Gamenight: Phillies (73-60) At Cubs (83-50)
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Thu, August 28, 2008 06:00 PM | Comments: 287
Posts
Headline: The need for a split starts tonight
The Major Players: Cole Hamels, Chase Utley, Aramis Ramirez, Fabio Castro
The Venue: Wrigley Field, Chicago
The Number: 0.5 games behind (Mets)
The Phillies split with the Mets, so we’re back at square one. Of course. Tonight a huge four-game set with the Cubs begins. The Cubs are the best team in the National League, by record, and should prove to be an incredibly hard test for the Phightins. The Phils took two from the Cubs back in April at Citizens Bank Park.
Curious Cub: Ryan Dempster is a crazy case. Between 1998 and 2003 he started, and had a 3.66 ERA in 2000. Other than that season, he has been pretty horrible as a starter. But this year? A 2.85 ERA.
Demp Yard: A few Phillies have hit Dempster well. Jimmy Rollins is .444 in nine at bats and Eric Bruntlett has a home run in two bats against Dempster.
Cole Snap: Cole Hamels has pitched twice in Wrigley Field. His numbers: 10 IP, 5.43 ERA.
Phillies: Cole Hamels (11-8) 3.20 ERA
Cubs: Ryan Dempster (15-5) 2.85 ERA
Gametime: 8:05 p.m. EST
Weather: 76, cloudy
Lineup:
MLB TV
MLB Gameday Audio
MLB Gameday
Your gamenight beer: My good friend and beer God recommended to me Creme Brulee Stout from the Southern Tier company. He said it wipes out dessert for a whole week, and goes best after chicken and fries. Clearly a dessert drink, it’s made for slow sipping, so enjoy it if you can tonight with Cole on the hill.
Go Phillies!
Posts: 0 Phil
That beer sounds delicious. I have to get a case.
Posted: 06:34 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
It’s Yuengling tonight, and a lot of it.
Posted: 06:55 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 ryan
ewwww…. dessert beer? sounds like something a fruitcake from queens would drink while tailgating a mets game.
Posted: 06:59 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 andrew
It’s time for Hamels to toe the rubber.
Posted: 07:02 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 Rob Cowie
I just got done writting the trip intinerary for Monday’s game in Washington…
…it’s going to be a great time.
Posted: 07:24 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 phillies and cubs have one thing in common :100 years of wack baseball
howdy guys!
Posted: 07:26 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 R.Mac
Per Jayson Stark of ESPN:
• Out like a Lamb: We’re hearing that Mike Lamb, just designated for assignment by the Twins, has told his old buddies in Houston he’d love to play in Philadelphia. And with the Phillies still hunting for a left-handed bat off the bench, they clearly would be interested. One big question is whether the Phillies (or anyone else) would try to trade for Lamb or just wait until the Twins release him. He can’t be released until next week, meaning he wouldn’t be eligible for postseason play. But because he already has cleared trade waivers, he could be dealt at any time.
What you guys think of that?
Posted: 07:30 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
Rob – I wish I was going to that. I was hoping Phillies Nation would do something like that the past few months, now I’m back at school out of state.
Posted: 07:31 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 Rob Cowie
We try to do something later in the season because it’s actually easier to get more people to attend and get everything paid off. Last year we did out trip in the begining of August I believe. But next year we will definitly look into something for around that same time, pending the schedule and all. Maybe a NY trip to check out the new stadium? If that’s even going to be possible with the already anticipated sell outs for the ’09 Mets. But, we have MLB ticket connections all over the place so if there are tickets to be got, we will get them.
Posted: 07:38 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
The philies have a good chance tonight if rich dubee doesnt interfere again. he cost them last nights game. again..
mike lamb..eh. whatever. experienced bat off the bench i guess…couldnt hurt. not a geat help. but cheap veterans dont hurt down the stretch.
Posted: 07:50 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
Yea, that would be a good time.
Posted: 07:55 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 Jamie
Rob/Tim/Brian,
You guys ever think about doing a get together or something down in Florida for Spring Training? I was down there two years ago and it was an absolute blast – I think we went to 11 games in 7 days (some day games followed by night games), and with hotels, rental cars, airfare, tickets, etc. it was like $1300 per person. Tickets were only about $160 apiece for the 11 games – very cheap.
Posted: 07:55 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 fred
I’m absoloutley gutted i can’t go too, living in england sucks balls when you follow american sports. Staying up till the early hours to see the Phillies lose guarantees the next day sucks.
Posted: 08:01 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 TJ
Big series here, let’s go Hamels!
Go Phils!
Posted: 08:03 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 TJ
Fred – you my friend, are the definition of fan.
Posted: 08:04 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 Jamie
I think the Cubs announcers just jinxed Dempster. They just said he hasn’t given up a home run in his last 9 starts. Oops…
Posted: 08:07 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 Grrrumpy Miner
Oh well…..get the ULTIMATE in “Homers” tonight on the XM .Phils vs Cubs on “The Pat and Ron show” I don’t know who’s worse of a homer….Larry Anderson or Ron Santo.I do hope the Phils win tonight because I have Hamels on my fantasy team and can use wins.
Posted: 08:09 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
How big would like a double here be by Feliz, I can only hope.
Posted: 08:14 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 TJ
Runners LOB will hurt us in this series, What the F*ck Feliz. Half ass swing, even if he did make contact where was that going? It was a groundout for sure.
Posted: 08:17 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 Jamie
Ron Santo for sure. Larry Anderson is sweet – he calls it like it is and lets the umps, Charlie, or anyone else that has it coming have it.
Posted: 08:17 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 fred
Oh Pedro why’d you swing !?! Dempster couldn’t find the zone and he let him off by not taking those last 2 pitches. Ah well a leads a lead, and Hamels has something to work with from the start.
Posted: 08:18 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 TJ
Oh Baby, Cole is on tonight.
Posted: 08:19 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 fred
Strrrrrrrike 3 !
Posted: 08:20 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
I wish I was able to see this game tonight, it looks like King Cole’s stuff is working hard.
Posted: 08:25 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 fred
Good catch by Utley to end the inning, although I’m not sure what happened with the play before that where he went the wrong way
Posted: 08:25 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 TJ
Yeah his instinct took him the exact wrong way.
Posted: 08:32 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 TJ
Paint them corners Cole.
Posted: 08:32 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 fred
Good work Cole. He’s on tonight
Posted: 08:35 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
God, I hate not being able to see Hollywood on his game tonight.
Posted: 08:39 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 TJ
Pat the Bat, clutch again. GIDP.
Posted: 08:40 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
Burrell is really killing us, I would have given him the night off tonight.
Posted: 08:40 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 fred
Burrell is so, so bad at the moment.
Posted: 08:40 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 TJ
NEPA, get the MLB.tv or were you the one that lived too close?
Posted: 08:41 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 fred
Looks like Hamels is gonna have to be pretty awesome tonight, Dempster looks like he’s settled down after a shaky start.
Posted: 08:42 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
No, I always get it in the beginning and end of the school year. I’m actually getting it tomorrow. I wanted to make sure that I get all the way up to the final game of the season.
Posted: 08:43 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 fred
mlb.tv is amazing. Shame you can’t choose the announcers you get though
Posted: 08:44 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
Yea, I love mlb.tv, except for the first time I got it I didn’t realize they keep charging you. So I paid for a full summer without realizing it.
Posted: 08:45 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 fred
I hate subscriptions which automatically renew. Even when you try to stop, you can’t find out how too etc., just a pain in the arse basically to have to ring up/email someone to stop sometihng
Posted: 08:48 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 TJ
Cole is fire right now.
Posted: 08:48 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
Yea, they actually had a checkbox for automatic renewal and I said No, and they still did it. Who knows.
Posted: 08:50 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 TJ
I was at that Millwood no-no… Wierd I was just talking about it.
Posted: 08:50 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 David, the Mets fan from Queens
“ryan Says: wwww…. dessert beer? sounds like something a fruitcake from queens would drink while tailgating a mets game.”
A bit resentful, no? That’s worse than seeing Feliz swinging at first pitches.
Posted: 08:55 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 TJ
Fairly quick game, no?
Posted: 08:58 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 fred
Damn leaving runners on base.
Posted: 08:58 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 Griffin
hey, I’m from Queens and drink while tailgating before mets games, I just happen to wear Phillies gear!
I got tix to the US open next Friday during the day, and then the Muts vs. Phils on Friday night. I’m doing the doublheader….in my Victorino jersey!!!
Posted: 08:59 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
Tim, I have a beer recommendation, you might have already heard of this but Little Kings Cream Ale from Lion Brewery in Wilkes-Bare,PA. It comes in small 7 oz. bottles which is pretty unique, but it has a nice smooth finish. And I feel like a giant putting away the small bottles one after another. Check it out if you haven’t heard of it.
Posted: 09:00 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 fred
Very quick. Good thing too, because i’m knackered. Think this may be my last inning, it’s 2 a.m :( Good play by Howard, who’s D has improved noticably over the last week
Posted: 09:03 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 Griffin
hey Fred, you catch any EPL games over there? I’m thinking of heading to London this year to catch a Spurs match at White Hart Lane.
Posted: 09:04 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 fred
That’s a nice day of sports Griffin. Me and my dad are coming over for the friday and saturday game in NY then getting the train down to philly for the eagles game and the first marlins game, then it’s back to england :(
Posted: 09:05 PM on August 28, 2008
Posts: 0 fred
Yeah i’m a big west ham fan, so usually get to about 6 or 7 games a year, including the west ham-spurs game. Usually good games since it’s quite a fierce rivalry.
Posted: 09:07 PM on August 28, 2008