Bringing a Knife to a Gun Fight: Phillies at Cubs, 8/28/08
Philadelphia Phillies @ Chicago Cubs
After a topsy-turvy two game series against the New York Mets, no rest for the weary as the Phillies roll into Wrigley Field, where the Cubs, winners of five games in a row, have been nearly unbeatable this year (49-19).
Game One of the series might be the Phillies best chance to win a game, with ace Cole Hamels facing the inexplicably 15-5, 2.85 ERA Ryan Dempster.
Looking at the whole series, you gotta be pretty happy with a split.
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Go Phillies!
Whoop up on the Cubbies for me please.
by PagsBrewCrew on
Aug 28, 2008 8:10 PM EDT
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Feliz still hasn’t seen a strike, but he managed to strike out.
Weird inning, as everybody was up there hacking yet they managed to draw two walks.
I worry that Dempster will now find his rhythm. Cole has to do his thing.
by dajafi on
Aug 28, 2008 8:21 PM EDT
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Ump doesn’t give him strike 3 and then Utley dives the wrong way. Why is that 3rd out os hard to get?
by Bilzo on
Aug 28, 2008 8:27 PM EDT
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Last time the phils played the cubs, they either went 2-1 or 3-1 (can’t remember if it was a 3 or 4 games set) and the one they lost involved a bad homer call that affected the outcome.
I think they phils can hang with these guys and beat them.
by Bilzo on
Aug 28, 2008 8:28 PM EDT
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It was a three-gamer. I’d forgotten all about that home run. That was the game where the Cubs won it on an Utley error in extras.
by taco pal on
Aug 28, 2008 8:36 PM EDT
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This ump is consistently calling the high strike. But that’s the only consistency I see.
by dajafi on
Aug 28, 2008 8:31 PM EDT
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3 outs, on two hard hit balls.
None of them found pay-dirt, but it looks like Dempster is vulnerable.
by Bilzo on
Aug 28, 2008 8:33 PM EDT
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Cole throwing mostly fastballs, looks like. I don’t know if the WGN gun is accurate, but they have him at 93-94.
by dajafi on
Aug 28, 2008 8:36 PM EDT
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Seems like Burrell’s hitting into DPs left and right all of a sudden. Wasn’t he one of the best in the league at avoiding DPs just a little while ago?
by taco pal on
Aug 28, 2008 8:43 PM EDT
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He’d only GIDP’d 3 times all year as of the 16th of this month. In the 10 games and change since then, he’s done it 5 times.
by taco pal on
Aug 28, 2008 8:46 PM EDT
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heh – guy on first with a 3-1 count to burrell.
not how I wanted that to end.
by Bilzo on
Aug 28, 2008 8:44 PM EDT
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42 pitches for Hamels tonight. Pretty strong, but I have the feeling we might need him to basically pitch the whole game.
by dajafi on
Aug 28, 2008 8:53 PM EDT
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At that rate it would take 126 pitches to go 9 innings. I was thinking, like you, that it might be necessary to go as long as possible with Cole. Do you think Charlie would let him throw that many pitches if it’s 1-0 or 2-1 in the 9th?
by phillyinportland on
Aug 28, 2008 8:55 PM EDT
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No, and he probably shouldn’t. He’s got, what, five or six starts yet.
My hunch is purely a hunch. Plus I’m a little drunk.
by dajafi on
Aug 28, 2008 8:58 PM EDT
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I wasn’t advocating that he throw that much, just thinking that if Cole is looking dominant that the temptation would be there in a close game to let him go as long as he can, which I’m guessing is somewhere around 120 pitches. Hopefully we can get a lead and let the bullpen finish up.
by phillyinportland on
Aug 28, 2008 9:04 PM EDT
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Who’s unavailable today out of the pen?
by taco pal on
Aug 28, 2008 8:57 PM EDT
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Most likely no one important. Eyre, Saenez and that’s probably it. How many days has Lidge gone in a row?
by christonabike on
Aug 28, 2008 8:58 PM EDT
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Two
12 pitches yesterday, 14 the night before. Plus 11 four nights ago.
by taco pal on
Aug 28, 2008 8:59 PM EDT
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I’m sure he’ll be in if the Phillies are winning by <= 3 tonight then.
by christonabike on
Aug 28, 2008 9:03 PM EDT
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Subjective, but Werth seems like he’s gotten better against RHP as the year has gone on.
by christonabike on
Aug 28, 2008 8:57 PM EDT
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Feliz really not covering himself in glory with his first two ABs tonight.
by dajafi on
Aug 28, 2008 8:58 PM EDT
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C’mon Cole, get that batting average back up higher.
by phillyinportland on
Aug 28, 2008 9:00 PM EDT
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I wish we had Derrek Lee. I just love to watch that guy hit.
Though I wouldn’t mind if he had two fewer tonight.
by dajafi on
Aug 28, 2008 9:07 PM EDT
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The Cubs are a funny franchise – aren’t they something like only once in the last 30 years of having back-to-back winning seasons? This year it looks like they’re finally building on a winning season instead of regressing.
by phillyinportland on
Aug 28, 2008 9:17 PM EDT
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Howard and Burrell are never hot at the same time, it seems. Sometimes they’re cold at the same time though.
by taco pal on
Aug 28, 2008 9:21 PM EDT
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A couple big missed opportunities thus far. Killed us last night.
by dajafi on
Aug 28, 2008 9:24 PM EDT
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Is it just me or does it seem like we’re giving up a lot of infield hits lately?
by phillyinportland on
Aug 28, 2008 9:30 PM EDT
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I know it’s been good pitchers, but the offensive futility of the last two nights has me irked all over again.
by dajafi on
Aug 28, 2008 9:34 PM EDT
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Somebody’s article said third base coach was being successfully aggressive during the homestand. I’m following on computer, not TV, so I’m wondering why Utley couldn’t score from first with two outs on a Howard double. Nothing worse than leaving men in scoring position in a low-scoring game.
by phillyinportland on
Aug 28, 2008 9:39 PM EDT
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I’m definitely a believe that 3rd base coaches, in general, should be much more aggressive. In that particular instance though, I think there would have been a very good chance Utley gets thrown out.
by christonabike on
Aug 28, 2008 9:42 PM EDT
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christonabike has it right. It was one of those Howard doubles that was hit so hard, the OF got to it probably well before Utley was even at third. A non-awful throw would have nailed Chase.
by dajafi on
Aug 28, 2008 9:45 PM EDT
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Well it could have been worse.
The good news is that with a little luck we could get Dempster out of there in one more inning. He’s at 83 pitches.
The bad news is that they’ve got a very good bullpen. No Aaron Heilmans in sight.
by taco pal on
Aug 28, 2008 9:36 PM EDT
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Wheels and T-Mac are claiming that the ball Werth played would have been a ground rule double if he hadn’t picked it up.
If that’s the case, that’s a big mistake on either Werth or the management for not letting the players know how that works.
by christonabike on
Aug 28, 2008 9:39 PM EDT
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Ruiz’ typical ground ball to short becomes a hit thanks to men on base.
by christonabike on
Aug 28, 2008 9:43 PM EDT
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Based on the hit zone chart that should have been a double play!
by phillyinportland on
Aug 28, 2008 9:44 PM EDT
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Dempster has been uncharacteristically wild tonight and the Phillies are finally getting to him.
Awesome.
by christonabike on
Aug 28, 2008 9:50 PM EDT
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Some good ABs this inning—Cole’s bunt with two strikes, Rollins’ sac fly, Utley with his third hit.
by dajafi on
Aug 28, 2008 9:51 PM EDT
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If Burrell gets on here, Dempster is done.
by christonabike on
Aug 28, 2008 9:52 PM EDT
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Cole has always had a good K/BB ratio but he’s been even more phenomenal in August. He’s at 8:1 counting tonight.
by christonabike on
Aug 28, 2008 9:55 PM EDT
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Nice job tonight making a good pitcher work. 114 pitches through 6—that’s the good Phillies.
by dajafi on
Aug 28, 2008 9:56 PM EDT
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Cole has been fantastic through 7, but since his pitch count over 100 and he’s batting 3rd next inning, I think he’s done.
Durbin or Madson in the 8th?
by christonabike on
Aug 28, 2008 10:16 PM EDT
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DeRosa is OPSing .871 this year. The Cubs look pretty dumb batting him 8 when Fukudome is 7 and Theroit is 2.
by christonabike on
Aug 28, 2008 10:17 PM EDT
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Some kind of weird variation on the Tony LaRussa lineup – bat one of your best hitters 8th so your pitchers can bunt him over?
by phillyinportland on
Aug 28, 2008 10:19 PM EDT
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More like Lou Pinella is the manager and probably couldn’t even tell you what OPS stands for.
by christonabike on
Aug 28, 2008 10:22 PM EDT
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This is why you go as long as you can with Hamels.
by phillyinportland on
Aug 28, 2008 10:29 PM EDT
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God damned Ryan Madson.
Another 8th inning shitshow. Now Durbin can’t throw a strike.
by FuquaManuel on
Aug 28, 2008 10:37 PM EDT
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Christ almighty. This makes me fucking sick.
by FuquaManuel on
Aug 28, 2008 10:37 PM EDT
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Maybe it would be a good idea to give Madson a few 8th innings off, the troubles have seemed to start with him lately.
by FuquaManuel on
Aug 28, 2008 10:39 PM EDT
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Haha, just when this team has you excited they reel off two heartbreakers like this.
by FuquaManuel on
Aug 28, 2008 10:40 PM EDT
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Ugh, this one feels so, so much worse though. Last night they weren’t really executing… more getting lucky. They lost, but I felt like they were going to lose the entire game.
by christonabike on
Aug 28, 2008 10:47 PM EDT
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when you also consider the fact that this likely means a series sweep, it is harder to swallow. ALSO, add to that the fact that the Mets could very well sweep the Marlins and thinks look even more bleak. Of course, this is all worst case.
by FuquaManuel on
Aug 28, 2008 10:58 PM EDT
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The word "inexcusable" comes to mind.
Every bullpen blows games, but to do so this late in the season on back-to-back nights is, well, inexcusable. And to lose when your ace spotted you a 4-1 lead against the best team in the National League is — you guessed it — inexcusable.
I’m beginning to think a 2-2 split in this series is damn near impossible.
by PhillyFriar on
Aug 28, 2008 10:52 PM EDT
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Just watched Obama’s speech.
Evidently a very good decision.
by dajafi on
Aug 28, 2008 10:59 PM EDT
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It would have been beyond retarded for Rollins to get thrown out there. Burrell has to score anyway for the game not to end.
by christonabike on
Aug 28, 2008 10:59 PM EDT
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Burrell has been brutal for the last 3 games.
by FuquaManuel on
Aug 28, 2008 11:00 PM EDT
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