Gamenight: Astros (5-9) At Phillies (7-7)
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Wed, April 16, 2008 05:28 PM | Comments: 28
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Last night was incredible at Citizens Bank Park, with the Phillies coming back from a 3-0 deficit in the ninth inning to defeat the Astros, 4-3. Chris Snelling, Pat Burrell, Geoff Jenkins and Pedro Feliz all got huge hits, while Chase Utley got hit, all off Jose Valverde in that splendid ninth.
Tonight Kyle Kendrick will try to get back on track; Jimmy Rollins is still out, but he pinch hit yesterday and may be back tomorrow. Pedro Feliz, who has great career numbers against Roy Oswalt, will hit second.
Phillies: Kyle Kendrick (1-1), 6.14 ERA
Astros: Roy Oswalt (0-3), 9.00 ERA
Gametime: 7:05 p.m.
Weather: 62 degrees, sunny
Lineup: Werth/Feliz/Utley/Howard/Burrell/Jenkins/Ruiz/Bruntlett/Kendrick
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Your gameday beer: If Kyle Kendrick has a third-consecutive stinker, it might be time to actually send him to Japan for Kobayashi. So, hot dog eaters, have a Sapporo Draft. It’s the basic Japanese American microbrew. Not great, but not bad. Do I even have to tell you what to eat with this?
Go Phillies!
Posts: 0 Josh
Whoa, is that right? 0-3 with a 9.00 ERA for Oswalt? Let’s hope we can raise it for him tonight!
Posted: 06:02 PM on April 16, 2008
Posts: 0 Mike T
Roy Oswalt is due. He has a career 5-1 record against the Phils, with a 3.02 ERA . He’s allowed 42 hits in 8 games. With the way our offense has been playing, it’s looking like another 4-hit night, with maybe 1 or 2 runs. Kendrick usually gets solid run support, but I don’t think it’s going to happen tonight asgaint Oswalt. Plus, we’re without Jimmy again. I don’t like the looks of this at all.
Posted: 06:56 PM on April 16, 2008
Posts: 0 Mike T
We seriously need to stop giving up first inning runs. Oh, and this ump is horrible – so be prepared.
Posted: 07:21 PM on April 16, 2008
Posts: 0 Mike W.
Kendrick is 3 for 3 in first inning runs. He looked a bit better today, but still absurd
Posted: 07:24 PM on April 16, 2008
Posts: 1650 Tim Malcolm
Nice first inning run, and especially nice that it was Howard. Kendrick should be OK tonight.
Posted: 07:34 PM on April 16, 2008
Posts: 0 Mike T
It’s good to see someone who is struggling at the plate smack one right up the middle.
Posted: 07:39 PM on April 16, 2008
Posts: 1650 Tim Malcolm
Kendrick is throwing strikes — good sign.
Posted: 07:55 PM on April 16, 2008
Posts: 1650 Tim Malcolm
McCarthy just said Rollins will probably be out another “day or two,” at least, meaning maybe his return is Friday.
Posted: 08:16 PM on April 16, 2008
Posts: 0 Clare
Hooooopefully!!
Posted: 08:24 PM on April 16, 2008
Posts: 0 Mike T
Where is the offense? I’m getting tired of this.
Posted: 08:37 PM on April 16, 2008
Posts: 1650 Tim Malcolm
Impatience. That’s all it is.
Posted: 08:42 PM on April 16, 2008
Posts: 0 Mike T
The second half of our lineup is just horrible tonight. We need Jimmy back – I don’t know how much longer we can pull off wins without him.
Posted: 08:52 PM on April 16, 2008
Posts: 0 Zach Morris
I unwittingly ate and drank your gameday menu.
Posted: 08:55 PM on April 16, 2008
Posts: 0 Mike T
A combination of Howard’s horrible plate appearance and a terrible umpire – like I said earlier. This game is such a joke.
Posted: 09:11 PM on April 16, 2008
Posts: 0 Paul
Hey what else is new? Another late inning K by Howard…
At least it’s encouraging that Kendrick pitched quite well.
Posted: 09:11 PM on April 16, 2008
Posts: 0 Mike T
Due up: Burrell, Jenkins, Ruiz … Pop out, ground out, strike out.
Posted: 09:16 PM on April 16, 2008
Posts: 1650 Tim Malcolm
Fantastic, Zach.
Yeah, this team really misses the top order guys. Very one-dimensional and no patience whatsoever.
Posted: 09:18 PM on April 16, 2008
Posts: 0 Mike T
Damn I’m good.
Posted: 09:25 PM on April 16, 2008
Posts: 0 chris m
that umpire was very inconsistant
Posted: 09:52 PM on April 16, 2008
Posts: 0 MS
Rollins didn’t look great running down to first. i just hope we aren’t going to eventually have to put him on the DL. we need him back healthy and as soon as possible.
Posted: 10:28 PM on April 16, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
Last year’s team picked each other up and random guys stepped up when others were slumping. This years team has utley and burrell and good pitching from hamels and surprisingly eaton. Kendrick pitched well tonight which was very encouraging to see. i saw him use a few breaking balls even. he needs gto sharpen that into a curve as i said before but its nice to mix it up for some k’s tonight. Ryan howard is way off and has an attitude about it. he better pick it up so we can move him by the deadline. im sick of whining superstars in this city and i dont need to see history repeat itself and end with no championship and no calue in return for the star. just get him out of here for top talent that will give you depth and a future and the pieces to win a title. HE wants an unprecedented contract? well then he should be traded for an unprecedented package when he gets out of his slump. this lineup is wasting too many good starts that they may not get as the year progresses
Posted: 10:44 PM on April 16, 2008
Posts: 0 Greg
Geoff, Are you really Dave Montgomery incognito? I’m sure any “whining” by Howard pales in comparison to you.
Posted: 11:10 PM on April 16, 2008
Posts: 0 Mike W.
Why is this website (the people that read it at least) bent on being angry at the best firstbaseman this city has EVER had. Jesus. No wonder we get such a bad rep. Leave Howard alone, he’s gonna hit 45 HR and drive in 120. He is historically bad in April. Jim Thome was the exact same way. It’s been said a million times before, but it’s a marathon not a sprint. When Howard starts clicking just think how devastating we will be (assuming jroll is back finally by that point). Case in point – Howard wasn’t good last year until JUNE and we were fine.
Posted: 11:16 PM on April 16, 2008
Posts: 0 typhoon
I am glad that Kendrick had a very good rebound outing. It’s too bad he got the loss. The offense has been disappointing overall so far, but if the pitching stays this good and the offense heats up…things should be very good.
Posted: 11:48 PM on April 16, 2008
Posts: 0 Bruce
Mike W.: I’m guessing that with Burrell having great success this season and last and thus quieted his detractors, the same “fans” in need of venting their frustration over the team’s yearly slow start are now focusing on Howard. If Howard has another monster season (HRs and RBIs) that helps put the Phillies into playoffs, I’m betting you won’t hear a peep from the ex- Burrell Bashers. ;-)
Posted: 11:52 PM on April 16, 2008
Posts: 0 Mike T
Bruce, Mike W., and Greg – have you even read the, “Why I would trade Ryan Howard” article? You’re all touching the surface – dig deeper, do some reading, and then get back to me. People “whine” because they want to see this team win. Plus, a major role of this blog is to vent frustration. If you dislike it, stop coming to the site.
Posted: 07:41 AM on April 17, 2008
Posts: 0 Mike W.
The “Why I would trade Ryan Howard” article is mainly due to economics. We’re not going to pay him.
This has nothing to do with complaining about an MVP-type player who has had 2 subpar weeks in April
Posted: 09:51 AM on April 17, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
exactly. theyll probably pay hamels and try to keep burrell at a fair rate. but they are NOT paying howard.
Posted: 09:56 AM on April 17, 2008