Some Phillies Links For You, September 3, 2010: Attack on Denver, Savage Philly Brutes, Free Tyson
by WholeCamels on Sep 3, 2010 8:19 AM EDT
7 comments
Rockies fall to Philly, drop 6 1/2 games behind in wild card
This is one of the most woebegone articles ever written. O NOES.
Dear Philadelphia Phillies (A Rockies Eulogy)
Awwwww, what's the matter, sweetie? Seriously, what a schmuck.
Galvis' glove helps R-Phils go out in style
You expected his bat? Wait, what?
Paul Hagen: Phillies have playoff pieces in place | Philadelphia Daily News
Pretty much agree witchoo, Paul.
Two behind Braves, Phils get crack at Capuano
Please, score a jillion runs tonight.
Tyson Gillies Pleads Innocent To Cocaine Charges - SB Nation Philly
Well, I'd only object to the "complete bomb" comment in light of the fact that he was injured basically all season.
Cole Hamels on the Cy Young Award Ballot?
It's a bit much to expect any significant number of voters to look at DIPS (FIP, SIERA, etc.) when casting their ballots. That said, if Hamels has a great September, and a couple of the current leaders falter, he might sneak into the top five, but that's it.
Phillies focus on winning division - The Denver Post
Seriously, Colorado, the Wild Card is for nurds.
Mets 4, Braves 2: All Your Braves Are Belong To Us - Amazin' Avenue
It's nice to see that Johan Santana and the Mets are good for something other than golf course shenanigans.
I Am, In Fact, Kidding You: Phillies 12, Rockies 11
by Wet Luzinski on Sep 2, 2010 11:58 PM EDT
32 comments
Imagine the bar dosh you'd be rolling in if you were to have sauntered into your local taproom at around 6:30 p.m. EST and said, "Fellow fans of retail alcohol! Unless the Phillies do ALL of the following things tonight, I will buy all of you drinks all Labor Day Weekend! If not, you're buyin' for ME!" and enumerated thusly:
- "Joe Blanton will slide home! And it will look kind of awkward!
- Utley will homer - no! He will hit a GRAND SLAM!
- Oh, oh, and Ryan Howard will hit a homer, too!
- And, and and Jayson Werth will hit a homer!
- Think I'm fullovit? Then they'll do it ALL IN THE SAME INNING, wiseguy.
- Antonio Bastardo, Ben Francisco, and Jose Contreras will contribute!
- They'll give up 20 hits and 2 errors and STILL WIN.
- They will be four runs behind in the 6th, then take a 5-run lead in the 7th, then hang on by one run.
- Brad Lidge will save us all! And after their fastest player reaches first on a leadoff error! And he'll use just 21 pitches to do it!
- Double or nothing holiday weekend bet: And the Mets will beat the Braves, too!"
Please celebrate responsibly this weekend, Phillies fans!
Things to Do in Denver When You're Red: Phillies at Rockies Game Thread, September 2, 2010
by WholeCamels on Sep 2, 2010 6:30 PM EDT
862 comments
I called up my friend LeRoy on the phone
I said, Buddy, I'm afraid to be alone
'Cause I got some weird ideas in my head
About things to do in Denver when you're red
Never pass up an opportunity for a Warren Zevon reference.
The Phillies are chilling in Denver today on a makeup from May's postponement.
Joe Blanton gets the ball for the Phillies, against Jhoulys Chacin for the Rockies. If you can pronounce that name, you win the Internet.
Discuss the game below.
As Chase Utley Goes . . .
by David S. Cohen on Sep 2, 2010 9:52 AM EDT
70 comments
Putting aside last night's career-first three-double game for Chase Utley, you'd be forgiven a bit if it was hard for you to remember just how good Utley can be at the plate.
Even though it seems like forever ago, he actually was putting together quite an amazing season through the Phillies' first 43 games. From the start of the season through May 23, in 184 plate appearances, Utley had a great .307/.429/.587 triple-slash line, good for a 1.016 OPS. His counting stats of 10 home runs, 23 RBI, and 34 runs scored were also flashy, and it was easy to assume that he was going to have another incredible season proving that he was among the top second basemen in baseball history.
But then everything changed starting with the Phillies' 44th game on May 25. You might think that Utley's problems began with his hand injury on June 28, but that would ignore just how poorly he was hitting the month before that. From May 25 through June 28, Utley had 132 plate appearances and a .237/.318/.307 triple-slash line, good for a .625 OPS. That's a huge drop-off from the 1.016 OPS for his first 184 plate appearances.
Utley then spent over 6 weeks on the DL. He returned August 17 and picked up right where he left off. Since his return, he's had a .241/.362/.328 line for a .690 OPS. (Thanks to last night, Utley's post-DL OPS jumped over .100 points, as going into last night he had a .208/.344/.245 line for an awful .589 OPS.)
Putting that all together, Utley has had two completely different seasons:
| PA | HR | RBI | R | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| First 184 | 10 | 23 | 34 | 0.307 | 0.429 | 0.587 | 1.016 |
| Next 201 | 1 | 20 | 20 | 0.238 | 0.333 | 0.314 | 0.647 |
There are a couple of things that could be going on here. One option is that, as I've written about in years past, Utley is a hitter who goes on these Jekyll/Hyde runs. This could be just another one of his radical swings as a hitter. However, another option is that Utley was hurt long before he hurt his hand in late June. Right before the end of his hot streak, Utley missed two games on May 17 and 18 for "flulike symptoms." Could that two-day break have been something other than the flu? Could it have been the start of the rumored knee injury that Davey Lopes talked to Baseball Prospectus about in mid-June? The timing of Utley's absence along with the start of his cold streak works almost perfectly.
The thing with Utley is that we'll never know. His stoic public persona (with the exception of his declaration of "World Fucking Champions!") will never give away the goods about what has happened to him this season. Yes, we all know he had a hand injury that kept him out, but the team had to give information about that as Utley went on the DL. Anything else is a mystery.
What we do know, however, is that as Utley goes, the team goes. The other hitters have had hot and cold streaks throughout the year, but the team's production is tied to Utley. In the 43 games Utley was looking like an MVP candidate, the team averaged 5.28 runs per game. Since then, with Utley slumping, injured, on the DL, or some combination of the three, the team has averaged a full run less per game, at 4.26.
If last night's game is any indication of health or a breakout for Utley, the Phillies are going to reap the rewards. If not, well, it's going to be a tough September.
Some Phillies Links For You, September 2, 2010: Mets Show Value, Hello Denver!, Cards Sharked
by WholeCamels on Sep 2, 2010 8:40 AM EDT
141 comments
Phillies Notebook: Lunch date puts Phillies slugger Howard on track
Pills exchanged hands.
Another gem for Phillies’ Oswalt
I don't know that I'd call six walks a "gem" but he did pitch six scoreless.
Plenty on line as Rox play brief host to Phils
Obviously more important for the Rockies, but the memories of 2007 linger.
The Fightins - People who talk loudly on cell phones really irk Chris Wheeler
The Fightins (courtesy @Phylan) bring us Chris Wheeler's epic Cell Phone Rant from Tuesday night's ballgame.
Dan Gross: Phillies score in Guinness book
Howard, whose picture appears in the book, has the record for "Fewest Games to Reach 200 Career Home Runs." (He did so July 17, 2009, in his 658th game.) Utley captured the "Most Home Runs in a Single World Series" by hitting five against the Yankees.
Jayson Werth also in contention for next year's edition, as "Biggest Bearded Lady."
Biddle soaks it in
Another profile of Phillies first rounder Jesse Biddle.
Local Man Catches Baseball, Creates Internet Sensation - Walkoff Walk
Another blogger (or relative thereof) makes a scene catching a ball on live television. Even though it was a home run ball, I still am more impressed by David S. Cohen's... one hand, barehand, holding ice cream. Greater level of difficulty.
Hanson allows 1 hit in 7 innings as Braves win
Thanks for nothing, Mets.
Scuffling Cardinals lose fifth straight
Cardinals now winless since Tony LaRussa and Albert Pujols attended that gathering in D.C. Phillies' lead over St. Louis in Wild Card extends to four games in loss column.
Ubaldo drops pitchers' duel to Lincecum
In this Battle of Struggling Aces, both wound up pitching pretty well. Phillies maintain two game lead over Giants in Wild Card race.
It's Alive! Phillies 5, Dodgers 1
by David S. Cohen on Sep 1, 2010 8:29 PM EDT
83 comments
Following the Dodgers one-hit shutout of the Phillies Monday night, things looked bleak. Even though the Phils had swept the NL-leading Padres over the weekend, they did so without much offensive prowess, scoring 3 runs on only 3 hits Saturday and 5 runs on only 5 hits Sunday. Monday night's disastrous loss (while the Braves easily beat the Mets) raised the same red flags that the Astros series the week before had raised.
Is this team's offense permanently crippled? Are the big guys too injured to power this team? Is what we think is just a prolonged slump really the new reality?
Well, if the last two games are any indication, the answer to all of those questions is a resounding no. Following last night's 8-4 win, the Phillies pounded out another 10 hits and 5 runs today. They did so on the strength of early solo homers from Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino followed by some clutch hitting later in the game from Chase Utley.
Yes, you read that correctly. Utley, who had been one of the chief culprits behind the prolonged slump, had a coming out party of sorts today. He had three doubles, two of which plated runs. Rollins also had two runs batted in to go along with his three runs scored. The big guys at the top of the lineup performed today in style. The 14 team strikeouts on the day? Well, we can forget about them when the team scores 5 . . .
And when the starting pitcher turns in another gem. Roy Oswalt walked six thanks to a tight strike zone, but he held the Dodgers to only one hit and no runs through six and a third innings. The bullpen finished the game out, as J.C. Romero, Ryan Madson, and Brad Lidge combined for two and two-thirds innings of no earned runs. The only Dodger run scored thanks to a Jimmy Rollins error.
After Monday night's debacle, it's hard to believe that the Phillies could finish up their trip to California 5-1. They finish up their road trip tomorrow night with a 1 game makeup against Colorado. Resurgent Joe Blanton takes the mound against Jhoulys Chacin.
Roy's In the 'Hood: Phillies at Dodgers Game Thread, September 1, 2010
by WholeCamels on Sep 1, 2010 2:30 PM EDT
571 comments
It's hard to understate how easy having two pitchers named "Roy" and another named "Cole" has made hacky, pun headline writing. I should probably be slapped, but hey, you're stuck.
The Phillies kick off September with the rubber match of a their three game set against the Los Angeles Dodgers, this afternoon at Dodger Stadium.
Roy Oswalt gets the ball for the Phillies, against lefty Clayton Kershaw for the Dodgers. The Phillies have dominated the talented Kershaw throughout his career. Let's hope this continues.
Discuss the game below.
Some Phillies Links For You, September 1, 2010: Down the Stretch, MetsFail, Chapmania!
by WholeCamels on Sep 1, 2010 10:30 AM EDT
50 comments
Oswalt, Kershaw clash to open final month
Kershaw winless against the Phillies in his career.
LHP Chapman hits 102 mph in debut
Dusty Baker licking his chops... another arm to destroy!
Phillies Notebook: Polanco, Howard, Utley in dry spell for Phillies
"I want to play Domonic some, but at the same time I look at our lineup, and, like I've said before, that's our lineup," the manager said. "Like I've said before, too, I think he's going to be a tremendous player. I think he needs experience, but also I think that if we are going to get it done, that's our team. I believe in that lineup, and I think that's the one that's carried us in the past, and I think that's how it's got to be. I've stuck with some guys all year long. I don't see the sense in not playing them now."
Then he should have gone back to Triple-A. Oh well, spilled milk, who cares about the development of your top prospect?
Dan Gross: Madsons going green in Wayne
Good for the Madsons.
Nats’ Strasburg to have surgery in L.A. on Friday
This really is too bad.
Phillies Earl Weaver-ed the Dodgers
This link is for Wet Luzinski.
Niese unable to contain Braves in defeat
The New York Mets... is there anything they CAN do?
Torres' homer leads Giants to 5-2 win over Rockies
The Giants keep pace with the Phillies and remain two games back in the loss column.
Let the shut outs continue.... Astros 3, Cardinals 0 - The Crawfish Boxes
The Cardinals keep foundering, dropping three games back of the Phillies in the loss column.
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NL East Standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | STRK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Atlanta
|
78 | 56 | .582 | 0 | Lost 1 |
|
Philadelphia
|
76 | 58 | .567 | 2 | Won 3 |
|
Florida
|
67 | 65 | .507 | 10 | Won 2 |
|
New York
|
66 | 68 | .492 | 12 | Won 1 |
|
Washington
|
57 | 77 | .425 | 21 | Lost 2 |
(updated 9.3.2010 at 5:07 AM EDT)
National League Wild Card Standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | STRK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Philadelphia
|
76 | 58 | .567 | 0 | Won 3 |
|
San Francisco
|
74 | 60 | .552 | 2 | Won 2 |
|
St. Louis
|
69 | 62 | .526 | 5.5 | Lost 5 |
|
Colorado
|
69 | 64 | .518 | 6.5 | Lost 3 |
|
Los Angeles
|
68 | 66 | .507 | 8 | Lost 2 |
|
Florida
|
67 | 65 | .507 | 8 | Won 2 |
|
New York
|
66 | 68 | .492 | 10 | Won 1 |
|
Milwaukee
|
62 | 71 | .466 | 13.5 | Lost 3 |
|
Houston
|
62 | 71 | .466 | 13.5 | Won 3 |
|
Washington
|
57 | 77 | .425 | 19 | Lost 2 |
|
Chicago
|
57 | 77 | .425 | 19 | Won 1 |
|
Arizona
|
55 | 79 | .410 | 21 | Won 3 |
|
Pittsburgh
|
44 | 89 | .330 | 31.5 | Lost 1 |
(updated 9.2.2010 at 11:03 PM EDT)
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862 comments
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Beach Roy: Phillies at Padres Game Thread, August 27, 2010
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Roy's In the 'Hood: Phillies at Dodgers Game Thread, September 1, 2010
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