Gameday: Blue Jays (36-31) At Phillies (36-27)
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Thu, June 18, 2009 11:49 AM | Comments: 323
Gameday 2009, Posts
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Toronto Blue Jays (36-31) at Philadelphia Phillies (36-27)
Brad Mills vs. Joe Blanton (4-3, 5.17 ERA)
Time: 1:05 p.m. at Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia
Weather: Cloudy, 67
TV: Comcast SportsNet
Twitter: Phillies Nation
Joe Blanton and the Phillies will face off with Brad Mills and the Blue Jays for a Business Person’s Special today at the Bank.
Mills is making his major league debut against the Phillies. He was selected in the fourth round of the 2007 draft, ascending the Jays’ system quickly thanks to some high strikeout numbers. Mills went 3-2 with a 1.10 ERA for triple-A New Hampshire this season, getting the call to Toronto because Casey Janssen hit the disabled list with shoulder inflammation. The lefty has a weird delivery, throwing a lot of curveballs and changeups with his fastball to get his strikeouts.
The Phils will be without its best lefty hitter, as Raul Ibanez hit the disabled list today. In his place comes John Mayberry Jr., who will start in right field today. Jayson Werth goes to left field; meanwhile, Jimmy Rollins will lead off and Mayberry will hit seventh.
Your gameday beer: We’re feeling pretty crummy lately, so we need something hard and strong. I suggest Bigfoot by Sierra Nevada. This Barleywine is loaded with flavor and alcohol content, coming in at more than 9 percent. It’ll hit you like a ton of bricks. Get ready for the Gs. We sure need them today.
Go Phillies!
Posts: 0 Justin
even if people were calling for Jason Donald the kid’s on the DL with torn meniscus so he’s out up til mid July. just throwing that out there to Little Guy.
Posted: 02:54 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 The Little Guy
Justin, i know. I was being sarcastic.
Posted: 02:56 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 Miles
Little Guy, when ESPN or MLB.com or whoever use their KZone technologies it doesn’t all of a sudden get bigger when Howard walks up or smaller when Vic does. My point is not that the zone shouldn’t change, but that it is too drastic. Otherwise you could just throw 5 foot nothing guys up there all game and hope for walks.
Posted: 02:56 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 Justin
Way to fight back Joe!
Posted: 02:56 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
Nice escape job by Joe B.
Posted: 02:56 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 beta sigma shag
way to bare down JB and thanks J’s for first pitch swinging, that is the JB i know and love, never rattled just get the job done, now is time for the O to get some insurance runs
Posted: 02:57 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
98 pitches through 5 for Blanton.
Posted: 02:57 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 j reed
shag: was watching post-game show one night and Batalico and Mitch made an interesting point…Most lead off guys only lead off once a game which is the first inning, after that, chances are you won’t be batting first….I think batting behind the pitcher which happens more often than not, means you’ll not get alot to look at strike wise….how ever batting between Ibanez and the resurgent Feliz means pitchers can’t paint or afford to throw to many balls…
Posted: 02:57 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 Miles
What an escape by Blanton btw
Posted: 02:58 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 Chuck P
I agree with you, Miles… he’s a big guy to begin with so his strike zone is bigger than most to begin with but he doesn’t do himself any favors, either. I mean, he stands so far off of the plate and he’s so tall that most pitchers know that he can’t reach balls low and outside. A lot of umps will call those strikes because they’re tailing across the plate and it’s tougher to judge height… most of those pitches that are strikes for everyone else (normal sized guys) probably should not be for Howard.
Posted: 02:58 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 Miles
SEEEEYAAA
Posted: 03:01 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 The Little Guy
Okay John
Posted: 03:01 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 beta sigma shag
John MAYBERRY
Posted: 03:01 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 beta sigma shag
it will be nice to see what the kid can do playing everyday
Posted: 03:02 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 Miles
good point about the stance Chuck….although I think you would probably agree that if he did move closer to the plate people would just jam him all the time. I’m not sure he would be helping himself out that way either.
Posted: 03:02 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 Chuck P
What did I tell you??? When Ibanez gets back, Mayberry deserves a legitimate chance to be our RH bench bat… he is an opportunistic kid. Every time he gets a moment to shine, he takes it. Isn’t that what you want from a pinch hitter? I don’t think that he has to play every day to be successful… he’s not going to forget how to shag fly balls. I think that he’ll gain confidence by spending time in the bigs and getting his moments.
Posted: 03:04 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 Miles
And Chooch turns the lineup over. I bet Wheels is wetting himself with excitement.
Posted: 03:04 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 Chuck P
You’re probably right, Miles… he’s not a great inside hitter, either. I guess that he’s doing what’s best for him.
Posted: 03:07 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 Chuck
Way to go Mayberry!!!!!!!!
Werth….3 homers in the last 3 games and 4 in the past 5 days or so. Just what we need from him at this time
J-Roll!!!!!!!
Posted: 03:07 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 beta sigma shag
I agree, I like JRoll at the lead off spot, and you are right you only lead off once a game usually, maybe two, I was just saying so many people were saying where he was hitting was making him a worse hitter
Posted: 03:07 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 Chuck
I agree. Chuck P…..Mayberry for the RH pinch hitter/4th outfielder/spot starter. Get the kid 200 ABs and he’ll do ok.
Posted: 03:09 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 Chuck P
Adam Lind is some kind of hitter…
Posted: 03:09 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
well that’s great
Posted: 03:10 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 Terri
We were doing so good.
Posted: 03:11 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
ok, that’s enough of Blanton. I understand that Chollie wanted Blanton to pitch one more inning, but he’s done.
Posted: 03:11 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 The Little Guy
Chan HO!
Posted: 03:11 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 Chuck P
Mayberry just seems to shine when you tell him, “Alright, you’re going to get a chance… it will probably be a few at bats… make the most of it.” He loves that kind of pressure…
Blanton not getting it done…
Posted: 03:11 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 Chuck P
C’mon, Ho…
Posted: 03:12 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 Marc H
The Jays have been relentless in this series
Posted: 03:15 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 j reed
miles – strike zone’s height is a function of player’s height…the revised parameters are supposed to be under the arm pits to bottom of the knees….that’s why Pete Rose and Bowa had hunched over batting stances…it shrunk the strike zone but compromised there power which didn’t matter as they hit for contact
Posted: 03:17 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 The Little Guy
Parks 2 seamer is coming in nice lately.
Posted: 03:17 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 The Little Guy
Right on j reed, right on..
Posted: 03:18 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 The Little Guy
He has been nasty lately. I’m digging it.
Posted: 03:23 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 Tracey
WHEW!!! OK, so Blanton still has a chance of picking up a W. Park always makes me nervous…
Posted: 03:23 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
Chan Ho is a pimp
Posted: 03:23 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 Chuck P
this Toronto lineup is pretty good… everyone except Vernon Wells is batting over .275.
Great job, Ho.
Posted: 03:23 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 beta sigma shag
never easy but Chan Ho did the job,
Posted: 03:23 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 Miles
Money out of the pen baby! No more starts for you Chan Ho!
Posted: 03:23 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 Miles
After his recent run of success I’m going to place him above So, but still behind Tad. He will need to be effective for a couple months yet to pass Tad.
Posted: 03:26 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 Mark
Phils traded Donald, Escalona and Cash Considerations to Milwaukee for Dave Bush!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted: 03:26 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 j reed
yeah, little guy i think when he uses it with the slider he does well…sometimes he tries to pitch a more asian style game as and he gets to, well for lack of a better word …”pitcherly” for his own good
Posted: 03:26 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 j reed
mark – where’d you hear that?
Posted: 03:28 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 The Little Guy
Yeah i second j reed. I just went on mlb trade rumors, nothing on there..
Posted: 03:29 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 Mark
Joke
Posted: 03:31 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 The Little Guy
Cool! Mark
Posted: 03:32 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 j reed
I can see whjy lh batters would have a hard time with that Jays reliever
Posted: 03:34 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 j reed
Chan Ho – keep it stupid- two pitches: two seamer and slider.
Posted: 03:37 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 Miles
That was a cannon by Mayberry, but didn’t he kind of take his time after he picked the ball up there?
Posted: 03:40 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 Terri
Yea, Mayberry made a mistake taking his time and now it has cost them. Tie game
Posted: 03:43 PM on June 18, 2009
Posts: 0 tk
i wish chan ho was still pitching….ugh..romero cant find the strike zone!!
Posted: 03:45 PM on June 18, 2009