Gameday: Astros (73-84) at Phillies (91-66)
Posted by Pat Gallen, Wed, September 30, 2009 06:09 PM | Comments: 249
Gameday 2009, Posts
Houston Astros (73-84) at Philadelphia Phillies (91-66)
Brian Moehler, RHP (8-11, 5.21 ERA) vs. Pedro Martinez, RHP (5-1, 3.32 ERA)
Time: 7:05 p.m at Citizens Bank Park
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 54
TV:Comcast Sportsnet
Twitter: Phillies Nation
On this crisp, autumn evening, all it takes is a victory. A win tonight, and the Phillies will clinch their third straight NL East crown, and in the process give their players some much needed rest.
Pedro Martinez is the man that will lead them tonight. He has not pitched since September 19 because of a stiff neck, but the kinks are out and he’s ready to throw. Martinez suffered his only loss of the season in that outing against Atlanta, going three innings, while allowing three runs before he was lifted with the neck strain. Before that, he had been spectacular, winning five of his previous seven outings.
He hasn’t faced the Astros since August 2008, and overall his numbers aren’t pretty. Pedro is 6-7 with a 4.03 ERA lifetime in 16 starts against Houston. But tonight, throw the numbers away, because Pedro is known to do big things in big spots.
Brian Moehler opposes Pedro tonight. The Phillies have hit him hard, as his 6.19 ERA indicates. He’s started eight times against the Phils, giving up 60 hits and 33 earned runs. This give the Fightin’s a surefire opportunity to clinch tonight.
The champagne is chilling, the plastic tarps are ready, now there’s only one thing left to do. Win.
NOTES: Carlos Ruiz is back in the lineup and Brett Myers is available out of the bullpen if needed.
Tonight’s lineup: Rollins (SS), Victorino (CF), Utley (2B), Howard (1B), Ibanez (LF), Werth (RF), Feliz (3B), Ruiz. (C), Martinez (P).
Your Gameday Beer – Beck’s
Beck’s, a classic German Brewery, provides tonight’s beer like a present wrapped neatly in tin foil. It’s certainly not the best German beer but it is popular and widely available. Like similar mass-produced pilsners it has that traditional rice and corn beer taste, though not has strong as a Bud or Miller product. It of course goes well with Wiener Schnitzel otherwise known as veal cutlets. – By Brian
GO PHILLIES!
Posts: 0 NJ
Becks… Brian must have been watching Das Boot
Posted: 06:24 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 575 Brian Michael
Heh, actually I was listening to RZA and he mentioned it.
Posted: 06:51 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 NJ
Just in time for Oktoberfest…
Go Phils!
Posted: 07:02 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 ray
Let’s get the hat trick tonight
Posted: 07:03 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 Ed R.
Hope everyone’s got their Trojan’s with them because its time to wrap this up and move on.
Posted: 07:05 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 Terri
this is not what I pictured…
Posted: 07:13 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 Andrew
Lets hope the braves lose. no celebrating though if backing in
Posted: 07:20 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 Ed R.
way to be a buzz kill Pedro.
Posted: 07:20 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 ray
it’s only 1-0. too many pitches bullpen will have to help out big time tonight
Posted: 07:22 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 Mostone
Well that could have been a lot worse. Coulda been better…
Posted: 07:22 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 jt
just not gonna be tonight looks like pedro back to sucking.
Posted: 07:24 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 NJ
Well that could have been A LOT worse…
Posted: 07:24 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 jt
That astros team just won’t go down without a fight even though their already eliminated.
Posted: 07:28 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 Ed R.
The Stros shouldn’t go down without a fight. Hopefully our boys came to the park ready to box.
Posted: 07:29 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 NJ
The Astros are what the Ed Wade Phillies must have seemed like from the outside
Posted: 07:30 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 ray
they are professionals, they get paid a lot of money, even the nationals
Posted: 07:30 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 1429 Pat Gallen
Hopefully that gives Chase a pick me up. He needs some hits.
Posted: 07:30 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 Mostone
Hey – tie game now. Let’s go Pedro.
Posted: 07:31 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 ray
I meant to say they aren’t going to go down without a fight, the get paid a lot of money blah blah blah
Posted: 07:31 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 Terri
Time for Pedro to settle down
Posted: 07:33 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 ray
home run
Posted: 07:33 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 Andrew
I believe i said phils would clinch by oct 1 about 10 days ago.
2 days ago people are saying they wont make the playoffs
thats funny to me
whats the word on moyer?
Posted: 07:34 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 Andrew
how does replay never favor the phils but always favors the mets?
I am against it
Posted: 07:35 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 Terri
I am not liking what I am seeing from Pedro so far. This game will be up to our BP
Posted: 07:36 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 Ed R.
WOW!! Hitting the pitcher on an 0-2 count…time for Pedro to go to the bullpen if anywhere. His control has just been awful lately. Hopefully he settles down soon.
Posted: 07:36 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 karen
I think Kendrick needs to possibly start warming up just in case…..this team can kick our butts fast…..
come on pedro…….
Posted: 07:38 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 j reed
if it’s anything like the groin pull i had…he isn’t walking for a few days.
Posted: 07:38 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 jt
I just hope charlie doesn’t leave pedro in there unitl he’s given up a lot of runs I say get him out soon and hope kendrick ready to go.
Posted: 07:38 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 1429 Pat Gallen
No word on Moyer yet, still awaiting an update
Posted: 07:38 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 karen
And since I have been a die hard Happ lover all year………Honestly, how could Happ lose his position to Pedro?
Posted: 07:39 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 ray
looked like bourne was out?
Posted: 07:39 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 Ed R.
He was out. Not even close. Ump is 0-2 so far.
Posted: 07:40 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 Andrew
How do you guys continue to jock Hamels?
He has given less than Moyer Pedro and Happ
but its jsut a given he starts game 1 or 2 of the playoffs.
I thnk Hamels has sucked all year. Perid ( quoting shaq)
Posted: 07:41 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 ray
karen, pedro was pitching great before the neck injury. happ would be a much needed left hander coming out of the bullpen. looks like that’s not going to happen now because pedro lost some starts and momentum. Plus it’s harder for a guy his age to come back after an injury
Posted: 07:43 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 DJ
Hey K-Rod just gave up a grand slam to the Nationals Rookie for a blown save and loss in the 9th! Maybe it is the Phillies night! Now lets pour salt in the wound!
Posted: 07:49 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 j reed
have we even turned a DP against the team with the highest GIDP in all of MLB
Posted: 07:50 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 joedad
I stopped by a local dive to pick up a 12 pack on the way home from work. Sitting at the bar was a woman in her mid 50′s drinking a beer watching the Phils game. I walk up to the bartender to pay for the beer and the lady at the bar starts yelling towards me, “Get him out of there. He sucks. Why is he even on the team? If we keep playing like this, we won’t make the playoffs” Not knowing what she was talking about, I look at the TV and see that Pedro has allowed 2 hits.
2 hits.
Terri, was that you?
Posted: 07:52 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 Andrew
If we clinch lets hope lidge is on the mound for the last out! He certainly wont be in there for any last outs int he playoffs.
Posted: 07:53 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 NJ
The problem for the Phils trying to set the rotation and structure the play-off bullpen is right now there are more bodies than performing pitchers. You expect players to be carrying some niggles at this point in the year but it’s worrying the Phils only really have 4 of 5 healthy pitchers likely to be on the play-off roster.
Happ, Pedro, Eyre, Romero, Taschner, Condrey, Park and Myers all coming off injuries not to mention the uncertainty over Lidge… Scary
Posted: 07:54 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 Terri
Kyle is warming up.
Posted: 07:54 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 Andrew
modified playoff rotation
1. kendrick 2. moyer 3. lee 4. blanton
Posted: 07:55 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 ray
florida’s winning 1-0 even though i’d rather celebrate after winning our game
Posted: 07:56 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 Andrew
Lidge will not be on the playoff roster we all agree?
Posted: 07:57 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 NJ
Maybe we should have picked up Padilla… (I know that made me laugh to)
Posted: 07:57 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 Terri
Florida up 3-0. I just want them to win the division so they can rest everyone.
Posted: 07:58 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 j reed
Joedad – the old -timer i was standing next to at last night game was the same way. Very funny. Anytime the Phillies didn’t get a hit he’d kvetch. He kept complaining about their mojo not being right….everything a phillie came to bat he’d try to bet me 80 cents they wouldn’t hit.
Posted: 08:00 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 ray
i think with all the injuries and question marks like nj said, you have to say yes at this point with lidge
Posted: 08:01 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 j reed
everything = everytime
Posted: 08:01 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 Ed R.
80 cents? Was that Patrick Kane in a old man’s costume?
Posted: 08:03 PM on September 30, 2009
Posts: 0 Andrew
What does lidge offer to a much smaller playoff roster?
Mop up if we get blown out? No thanks ill take kendrick for that
Posted: 08:04 PM on September 30, 2009