Phils Use Longball, But Fall In 10

Coming into tonight's game Braves starting pitcher Derek Lowe had not surrendered a homerun to a left-handed hitter all year long. Until tonight. In the fifth inning in a 1-1 ballgame Chase Utley jumped in the Cadillac and hit his 17th homer of the season. But, the Philllies 2-1 quickly ended when Joe Blanton gave up two runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Going into the eighth inning the Phillies wer edown 3-2 and Braves reliever Mike Gonzalez came in. Now, Gonzalez hadn't gave up a homeurn to a right-handed hitter all year. That changed when John Mayberry Jr. came up to pinch hit for Greg Dobbs and Mayberry homered to centerfield. Then, Pedro Feliz was the next batter and he did the exact same thing. A homerun to give the Phillies a 4-3 lead.
The Braves tied the game in the bottom half of the eighth inning when Martin Prado hit a two out triple that scored Gregor Blanco. The game required extra innings and in the 10th inning Martin Prado hit walk-off single to win it for the Braves 5-4.
UP NEXT
Phillies: Hamels did not fare well against the Blue Jays in his last outing. The left-hander exhausted 105 pitches in the start, lasting just 4 2/3 innings. He took the loss and surrendered four runs on eight hits. When Hamels was removed from the game by manager Charlie Manuel during the fifth inning, he let his emotions show by arguing with the the home-plate umpire, concluding in an ejection. In 12 career starts against the Braves, Hamels is 7-3 with a 3.42 ERA.
Braves:Jair Jurrgens the Curacao native took the loss against the Red Sox on Friday, despite going eight innings and allowing just three earned runs on seven hits. Jurrjens remains winless in June, despite allowing just 12 earned runs in 29 1/3 innings this month. The 23-year-old will try to end his winless streak against a Phillies team that he threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings against on April 7. Maybe a flip of the calender will do good for Jurrgens. But hopefully he won't turn things around until he's done against the Phillies.

Custom Search

Phils Salvage The Series

It took long enough but the Phillies finally won a series. The Phillies defeated the Blue Jays today 5-4 and this was the first series they have won since they played the Mets early in June.
Jamie Moyer was in search of his 252nd victory of his career today. Moyer did not pitch that great today but he did just enough to keep his team in the game. Moyer went five innings and surrendered four runs. He allowed three homeruns-two to Aaron Hill and one to Jose Bautista.
It took a couple of innings for the Phillies bats to warm up but they eventually got going. They first got on the board in the third inning when Ryan Howard hit a one out groundball that scored Shane Victorino. Then, in the fourth inning the Phillies got the rest of there runs. Led by a triple by Chase Utley the Phillies scored four runs and it gave them a 5-4 lead. After they got the lead the Phillies pitching put a lock on the game. Chan Ho Park, Ryan Madson, and Brad Lidge threw a total of four scoreless innings out of the bullpen to lead the Phillies to there victory.
UP NEXT
Phillies:Blanton made one mistake on Wednesday in a 7-1 loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field -- he threw a fastball over the middle of the plate that former Phillies left fielder Pat Burrell hit for a two-run home run. It would be the only runs Blanton would allow in seven innings against the Rays. He surrendered just six hits, two runs and two walks. He also struck out 10. In his past six starts, Blanton is 2-1 with a 2.75 ERA, having allowed 12 earned runs in 39 1/3 innings. The Phillies would like Blanton to eat up more innings so they can give the bullpen more rest. The bullpen has been taxed numerous times this year and they deserve a break.
Braves:Before last Thursday, Derek Lowe had not faced the Yankees since 2004, when he was pitching for the Red Sox. After his trying outing last Thursday, Lowe probably doesn't want to see them for another five years. Lowe was pounded to the tune of 11 hits and six earned runs in just three innings. The outing is starting to signal a troubling trend for the big right-hander, as he has now been hit hard in two of his past three starts. He gave up seven earned runs in 2 1/3 innings on June 14 in Baltimore. With Kenshin Kawakami unable to make his Tuesday start due to a neck contusion, Lowe will on regular rest following the Braves' off-day on Monday.

Custom Search

Happ Pitches First Complete Game Shutout

The Phillies found the kind of game that they were looking for. A game where they hit well and pitched well. The pitching part was all because of J.A. Happ. Happ threw his first complete game shutout to propel the Phillies to a 10-0 win. Happ threw nine innings and only gave up five hits and the most important part zero earned runs. This was a must needed pitching performance. The Phillies bullpen has been taxed lately. It seems like every night every reliever is being used.
The Phillies bats first came to life in the first inning. They hit two, two-run first inning homeruns by Jayson Werth and Predro Feliz. Then, they tacked on more runs in innings four, five, and six, to make there lead 10-0. Jayson Werth came close to the cycle. He was only a triple short of the cycle. That was 1100 player to ever be short of the cycle by a triple.
UP NEXT
Phillies:Moyer allowed one run on five hits while allowing three walks and striking out four in six innings to pick up the 251st win of his career Tuesday in a victory over Tampa Bay. It tied him for 43rd place on baseball's all-time list with Bob Gibson. Moyer needs two more wins to tie Carl Hubbell (253) for 42nd place on the all-time list.
Blue Jays:Tallet shut out the Reds for six innings on Tuesday at Rogers Centre, earning a win in the Jays' 7-5 victory. Although Tallet was having no trouble with the Reds and had throw only 90 pitches, he was pulled from the game after the sixth inning, since he was pitching on only three days' rest. Tallet has never started against the Phillies, but has made six career appearances against them as a reliever, pitching 9 1/3 innings with an ERA of 3.86.

Custom Search

Blanton Pitches Gem, But Phils Bats Fall Asleep

As we all know last time Blanton pitched against the Rays he pitched well. Tonight, Blanton again pitched very well against the Rays. He pitched seven innings and only gave up two runs. The only runs he gave up was a two-run homerun to former Phillie Pat Burrell. Blanton went out to pitch the eighth inning but BJ Upton hit a leadoff double, and Charlie brought in J.C. Romero. With runners on first and third with no outs, Willy Aybar hit a fly ball to left field and after Matt Stairs caught it BJ Upton tagged up but Stairs threw him out at the plate. Then, everything was downhill from there. After Romero walked the bases loaded. Chan Ho Park came in and five runs scored by the Rays on all different kind of occassions.
The only kind of offense that the Phillies got was whne Jayson Werth hit a solo homerun in the seventh inning. Matt Garza had the Phillies number all night long. Through eight innings Garza only gave up three hits an he also had seven strikeouts.
UP NEXT
Phillies:In the rubber game of this series the Phillies will send out Antonio Bastardo. Bastardo pitched a career-best seven innings and tied his career-high with five strikeouts in last Friday's 7-2 loss to the Orioles. The rookie left-hander was effective at times and allowed five hits and four earned runs. He struck out five and walked none, which has to be a good sign. Bastardo threw 108 pitches, 73 for strikes, and really settled down after giving up three runs in the second.
Rays:Andy Sonnanstine has pitched better as of late. He has pitched at least six innings in each of his at last four starts. His ERA before then was 7.66 but now it's 6.60 after those starts. Sonnanstine face the Phillies in Game 4 of the World Series last year. In only four innings he gave up five runs but only three of them were earned runs.

Custom Search

Phillies Finally Win One

Was it me or did it feel like it has been months since the Phillies won their last game. Well, that's all over now. The Phillies defeated the American League Champions the Tampa Bay Rays tonight 10-1.
Going into tonight's game the Phillies starters ERA was 5.29. That was the highest ERA in the National League. Yes, it's true, even higher then the Nationals hard to believe. Jamie Moyer helped lower that tonight. In six innings Moyer only surrendered one run over five hits and four strikeouts.
The bats really came alive tonight. In the first inning, the Phillies put up a modest six runs off of rookie David Price. John Mayberry Jr. hit a three-run homerun in the inning, as well. Then in the fourth inning Chase Utley hit a two-run homerun to make it 10-0. The Rays did get one run so it wasn't a shutout but it was a very good game for the Phillies and most Phillies fans would like to see more of these games in the Phillies favor.
UP NEXT
Phillies:Blanton faces the Rays for the first time since Game 4 of the World Series. He pitched well in the 10-2 victory, allowing just four hits, two runs, two walks and two home runs and striking out seven. But Blanton also hit a homer against the Rays in one of the most memorable moments in the postseason. Blanton will get to pitch against the Rays again, but he won't be able to hit because of the designate hitter. In Game 4 of the World Series last year, Joe Blanton hit a homerun.
Rays:Garza made three mistakes -- all home runs -- in his last start against the Rockies, and it cost him. He went five innings and gave up four runs on five hit with five strikeouts. Garza has failed to pitch past the sixth inning in his last three starts after being the Rays' workhorse during the first two months of the season. He has gone winless since May 16 and in that span is 0-3 with a 4.33 ERA in six starts. Garza's next start will be against the Phillies, and his only start against them came in Game 3 of last year's World Series. He received a no-decision as he threw six innings and gave up four runs, three home runs, six hits and two walks while recording seven strikeouts. The Phillies will look to get to Garza just like they did in Game 3 of the World Series.

Custom Search

Offense Can't Get It Done

Cole Hamels gave the Phillies just what they needed, eight innings and giving up on two runs. Of course though, when the pitching was having a good day, the offense was off. The Phillies offense only got one run. The Phillies lost 2-1. It was there sixth consecutive loss of the season. They should be getting their closer Brad Lidge back on Wednesday which should help a lot.
Ryan Howard was not in today's lineup because he was sent back to the hospital with flu like smyptoms for the second straight day. They are uncertain whether he wil travel with the team to St.Petersburg.
UP NEXT
Phillies:Moyer went 1-2 with a 3.77 ERA in his previous five starts before he allowed 10 hits, six runs, two home runs and two walks in six innings Wednesday against the Blue Jays. But Moyer had some success against the Rays last October in Game 3 of the World Series. He allowed just five hits and three runs and struck out five in 6 1/3 innings. Moyer is looking to tie Bob Gibson on the all-time wins list.
Rays:The Phillies will be facing the Rays rookie sensation David Price had a lot to be proud of in his last start against the Rockies. Price tossed a career-high seven innings, threw his sliders and fastballs for strikes, found the feel for his changeup and didn't walk a batter. Price had never thrown more than 5 2/3 innings. Unfortunately, Price also picked up the loss as he allowed five runs, which included two home runs, on 10 hits. Price faced his next opponent, the Phillies, last year in the 2008 World Series. In two relief appearances, Price gave up two runs, one earned, in 3 1/3 innings.

Custom Search

Phils Lose Fifth Straight

J.A. Happ struggled his last two starts. Tonight he left a lot of runners on base and battled through six innings. He left the game losing 2-0. Brian Bergesen was on the hill for the O's and through six innings he was really good. The Phillies only had two hits off of him to that point. In the seventh somebody hit a switch and the Phillies offense started hitting. Shane Victorino and Chase Utley hit back-to-back doubles then Matt Stairs hit a single to load the bases. Greg Dobbs singled in Chase. Then, with two outs a sick Ryan Howard came to the plate. Now Ryan wasn't in the lineup tonight because he had flu symptoms and last night he was sent to the hospital and there his temperature was 104 degrees. Howard came to the plate and hit a three-run homerun into the Phillies bullpen and gave the Phillies a 5-3 lead. Ryan Madson came in to redeem himself from his blown save against the Bue Jays. He failed. Madson gave up three runs in the ninth inning. This is an extremely tough loss to swallow.
UP NEXT
Phillies:The Phillies will turn to their ace Cole Hamels to stop the bleeding. Hamels has pitched well this season, but his pitch count often has left him leaving earlier than he would like. That is exactly what happened in his previous start Tuesday against the Blue Jays. Toronto made him throw 110 pitches in six innings. Could he have started the seventh? He could have, but the way Phillies manager Charlie Manuel and pitching coach Rich Dubee figured, Hamels would have needed a perfect seventh inning to get out with 10 or fewer pitches. So they pulled him after six. Hamels is hoping to be a little more economical against the Orioles and give the overworked bullpen a much needed rest.
Orioles:Jeremy Guthrie fell into some unfortunate luck in his last start, against the Mets on Tuesday. After starting the first three innings allowing just one batter to reach base, a costly error opened the door to a four-run inning, a hole Guthrie could never climb out of, resulting in his third straight loss. The right-hander pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing five runs, three earned, on six hits.
Here's Some Good News
Brad Lidge threw a pain-free rehab in Reading tonight. He pitched one ininng and only gave up one hit. He also had two strikeouts, on 15 pitches total. Brad is eligible to be activated on Tuesday and is likely to rejoin the Phillies sometime next week.

Custom Search

Phils Can't Back Up Bastardo

The Phillies lost 7-2 but on the bright side Antonio Bastardo pitched well. Bastardo pitched seven innings and gave up four earned runs. He really gave most of the bullpen a night off. The pen has been way overused this season but tonight they only had to use Jack Taschner. Taschner pitched two innings and gave up three earned runs.
The Phillies scored two runs in the first inning but after that it was all downhill from there. The Orioles scored three runs in the second, then one in the sixth. It was 4-2 going into the eighth inning and Jack Taschner came into keep the deficit the same. He threw a scoreless eighth inning but in the ninth he gave up three runs. The Phillies went on to lose there fourth game in a row.
UP NEXT
Phillies:Happ has struggled his previous two starts against the Mets and Red Sox, going 0-0 with a 7.36 ERA. Opponents hit .302 against him in those two games. That's after he went 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA in his first three starts since he replaced right-hander Chan Ho Park in the rotation. Opponents hit just .177 against him in that stretch. There is no question Happ is hoping to get back on track against the Orioles. On the good side of Happ's last start he did battle through and pitched six innings against the Red Sox and only gave up four runs.
Orioles:Bergesen tossed his first career complete game in his last outing, picking up his fourth win against the Atlanta Braves. Bergesen threw 112 pitches, giving up two earned runs on five hits. The right-hander also walked two and struck out three.

Custom Search

Phils Lose.............Again

The Phillies were looking to salvage one game against the Blue Jays, but they were unsuccessful. They lost 8-7 and the bullpen and starting pitcher Joe Blanton did not pitch good. John Mayberry Jr., Jayson Werth, Jimmy Rollins, and Greg Dobbs all hit homeruns. That's pretty much all of the positive stuff that came out of this game. I am very crestfallen over this series and they have to bounce back against the Orioles.
UP NEXT
Phillies:There is not much to say about Bastardo's start Saturday against the Red Sox. He allowed three hits, five runs and three walks in just one inning. He pitched just one inning not because he struggled, but because of a 1 hour, 35 minute rain delay. It was too long a wait to send Bastardo back to the mound, so the Phillies had to use their bullpen for the remaining eight innings. Bastardo had pitched much better in his previous two starts when he allowed a combined three runs in 11 innings against the Padres and Dodgers. I think some of the teams are figuring out Bastardo because in his first two starts nobody had ever seen him before and now there is somewhat of a book on him.
Orioles:Hill was less than stellar in his last start. The left-hander went four innings, giving up five hits and four earned runs in the Orioles' 8-4 win over the Braves Saturday. He had issues with his curveball early, which led to three walks in 19 batters faced. He did record one strikeout in the no-decision. Hill has potenial to be a decent player in this league but it doesn't seem like he can put it all together.
Raul On DL
I'm sure you all know by now that Raul Ibanez was put on the 15 day disabled list with a strained groin. The Phillies will platoon outfielders John Mayberry, Matt Stairs, and Greg Dobbs. Mayberry will most likely play against left-handers, Stairs will play against hard throwing right handers, and Dobbs will play against pitchers that mix up there pitches and sinker ballers.

Custom Search

Phils Lose.............Again

Custom Search

Phils Lose Yet Another Home Game

Tonight's game was terrible. The Phillies lost 7-1. Jamie Moyer struggled, and the Phillies could not hit off of a mediocre pitcher. There is nothing good to talk about this game, let's just move onto the next game.
UP NEXT
Phillies:Joe Blanton has pitched a lot better for the Phillies lately. He allowed just five hits, two runs and two walks and struck out seven Friday against the Red Sox at Citizens Bank Park. Blanton is 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA (six earned runs in 27 innings) in his last four starts. He has walked just six and struck out 28 in that span. That is quite a turnaround from the beginning of the season, when Blanton went 2-3 with a 7.11 ERA in his first eight starts this season.
Blue Jays:Brad Mills will be make his Major League debut for the Blue Jays in place of right-hander Casey Janssen, who was placed on the disabled list with inflammation in his throwing shoulder. The 24-year-old Mills -- a candidate for a rotation job during the spring -- went 1-8 with a 4.48 ERA with Triple-A Las Vegas. The lefty has gone 1-3 with a 6.29 ERA in his last four outings, following a string of six starts in which he posted a 3.19 ERA. In 2007-08, Mills combined to go 15-5 with a 1.96 ERA across four Minor League levels for Toronto.

Custom Search

Phils Can't Hang On To Late Lead

In the end result the Phillies ended up losing this game, but they had a 3-2 going into the ninth inning. Ryan Madson blew his first save since he became a closer. In all credit to the Phillies, they had no business winning this game. The Blue Jays left 39 men on base. Now, the Phillies did get out of those jams but how often does a team have bases loaded with no outs multiple times and actually get out of it without surrendering any runs. Point is the Phillies can't keep on doing this, I don't expect them to but this game could of easily been 8-2.
In the first inning Jimmy Rollins got the ball rolling with a double to lead off the game. Then Chase drove him in with an RBI single. The Phillies had an oppurtunity to score Chase but they were unsuccessful. Cole was not vintage Cole tonight. He did a good job by battling through the game. The only runs he gave up was a two-run homerun to Adam Lind. The Phillies took the lead in the sixth on a Jayson Werth two-run blast. Then as I mentioned earlier Ryan Madson blew his first save as the closer. I don't think Madson had bad stuff tonight but the go ahead run got on base by an infield single, and stuff just didn't go Madson's way tonight.
When the game went into extra innings Clay Condrey came and he did not do a good job. Clay is usually very reliabele, he throws strikes and gets outs. But not tonight. Clay really struggled, he gave up five runs and was the losing pitcher in the game.
UP NEXT
Phillies:Moyer has been doing his job lately. He allowed eight hits and three runs and struck out three in six innings Thursday against the Mets at Citi Field. He is 1-2 with a 3.77 ERA in his last five starts after he went 3-3 with an 8.15 ERA in his first seven starts. The difference? With Moyer it's pretty simple: He is throwing his pitches where he wants to throw them. Moyer's game is all about command and changing speeds. He has been doing that lately. And sometimes it has to do with the umpires with Jamie because sometimes he does rely on getting the corners.
Blue Jays:The Phillies will be receiving a treat. Richmond will be taking the place of injured ace Roy Halladay, who is sidelined with a strained right groin. On Friday, Richmond entered in relief in the fourth inning against the Marlins after Halladay exited with the injury. In 3 2/3 innings, Richmond allowed one run on two hits. When he takes the mound in Philly, Richmond will be making his first start since June 6. Richmond opened the season 4-0 with a 2.67 ERA across his first five outings, earning the American League Rookie of the Month honor for April in the process. Since then, the right-hander has gone 0-3 with a 5.06 ERA over seven appearances.
Also.........
Brad Lidge says that for the first time since April he does not feel any pain in his right leg. No pain or discomfort. Lidge threw 30 pitches in the bullpen Tuesday afternoon, and on Thursday he is scheduled to throw between 45 and 50 pitches, and he could start a rehab assignment shortly after that. This is great news for the Phillies. If they can get Brad Lidge make to his 2008 form, just hand them the trophy now. No. Just kidding, but it would be very helpful to the bullpen.
16-year-old high school sensation Bryce Harper made the decision to skip his final two years of high school. He will use a GED to enroll to a community college in August. His plan is to be in the 2010 MLB draft. Harper throws 96 MPH, and he hit a 570 foot homerun. His biggest decision might be if he wants to become a major league pitcher or hitter. It would be something if he could do both. Every fifth day he goes out and pitches, while on the other four days he bats in the batting order. That would be a first in a long time, maybe ever since a guy named Babe Ruth. You might have heard of him.

Custom Search

With Big Seventh, Phils Storm Back

Josh Beckett is one of the best pitchers in baseball but after watching today's game against the Phillies you would of been able to tell he was one of the best pitchers. The Phillies roughed up Josh Beckett for seven runs (six earned runs) in six innings today.
J.A. Happ had another rough start. He really struggled with his command and in the second inning he gave up four runs. To Happ's credit he did settle in. He threw three scoreless innings after that. The Phillies hammered Beckett in the fifth, the came back to take the lead 5-4. In the sixth Happ gave up a solo homerun to pitcher Josh Beckett. With two outs Chan Ho Park relieved Happ. In the seventh the Phillies slaughtered the Red Sox' pitching by scoring six runs, led by a Jimmy Rollins homerun. Park did a great job out of the bullpen. He pitched 2 1/3 and did not allow any earned runs. The Phillies really needed Park to suck up some innings because there were a lot of guys that they didn't want to pitch because they had to pitch in the previous games against the Red Sox. In the ninth in a non save situation Ryan Madson clinched the 11-6 win for the Phillies.
UP NEXT
Phillies:Hamels followed his best performance of the season -- a shutout at Dodger Stadium on June 4 -- with a mediocre effort against the Mets at Citi Field on Wednesday. Now, this was not a regular Cole outing. He allowed a season-high 11 hits (he also allowed 11 hits in his season debut April 10 in Colorado) and four runs and two walks in five innings. This is the first time Hamels has faced the Blue Jays in his career.
Blue Jays:Ricky Romero is pitching for the Blue Jays. He had a good outing last start against the Rangers. In 6 1/3 innings he only gave up one run. The big thing for Romero was that he didn't allow any homeruns. The Phillies should have success against Romero because Citizens Bank Park is more of a hitter friendly ballpark and with the potent lineup the Phillies have, they should be fine.

Custom Search

Phils Pitching Can't Get The Job Done

Tonight was a big test for Antonio Bastardo. In his first two starts he did a very nice job. But tonight had a different feel to it. In one inning of work against the Sox Bastardo gave up five runs, which four of the them were earned. He had to end his night after one inning because of the first inning the rains came and the game was in a rain delay. After the rain delay the Phillies were down 5-0 and they brought in Chad Durbin. Durbin did a great job. In three innings, he didn't give up any runs. The Phillies offense provided some help with four runs. Then, the Phillies brought in Jack Taschner and he did not get the job done. He gave up three runs and the Phillies were down 8-4. Then it was off to recent call-up Sergio Escalona. He pitched a scoreless sixth inning then in the seventh he gave up two runs. The Phillies went on to lose 11-6. This was an uncharacteristic loss. The bullpen usually thrives in these situations, there usually always good at keeping the team in the game when they're already in a hole.
The only reason why Kyle Kendrick was called up last night was because Sergio Escalona was able to pitch and Kendrick's scheduled start was last night. Kendrick was sent down today and as we already know they called up Sergio Escalona.
UP NEXT
PHILLIES:JA Happ will look to salvage one win in this three game series. Happ battled the whole game last Tuesday against the Mets. Through 5 1/3 innings he gave up four runs, on six hits and four walks.
RED SOX:Right now Josh Beckett is on fire. In his last two starts he is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA. He has only allowed a total of three hits in both starts combined. Beckett has had seven quality starts in a row. He is 5-0 with a 1.70 ERA since May 5. Beckett has fared well against the Phillies in his career, going 8-3 with a 3.67 ERA. At Citizen's Bank Park, he is 2-1 with a 5.29 ERA in three starts. Perhaps Beckett's best memory of that ballpark is the home run he hit there in 2006.

Phillies Fall In Extras To Bo Sox

When the Red Sox come to town there is always a little more electricity in the ballpark. Whether it's Red Sox nation coming down to see there team play, or it could just simply be, because the Red Sox are a well known team throughout the MLB and every team always gets up to play them. I would say it was a little bit of both tonight.
Joe Blanton pitched fantastic tonight. Over seven innings, he only surrendered two runs. His counter partner John Lester was a little better. In seven innings, he only allowed one run. Going into the ninth inning the Phillies were down 2-1 and for some reason Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon was unavailable. So, Ramon Martinez came in to get the save. With one out Ryan Howard hit his 19th homerun of the season to tie the game 2-2. Then, in the 11th with runners on first and second for the Phillies Greg Dobbs hit a high foul ball that looked like it was a homerun, but the umpire called it foul. Charlie Manuel went out to argue and asked for a review and umpire Jim Joyce said he got a good view and he was not going to review it. Even if it was foul, it was still really close and the least they could of done so they knew that they got the call right was to review. I know umpires have big egos and don't think they're ever wrong, but baseball put in instant replay for a reason and that was to get as many calls as possible right. Anyway, of course Greg Dobbs ended up striking out, and the inning was over. In the 13th inning Kyle Kendrick gave up three runs and he got charged with the loss.
Today, Scott Eyre was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left calf strain. That's why Kyle Kendrick was pitching in the 13th inning tonight. Eyre felt some minor soreness in his calf when the Phillies were in San Diego last week, and again during Wednesday's 6-3 victory over the Mets. But it only became problematic as Eyre prepared to enter Thursday night's series finale in the ninth inning.
UP NEXT
PHILLIES:The rookie left-hander Antonio Bastardo has impressed in his first two starts in the Major Leagues.Bastardo is 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA in his first two starts. He pitched mostly on adrenaline in his big league debut on June 2 against the Padres at PETCO Park. Bastardo mixed his pitches a little better on Sunday against the Dodgers in Los Angeles, where he allowed two runs in five-plus innings in a 7-2 victory. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel is hoping Bastardo continues to throw more offspeed pitches to keep hitters honest. But so far, so good for Bastardo.
RED SOX:Daisuke Matsuzaka struggled again in his sixth start of the season, giving up five runs on 10 hits and a wild pitch in 5 2/3 inninngs, while striking out eight without issuing a walk as the Rangers beat the Red Sox, 6-3, on Sunday at Fenway Park. Matsuzaka posted season highs in innings, pitches (102), hits allowed and strikeouts, and he tied his season high in runs allowed. Boston is 1-5 in Matsuzaka's starts this season. He has not faced the Phillies in his career.

Raul Does What He Does Best

The Phillies could of easily gave this game up. This was the last game of a 10 game road trip. They could of easily been satisfied by going 6-4, but they never gave up. They were down 3-1 going into the sixth inning and things just didn't seem like they were going the Phillies way tonight. Raul Ibanez and Ryan Howard were struggling, and it didn't look good. Yet again, the Phillies showed a lot of character and battled back and ended up winning the game and took two out of three from there arch nemesis the New York Mets.
Tim Redding has always been good against the Phillies. Tonight was no different. Redding was dominating the Phillies the whole game. In the sixth and seventh, the Phillies managed to tie the game up at three. Jamie Moyer exited after six innings and he had a quality start. He was blistered last start at Citi Field, but Jamie has really bounced back and now we are seeing the Jamie that we all know and love.
Clay Condrey came in and pitched two scoreless innings. Then, Chad Durbin came in and Durbin has had some problems late in game but tonight he got the first two batter outs. Then Scott Eyre came in and this was Eyre's 600th career game. Eyre got one out on two pitches. In the 10th Raul Ibanez hit a three run homerun to give the Phillies a 6-3 lead. Ryan Madson flourished in his new role again with a save to clinch the series win over the Mets.
2009 MLB DRAFT
The 2009 MLB draft is complete. It took three days, 50 rounds, and 1521 picks. The Phillies didn't have a pick until the second round. With the 75th pick in the draft, the Phillies selected Kelly Dugan from Notre Dame High School in California. Dugan is a switch hitting centerfielder that was originally going to go to Pepperdine University, but since the Phillies drafted him, he will play in their farm system. The Phillies have already agreed to a contract deal with Dugan. It was the 18-year-old's mental qualities that caught the organization's attention. The Phillies really love his makeup and believe that he can achieve what he's suppose to achieve.
UP NEXT
The Phillies will open up interleague play at Citizens Bank Park and will welcome the Boston Red Sox to town. The Phillies have always struggled against the Red Sox, and the Phillies certainly don't have the favorable pitching match-ups on paper. Joe Blanton will pitch for the Phillies, and Blanton has pitched much better recently. In his last three starts, Blanton is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA. One of the best left-handers in baseball will pitch for the Red Sox. John Lester, he has already thrown a no-hitter, he was close to a no-hitter in his last start, and did I mention he's only 25. Lester has faced the Phillies once before. Last year Lester pitched seven scoreless innings against the Phillies.
This is the time each year where the Phillies usually start to struggle. This will be a huge test for the Phillies. It always seems like American League pitching always beats National League hitting. Having Raul Ibanez should help because he is coming over from the American League and he has faced most of these guys that the Phillies will face.

Phils Squash Mets In Extras

Yet again, who would of thought it. Or as Phillies announcer Chris Wheeler would say, "Who would have thunk it?" Who would have predicted that Cole Hamels would go five innings and give up four runs and the Phillies would still win. Not me. But as I said yesterday the Phillies are never out of any game.
Cole exited the game after five innings. The Phillies were down 4-1. It felt like they down 12-0. The Mets kept on getting cheap hit after cheap hit and things just weren't going the Phillies way. In the seventh inning the Phillies finally got to Mets pitcher Mike Pelfrey and tied the game up 4-4. The Phillies bullpen bounced back from a rough night last night and held up there end of the bargain. They pitched six scoreless innings and kept the Phils in the game. In the 11th inning Chase Utley hit a very clutch homerun off of Bobby Parnell to give the Phillies a 6-5 lead. Ryan Madson went to fulfill his new role and get a save. He was successful and the Phillies boosted there lead in the National League East to three games.
Jimm Rollins was back in the lead off spot tonight. J-Roll went 0-5. He was having success batting sixth in the order. As a lead off man, the pitcher is always pitching the lead off hitter his best pitcher. If you batting sixth, the pitcher doesn't seem to give that batter his best pitches because he's just done facing the 3-4-5 hitters, which are usually the best hitters. Maybe J-Roll would be better off batting sixth.
NEXT UP
The Phillies and Mets will play the rubber game of this three game series. Jamie Moyer will look to have more success at Citi Field than his first time. As of lately, Moyer has been throwing the ball a lot better and his pitching lines have been very good. He was even able to pitch seven quality innings against the Dodgers last Friday night. Tim Redding will be on the rubber for the Mets. Redding pitched well against his fomer team the Washington Nationals in his last start. Redding only gave up one run over six innings and 88 pitches.

Phils Fall To Mets

If you would have told me going into tonight's game that the Phillies would score five runs off of Johan Santana, I would of thought that they would have won easily. Nope. Instead, Happ struggled for his first time all year, and the bullpen failed to save him.
In the second and third innings, Happ gave up a solo homerun to David Wright, then he gave up a two-run homerun to Carlos Beltran. After that, I thought the game was over. With Johan on the mound, I thought the Phillies had no shot. But if there's one thing about the Phillies is, don't stop believing. No matter what the adversery is, the Phillies are never out of any game. Tonight was no different. In the fourth inning, Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez went back-to-back and put the Phillies only behind by one run. Then, in the sixth inning Jimmy Rollins hit a two run homerun and put the Phillies in the lead. Clay Condrey was unable to come up clutch for the Phillies and he gave up one run in the sixth that gave the Mets the lead back. The Phillies went on to lose 6-5.
Today, FoxSports Ken Rosenthal reported that the Phillies were interested in Rockies outfielder Ryan Spilborghs. He said that the Phillies would have to give up catcher Chris Coste and a prospect in order to acquire Spilborghs. Later in the day on Daily News Live, Ken Rosenthal said that the talks were just preliminary and that the Phillies have just shown interest and the Rockies aren't ready to part with Spilborghs yet.
UP NEXT
The Phillies will look to even up this series by sending out there ace Cole Hamels. Cole is coming off of his best outing this year. Last Thursday, he pitched a complete game shutout against the Dodgers. Sinkerballer Mike Pelfrey will pitch for the Mets. Pelfrey struggled last start against the Pirates. He allowed eight runs in 3 2/3 innings. In two starts against the Phillies this season Pelfrey has not recorded any strikeouts against the Phillies.

Lidge Goes On DL With Knee Sprain

On Tuesday, Brad Lidge was sent to the 15-day disabled list with a knee sprain. The Phillies have called up catcher Paul Bako from Reading to replace Lidge on the 25 man roster. The Phillies will likely use Ryan Madson as the Phillies closer while Lidge is on the disabled list. Madson is 2-1 with a 2.22 ERA in 29 games this season. I personally thought that Lidge was pitching better as of lately. Despite Lidge blowing two saves last weekend, Friday night wasn't all his fault. If Pedro Feliz cashes in on the routine groundball that would of been a save. Even though he did give up the homerun to Rafael Furcal on Saturday that tied the game, I like that he didn't give up any more runs after that and kept the game tied.
The Phillies new catcher Paul Bako was signed to a minor league deal on May 18. Since then, Bako was hitting .357, with 10 RBIs in 42 at-bats at Reading.

Bastardo Pitches Well As Phils And Dodgers Split Series

Antonio Bastardo was making just his second Major League start of his career. He was starting against the Los Angeles Dodgers and it was on National TV. Now, after his second start the whole entire nation knows what Antonio Bastardo has to offer. Bastado went five innings, and gave up only two runs. He went out for the sixth inning but he ran into some trouble and Chan Ho Park came in and relieved him. Park has struggled amensly this year, but tonight he was terrific. In three innings out of relief, Park did not give up any runs, and helped Bastardo improve to 2-0. Ryan Madson pitched the ninth inning and the Phillies won 7-2.
Let's find out how the Phillies scored there seven runs. In the second inning, Pedro Feliz hit a sacrifice fly that scored Raul Ibanez and put the Phillies up 1-0. Then, in the fifth, RBI's by Carlos Ruiz and Shane Victorino gave the Phillies a 3-1 lead. The Phillies added some more runs in the seventh when Carlos Ruiz hit a two-run homerun, then, Shane Victorino hit a solo homerun. Ryan Howard hit his 17th homerun of the season in the eighth and the Phillies won the game 7-2.
Charlie Manuel decided to move Jimmy Rollins down in the order for today's game. He went from the lead off spot to number six in the order. J-Roll has consistently been popping balls up to the infield and shallow outfield. Tonight, I thought J-Roll made solid contact about three times out of his four at-bats. Let's just hope J-Roll can get on track.
UP NEXT
The Phillies will finally come back to the east coast. They will play the New York Mets at Citi Field. J.A. Happ will pitch for the Phillies in the first game of the series. Happ is coming off of his longest outing of his career. He last went seven innings and only allowed one run. The Mets' ace Johan Santana will pitch for the Mets and Johan gives every team trouble. It seems like everytime the Phillies play the Mets Johan pitches and always pitches great. Hopefully, the Phillies will gain some more ground on the Mets, in this series.

Moyer Pitches Masterpiece, But Phils Can't Hang On

Tonight, the old vintage Jamie Moyer pitched for the Phillies. He pitched seven innings and only allowed two runs. He was the Jamie Moyer that everyone excepted to see in the beginning of the season and hopefully it is just a sign to come.
In the third inning Rauuuuuuuuuuuul Ibanez got an rbi on a forceout. Then, in the fourth inning Chase Utley hit a two-run double that scored Eric Brunetlett and Chris Coste. Jamie exited after seven innings and the Phillies were up 3-2. The Phillies had some execution problems offensively tonight. They could never give insurance runs to the pitching. The Phillies left 26 men on base throughout the game.
J.C. Romero pitched the eighth inning and got his first hold of the season. Brad Lidge came in to give the Phillies there eighth consecutive win. Lidge got an easy first two outs, but when the Dodgers were down to there final strike, Casey Blake hit a single off the end of the bat that flared into left field and put the tying run on first base. Then, in a very professional at-bat by James Loney, he drew the two out walk. Russell Martin hit a routine ground ball to Pedro Feliz, but Pedro could not handle it. It took a hop on him, and then there were bases loaded with two outs for Andre Eithier. On the first pitch, Either hit a fly ball to right field that sliced away from Eric Bruntlett and the Dodgers went on to win 4-3. It is not very often that the Phillies give away a game like this. It is very frustrating because I know that they should of won and to see them blow it, it just kills me. I expect this from the Nationals (no disrespect) but not from the 2009 Philadelphia Phillies.
UP NEXT
Joe Blanton will go for this fourth strong performance. The Phillies are 16-7 in Blanton's 23 starts in Philadelphia. I think that means that the players enjoy playing behind Blanton. He's a fast worker that thorws strikes and keeps everybody invloved. Hiroki Kuroda will be pitching for the Dodgers. In his first start in nearly two months, Kuroda pitched five innings and and gave up two runs. The Phillies struggled against Kuroda last year in there only NLCS loss. I have faith that the Phillies will bounce back againsyt Kuroda and win the game.

Hamels Throws Complete Game Shutout, Phils Extend Win Streak To Seven

Cole Hamels was roughed up in his last start, but tonight he had his best outing of the season. A five hit complete game shutout against the Dodgers. It was the first complete game shutout for the Phillies this season. Cole never had any trouble throughout the whole game. He only threw 97 pitches, 68 of them were strikes and 29 of them were balls. Coming into the game Cole's ERA was 5.21. Now it stands at 4.40. Look for his ERA to go down each start he makes.
The Phillies offense did not score a whole lot of runs but all they needed was one run. They ended getting three runs for Cole. In the fourth inning Ryan Howard hit a sacrifice fly to score Chase Utley. Then, in the sixth inning Raul Ibanez doubled to score Jayson Werth. Finally, in the seventh inning the Phillies scored their final run of the game with a Jayson Werth single that scored Carlos Ruiz.
Shane Victorino did not play in tonight's game. Yesterday he left the game with a strained hip. Shane said that it is not serious and he could be able to play tomorrow. Manager Charlie Manuel says that it is more of a day-to-day injury.
Brett Myers had successful right hip surgery. Myers will begin a rehab program on Saturday. If all goes as planned, he can begin to long-toss in three months. That would mean that he could begin to start throwing in September, so chances of him pitching for the Phillies this year are slim. Myers will be a free agent at the end of the year. Myers had 10 starts this year. In those starts he was 4-3 with a 4.66 ERA. I thought that Brett was starting to find a groove. It was unfortunate that he got hurt because this could of been a very good year for Myers.
UP NEXT
Jamie Moyer will look to continue the Phillies seven game winning streak and expand there four game lead in the National League East. Last start, Jamie got his 250th win of his career and pitched very well. He went six innings and only gave up one run. Former Phillie Eric Milton will oppose Moyer. Milton has progressively gotten better with each start. Last start he seemed to struggle when he got at the 80 pitch mark. He will look to improve with his endurance.

Happ Dominates Padres

About a 90 mph fastball, and an average change-up. Yup, that's what J.A. Happ usually throws. He occasionally mixes in a cutter or a curveball but nothing overpowering. In three starts this year Happ has thrown a total of 18 1/3 innings and has only given up a total of five earned runs. How does he do it? I don't know and quite frankly, I don't care. According to Ricky Botallico, on Phillies pre-game live he says that Happ's fastball is "invisible" to hitters. Let's all just hope he can keep it going.
In the first inning, Ryan Howard got the Phillies off to another good start. He hit a two-run homerun to dead centerfield, to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead. Happ was dominating all night long. In seven strong innings Happ did not give up any runs and only allowed four hits. The Phillies tacked on another run in the fourth inning, then, in the seventh inning they broke the game open by scoring two more runs and going up 5-1.
Tonight was the game all season long that J.C. Romero was waiting for. The 51st game. Romero has served his 50 game suspension to the fullest and is back in action. Romero pitched the one and 1/3 innings and surrendered one unearned run. With good defense on his side J-Roll made a nice double play to get him out of the inning. Ryan Madson recorded the final two outs and the Phillies went on to win 5-1.
With the win over the Padres tonight, the Phillies added to there lead in the National League East and are in first place by three games over the New York Mets.
UP NEXT
Cole Hamels will get his turn in the rotation and he is looking to bounce back from a rough outing against the Nationals. In his last start, Cole was never able to settle in. In six innings he gave up six runs over eight hits. Cole's location was off. He was leaving everything up just waiting to be hit. I'm sure he will bounce back against the Dodgers. Clayton Kershaw will have the ball for the Dodgers. Kershaw last pitched agains the Rockies at hitter friendly Coors Field. He slated a quality start by only giving up three runs in six innings. Kershaw showed tremendous poise and it was a sign of growth for the lefty.

Phils Bats Go Wild

As I mentioned yesterday, Petco Park is a very big ballpark. But the size of the ballpark doesn't seem to matter for the Phillies. Antonio Bastardo was making his Major League debut, and as most players do on there first big league performance, there are usually nerves. To calm those nerves down the Phillies scored four runs in the top of the first inning. Bastardo came out throwing bullets. He was projected to throw his fastball around 91 mph, but he was throwing it 94 mph consistently. In the third inning Raul Ibanez hit his 200th career homerun and gave the Phillies a 6-0 lead. Then, in the fifth inning Greg Dobbs hit his second homerun of the season. After six innings Bastardo left the game with only surrendering one run. That run came on a solo homerun by Adrian Gonzalez. In the seventh Ibanez hit yet another homerun. That was hit 19th homeurn of the season, and it gave the Phillies a 10-1 lead. With a nine run lead Chan Ho Park came in to relieve Antonio Batardo. His job was to just throw strikes. Park could not do that. He gave up four runs in the seventh to make it a 10-5 game. Park's fellow relievers picked him up. Chad Durbin pitched a scoreless eighth and in the ninth inning with two outs he gave up an infield single and two walks. That put he bases loaded. Charlie brought in Ryan Madson to get the final out and he did the job on a one pitch save. One side note, J.C. Romero's suspension is finally up and he is eligible to pitch starting today.
UP NEXT
J.A. Happ will be on the rubber for the Phillies. Happ pitched well last start against the Nationals. He was a little wild with three walks and he had to come out after 5 1/3 innings pitched. He will look to go a little deeper in the game. Chris Young will oppose Happ. In his last start he only gave up one run adn two hits. He walked six batters. Young claims that he didn't have a good grip on the baseball, due to the conditions at Coors Field.

Blanton Goes Seven Solid

Petco Park is a big ballpark. But don't tell Ryan Howard and Chase Utley that. They won't know what your talking about. In a 2-1 Phillies lead in the fifth inning, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard hit back-to-back homeruns to give the Phillies a 4-1 lead. Joe Blanton had it going all night long. The Padres had the bases loaded in the second inning with no outs, and Blanton got a double play. The Padres did score a run but it was a good way to stay away from the big inning. In the sixth, Blanton had his only hiccup. Adrian Gonzalez and Scott Hairston went back-to-back to make it a one run game. The Phillies tacked on one more run in the eighth inning but they wouldn't need it. With Ryan Madson unavailable tonight due to to the fact that he has pitched in three consecutive ballgames, Scott Eyre took his spot and pitched a scoreless inning. Brad Lidge did his usual thing with a lights out save and the Phils went on to win 5-3. Also, J.C. Romero's suspension is almost up. He only has one more game to wait until he comes back to the mound. Romero has been pitching for the Phillies minor league teams on a rehab assignment to get his form back. One more note, the Phillies 2006 first round draft pick Kyle Drabek has been promoted to the Reading Phillies. Drabek missed most of last year with Tommy John Surgery. Drabek has electric stuff and expect for him to be up in the big leagues in the next couple seasons.
UP NEXT
Left-hander Antonio Bastardo will be making his major league debut today. Bastardo is taking over for Myers spot in the rotation, after Myers claimed that he will have surgery in the coming week. The Padres will counter with their ace Jake Peavy. Peavy pitched with tendinitis in his right anke last start. It seemed to get worse as the game went on. Peavy struggled, by allowing eight hits and four earned runs in 6 1/3 innings. Peavy should be ready to go despite his injury.