Moyer Hooks Marlins For 1.5-Game Lead
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Sun, September 21, 2008 09:56 PM | Comments: 60
Posts
To seize playoff positioning, the Phillies got a huge lift … from Clay Condrey.
The Phillies defeated the Marlins 5-2, taking two of three from the Fish and moving to 1.5 games ahead in the NL East.
Jamie Moyer pitched a solid six innings, scattering six hits while striking out four, and getting his 15th win of the season. He was composed, sharp and in big-game mode. The Marlins had no real answer for him.
Meanwhile, the Phils got on the board in the third via a Chase Utley home run, his first in almost a month. He was aided by a Jimmy Rollins infield single in the fourth, giving the Phils a quick 3-0 lead. The Marlins made it interesting with one in the sixth and one in the seventh, plus loading the bases, but Clay Condrey got the biggest out of his career with a groundout by Cody Ross.
Condrey wasn’t the only piece of the pen that got the job done. Brad Lidge didn’t make it easy, but earned his 40th save in as many chances. And kudos to Ryan Madson, who again punched in for the eighth inning. His 16th hold of the season secured his place as the eighth-inning reliever for the final six.
Once Madson departed, insurance came via a Pedro Feliz homer. He replaced Greg Dobbs, who injured his right ankle but said he can play Monday.
But back to these final six — and what a final six it’ll be. With a half-dozen to go, the Phils need a couple wins to punch their playoff card for a second straight season.
Associated Press photo
Posts: 0 Phil
I’m smelling a division repeat. I’d love to see an NLCS of the Mets and Phillies with the Phillies winning it so the Mets trolls will just go away.
Posted: 10:15 PM on September 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Chris C
Any possible way to get a magic number countdown on the site? I am sure I can do the math (as sure as I was when I said Myers should go the pen when he came back up), but it will be really sweet to be at the office and seeing that number at zero.
As for the playoffs, I think we are in, and the cubs are the only team in NL who can beat the Phils and they do not really worry me that much. The only thing that I am worried about is the Mets, not that I think they can beat us, but because I loved out of Queens a few months ago and I hate Mets fans.
Posted: 10:23 PM on September 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Tomato
Right now the magic number is 6 for the NL East and 3 for the Wild Card
(Add second place team’s losses plus 1st place team’s wins and subtract from 163)
Posted: 10:27 PM on September 21, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
The last thing I want to see on this site is the magic number. No problem with posters talking about it, but I don’t think it should be permanently posted on the site’s main page for superstition reasons.
Posted: 10:33 PM on September 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Greg V.
Well, the Phils get the Braves and the Nats. The Mets get the Cubs and the Fish! Unless we really screw things up, I would think we should get the NL East!
Posted: 10:34 PM on September 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
I CANT WAIT…
were ALL all-in now…it doesnt matter how inadequate we think they might be…theyre going! and its gonna be fun….lets just see what they do. theyve proven us ALL wrong this year already. theyve been so inconsistent but right now theyre doing what they need to do to get to the playoffs.
so the magic number to clinch a playoff spot is 3???
Posted: 10:40 PM on September 21, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
Hopefully the Cubs are playing somewhere at full power and not sitting too many people. I think they will be, plus the Mets have some tough pitching match-ups ahead. The last 2 days were huge for the Phillies. After Friday night I really didn’t see them pulling off the last 2 of this series.
Posted: 10:42 PM on September 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Joey
Well dumbass Ike Reese went ahead and declared the Phillies “in the playoffs” on his show tonight. He said there was no way we could blow this lead with Atlanta and Washington ahead. Obviously someone needs to teach Ike a think or two about how things are done around here…Stick to football Ike. No lead is ever safe in this city.
Posted: 10:46 PM on September 21, 2008
Posts: 1650 Tim Malcolm
Nah, no magic numbers here. We take one game at a time.
Posted: 10:51 PM on September 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Georgie
Yeah, Chris, I don’t think you’ll be seeing a magic number here until it’s ZERO. Alot of us Phils fans have a bit of a superstitious streak, long history of weird stuff happening.
Posted: 10:51 PM on September 21, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
Thank you Tim. Agreed 100%.
Posted: 10:54 PM on September 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Manny
Please NO magic numbers here… I agree with NEPA and Tim…the Mets had one a few days ago and look what’s happening to them….!
Posted: 10:58 PM on September 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Georgie
This is SO exciting, we’re almost there, but I’ll tell you right now, if something happens, I’m going to cry, and I can cause I’m a girl.
Posted: 11:05 PM on September 21, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
Haha, Georgie I’m a guy and I’d probably be reduced to whimpering.
Posted: 11:06 PM on September 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Georgie
It’s ok NEPA, we’ve all been there.
Posted: 11:09 PM on September 21, 2008
Posts: 0 JeffR
The magic number for the wild card is 4; 3 is only good for a tie. We lead the Brewers bt 3 with 6 to play.
Posted: 11:45 PM on September 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Chris.I
JeffR is a Mets fan, so the superstition doesn’t affect us. He’s just wants to see us collapse.
Posted: 12:02 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Greg B
The W for this series was HUGE. Phils historically suck in ProPlayer or JoeRobbie or whatever the hell company bought the naming rights this season. To hold a team on a 9W offensive TEAR to consecutive days of 2-run ball? This is exactly what the Phils couldn’t do against the Rockies last year.
Posted: 12:06 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
This board is so quiet now that it’s Eagles season. I hate football.
Posted: 12:37 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 JeffR
No, why would you say I’m a Mets fan just because I post the correct magic number for the wild card , which had nothing to do with the Mets.
Posted: 12:38 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Brooks
How sweet it is… my post season tickets are winking at me every day.
As the saying goes, “It ain’t over till its over!”
We have owned the Braves the entire year (13-2) but we are not as fortunate with the lowly Nats (9-6).
Glad to see the last of those stupid fish and I’d venture to say that the Cubs will give the Muts a hard time. It is looking none too shabby eh boys?
Posted: 12:40 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Paul
Bring it home Phils!
Well done yet again Mr. Moyer! Man, he just keeps getting it done, especially against the Fish.
Posted: 12:54 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Mark
Way to go Phils! It’s looking real good. Win 4 of 6 and we’re in. Look for the Mets to go 3-4 against the Cubs and Brewers at best.
Posted: 12:59 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Chris.I
It’s just bad luck to mention ”magic numbers”. Like Tim said, It’s one game at a time. We should concentrate on the Braves and the Nats, rather than worry about a magical number.
Posted: 01:02 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Nationals#1
funny, i haven’t sen many mets trolls on this site lately
Posted: 03:03 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Lewisauce
Geoff, they’ve proven you and I wrong. (And maybe Mike T.)
I’m tasting crow as I say this, but they’ve proved Don M. right. And maybe even Bruce.
The curmudgeon in me is grumbling.
Posted: 03:14 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Rob Cowie
You’ll never see magic numbers here on Phillies Nation.
Posted: 07:12 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 harry
yeah, metsblog put up a counter for there magic number like two weeks ago. kinda funny that its right around the time they started to skid.
Posted: 08:06 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 NJ
Magic number… Is anyone else finding it really hard to adjust to this team winning consistently, on their own merits, by beating the opponent and not just being lucky? I’ve critisized this team a lot here but maybe all it is familiarity, maybe the myth of teams playing better in situations they know is no myth at all and the Phils know how to chase hard in September but aren’t familar and comfortable with a mid-season division lead.
Here’s to September…
Posted: 08:08 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Debbie Downer
Just remember that the Mets held a 2 game lead with 6 to play last year, so don’t go buying your “Phillies 2008 NL East Champs” t-shirts just yet.
I’m going to continue to be cautiously optimistic. There’s a million reasons to explain why that wont happen in reverse this year, but as we know, baseball doesn’t always follow logic.
Posted: 08:57 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Debbie Downer
Plus…..Cubs won’t play to win now that they’ve clinched and are hungover as hell for the champagne.
Posted: 08:58 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Lewisauce
Debbie brings up a good point. The Cubs are a good team that will play their backups and start their scrubby pitchers this week. I think the Mets actually have the easier schedule. Spoiler teams are scary. (Look at the Nats last year.)
Posted: 09:13 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
The Cubs need 2 more wins to get home field advantage. They’ll be playing their starters. The Cubs will probably take 2 against the Mets and then let the Brewers beat up on their AAA team.
Posted: 09:18 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Griffin
If anyone else wants to enjoy the Mets misery, listen to wfan.com from 10-1. Those guys are HUGE mets fans and go crazy after bullpen meltdowns. It’s quite entertaining.
But more importantly, we’re peaking at the right time. I doubted this team and they’ve proven me wrong.
If we go 4-2, the Mets will have to go 6-1 to win the division.
Posted: 10:07 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Georgie
Hey Tim, the “a bit aged” Moyer pulled thru again, looks like some of us aged folks are pretty well preseved-it’s all in the genes. Oh, and no smoking cigarettes, they’ll put wrinkles on your face quicker than Sarah Palin can slay a salmon.
Posted: 10:11 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
hahahahahahahaha “quicker than Sara Palin can slay a salmon.” Classic.
Posted: 10:12 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 MikeD
so… general question for you guys.
If you are the phillies, do you start popping champagne once you clinch a playoff spot? or do you hold off on that and try to win the division first before celebrating?
or maybe both?
Posted: 10:17 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
Both.
Posted: 10:20 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
Both
Posted: 10:21 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Richie Allen
I THINK WE WOULD LIKE TO GO A BIT FARTHER THAN THE PLAYOFF SPOT THIS YEAR….
Posted: 10:24 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Don M
both
Posted: 10:25 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Don M
Would you guys rather play the Dodgers or the Cubs??
I think I’d rather play the Cubs in the playoffs, the Dodgers scare me a little bit
Posted: 10:26 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
I’d rather play the Dodgers, I would not want to face Harden and that offense. That team plays so well as a whole.
Posted: 10:28 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Matt
Honestly, we’re going to have to play the best to get to the WS (and win) the WS anyway. Might as well get it out of the way and catch a sleeping Cubs team.
Posted: 10:31 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Don M
yea but we went 4-3 against them, and it could/should have been 6-1 Phillies in the season series..
Dodgers offense is really starting to click. they are putting up like 7 runs a game in their wins this month
Posted: 10:32 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Don M
are Harden and Zambrano back to being healthy, or they still having arm problems?
Posted: 10:34 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Debbie Downer
I’d rather play and beat the Braves and then the Nationals and worry about the rest later.
Posted: 10:34 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 mikem
Why would anyone post magic number. When the mets posted there number.they went in the toilet. Whoever runs this blog should have not let it post. It had to be a stinking low life, social outcast .who is the biggest loser in life to do it. Please remove it. And stop that person from ever posting again.
Posted: 10:49 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 mikem
Cub won’t pitch harden this week or zambrano.
Posted: 10:50 AM on September 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Georgie
I’m with Debbie, let’s actually clinch this thing first, I’ve learned to never count your chickens….
mikem, it’s ok to talk about the magic number, but you just can’t post it up here in a permanent position. Take it from the queen of superstious rules and behavior.
Posted: 10:58 AM on September 22, 2008