Gamenight: Marlins (72-71) At Phillies (78-65)
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Mon, September 08, 2008 06:08 PM | Comments: 126
Posts
Headline: Phils hit home stretch needing wins
The Major Players: Joe Blanton, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Anibal Sanchez, Mike Jacobs, Hanley Ramirez
The Venue: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pa..
The Number: 2 games behind (Mets)
A successful (but not completely satisfying?) 2-of-3 from the Mets at Shea brings the Phillies to the final batch of games, starting with a crucial three-gamer at home against the Marlins. For the Phils, they could make up some ground. For the Fish, the season could be over after this week. It’s up to the Phils to vanquish the kids from Dade County.
Ani-Ball: Sanchez faced the Phils on Aug. 6, giving up three earned runs in five innings. He lost that game.
The 40 Club: Ryan Howard hit a home run off Sanchez in that win. He has 40 home runs for the third-consecutive season, the first Phillie to ever do such a thing.
Up The Stairs: Matt Stairs spells Pat Burrell again tonight. Burrell is mired in a secon-half slump, and is the worst hitter in baseball since Aug. 7.
Phillies: Joe Blanton (6-12) 4.79 ERA
Marlins: Anibal Sanchez (2-3) 5.54 ERA
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EST
Weather: 82, partly cloudy
Lineup: Rollins/Victorino/Utley/Howard/Werth/Dobbs/Stairs/Ruiz/Blanton
MLB TV
MLB Gameday Audio
MLB Gameday
Your gamenight beer: Who wants a good IPA? You do? Then pick up Smuttynose IPA, or “Finest Kind.” A hell of a drink, it’ll have you hoppin’ all over Philly tonight. Hopefully the Phils have some hop in their step for this big tilt.
Go Phillies!
Posts: 0 Manny
Big series. We need to start winning these games. 13 at home, 6 on the road. Let’s win this one –one game at a time
Posted: 06:39 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 Jamie
With the Mets idle, we HAVE to win this game.
Posted: 07:00 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
No need to even say big series – they’re all huge from here on out.
Posted: 07:10 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
If Jimmy can do that a lot in the last 19 games, I think we’ll be pretty successful. That is, of course, if our power hitters don’t go into huge funks.
Posted: 07:12 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 Fred
Everyone needs to play smart. Work the counts, make the routine plays, move the runner, hit the cutoff… One play at a time.
Posted: 07:18 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 SJ Mike
So far, so good.
Posted: 07:19 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
Blanton scares the piss outta me.
Posted: 07:26 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
I see Geoff coming on soon: “Get Blanton out right now. He’s not on his game tonight, so get him out of there before he causes too much damage.”
Posted: 07:29 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 SJ Mike
Blanton is a contact pitcher. For whatever reason, he’s been walking batters like crazy lately and this is why he has been poor.
Posted: 07:31 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
Get Blanton out right now. He’s not on his game tonight, so get him out of there before he causes too much damage.
Posted: 07:32 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 Jamie
Come on Blanton. For Christsakes, just because the offense spotted you, it doesn’t mean you have to give it back.
Posted: 07:33 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
Geoff, was I pretty close with my prediction?
Posted: 07:33 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 SJ Mike
Brain fart by Howard.
Posted: 07:34 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 philsphan
Recently Blanton and for that matter Kendrick just haven’t been strikes. They’ve been walking too many batters and not getting batters out when men are on base.
Blanton was supposed to be an “innings eater” but hasn’t gone very far in games recently. He did do well in August for the Phillies though.
Posted: 07:34 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
What the hell Howard.
Posted: 07:34 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 Mike T.
all those nice plays by howard lately….. erased. what a horrible play. idiot.
Posted: 07:35 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 PhilPhan
i just turned it on, someoen please explain what he did. i saw him upset
Posted: 07:36 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 Mike T.
guy on third and first, one out, groundball to howard, runs the batter down to tag, doesn’t throw home.
Posted: 07:37 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 Mike T.
run scores.
Posted: 07:37 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 SJ Mike
Runner on third breaking for home on a soft ground ball. Howard had a dead play at the plate, but he was charging the batter running up the line slowly and decided to tag him instead of throwing home.
Posted: 07:37 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 SJ Mike
At least they’re jumping on Sanchez.
Posted: 07:41 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 Jamie
The two pudgy guys get it done! Nice! Well, three pudgy guys if you count Blanton.
Posted: 07:43 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 mikemike
I hate blanton nothing personal its just he stinks and people really bought into the hype.That he didn’t get run support bull shit he stinks cheap bastard owners.
Posted: 07:43 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 PhilPhan
thanks for the explanation. and lol mikemike
Posted: 07:45 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
Great AB by Utley – we’ll see if K-How can get something done here vs. a lefty.
Posted: 07:53 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 Fred
There’s always a reason most of these teams give up players like Blanton. And it’s not because they’re good.
Posted: 07:54 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 Jamie
Okay, it’s nice that Sanchez is out of the game and all, but the offense needs to keep going. I’m tired of seeing them get shut out by bullpens after the starters are lifted.
Posted: 07:56 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 SJ Mike
Well, Jamie, not bad basehit then for Howard to get another run there.
Posted: 07:56 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
Could Kalas have been any less excited? I’m not sure if he was confused or thinking of his next nap, but he seemed like he couldn’t care less.
Posted: 07:57 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 SJ Mike
Kalas doesn’t usually get into it until 7th inning on.
Though I did get a kick out of hearing Wheeler going through the entire Florida infield to figure out which cutoff man was missed when Blanton hit the sac fly.
Posted: 07:59 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
Haha, he did mention Uggla, Jacobs and “the first basemen” Cantu.
Posted: 08:02 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 Jamie
Yup, time for big Joe to give some runs back.
Posted: 08:03 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 Manny
I like seeing the 2007 Phillies back, at least for this game. Getting a bunch of hits, good to see that, especially coming from Utley, Howard, Jimmy
Posted: 08:07 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
Wow, Blanton.
Posted: 08:08 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 Jamie
Okay, I’ll say it Geoff. Time to get Blanton out of here.
Posted: 08:08 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 Manny
Blanton is NOT a playoff pitcher…I don’t know what we’re gonna do if we make it. Kendrick better get his A game back.
Posted: 08:09 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
Low/inside fastball to Jacobs? Really, he’d be hard pressed to find a worse pitch/spot to throw the ball.
Posted: 08:10 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 Smith
Blanton sucks. He has to know that Jacobs is a low ball hitter. WTF was that pitch. I have a feeling this is going to be one of those 20 runs total game.
Posted: 08:10 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 Jamie
If we make it to the playoffs, I’d like to see them just go to a 3 man rotation – Hamels, Myers, and Moyer. The off-day in between games will have them pitching on 4 days rest, most likely.
Posted: 08:11 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 BrettMyersbeatshiswife
actually Jacobs likes to pull the outside pitch. classic low ball lefty.
Posted: 08:11 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 BrettMyersbeatshiswife
but yeah Blanton sucks
Posted: 08:12 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 Mike T.
pitchers duel tonight.
Posted: 08:12 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 Manny
Sidenote: I can’t believe that ADAM EATON makes more money that Rollins and Utley
Posted: 08:12 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 J-Man
Blanton=garbage.
Posted: 08:13 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 Manny
I wouldn’t say garbage, J-Man. He’s been decent with the Phillies so far. We would definitely be worse off with Eaton. But I do think that we needed to bring a really good pitcher to boost our rotation, not a Blanton-type guy.
Posted: 08:15 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 J-Man
Manny-Everybodys better than Eaton,but yea they need to stop getting the “B-list” players like Blanton and get someone better Blanton not a pitcher thats gonna pitch you to the playoffs.
Posted: 08:18 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 Manny
We agree. I’m just pointing out that “B-list” is NOT = garbage
Posted: 08:21 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
Is that Joe Blanton in the batter’s box?
Posted: 08:24 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
if blanton had a good pithcing coach hed be a serviceable 4th guy. but we have like a bunch of number 5′s. a number 2, and a number 1 that acts like a number 2 because hes a whacko
Posted: 08:24 PM on September 8, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
and a terrible pitching coach.
Posted: 08:26 PM on September 8, 2008