tonight is 7:05pm.
“LIKE” us on Facebook for more updates & photos!
Bookend Homers Launch Phillies Over the Mets
On Wednesday night, the Phillies won the game over the Mets in 2 bookend innings, the 1st and the 9th. In between, not much happened.
Jimmy Rollins led the game off with a solo home run. That turned out to be the only hit for the Phillies until John Mayberry Jr. singled in the 8th. It was also the only run of the game for the Phils until there were 2 outs in the 9th inning.
In between, Cole Hamels allowed 2 runs over 6 innings and hit the 200 strike-out mark for the season with 10 on the night. But although he pitched well, the Phillies were not hitting….at all.
Suddenly, with the game on the line, Chase Utley drew a 2-out walk in the 9th. Ryan Howard stepped to the plate for what appeared to be the probable end of the game. Howard has looked like a blind man at the plate recently.
Even Howard’s body language has spoken volumes about his struggles. Staring up at the sky in frustration is a familiar look for him after an out. But what we have witnessed in the last several weeks is different. Howard’s head droops down in defeat as he solemnly jogs to 1st base after a weak ground-out. This is beyond frustration.
But Mets pitcher Josh Edgin had the cure for what has been ailing Howard. It was an up-and-in fast ball, right in the Howard happy zone. Edgin tossed him a cookie and Howard sent it screaming into the seats. The 2-run last minute blast gave the Phillies a 3-2 lead, which Jonathan Papelbon nailed down in the bottom half of the 9th.
Whether or not that home run will break Howard’s sad spell at the plate remains to be seen. But it certainly could not hurt.
The Phillies will try to sweep the Mets tonight in a make-up game that was previously rained out on Tuesday. Game time is 7:10pm.
“LIKE” us on Facebook for more updates & photos!
Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
Lee’s Effort Returns Phillies To .500
After a disastrous weekend in Houston, the Phillies managed to crawl back to the .500 mark after a 3-1 win over the Mets on Monday night. Cliff Lee pitched extremely well, allowing only 1 run over 8 innings. His strong performance kept the Phillies in the game against tough knuckleballer, R.A. Dickey.
For the offense, Jimmy Rollins is on a serious hot streak. It seems lately that even when he slips up, luck is on his side. He struck out in the 1st inning last night to start the game, but wound up being safe at first base anyway on a passed ball. He eventually scored on a Chase Utley sac fly. Rollins ended the game with 2 runs scored, a home run and a walk.
The home run was interesting; the ball snuck over the right field wall but appeared for a moment to have dribbled off the glove of outfielder Scott Hairston. Then without prompting, the umpires decided to review the play and correctly called it a home run. That is the first time I have seen any MLB umpire voluntarily review a play without first being harassed by a manager. It is about time.
Domonic Brown provided the other run with a solo shot in the 7th to give the Phillies a little more breathing room. Jonathan Papelbon nailed down the save in the 9th.
This win was a nice lift for the Phillies who remain 3.5 games out of the Wild Card race with 15 games to play. Realistically, the horrendous Houston weekend probably killed any shot they had at the postseason this year. So while it is great to see this team playing well, as far as the playoffs, don’t hold your breath.
Game 2 with the Mets is tonight at 7:10pm.
“LIKE” us on Facebook for more updates & photos!
Photos by Jenn Zambri Photography
Houston: The Phillies Have Problems
Just in case the Houston Astros were previously unaware, it should be clear today that both teams, especially the Phillies, have serious problems. What problem could be bigger than being the Astros, the worst team in baseball, you say? 
The answer is: Being beaten in 3 out of 4 games by the worst team in baseball. And all that happened while the Phillies hopes for the postseason continue to quickly dwindle away.
I had said previously that it would take a miracle for the Phillies to make the playoffs this year. I stand corrected. It will actually take 3-4 large miracles, including the complete collapse of several other teams in the National League who are ahead of the Phils in the Wild Card race. Quick, someone call a priest; Last Rights may be in order shortly. The Phillies are on life support.
Bad plays, errors and walks plus a sporadic offense contributed to the embarrassing losses against the Astros. Worse, 2 of the 3 losses came against starting pitchers who began each game with an ERA above 5.00, including yesterday’s shut-out loss and today’s 7-6 disaster.
Roy Halladay gave up 3 runs in 6 innings, but the Phillies still had the lead when he left the game. And then, for what feels like the 1,000th time this year, the bullpen blew it again. The 4-run 7th for the Astros included an error and 3 walks, one for each Phillies pitcher, although 1 was intentional.
The offense left runners stranded all over the place, 8 in all, while going only 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position. Jimmy Rollins had 3 hits and Ryan Howard picked up 2 RBI, but only after being humiliated by the Astros twice; they intentionally walked Chase Utley twice to get to Howard.
With 15 games remaining, the Phillies cannot afford more than a loss or two until the end of the season. Plus, they need a lot of other teams to lose as well. It does not look good, folks.
The Mets are up next. Game time Monday night is 7:10pm.
“LIKE” us on Facebook for more updates & photos!
The Phillies Are Optimists
The Phillies have definitely been playing better lately. They are 3 games back in the race for the 2nd Wild Card spot with 17 games left to play. And so early this morning, the Phillies decided to send out Postseason ticket invoices to all of their season ticket holders in the hopes of making a run.
I wonder how many fans will actually bite? Will you or will you not shell out $400-$500 or more for 2-3 playoff tickets that the Phils may or may not play? If they do not play, the Phillies will kindly keep your money, without accruing interest of course, and apply it towards next year’s season ticket bill.
Today, I am asking myself that very question. Let us examine the recent evidence. On Thursday, the Phillies dropped a depressing game to the worst team in baseball. Many rookies were involved in the loss, making it slightly more understandable.
Then last night, the team put a whooping on the Astros and won by what was still too close a score for me, 12-6. Jimmy Rollins led off the game with his 20th home run of the season. He is now the Phillies season leader in homers, not typical for either a lead-off hitter or a shortstop. In fact, only 11 other shortstops in baseball history have had 20 home run seasons 4 times or more, like Rollins.
Hits from Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and John Mayberry Jr. turned that 1st inning into 4 huge runs to start the game before Cole Hamels even stepped onto the mound. Hamels was not super-sharp, but 3 earned runs over 7 innings was sufficient.
Mayberry continued to pound out hits and went 3-for-5 with 3 RBI. Howard also had 3 RBI on 2 hits. Another big blow came from Domonic Brown with a 2-run mega-long homer in the 7th. He hit the ball so hard the Astros pitcher actually fell to his knees in a semi-Wayne’s World gesture of, “We’re not worthy!” Ok, maybe not…he was probably just depressed.
Still, with all that offense, the Phillies committed 3 errors in the game which allowed 3 unearned runs to the Astros….again, the worst team in baseball. That kind of sloppy play is what might keep them from making the postseason.
So will you be digging deep into your pockets for potential postseason tickets? We have, according to my invoice, until 9/21/12 to decide. That is 5 more games; 2 with the Astros and 3 with the Mets. Decisions, decisions…
“LIKE” us on Facebook for more updates & photos!
Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
Phillies Playoff Hopes: Fool’s Gold or the Real Deal?
Out of the 9 Phillies Opening Day 2012 starters, 6 have landed either on the disabled list or with another team at some point during the year. And that does not even include Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, who started the year on the DL. So basically, 8 out of 9 regular starters missed a lot of time this year. The only one who avoided either a trade or the DL was Jimmy Rollins.
It is fitting then that a 2-run shot from J-Roll last night led the team to a 3-game sweep of the Miami Marlins. Cliff Lee did his part as well, allowing just 1 run, which was unearned due to an error, over 7 innings.
The win has placed the Phillies only 3 games back in the Wild Card race, which is something not many people saw coming. This team was beaten up so badly throughout most of the year and played so poorly that a possible playoff run, until now, seemed impossible. Here is a look at the Wild Card standings:
But even after a 7-game win streak, is all this new playoff hope just fool’s gold or can the Phillies really sneak in the backdoor? Consider this: 6 of those 7 games in the streak came against two of the worst teams in baseball, the Marlins and the Rockies. Just a few weeks ago, the Phillies lost a series to the Mets, who are also pretty bad.
Then again, the momentum of a 7-game win streak could be enough to help elevate the Phillies performance and confidence to the point where they can start stomping on good teams as well. But we are not going to know if that is possible for a while as the Houston Astros are next on the agenda. With a record of 45-98, the Astros are by far the worst team in all of baseball. Losing even 1 of the 4 games against the Astros would be a tragedy.
So maybe this series could be a descent barometer after all. Because if the Phillies struggle against the Astros, I think the faint light of playoff hopes would be markedly dimmed. But if they beat the crap out of the Astros, as they very well should, then go ahead and keep the light of hope burning. Then we can all say, “Watch out National League! Here come the Phillies…”
Phillies Phollowers
Recent Comments