Gameday: Boston Red Sox (22-20) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (25-15)
Posted by R.C. Cowie, Fri, May 21, 2010 05:00 PM | Comments: 293
Gameday 2010, Posts
Boston Red Sox (22-20) at Philadelphia Phillies (25-15)
John Lackey, RHP (4-2, 4.86 ERA) vs. Cole Hamels, LHP (1-2, 4.29 ERA)
Time: 7:05, Citizens Bank Park
Weather: Mostly Sunny, 60
TV:Comcast SportsNet
Twitter: @philliesnation
It’s that time of year again. Where the continuity of autonomous league scheduling is altered for an alleged attendance boost in the pursuit of capital revenue gains.
Welcome to Inter-league Play 2010.
Red Sox Nation® (and the Delaware Valley’s bandwagon fans, circa 2004) will be on hand for the final series of this seven game home stand. The Phils have a total of four wins against the Red Sox spanning the last four years. But, this isn’t your ‘Bloody Sock’ or ‘Cowboy Up’ teams from the past. Boston has been plagued by injuries, inconsistency on offense and a lot of bad starting pitching performances.
A model of pitching consistency takes the mound tonight in John Lackey. He won’t over power you, but the veteran has been apt at forcing batted outs away from the strike zone. Lackey is a winner in two of his last three starts despite getting shellacked around in the early innings by Detroit and Toronto. He has been terrific all season and there is no reason to believe he won’t continue to keep the Red Sox in this game tonight.
For the Phillies, Colbert Hamels is looking to build on three stellar outings and continue the clubs successes in May . Pitching more to contact and limiting base runners, the club has been victorious in his last four outings (Hamels 2-0 in that span). Hamels is coming off a 6.2 inning performance in Milwaukee where he scattered two runs on six hits. Hamels pitching to contact has negatively affected him in the later innings in Milwaukee. With the lineup rolled over, a tired Hamels left pitches up resulting in homeruns by Casey McGhee and Corey Hart. While inconsistant throughout the season thus far, the duo of Youkilis and Martinez are riding offense hot streaks coming into this series. They will not miss any mistake Hamels throws at them.
The history of the Phils-Red Sox series has been completely one sided. The Phils need two wins to guarantee a winning home stand while not being able to take two from the Sox since 2003. A sweep? Not out of the question with this version of the Red Sox; the team hasn’t sweep the Sox since 2000. In that series at Veterans Stadium, two walk off doubles by Alex Arias and Kevin Jordan in extra innings sealed those contests.
Ah, memories…
Red Sox Nation is a ® of the ESPN hype machine.
Today’s Lineup: Rollins, Polanco, Utley, Howard, Werth, Ibañez, Victorino, Ruiz, Hamels.
Your Gameday Beer – Green Monsta
A feature of the Wachusett Brewing Compnay, Green Monsta is a strong Ale (6.4 % abv) with medium body and a variety of flavor. It pours a copper color getting darker as it settles from bottle to glass. It’s malty, medium-hoppy taste and silky texture make this beer a slow drinker. With its hints of background citris, it is a perfect beer for a perfect night for baseball. Order a cheesesteak stromboli and pour yourself a glass. – By RC
GO PHILLIES!
Posts: 0 Ed R.
Romero does know the object is to throw strikes right?
Posted: 09:59 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Brooks
This would be worse than a cryin’ shame Cole was on tonight.
Posted: 09:59 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Brian Sr. of CO
Ortiz has been on a HOT streak lately! Screwed.
Posted: 09:59 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Manny
Ohhhh boyy.. CMON JC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted: 09:59 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Tracey
In the immortal words of Major League: “Strike this MF out!”
Posted: 10:00 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Brian Sr. of CO
This is where we always die. Down to the LAST strike.
Posted: 10:00 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Ed R.
Peace out Papi.
FTW
Posted: 10:00 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Repeat!
pure luck!
Posted: 10:00 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Manny
YESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!
Effectively wild!
Posted: 10:00 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Tracey
WHEW!!! YIPPEE!!!!
Posted: 10:00 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Jeff
ed my heart stopped. oh my god..
Posted: 10:00 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Brian Sr. of CO
Where is my Crow? Im a little hungry!
Posted: 10:01 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Brooks
Woooo hoooo!
Posted: 10:01 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Number 47
PHEW.
Posted: 10:01 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 wxdavid
the ortiz from 2006 might of gotten that ball out…
JC should of gotten that previous batter out when the count was 1-2
Posted: 10:01 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Number 47
Is it even possible for the Phils not to have 9th inning drama?
Posted: 10:02 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 BurrGundy
No fingernails left, no toenails either. Yeah Phils !!!!
Posted: 10:02 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 wxdavid
Brian in COL… you thought the phillies would Blow this lead ???
why? Madson or Lidge wasnt pitching
Posted: 10:03 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 wxdavid
number 47
these are the red sox… they are NOT exactly the Pirates or even the nationals
Posted: 10:04 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 ChuckS
Keep it up Cole
Posted: 10:06 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Brian Sr. of CO
From the look of it on MLB.com, that ball looked like it just about hit the wall.
Posted: 10:07 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 wxdavid
ya know Brian in COL there isa blog where at the phillies fans are bitter nasty bitching assholes who SHIT all over the phillies…
its called thegoodphight.com
maybe you should go there…? Just a suggestion
If the closer was Lidge or Madson I could see why one would be soooooo pessimsitic
Posted: 10:08 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Brian Sr. of CO
Madson in, I definately would have said Loss, Lidge at home even last year wasnt bad. He blew only 1 save AT HOME in 2009. Granted he blew like 9 on the road, but still.
Posted: 10:08 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Number 47
Don’t worry, I know. All the adrenaline spikes just get a little draining after a while, though.
I like that we didn’t suck in our first interleague game!
Posted: 10:09 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 wxdavid
Brian Sr
Ortiz ball s was NOT even near the warning track dude…saw it on concast and mlbcom/ cable
Posted: 10:09 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Number 47
Hey, don’t diss TGP. I like reading them.
Posted: 10:10 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Brian Sr. of CO
wxdavid, I say one comment like that and you come back like that? They have a great blog for ignorrant @$$ed like you. Its called mets.com. Kiss me @$$ bro. You are obviously new here. Ask Repeat, or Ed R, or Manny, the other Regulars.
Posted: 10:11 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Ed R.
Vic was about 3-4 feet from the warning track on Ortiz’s fly out in the 9th.
Posted: 10:12 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Brian Sr. of CO
wxdavid, like I said, on MLB.COM. I am at work, I cant actually see the game.
Posted: 10:12 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Brian Sr. of CO
Thanks Ed R. At least someone can answer the question with some tact.
Posted: 10:12 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Ed R.
Seriously Jeff…I was about to go crazy if that ball left the yard.
Posted: 10:13 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Scott in D.C.
Never easy, is it?
Posted: 10:15 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Brian Sr. of CO
Watch out Ed R, if you say that wxdavid will tell you to go to another site. LOL.
Posted: 10:15 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Brian Sr. of CO
Time to go to see the Mets and the Marlins lose. Too bad the Braves are playing the freakin Pirates.
Posted: 10:15 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Ed R.
No problem Brian.
As for the notion that Brian’s a negative dude…I disagree. We all get nervous with this team, especially with this bullpen. And honestly, if Baez or Romero are in the game and you aren’t nervous then you aren’t watching. Pretty sure even the most optimistic of fans get concerned when those two take the mound.
Everyone just chill out. Phils won and are 26-15, 2nd best record in baseball. 4.5 up on the Fish and Tomahawk chops…all the while with Happ making 2 starts all year, Jimmy has played like 6 games, Lidge has been basically non existent, Madson did nothing, Blanton is still getting his footing, Baez predictably sucks, and Ibanez has been off to a pretty disheartening slow start…all that, and this team has the 2nd BEST RECORD IN BASEBALL!!! Pretty awesome stuff.
Posted: 10:17 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Brian Sr. of CO
Yet another sound paragraph from Ed R, and yet again, thank you. I know I can get negative, but I try not to be the constant negative. I recall last year after the first 2 weeks, in last place, some people were FLIPPING OUT and calling for people to get benched, and the team sucks, and all that other junk. THEY are the people who often needed to leave, and most of them have. I have Ed R, Tracey, Brooks I would also like to say myself at times have driven them away by talking baseball with facts, with our Phillies Bias of course, but we are all passionate fans. I do disagree with one thing though Ed. Dont you mean Tomahawk HACKS. LOL.
Posted: 10:34 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Brian Sr. of CO
Is there any question about the Ashburn? Cole Hamels!
Posted: 10:37 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Ed R.
Well played Brian. Or maybe…Tomahacks?
Also, I just watched the reply on CSN…Vic was on the warning track for Ortiz’s long fly out.
Posted: 10:48 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Brian Sr. of CO
Damn it, that was a much better one. Good thinking!
Posted: 10:51 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 Brooks
Brian – sometimes the *#(*@ we hear from newbies is just too much to handle and the trigger gets pulled – we watch the game, we love the Phils, we know why they lost to the stinkin’ Yanks – etc…
Back to the game. Dingers by Howard and Werth, a gem by Hamels – what more can you ask for!
How about Ryan Howard’s stats for May so far –
27 for 76 (.355), 15 runs, 15 rbi and 4 hrs. I thought we needed to wait until August to see these numbers? Do you think Werth is pushing him?
Posted: 11:24 PM on May 21, 2010
Posts: 0 jjflash53
First time I’ve been to your blog. Why do you have Cole’s record as
(1-2) at the top of the page? I came here from 97.3 FM’s facebook page mainly to see if anyone else commented on the W/L stat. I didn’t
see the game but seems like 2008 Hamels is back!
Posted: 10:34 AM on May 22, 2010
Posts: 0 Manny
Hamels in on pace for a 20+ win season..
so is Jamie and Doc hehe
Posted: 10:44 AM on May 22, 2010
Posts: 0 Funny Texts
What can the global economy due with the PIIGS? It’s like lending money to a no good brother-in-law
Posted: 02:35 PM on May 28, 2010