Results tagged ‘ Pablo Sandoval ’
Tim McCarver Steals Headlines Again
It is October and the Phillies are not playing baseball. So what did I do in response to this devastating turn of events? I fled the country. Seriously. I recently returned from a 2-week excursion to a variety of places including Italy, Egypt, Greece and Israel. If anyone else out there is totally bummed out by the end of the baseball season, I highly recommend this adventure :O)
But it is back to reality now and I arrived just in time to see the start of the World Series last night. It was still depressing, but some baseball is always better than no baseball.
And with former Phillies player and announcer Tim McCarver on the job in the broadcast booth, hilarity is sure to ensue. So even if the game stinks, Mr. McCarver will inevitably, and totally accidentally, spice things up.
He did just that during Game 1. As the crowd chanted, “Barry! Barry! Barry!” for a base hit by San Francisco Giants pitcher Barry Zito, McCarver and partner Joe Buck had a very interesting conversation that went like this (this is not a joke; he actually said all of this):
McCarver: “That’s a sound he has not heard too often in this ballpark. That sound of ‘Barry! Barry!’” (referencing Barry Zito)
Joe Buck: “They used to say it for someone else around here.”
McCarver: “When Barry Manilow was here at concerts.”
Joe Buck: “Or Barry Bonds.”
***McCarver then went silent, in probable humiliation. Eventually, Buck had to coax him back on air…
Joe Buck: ”Come back to me over there.”
McCarver: ”Sorry, it’s one of those moments.”
Well, at least McCarver recognizes that he has had more than his share of “those moments” over the years. But surely mistaking Barry Manilow for the San Fran Home Run King, Barry Bonds will go down in history as one of McCarver’s biggest gaffes ever.
And for the belly laughter that ensued, we all thank McCarver and his Hall of Fame announcing skills.
Did I forget to mention that the Panda, Pablo Sandoval, hit 3 home runs in the game, tying a record set by Babe Ruth, Albert Pujols and others? I did? Sorry, I was totally distracted by the Manilow thing…I will do better next time ;o)
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Hamels Beats Cain in Complete Game Effort
After Friday’s bench-clearing brawl when Ramon Ramirez purposely hit Shane Victorino with a pitch, Saturday’s Phillies – Giants match-up was going to be huge for both teams. And each team had one of their top pitchers starting; Cole Hamels for the Phils and Matt Cain for the Giants.
It turned into a classic pitcher’s duel, with Hamels coming out on top. The Phillies got to Cain early, scoring two runs in the first inning. Jimmy Rollins double to start the inning and Hunter Pence drove him in with a single. Chase Utley, who had walked, cruised home on a wild pitch to put the Phillies up 2-0.
But that was pretty much all of the offense for either team until the ninth inning. Hamels held down the 2-0 lead as Cain returned to form after the first inning. There were some hits sprinkled here and there, but no one crossed home plate.
Hamels had a complete game shut-out going through the ninth with two outs when Pablo Sandoval took him deep to left. The solo homer did not engage the crowd for long as Hamels ended the game with just one more pitch as Orlando Cabrera grounded out.
Well, at least all of the Giants fans wearing those ridiculous panda hats felt a little less silly after the Sandoval homer.
Still, that does not change the fact that the Phillies have won the series, winning three straight against the Giants with one more game to go. The Phillies total win streak now stands at nine games.
Right after the game, the Phillies optioned relief pitcher Juan Perez to the minors as Roy Oswalt was activated and will start Sunday’s game.
The only possible issue after today’s game is Placido Polanco, who was lifted from the game early with left hip soreness. Phillies beat writer Todd Zolecki tweeted that the injury is unrelated to his previous back issues.
However, a very big question now looms in the air. During Friday night’s brawl, Giants catcher Eli Whiteside took a cheap shot at Polanco and attempted to tackle him by the knees. You have to wonder if this has anything to do with the hip soreness.
There have been a lot of different reactions to the brawl and the Whiteside tackle, who nonchalantly stated after the game that he used to play football. Why exactly would he bring that up? Hmmmmm….
So here is just a small sampling of some of the reaction, mostly from media members, via Twitter yesterday. What do you think?:
Sports Illustrated: SI_JonHeyman Jon Heyman
I agree with victorino, eli whiteside was the instigater in phillies giants brawl. No lie, eli deserves longest suspension
Sirius XM radio: MadDogUnleashed Chris Mad Dog Russo
Hey giants, how about beating the phillies before you throw at them down 8-2 & eli whiteside when youre johnny bench then u can tackle guys
Philly SportsCast: PhillySports Philly SportsCast
Giants Are Sore Losers: Phillies are the class of Major League Baseball, while the Giants have become sore loser… http://bit.ly/q9aVpX
FOX Sports: jonmorosi Jon Morosi
#SFGiants have been outclassed by the #Phillies this wknd — and Friday’s brawl is only part of the reason. My column: http://t.co/TNoZd3I
FOX Sports: jonmorosi Jon Morosi
One point about the Rollins SB: #SFGiants were holding him on 1B. So how surprising could it have been? #Phillies
Fan & Hospital Chaplain: peacemover peacemover
Larry Andersen on Ramon Ramirez of #Giants deliberately hitting Victorino of #Phillies: “That’s about as gutless as you can get.” Agreed!
Fan & Hospital Chaplain: peacemover peacemover
That was a classless move from #Giants pitcher Ramon Ramirez who clearly beaned Victorino of the #Phillies deliberately. No excuse for that.
Comcast SportsNet Bay Area: JaymeeSireCSN Jaymee Sire
Eli Whiteside has no comment on the brawl. He played QB in high school in case anyone was wondering about his tackling skills.
Fan: Philadelphiandy Andrew Harris
I guess I can’t argue with Victorino being thrown out, but Ramon Ramirez and Eli Whiteside clearly instigated this fight.
NBC: DashTreyhorn Dash Treyhorn
Just watched the video of the brawl. Whiteside was clearly looking for a fight, as evidenced by his silly hop right before tackling Polly.
Delaware County Times: ryanlawrence21 Ryan Lawrence
Eli Whiteside‘s hopping was totally Cobra Kai.
CSN Philly: RochesRWinners Dan Roche
Watch Whiteside on the replay.. No other evidence necessary that the pitch was premeditated. #Phillies #SFGiants #BushLeague
Editor, Crash Burn Alley: Phrontiersman Paul Boyé
Saw the “brawl” finally. Call my bias all you like, but nothing more than jawing happens last night if Whiteside doesn’t act a fool.
Game 4 starts at 4:05pm on Sunday; Roy Oswalt will pitch.
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Photos by Jenn Zambri Photography
*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin’ Phils Phorum in the MTR Media network*
Phillies Will Meet The Giants In The NLCS
The San Francisco Giants defeated the Braves last night to advance to the NLCS against the Phillies. This match-up promises to be a hard-fought duel to the death between two great pitching staffs. The season series between the two teams ended in a draw with 3 wins each out of 6 games. These teams are very closely matched.
The real drama will unfold in Game 1 on Saturday when two Cy Young winners face off. Tim Lincecum of the Giants has won the award the past two years and Roy Halladay of the Phils is the favorite to win the award this year. Halladay already has won the award once before.
In 2010, Halladay finished the year with a 21-10 record and a miniscule 2.44 ERA. Lincecum went 16-10 with a 3.43 ERA, a disappointing year by Lincecum standards. But in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Braves, Lincecum pitched a complete game 2-hitter. He was outdone only by Halladay who pitched a no-hitter in his postseason debut against the Reds. A slight edge goes to Halladay with this match-up, but only by a hair. The deciding factor is likely to be the offense of both teams.
Here are some stats for the last 5 years of Phillies batters vs. Lincecum and Giants batters vs. Halladay:
|
VS. Lincecum |
AVG |
AB |
HR |
RBI |
|
Dobbs, Greg |
.200 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
|
Gload, Ross |
.400 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
|
Howard, Ryan |
.250 |
16 |
2 |
4 |
|
Ibanez, Raul |
.143 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
|
Polanco, Placido |
.500 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
Rollins, Jimmy |
.167 |
18 |
0 |
0 |
|
Ruiz, Carlos |
.250 |
8 |
0 |
0 |
|
Schneider, Brian |
.000 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
|
Utley, Chase |
.118 |
17 |
1 |
1 |
|
Victorino, Shane |
.222 |
18 |
1 |
2 |
|
Werth, Jayson |
.500 |
6 |
1 |
1 |
|
VS. Halladay |
AVG |
AB |
HR |
RBI |
|
Burrell, Pat |
.333 |
18 |
0 |
1 |
|
Fontenot, Mike |
.333 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
Huff, Aubrey |
.238 |
42 |
0 |
2 |
|
Renteria, Edgar |
.286 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
|
Ross, Cody |
.250 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
|
Sanchez, Freddy |
.333 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
Uribe, Juan |
.167 |
12 |
0 |
0 |
For the Phillies, Jayson Werth and Placido Polanco have the best shot at rattling Lincecum. And for the Giants, our old pal Pat Burrell has done well against Halladay in 18 at-bats. However, several big guns for the Giants like Pablo Sandoval and rookie Buster Posey have never faced him. So, there is no telling how they may fare.
Another possible factor in the game is the lengthy lay-off before the series begins. However, both teams will be dormant for almost the same amount of time; the Phillies ended their NLDS on Sunday and the Giants ended on Monday. The same concern was expressed back in 2008 and the Phils won the World Series that year. Also, I think the time-off will be good for the Phils who have a lot of banged up players like Polanco with his bum elbow and Jimmy Rollins, who is still nursing a hamstring injury.
My biggest personal concern is the Phillies having to play 3 games in San Francisco. They lost 2 of 3 there this year and 3 of 4 the year before, with their only win coming in Cliff Lee’s Phillies debut. I was there for the entire series and can tell you, this team does not like playing in AT&T Park. It is bitterly cold, windy, the ballpark is huge with odd dimensions and the bullpens are uncomfortably close to the field. Not to mention the visitor’s clubhouse is cramped and awkward…I know; I have been in there. In short, it is a hostile environment.
The Phillies will need to use the home field advantage to jump on the Giants quickly. Fans can help out by bringing their usual fervor and enthusiasm to the ballpark. Feel free to give Pat Burrell and Aaron Rowand their proper welcome back, but after that, all bets are off.
Burrell should not be allowed to get too comfy coming back home because he can really hurt the Phillies; he loves hitting in Citizens Bank Park. And yes, it pains me to think of heckling Burrell; he helped bring us the 2008 championship. But fans need to suck it up and treat him like the enemy! After the series, we can all give him a group hug to make up for it ;o)
Photo and head shots by Jenn Zambri Photography
*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin’ Phils Phorum in the My Team Rivals network*
J-Rolling Past The Giants
The Phillies have taken the first two games of this three game series with the Giants. Last night, Jimmy Rollins led the pack, coming just a double short of hitting for the cycle. His 3 RBI came on a 3-run homer in the 4th inning off Giants pitcher Matt Cain. The Phillies tagged Cain for 5 runs and then kept right on rolling through the Giants bullpen.
Other players with multiple hit nights were Carlos Ruiz, Jayson Werth and Chase Utley, who got his first hits since coming off the DL on Tuesday. One was a dribbler down the 3rd base line, but the other was a solid line drive into right field for a double. The Phillies hit a bunch of triples as well; Rollins, Ruiz and Raul Ibanez each collected one.
Phillies starter Joe Blanton had a good night as well. Blanton allowed only 2 runs in 6 1/3 innings without walking a batter. Both runs were solo homers; one was in the first at-bat of the game and then ex-Phil Pat Burrell hit one later. Since Burrell has hit a homer in each game of the series, I would expect another tonight just for good measure. He does love this ballpark.
Here are my Photos of the Day: Before the game, the Phanatic assaulted the Giants players while they warmed up. He goosed Burrell and made fun of Pablo Sandoval’s figure:
The Giants were very gracious and had fun playing with the furry green mascot.
Here are a few more shots from the game:
Here is the full Photo Album from the game. Cole Hamels will pitch tonight in the final game of the series at 7:05pm. I should have photos from that one tomorrow as well. Let’s hope for a SWEEP!
Photos by Jenn Zambri Photography
*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin’ Phils Phorum in the My Team Rivals network*
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