Gameday: Brewers (83-65) At Phillies (81-67)
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Sun, September 14, 2008 12:40 PM | Comments: 106
Posts
Headline: All eyes on Blanton in game one
The Major Players: Joe Blanton, Greg Dobbs, Pat Burrell, Ryan Madson, Dave Bush, Ray Durham, JJ Hardy, David Riske
The Venue: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pa.
The Number: 2.5 games behind (Mets) NL East; 2 games behind (Brewers) Wild Card
It’s Sunday, Sept. 14, and the Phillies stand two games behind the Brewers, with a shot at tying them up for the Wild Card lead at the end of the night. The focus will be Joe Blanton, who has struggled mightly lately. He’ll need to go deep to give the Phils a chance to grab the win.
No Right Way: To Blanton’s advantage, the Brewers are hitting just .247 against right-handed pitching, with a .738 OPS. And today is the first time Blanton will have ever faced Milwaukee.
Brew Baker: Phillies left-handed batters are hitting .263 this season, all the reason to stack the lineup with them.
The Bat Returneth?: Then again, Pat Burrell could lift himself from his slump today. He’s hitting .400 with three homers and five RBI against Dave Bush for his career.
Century Mark: With a home run today, the Phils will have hit 100 homers at Citizens Bank Park this season.
Phillies: Joe Blanton (7-12) 4.86 ERA
Brewers: Dave Bush (9-10) 4.23 ERA
Gametime: 1:35 p.m. EST
Weather: 88, partly cloudy
Lineup: Rollins/Werth/Utley/Howard/Burrell/Victorino/Dobbs/Ruiz/Blanton
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Your gameday beer: As summer departs and we get one beautiful Sunday of hot weather, crack open a hefeweizen. We go to Widmer, which isn’t a bad alternative to your Blue Moons or whatever basic white/wheat/hef you enjoy. On tap at a good lot of bars, it’s served with a lemon. So if you’re a fruiter, this one works. Have some mini quesadillas with this.
Go Phillies!
Posts: 0 Choke Utley
why do we keep strolling pat burell out there?
And who believes this guy could get over 10 mil in free agentcy? (only if he has Ahole Boras representing him) I could care less if we have him back, he goes hot for a little while but he always has a half of season every year where he cant hit.
Posted: 12:45 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Craig
CUE bURRELL GOING 3 – 5 3RBI’s and a HR.
Posted: 12:50 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 SJ Mike
From CWPhilly.com
“Friday’s Phillies-Brewers Game rescheduled for Sunday Night (Sept. 14) WILL be televised on The CW Philly at 7:30 PM.”
Posted: 12:50 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Craig
Damn caps.
Posted: 12:51 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Durbinator
I am guessing that Stairs will start for Burrell in the second game?
Posted: 01:11 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 mikemike
I didn’t see the lineup. dont tell me. Burrell is in left. Cheap Bastard owners.They want there money worth. will throw him out there nomatter what.
Posted: 01:29 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 mikemike
no more blanton where is don m he likes blanton. I know he is really montgomery . But he has to omit blanton stinks.
Posted: 01:40 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Johnny
How is a fastball over the middle of the plate a good pitch to throw 0-2 or 2-2? Oh wait Blanton, it isn’t.
Posted: 01:42 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 mikemike
So in our pennant drive we pick up Joe blanton, matt stairs, igucho,eyre. way to go gillick that a way to strength the team
Posted: 01:45 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Durbinator
Eyre has been a good pick-up and Stairs has been good in his limited playing time. We didn’t give up anything for Iguchi.
The Blanton trade was bad at the time and still is now though.
Posted: 01:48 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Johnny
Yeah pat …. keep that ball in play
Posted: 01:55 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 mikemike
point is we needed a top starter not blanton. It the same with the off season instead of going out and getting either a top pitcher or third basemen for fifteen million we spend it on three cheap players.
Posted: 01:57 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Durbinator
I agree. I am just saying that generally the Front Office does better with in-season deals than in the off-season. We should have been going after Sabathia or even Harden but apparently did not have the prospects because our farm system is so weak. The Blanton trade got rid of two of our better prospects for another 4th starter while we needed a 1 or 2 starter.
Posted: 02:09 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 mikemike
So we give up our number one rated prospect[cardenas] outman[seventh rated] and spencer[fourteen ] doesn’t make any sense. When the cubs got harden for less. Our general manager couldn’t sell oakland on our prospect for harden, and raped us for blanton.
Posted: 02:16 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Durbinator
mikemike: I am agreeing with you. I’m just saying that the other in-season deals besides Blanton were good or at least not bad. Even last year (Romero) and the year before (Moyer).
Posted: 02:21 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Evan
Way to get things started Chase!
Posted: 02:25 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 NJ
Nicely put mikemike, Beane new exactly what he wanted from Philly and he got it. It’s tough to say we should have been in the mix for Harden but given the deal we should have been able to offer a competitive package without denting the system. Cardenas was treated with fear and Outman with distain and the incoming FO needs to change the way players are drafted/recruited.
Blanton’s a decent pick-up and Cincy were almost going to give up much more than we did prior to the season but it’s tough to see where he fits in with his salary escalating through arbitration and the Moyer/Kendrick back-end. He doesn’t have the quality of pitches to be a number 2 and going into the next season as a 3 your relying on Myers to be the 2 with an aweful lot of time on his hands to regress again.
Posted: 02:25 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Johnny
thats because Oakland wasn’t going to give Harden to phlly for anyone other than Carrasco … but i totally agree … going after CC this offseason is not a good idea. the money he is going to command is better spent on developing our farm boys and getting carrasco and jamillio …who knows maybe even that egomaniacal savery up to the big league club.
Posted: 02:27 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 NJ
Gillicks made a few good support moves (Moyer, Bruntlett, Eyre) but he’s had an aweful lot of luck with waiver/off the radar pick-ups (Dobbs, Durbin, Romero, Werth) but Lidge could have easily gone the other way and the other major deals have been poor and he let a few guys go he shouldn’t have. There was no way in hell Gio Gonzalez should have been made available in any deal barring a blockbuster for one.
Posted: 02:29 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 NJ
I think Jayson Werth might have made a deal for Harden an option, a lot of wise baseball minds say trade strength for need.
Posted: 02:30 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Johnny
Whats up Dobbs!!! way to bring that glove.
Posted: 02:35 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Evan
some good defense to get outta a bad start to the inning
Posted: 02:38 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 NJ
They have to start jumping on bad pitching… You can’t chase Manny Parra and then make Dave Bush hold you to 4 baserunners
Posted: 02:40 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 ataraxite
Is it just me or does Greg Dobbs=Ben Affleck?
Posted: 02:43 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Evan
wow good catch
Posted: 02:49 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
No, THIS is Greg Dobbs – http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2501483264/nm0001555.
Posted: 02:57 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Johnny
haha duder’s a dead ringer … add the soul patch minus the glasses and it IS Dobbs.
Posted: 02:59 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 SJ Mike
Boo ya Ryan Howard! Way to get back into it!
Posted: 03:01 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Johnny
Ryan Howard has done it again!!!!
Posted: 03:01 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 NJ
Well Howards pretty much back now… Lucky there’s still a lot of baseball left…….
Posted: 03:03 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Jason
NJ no theres not you could say that if 2 months of baseball left
Posted: 03:05 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
Yea, I honestly think they might be twin brothers.
Posted: 03:05 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 NJ
sarcasm fully intended, Howards stats show up nicely for arbitration don’t they and were suppose to believe he’s a gamer?
Posted: 03:11 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Durbinator
Trading Werth would have made this outfield offense awful, especially with Burrell’s recent slump.
Posted: 03:28 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Brian
Great job Ruiz.
Posted: 03:37 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Brian
Is there anyone watching this game it’s really quiet in here
Posted: 03:37 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 SJ Mike
8th inning jitters I think, Brian. It gets very quiet every 8th inning recently.
Posted: 03:38 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Johnny
luckily the arbitrator will be looking at at .244 avg … and an inability to throw from 1st … not just the 44+ home runs
Posted: 03:38 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Brian
I know 8th inning has been a killer, werth great job. Lets get him in
Posted: 03:39 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 SJ Mike
But yes, to agree with you, Ruiz did a great job getting his glove on the ground so that there wasn’t a shred of doubt for the first base umpire.
Posted: 03:40 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
I feel like Sunday day games are always really quiet in here. Tonight should be much more entertaining.
Posted: 03:40 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Joe
Bullpen is in for the Mets, and the Braves have two on with one out.
Posted: 03:43 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Brian
Never see chase bunt. Not sure I agree with that of course they walk howard.
Posted: 03:43 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
Interesting idea there, I think I like it.
Posted: 03:43 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Brian
Joe smith has been good for them about the only one in that pen that has been
Posted: 03:44 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
Haha, they’re bringing in Gagne. We better take the lead off this garbage.
Posted: 03:44 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Evan
This isn’t a bad situation for the Phils to be in. Lets see if Burell can start doing something to redeem himself.
Posted: 03:45 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 SJ Mike
Ned Yost looked in absolute pain!
Posted: 03:45 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
YES. What a slide by Werth.
Posted: 03:46 PM on September 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Johnny
yeah holy diver!!!! way to drive in werth!!
Posted: 03:46 PM on September 14, 2008