Hard to Believe, Harry: Padres 8, Phillies 7

by dajafi on Apr 17, 2009 10:30 PM EDT

On a night when a packed Citizens Bank Park paid tribute to the late, great Harry Kalas in the first home game since the legendary announcer's passing on Monday, the home team somehow blew a six-run lead and fell to the upstart San Diego Padres by the score of 8-7.

I haven't checked Fangraphs, but I have to imagine that after Pedro Feliz lined out to center stranding the bases loaded at the end of four innings, we were looking pretty good: 7-1 lead, Cole Hamels cruising, San Diego starter Chris Young banished to the showers. But the visitors came back with two-run homers in the fifth and sixth, and then tagged heretofore perfect Ryan Madson for three two-out runs in the eighth to seize the lead. Meanwhile, the Phils were stymied by five Padres relievers, the last three of whom (Cla Meredith, Duaner Sanchez, Heath Bell) I'd even heard of. Greg Dobbs was thrown out at the plate trying to score on Chase Utley's single to end the eighth, and Bell struck out Matt Stairs after falling behind 3-0 with Raul Ibanez on base to end it.

Lost in the wreckage was an excellent game from Ibanez, who went 3-3 with two walks and scored twice, as well as Utley's three-run homer in the first inning and a stirring Brad Lidge escape from a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the 9th. Hamels was better than in his disastrous 2009 debut, but the three homers he allowed proved costly. In all, Hamels went six innings, allowing five runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out four. He threw 75 pitches.

The Phils try again Saturday evening when Brett Myers takes the ball against San Diego's Shawn hill.

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http://www.thegoodphight.com

by WholeCamels on Apr 17, 2009 10:34 PM EDT reply actions

what percentage of opposing runs have crossed the plate via the HR?

by Wet Luzinski on Apr 17, 2009 10:37 PM EDT reply actions

33 of our 62 runs allowed this year have come via the long ball — a startling 53%.

Nevermind a shutout… I’m just waiting for the first game this year where Phils pitching doesn’t surrender a home run.

by PhillyFriar on Apr 17, 2009 10:48 PM EDT up reply actions

Yikes.

Watched the Phils lose, the Flyers lose in OT, and the Mets win on — yup — a Luis Castillo walkoff infield single. Rough couple of minutes of sports.

I’m most disappointed in Madson tonight. He had to get through the Padres 5-6-7 hitters without surrendering a 2-run lead, and he just utterly failed to do it. You’re not going to have your best stuff every night, but when you can’t retire Luis Rodriguez and Jody Gerut with the game on the line, that’s a poor, poor outing.

by PhillyFriar on Apr 17, 2009 10:37 PM EDT reply actions

cover your eyes

Ryan Madson with a jaw-dropping -.546 WPA

http://www.thegoodphight.com

by WholeCamels on Apr 17, 2009 10:38 PM EDT reply actions

http://www.thegoodphight.com

by WholeCamels on Apr 17, 2009 10:44 PM EDT reply actions

Kane Kalas looks a lot like Harry

Seems to have a fine singing voice, too, from the little clip of the anthem they played during the game. I wish I could have heard the whole thing, but mlb.tv never shows the anthem.

"He shows up every day to play, he plays hard every day, and he shows up to beat your butt." ~Ozzie Guillen on AJ Pierzynski, 3-17-09

R.I.P. Harry Kalas 4-13-09

by HappyHuman on Apr 17, 2009 11:40 PM EDT reply actions

Pipes run in the family

Kane sure has his dad’s pipes, doesn’t he?

I have an interview of H.K. on XM’s Baseball Insider from prior to the 2008 season. Anybody got any ideas where to place it for mass consumption? It’s an hour of neat little anecdotes told by the Voice of God himself.

by boteman on Apr 18, 2009 12:42 AM EDT reply actions

Wait, what?

Harry couldn’t sing at all, at least not that I’ve ever heard.

by phatj on Apr 18, 2009 9:00 AM EDT up reply actions

One of the real kicks-in-the-dick about this game (and there are many) is that Brad Lidge really pulled an amazing escape act there in the top of the 9th.

AND that Stairs had a real cookie to hit on 3-0. Seriously, why not swing there? There’s two outs, and you’re the winning run.

http://www.thegoodphight.com

by WholeCamels on Apr 18, 2009 1:01 PM EDT reply actions