Tagged: Chad Durbin

Win Streak Down The Toilet

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The Phillies lost the game tonight after 5 wins in a row, but at least Jamie Moyer had a quality start.  He did give up 3 runs, but went 6 innings and this was a huge improvement over his last several outings.  And although Moyer kept them in the game, the offense did not score and Chad Durbin gave up another 2 runs in the 7th inning.  That was pretty much the nail in the coffin.

The only score of the day for the Phillies was a solo home run by Raul Ibanez, his 14th of the year.  But while Ibanez continues to hit consistently, the rest of the line-up took a nap today.

Since this game was a tad depressing, here is some comic relief:  According to the New York Post, a Mets fan got her hand stuck in a toilet bowl at Citi Field on Tuesday.  Perhaps she thought David Wright was down there?  Either way, there would be plenty of flushing in Flushing that day.  No one is sure how long she was left screaming for mercy before the plumber arrived to “relieve” her, but the action drew a crowd of curious fans around the bathroom. 

As it turns out, the Mets fan had dropped her gold tooth into the toilet and reached in to try to recover it.  Seriously?  Would you ever actually put that thing back in your mouth after it had been in a public toilet?  All I can say is, it was a Mets fan. :O)

So tomorrow afternoon, the Phillies will try to get a series win against the Reds.  Game time is 12:35pm and Joe Blanton will pitch; he will also try not to totally suck like he did the last time out!  Fingers crossed…

So, here is your daily reminder to keep VOTING for your Phillies All-Stars!  VOTE up to 25 times per day, per email address!  And please, avoid putting any limbs into toilet bowls…consider that my public service announcement for the day.

 

Photo by Jenn

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No O, No D, No Win

That’s a lot of no’s.  Where the offense and defense for the Phillies are hiding is a mystery.  And one which needs to be solved – quick.  This team has sunk into a funk.  The real shame of it is that Cole Hamels pitched an outstanding game and has nothing to show for it.  Hamels nailed down 7 full innings, giving up only 1 earned run.  Another run scored in the 3rd inning as a result of a Jimmy Rollins error on a routine play that should have ended the inning; instead, the ball hit off his glove and Casey Blake scored from 3rd.  But this was just one of the many brain freezes the Phillies experienced on the day.

 

In the 5th inning, Hamels did not help his own cause; he did manage to get to first base after a bunt and a Dodgers error which moved Carlos Ruiz to 3rd base.  But right after that, he wandered too far off 1st base and got caught in a run down; Ruiz saw Hamels floundering and broke for home, but he was cut down and tagged out.  Losing the runner in scoring position killed the rally and the Phillies did not score.

 

Later, in the 9th inning, Raul Ibanez joined the mental-lapse party and dove for a ball that he had no shot at in left field.  The ball rolled past him and what should have been a long single or a double, turned into a triple for the Dodgers.  The next batter nailed a sac fly to score the run, putting the Dodgers up 3-1.

 

And although the Phillies rallied in he bottom of the 9th to tie the game 3-3, those 2 runs scored by the Dodgers on errors proved to be fatal.  Chad Durbin pitched the 10th inning and gave up 2 runs; the Dodgers won 5-3.

 

SHUTTLE.jpgWhile Durbin’s failure to hold down the tie was a huge disappointment, an even bigger problem in this last week has been the lack of offense.  Rollins was 1 for 5 on the day with a solo home run and is batting a measly .200 on the year.  The entire top of the line-up is just not hitting.  Ruiz was 2 for 2 with 2 walks and 2 RBI; Ibanez had 2 hits and a walk and that was it; 5 hits on the day.  The rest of the players looked like they were off visiting another planet and had never seen a baseball before.  If they do not get it together soon, Charlie Manuel may toss them all into a space shuttle and send them to Jupiter.  Philadelphia: We have a problem.

 

 





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The Phillies will begin a 10-day road trip today; after visiting President Obama in the White House this morning, they will kick off a 4-game series with the Nationals, including a double-header tomorrow.  If all goes well, maybe Obama can offer a few words of inspiration.  If not, maybe he can recruit some players for the Space Program. ;O)


Player Photo by Jenn

***Visit the Phillies Phollowers Online Shop today!***

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Wolf Devours Phils; Baseball 101 For Women

Since the game against our old pal Randy Wolf and the Dodgers was awful, let’s begin today with something fun!  Here is a recap of the Baseball 101 event for women held before the game yesterday:

P5133337 Werth.jpgThis now twice annual event included a behind the scenes tour, coaching from the Phillies staff, many guest speakers and an appearance by Jayson Werth.  Werth walked into the room and you would have thought it was Tom Cruise, judging from the reaction.  Women screamed and flash bulbs popped.  Werth talked openly to the group of 140 female fans and was surprisingly comical.  He talked about stealing home in Tuesday nights’ win over the Dodgers (turns out, it was all his idea and the 3rd base coach had no clue what was happening); Werth also gave us an overview of what it is like to travel as a Major League player, how he felt at the World Series parade, his baseball heritage and what it means to play as a team.  He was very impressive.

We also heard from Phillies broadcaster, Chris Wheeler, who walked us though his embarrassment of the strange dance he did behind Harry Kalas as he called the World Series win.  Wheels said he had no idea that he had actually looked that nuts until an hour and half later when he saw the replay.  Mitch Williams was also exceptionally informative, and very, very funny.  Williams should be a stand-up comic.  He had the room almost in tears as he discussed how we have not lived until we’ve seen John Kruk naked, how he (Williams) does not wear pants during his broadcasts and a variety of other topics.  And Larry Andersen, another former player and current broadcaster, was equally entertaining with his tales of Kalas and honest expressions of dislike for umpires.

Below, you will see Williams, Andersen and a very surreal moment as well; Tom Burgoyne, friend of the Phanatic, with the Phanatic!  A true “out of body” experience :O)

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At one point, all the women broke into teams and travelled around the stadium, with stops in the bullpen, the batting cages and on the field to run the bases and work on throwing and fielding with the Phillies coaching staff.  Sam Perlozzo and Davey Lopes directed us on the field; Milt Thompson and Pete Mackanin let us swing away in the cages; and Rich Dubee and Mick Billmeyer let us throw pitches off the mound in the pen.  They gave us the inside scoop, just like we were real major leaguers.  My favorite coach comment of the day came when I asked what changes we could expect to see when JC Romero returns to the team.  Billmeyer chimed in immediately with, “We will get better!”  Well said :O)

And a first for Baseball 101 was the behind the scenes tour of the player areas:  the clubhouse, their kitchen and even the training room.  I can tell you several things from this experience.  First, Chad Durbin has a sweet tooth and likes crossword puzzles; some players seem to have a shoe fetish; Ryan Howard uses the same baby powder that I do; and doing laundry for the Phillies is a very interesting job!  Here are a few sights from the clubhouse:

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I took tons of photos and was surprised by a few things I saw just “hanging” around.  I heard myself mutter as I peered into lockers, “Is that…(you fill in the blank)???  Oh my, yes it is.”  Use your imagination.  Nothing out of the baseball realm, but still a bit weird to see up close ;O)

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So after the all-day event which began at 8:45am, we sat down to watch the game which started at 7:05pm.  Sleepy, but it was worth it.  We had a good 3 innings and Jamie Moyer looked like he may knock out every Dodger that faced him, but come the 4th inning, the bottom dropped out and it all went downhill from there.  7 runs allowed in only 4 1/3 innings and Moyer still cannot find his 250th win.  However, I think that was the least of his worries last night.  With the struggles in this starting rotation, I would not be surprised to see some changes very soon.  Charlie Manuel has announced that JA Happ will start one of the games of the double-header on Saturday against the Nats; no word on what will happen after that.  Happ may be pitching that day for his chance to win a spot in the rotation.

On again to more pleasant things:  Here is the Photo Album from my day in baseball-land which includes the photos in this post and more.  And don’t forget to tune in to the game this afternoon, which is an early start of 1:05pm to finish the Dodgers series.  Hoping the Phillies can pull out a winning series!

Photos by Jenn

Chan Ho Must Go

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Ask me how I really feel…  Ok, well, Chan Ho Park doesn’t have to go far…maybe just to the bullpen where he should have been to start with.  At this point in his 16-year career, Park no longer has what it takes to start.  Park started 4 games this season and here is his ERA in each one: 13.50, 7.20, 5.14 and today, 13.50.  Including one inning he pitched in another game early in the season, Park’s ERA for the season so far is 8.57.  Not only are the numbers bad, but he has only gone beyond 5 innings one time, which is taxing our bullpen.

Today’s start was a disaster.  Park lasted only 4.2 innings, gave up 7 earned runs and walked SIX batters.  Mets fans everywhere thank him.  Phillies fans would like to see heads roll.  How much more do we need to see out of this guy before designating him to the pen? 


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The Phillies have JA Happ who would love a shot at starting; Carlos Carrasco would be thrilled to come up to the majors; and even Chad Durbin would not mind taking over if needed.  Options abound.  Why then not take advantage of them?

In fact, the score may have been much worse if not for the Phillies great defense.  Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard bailed Park out with an amazing double play in the 1st inning, after he had already dug an 0-2 hole for the team.  Raul Ibanez made a super sliding grab in the outfield later as well.

Our offense struggled again, but still scored 4 runs, despite a 6th inning base running blunder by Chris Coste and Greg Dobbs, who looked like Laurel & Hardy on the base path.  Both were caught between bases after a Mets error and Coste was tagged out.  Rollins was also caught stealing for the 2nd time this season.  But the Mets were sloppy as well; the Phillies simply did not take advantage.

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I suddenly feel the need for some comic relief.  This cartoon always makes me laugh.  As the series with the Mets moves on to game 2 tomorrow at 3:40pm, try to think happy thoughts.

As always, don’t forget to VOTE your Phillies into the All-Star game!  VOTE up to 25 times per day, per email address!

Photo by Jenn

Happy Bunny by Jim Benton

 

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As The Ankle Turns

The soap opera that is the Curse of Cole Hamels continues…  First, he hurts his left elbow in Spring Training and misses his Opening Day start; then in his last start, he gets hit in his pitching shoulder (left arm) with a line drive; and yesterday, he turns his left ankle while fielding a bunt that he knew ahead of time was going to be coming.  The batter turned and squared to bunt before Hamels threw a pitch.  So, is this man made of glass or is he just cursed on the left side of his body?  Will he ever finish a game in 2009?  Maybe we should cover him up in bubble wrap and then seal him in a hermetic chamber.  Just a thought…Hamels ankle.jpg

Cole tossed one warm-up pitch after the turned ankle and then, in obvious frustration, he tossed the ball at manager Charlie Manuel and walked off the field in dramatic fashion.  Cue the cheesy soap opera music…  The good news is, the MRI’s were negative and it appears to be only a sprain.  Hamels told the media he expects to be ready for his next start, but that remains to be seen.  After being very disappointed last year when he did not make the All-Star team, it looks like this year will be no different after this roller coaster start to the season.

The real shame of it all is that Hamels was off to a great start in these last few outings, only to be pulled due to injury.  Last night, he had only given up 4 hits and not surrendered a run before leaving in the 5th with only 1 out recorded.  Chad Durbin came in to take over for Hamels though and pitched a superb 3 2/3 innings of 1-run ball.  That run, an Adam Dunn solo shot, was the only hit recorded off Durbin.  Kudos to Durbin for saving the day!  What an effort to pick up his teammate!

Also doing a lot of the heavy lifting last night was Chase Utley; Utley took his revenge on John Lannan, the same pitcher who broke his hand 2 years ago.  In the 3rd, Utley took Lannan deep for a 2-run shot and then completed the humiliation with a solo shot in the 5th.  That’s what you get for breaking this super-star’s hand!

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Pedro Feliz hit a 3-run homer in the 3rd, continuing his hot streak.  Feliz is now batting .333.  And Raul Ibanez is relentless in his pursuit to call Philly his new home, blasting a solo home run in the 8th.  Ibanez and Utley are now tied for first place in home runs in the majors with Albert Pujols and Adrian Gonzalez; all four players have 7 homers.

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Congrats also to Jimmy Rollins who finally recorded his first stolen base of the season last night!  J-Roll was 1 for 4 at the plate and seems to be in the midst of waking up offensively and getting his batting average out of the gutter; it currently stands at .195, which should change very soon.

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And now on to our Fan of the Game:  This is Buddy from Philadelphia and he is a big Phillies fan.  Buddy was especially high on Raul Ibanez, as I heard chants of “Pat who?” echo throughout the outfield.  Well, we do still miss Pat Burrell, but Ibanez has left no doubt that not only will that role be filled, but he will give us a more consistent bat and so far, great defense as well.  Let’s hear it for RAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUL!

I have posted a Photo Album from the game; these will be a bit different than what you usually see from me as I had a seat in straight away centerfield at the top of the section last night.  A different, and much more distant, perspective for sure.

Romero Sues

JC Romero is suing the company of the supplement he took that was tainted with an unlisted ingredient which caused him to test positive for steroids and resulted in a ridiculous 50-game suspension.  He is also suing the manufacturer and one of the people named in the law suit is Patrick Arnold, a chemist who has already spent time in jail after the BALCO scandal.  Just a few things to note here: Supplements are not regulated by the government and therefore, even if MLB approves of a supplement, it can still cause a player to test positive if it has been tainted in the manufacturing process.  Romero did get an ok from the MLBPA to take the supplement, but did not call some 800# to check again, and so MLB decided he was negligent.  He got the same suspension as would a person who actually took steroids.  Disgusting.

I have been thinking this over for the last few days now and trying to put those thoughts into words.  This has been an emotional ride for JC, his family, his teammates, and his fans.  As for myself, I know personally what an honest and forthright human being JC is and can tell you that not only is he innocent, but he is a victim here.  I hope he takes these people for all that they have and that this sets a precedent for other players who may be victimized by this system.  MLB needs to revisit their policies and create a fair regulation process.

There have been some questions about why Romero is not suing MLB.  What may not be widely known is that when he first tested positive, he was offered a reduced suspension, 25 games to begin immediately, if he agreed to waive his rights to an appeal.  However, he would have missed out on playing in the World Series if he took the deal.  Not wanting to let down his team and knowing he was innocent, he turned down the deal and chose his TEAM over his own personal well-being.  He knew that if he lost the appeal, he would get the 50 game suspension and lose out on more than a million dollars in salary.  And still, Romero did the right thing and should be commended for that.  This is a man who always does the right thing and yet, MLB punished him for it.  The reason he is not suing MLB is probably because as another term of going to appeal, he most likely had to waive his rights to future litigation.  A very sad an unfortunate set of circumstance; so again, I hope he slaughters these companies in court.

Next Up

So the Phillies will work on their 2nd straight sweep tonight, trying to beat the Nationals again starting at 7:05pm.  While you are watching the game, log on to VOTE for your All-Stars!  Vote a maximum of 25 times per day, per email address.  Get the Phillies to St. Louis!!  And as always, feel free to leave your comments and thoughts below.  Go Phillies!

Photos by Jenn

 

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Fried Fish & Iron Pigs

This team sure loves playing from behind; all 8 wins this year so far have been comeback wins, including yesterday’s 10-inning 6-4 win over the Marlins.  Losing 3-4 in the 9th inning, Eric Bruntlett stepped in to pinch hit and hit a chopper up the third base line well enough to score Jayson Werth from third and tie up the game.  In the 10th, Shane Victorino, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Werth all singled, plus a stolen base from Victorino, and the Phillies took the lead, 6-4.  Brad Lidge tried to give us all a tummy ache in the bottom of the 9th as he loaded the bases full of Fish, but managed to escape unscathed.

Chan Ho Park had a better game this time around; he started off red-hot, but cooled a bit in the 4th inning when he gave away back-to-back home runs.  The first was a 3-run homer to Jorge Cantu and then a solo shot to Dan Uggla.  But Park did keep the Phils in the game and even accidentally ran into an opposite field home run of his own in the 3rd inning.  It was Park’s first home run since 2000.

The bullpen including Chad Durbin, Scott Eyre and Ryan Madson held the game at 4 runs for the Fish and ultimately, gave the Phillies an opportunity to come back and win.  Great job from the pen! 

Speaking of pens, I was actually sitting in the “pig pen” at Coca-Cola Park watching the Phils game on my phone while watching our AAA club, the Iron Pigs play the Pawtucket Red Sox.  And yes, everything in this park is “pig” themed.  From the mascots, to the game program, which is called “Pork Illistrated.”  Besides the “oinking” from the crowd and other silliness, the park is beautiful, has comfortable seating and it was a really entertaining time overall.

The Pigs game actually mirrored the Phillies game through the 9th inning; both clubs were tied 4-4 and went 1 extra inning!  Sadly, the Pigs game had a different result, as they lost to the Sox, 5-4.  But I did get to check out Carlos Ruiz in his first rehab assignment.  Ruiz was the DH; he went 0-3 at the plate, walked twice and scored a run.  The good news is, he looked ok swinging the bat.Kendrick Ruiz Pigs.jpg

I also saw former major leaguer, Kyle Kendrick pitch; Kendrick went 5 innings, giving up 4 runs on 7 hits and 3 walks.  Not good.  He looked like a minor league pitcher and appears to have a long way to go before cracking the majors again.  We wish him luck!

Spring training stand-outs John Mayberry Jr. and Jason Donald each smacked a home run in the game and were impressive defensively as well.  Mike Cervenak and Andy Tracy collected the other 2 RBI’s, which were hard to come by as they faced pitchers who were throwing in the 40’s and 50’s.  I am so not kidding; it looked like a tee-ball game.  One pitcher for the Sox was being clocked regularly at around 41mph!  Wow.  Most AAA players are not used to such slow deliveries and it will mess up their timing.  Hey, maybe the Sox would like to sign me up?  Pretty sure I can top 41mph.

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Here is the Photo Album of the Iron Pigs game; I have included more shots of Ruiz, Kendrick, Coca-Cola park, the mascots and many others!

Back to the majors: Don’t forget to VOTE for your All-Star’s today!  Get your Phillies into the game!!  Vote a maximum of 25 times per day, per email address. 

And tune in now to the Phillies-Marlins 3rd game of the series which had a very early start at 12:10pm.

Photos by Jenn

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Brewers Hypnotize Phillies


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A total 360 from yesterday’s game, the Phillies offense appeared to be hypnotized by the Brewers pitching.  They did manage 8 hits, but they came at the wrong times and 3 of those were in the 9th inning, including a Jayson Werth home run; the only score of the day for the Phils.

Joe Blanton pitched 6 innings and gave up 3 runs, much the same as he did against the Nats last week, but again, did not get any run support.  The bullpen, which today included Chad Durbin, Clay Condrey, Scott Eyre and Ryan Madson, finally looked on-target as well.  But those of us looking for any excitement in the hitting department may as well have slept though the first 8 innings; and why not?  The Phillies did. :O)

But enough about that snooze fest, let’s move on to All-Star voting, which began today.  You can help make Chase Utley the first Phil since Mike Schmidt to go to the All-Star game 4 years in a row!  Just keep on VOTING!  And vote for all the other Phillies, too!  I will attempt to remember to post a link to the All-Star Ballot each day; you have no excuse not to vote!  Even my pet chinchilla can do it…see!  DSCF1657.JPGGizmo is a very talented rodent; his favorite computer part is the mouse :O)  Gizmo has vowed to vote 25 times per day, the maximum daily vote per email address or odd household pet.  Please help him in his quest; after all, he is just a little guy.  Don’t make him feel like a hamster on a wheel, working all by himself!  Gizmo really hates the hamster reference because he is a WAY cooler, and cuter, fluffy rodent.

And it has now become apparent that I am seriously lacking in the quality sleep department…  That explains the Phillies lack of production today!  They knew I needed a nap…hey, thanks guys!  I promise to get some shut-eye tonight so tomorrow, you can get back to work.  Game time is 1:05pm…don’t sleep in too late!

Hypnosis Photo – abcnews.com

Chinchilla photo – Jenn

 

 

Nats Thank The Phillies For Their First Win

 

After a horrendous 0-7 start, the Washington Nationals were bound to win a game eventually; enter, the Phillies.  Hey Nats, will you be our best friend now?  Gee, thanks.

Although Joe Blanton notched the first “quality start” for the Phillies today, going 6 innings and giving up 3 runs, the Phils still lost the game 8-2.  All 3 of Blanton’s runs came in the first inning when he sent a pitch right down the middle for the Nat’s Adam Dunn who repaid him by knocking it out of the ballpark and collecting 3 RBI.  But after that, Blanton settled in and held them to those 3 runs.  Of course, then the bullpen made their grand entrance and let the Nats run away with the game.  Chad Durbin gave up a solo homer and new Phillie, Jack Taschner gave up 4 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks in 2/3 of the 8th inning.  Excuse me while I vomit…

P4139481.jpgFeeling better now, as I rest my head on the cool toilet bowl, and think happy thoughts about rookie catcher Lou Marson; making the game slightly bearable, Marson had an outstanding day in his first start of 2009, and only the 2nd start of his major league career.  Marson did not let a ball get past him, even though he had to block a lot of pitches thrown in the dirt.  He even threw out a National’s runner trying to steal in the 7th inning; Chase Utley made the grab and tagged the runner.  And as if his defense were not impressive enough, he went 2 for 3 at the plate with a double and a run scored.  I was very impressed with Marson when I watched him play in Spring Training and felt he had tremendous potential.  He calls a good game, he is mobile behind the plate, swings for contact and has excellent base running skills.  Today, Marson showed all that and more.  That’s the good news…

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But aside from Marson, 2 more hits from Raul Ibanez with 1 RBI and one hit from Utley, our anemic offense looked like they needed a blood transfusion.  Jimmy Rollins continues to struggle, hitting only .111 on the year so far and Shane Victorino is at .219.  If the top of the order doesn’t wake up tomorrow, it is going to be a long night for me at the ballpark.

Update on Saturday’s Memorial:

A memorial tribute for Harry Kalas will be held at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday, April 18 as announced by the Kalas family and the Phillies.  Details were announced today as follows:

– Beginning at 8 am, on a first come, first served basis, fans will have the opportunity to pay their respects on the field as they pass by Kalas’ casket behind home plate.

– Fans will walk by the casket until approximately 12:45 p.m., when everybody will be directed to seats. Beginning at approximately 1 p.m., current and former players, broadcasters, front-office employees, friends and family members will pay their final respects before the on-field tribute begins at 1:30 p.m.

– Please enter CBP through the Third Base Gate at Pattison Avenue and Citizens Bank Way and leave through the First Base Gate.

– Fans bringing flowers or mementos should leave them in the area of the Mike Schmidt statue outside the ballpark.

– Parking is free, and fans are encouraged to park in the lots west of the ballpark.

– Fans in attendance will receive a commemorative program, an 8×10 photograph of Kalas and a poem written by him in 2002 as a fan tribute. 

The plans for tomorrow night’s pre-game memorial can be found here.  The game is sold out and fans should arrive early.  As I mentioned before, I will be attending the game and will bring back photos.  Cole Hamels will get the start for the Phillies.

 

Photos by Jenn

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Hamels Headache



P3046066 Hamels.jpgThe Phillies suffered a migraine-sized Hamels headache today as Cole was unable to regain his 2008 form.  In only 3 2/3 innings, Hamels allowed 7 runs on 11 hits and a walk; not a very MVP-like performance.  Hamels left pitches up in the zone and his fastball topped out at about 87mph.  The Rockies hitters took advantage.  JA Happ came into the came to finish off the 4th inning and eventually pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings, giving up only 1 hit.  This was a nice outing for the young pitcher who is trying to solidify his spot in the bullpen.    


Oblique.jpgMore bad news for the Phillies came in the 6th inning when catcher Carlos Ruiz was lifted from the game with a right oblique strain.  This is a tricky, and usually very painful type of injury, so it will be a wait-and-see situation to find out if Ruiz will be alright.  Oh, my aching head!  Please pass the Tylenol…

One bright spot on the day was Jayson Werth, who went 4 for 4 with a home run, 2 doubles and 3 runs scored.  Not so bright was Ryan Howard who hit into THREE double plays in the game, killing any chance the Phillies had at a rally.  Also giving Phillies fans a tummy ache to go along with the headache was Raul Ibanez, who not only went 0 for 4 in the game, but his fumblings and stumblings in left field made ex-Phillie Pat Burrell’s fielding look graceful.

Chad Durbin nailed down the win for the Rockies when he came in to pitch the 8th inning and gave up 3 more runs, making it a 10-2 game.  Durbin’s last outing was very sloppy as well; I am hoping he is just a slow starter and not carrying over his troubles from late in 2008.
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Maybe the team should have handed out more rings tonight?  1 win in 4 games, with that win coming after receiving their World Series Rings, makes it seem like they need some higher incentive to play.  Then again, the Phillies usually suck in April so, welcome to just another season of Phillies baseball!  The saga continues at 8:10pm tomorrow…

 

Photo Credits:   Hamels by Jenn

Dog –

http://janeward.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/bulldog-with-headache.jpg

Oblique – USA Today

 

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Snooze Fest

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Is anyone else getting bored with pre-season baseball, or is it just me?  Ok, maybe not bored, so much as anxious to get the real games started.  Today’s 2-2 tie game after 10 innings with the Phillies and Cardinals made me want to bust out my pillow and binky for a long afternoon nap.  Yawn!

Ryan Howard attempted to wake me from this slumber by hitting a home run in the 2nd inning, but alas, I was forced to go right back to totally zoning out.  But I cannot watch ESPN or Comcast Sportsnet instead of listening to this game, because all these stations are talking about is college basketball and March Madness.  My madness is right here and now:  I am going INSANE waiting for Opening Day!

Some may have found young pitcher Carlos Carrasco’s outing today quite stimulating; after all, he is sort of still in the running for the 5th starters role.  But really, the race has come down to Chan Ho Park and JA Happ. 

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So, I just wasn’t that interested in what Carrasco may do, if I am being totally honest.  Then again, in case anyone else would like to know, Carrasco gave up 2 runs, 3 hits and 3 walks in 4 2/3 innings.  Not super, not bad; but he did an ok job.  Zzzzzzz….

Chase Utley had 2 hits in the game and a run scored, but since the game was on the radio, I could not watch him wiggle his newly surgically repaired hip as he trotted the base path.  Not to mention a few other key areas…thus, SO not interesting.  Even cutie Chad Durbin pitching 1 1/3 innings of hit-free ball could not rouse me.  Maybe if someone had started a bench clearing brawl, then perhaps I could have snapped out of this coma?  No such luck…

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Dear God!  16 days left…wake me when it’s over!

 

(All Photos by Jenn)

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