Results tagged ‘ Citizens Bank Park ’
Offense Wakes-Up; Moyer Amazes Again
After a long, drawn-out slump, the Phillies offense was in need of a serious wake-up call. After wasting a lead-off triple by Shane Victorino in the 1st inning, the Phillies found themselves down 2-0 in the 3rd against the Padres. But Victorino did not give up and started the 3rd off with a single. Three more hits followed as did 4 runs in the inning. Wake-up call: received.
Fueled by the strong performance of Jamie Moyer and some really nice defense, two more runs followed in the 5th on a Ryan Howard single and a Jayson Werth homer. The bell at Citizens Bank Park in centerfield finally had some of the rust knocked off it as it rang with enthusiasm for the Werth home run.
Howard helped out at first base by snagging balls that were all over the place. He looked like Spiderman, shooting webs to snare hits that should have shot past him and he dug several low throws out of the dirt to make outs. One of those throws was from Chase Utley who was literally falling to the ground as he threw the ball after a very tough catch and spin towards first.
Moyer kept right on pitching with confidence…and a 4 run lead. By the end of the 8th inning, he had tossed only 82 pitched, allowed 7 hits and just 2 runs. So Moyer came out for the 9th inning and, despite a lead-off walk, he got the next 3 batters out and ended up with a complete game win. Moyer became only the 3rd pitcher ever to win 100 games after the age of 40. He also has 2 complete games at the age of 47. Jamie Moyer is unbelievable.
After a horrific road trip, can the Phillies now come back home and continue winning? It looks possible after today’s game. The pressure will be on Joe Blanton tomorrow afternoon in the 3rd game of the series; game time is 1:35pm. Go Phillies!
Howard head shot by Jenn Zambri Photography
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To Taser Or Not To Taser
Shakespeare would have loved this dilemma. After last night’s on-field incident at the Phillies – Cardinals game, the use of a Taser Gun on unruly fans is being questioned. Steve Consalvi, 17, is a senior at Boyertown High who made a very bad decision. He jumped onto the field in the middle of the game and ran around while waving a towel. Here is the video:
The prank was pre-meditated as Consalvi consulted both friends and family members before committing the act. In other words, he knew exactly what he was doing and therefore should have been prepared for the consequences.
And while those consequences may not previously have involved taser guns, my feeling is, if you play with fire, you are going to get burned. Many people around the Philly area are whining about excessive force. Get over it. Whether the person is 17 or 45 years old should not make a difference. How were they supposed to know his age anyway? The officer and Phillies staff had no way of knowing this person’s age or intentions and as such, he was a threat to the players and everyone involved.
If that were my very own teenage child who did that, I’d still vote to taser him. Then again, my child would never act this way; he has been raised properly. As both a parent and a high school teacher, I can tell you that the major problem with kids these days is a lack of discipline and/or total parental disinterest. Hopefully, this will be an important lesson learned for Mr Consalvi.
And maybe now people will think twice before attempting to make total fools out of themselves in Citizens Bank Park. Heck, if they vote to give tasers to the ushers too in order to control all the drunk idiots who are making descent fans lives miserable, I am all for that as well. It is time to grow a pair and stop babying America’s idiots! If we all considered the consequences of our actions before doing something stupid, the world would be a much more peaceful place, even with the taser guns.
You do not have to agree with me, of course. But watch your back; I have an entire arsenal of witty words directly at my disposal and I am not afraid to use them ;o)
Lee Is Mortal; Offense Still Missing
Cliff Lee had his first rough outing in a Phillies uniform last night against the Braves. Allowing 6 runs on 10 hits over only 5 innings, it does appear that Lee is not Superman after all. But no one expects him to be; every pitcher is bound to have a rough outing now and again.
The concerning part of the game was not Lee’s pitching, but the continued lack of offense from the Phillies bats. The slump has gone on way too long and is beginning to raise eyebrows. The Phillies left the bases loaded twice without score, the worst of which came in the 7th inning, when with no outs, both Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth struck out and then Raul Ibanez flied out to left. Leaving the bases loaded with no outs is simply unacceptable, especially for a team who prides themselves on their big offense.
Where has that offense gone? Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins were the only two Phillies who seemed interested in participating last night; Utley smashed a solo home run the first inning and ended up hitting 3 for 4 in the game. Rollins went 2 for 4 but no one was able to score him. And Howard, who looked unbeatable the game before, appeared to be swinging at grains of rice last night. Put out an APB on the Phillies bats, quick! Clearly, we have been robbed. The criminal who has perpetrated this heinous act must be caught and locked up for good! The Phillies simply cannot perform without that offense!
I will put my investigative skills to use tonight as I wander through Citizens Bank Park searching for the perpetrator. Once I find him, I promise to show no mercy! And if that doesn’t work, I guess I may have to jump onto the field and smack some sense into these guys once and for all! Wish me luck…
*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin’ Phils Phorum in the My Team Rivals network*
Shaking The Bank
Could the Mets be the cure for the bad baseball bug that has bitten the Phillies lately? Today’s 7-2 win that rocked Citizens Bank Park was definitely a good start. Another good start today was that of new Phillies pitcher, Rodrigo Lopez, 
who stunned Philadelphia fans with his excellent ball control and ability to throw strikes. Throwing strikes does seem to be the object of the game, but not many Phillies pitchers have given that a try recently. So Lopez’s emergence from AAA after his recovering from Tommy-John surgery is a welcome surprise.
But is Lopez that good or are the Mets just that bad right now? It may be a little of both, but Lopez certainly did show promise. And this guy is no stranger to the big leagues; Lopez pitched 5 years with the Baltimore Orioles and part of 2007 with the Rockies before his injury. The experience showed tonight as he was very poised on the mound and unshaken by the large, raucous crowd. Lopez pitched 6 1/3 innings of 2 run ball and walked only 1 batter. If he can repeat this a few more times, the Phillies will be more than happy to keep him around.
The Phillies offense finally found a groove tonight as well.
The top of the line-up led the charge, with Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino and Chase Utley each collecting at least 2 hits each. Utley & Rollins had 2 RBI a piece as well. Maybe Charlie Manuel finally grabbed these guys by the throat and shook them around until some offense fell out, like coins from a piggy bank? Whatever the case, everyone hopes he did not break the bank in one night.
Ryan Madson, who was sorely in need of a clean inning after a horrific few weeks, pitched the 9th with a 5 run lead. John Mayberry Jr. lent a hand by making a diving grab in the outfield. That out helped get Madson through it and he nailed down a scoreless, hitless inning. Madson can now exhale and hopefully, get things back on track.
With two more games coming up against the rival Mets, there may still be a light at the end of the tunnel for the Phillies if they can continue to play with the same intensity they did today. Jamie Moyer will kick things off tomorrow at 4:05pm on the 4th of July! With any luck, the offense will provide the fireworks.
Rollins & Manuel Photo by Jenn
Lopez photo: http://theoriolereport.com/
*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin’ Phils Phorum in the My Team Rivals network*
The Black Cloud
Yesterday, the Blue Jays became a plague of locusts, nibbling away at the Phillies one by one. Tonight, the black cloud remained over Citizens Bank Park as the Baltimore Orioles strolled into town and picked up where the Jays left off. Will the curse of interleague play ever end? Not soon enough; definitely not soon enough.
Last year, the Phillies won 3 games in interleague play. So far this year? 3 games. Fans have been left wondering if a curse has been placed upon the Phillies. Despite a decent performance from rookie pitcher, Antonio Bastardo, the Phillies could not muster a win. Bastardo allowed 4 runs in 7 innings, but at least one of those runs was not his fault. John Mayberry Jr., a rookie playing for the injured Raul Ibanez, missed a ball in left field that should have been caught which scored the 4th run.
But Mayberry had an ok day at the plate, going 2 for 4, so that made up a bit for the defense. The rest of the offense though did little to help Mayberry out in his quest to get on base. Jayson Werth had two hits, but any other form of production was few and far between. In fact, there were only 2 other hits and 5 walks from the Phillies offense in the entire game.
Jack Taschner pitched the 8th and 9th and gave the O’s a little more cushion when he allowed a solo homer in the 9th. And that was followed by 2 more runs on a couple of singles with 2 outs in the inning. When it rains, it pours. And so the Phillies continue to circle the drain, losing this one by a score of 7-2.
Is this team doomed to fail in interleague play or is this run of 6 losses in 7 games simply the darkness before the dawn? I hope the sun comes out soon…real soon.
Well, if you are still in the mood, go ahead and VOTE for your Phillies All-Stars! VOTE up to 25 times per day, per email address. Let’s get these guys to St. Louis to provide just a small ray of sunshine in an otherwise dark and dreary day.
*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin’ Phils Phorum in the My Team Rivals network*
More Thoughts On Harry
Yesterday was a very emotional day for many of us; and a new day has had little effect. I began watching the television coverage this morning of Harry Kalas’ passing that I taped yesterday while I was at the game and I have to say, if I see Larry Andersen cry one more time, I do not think I’ll make it. I finally had to turn the TV off.
I spoke with many friends today about Harry and they all feel the same loss, even those who knew little about him. I told one friend a story about how Harry let me keep one of his name tags from an event we attended and then even signed it for me as a keepsake. She then told me that she had a relative who was one of Harry’s doctors and she had him sign a latex-free medical exam glove for her step-father. Just more proof that Harry would sign or do absolutely anything for a fan.
Later, I began looking at the photo’s I took from the game yesterday. I had no idea what I had actually shot until today, as most of the game is a blur to me and the camera acted as a simple distraction. I came across these of Shane Victorino’s home run at-bat; first he points to the outfield, a’la Babe Ruth; then he watches the ball as it flies out of the park; and finally, in a tribute to Harry, Shane points to the press box after he crosses home plate:
There was a mix of sadness, deep thought and even some joy in remembrance of Harry on the faces of the Phillies yesterday, which is evident in the photos I took.
I put together a Photo Album from the game as usual, and I tried to include a few of the lighter moments as a reminder of Harry’s love of the game.
The Phillies are off today and their scheduled visit to the White House has been postponed indefinitely due to Harry’s passing. Fans continue to visit Citizens Bank Park where a memorial has begun at the feet of the Mike Schmidt statue with flowers, cards, balls and a variety of mementoes. Photos of that memorial can be seen at Todd Zolecki’s blog, The Zo Zone.
And finally, I would like to leave you with this video that I shot last May, where Harry addressed a group of women at the Phillies yearly Baseball 101 event. We are all so fortunate to have shared in Harry’s passion and love of baseball over the years. I will never forget these moments.
Photos by Jenn
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