Halladay shuts down Red Sox:
Roy Halladay may have just gotten even more expensive. On Sunday, Halladay bedazzled the prolific Red Sox offense by throwing a complete game. Doc allowed one run over six hits and did not walk a batter. He struck out seven and threw just 105 pitches, including 78 strikes. His ridiculous season continues to get better as he dropped his ERA to 2.73 and pushed his record to 11-3.
Halladay’s name is still the most popular amongst those floating through the rumor mill. ESPN.com’s Buster Olney believes the Blue Jays need to trade Halladay in the next two weeks, or they will regret it. He likens this possible trade to the Twins dealing Johan Santana to the Mets a few years ago. The Twins got a shoddy deal because of the position they were in at the time, and the same could happen to J.P. Ricciardi and the Blue Jays if they wait any longer.
On top of the constant linking between the Phillies and Blue Jays, J.A. Happ upped his value on the market with his splendid dismantling of the Marlins. His latest seven-inning performance has his name buzzing through the tradeosphere. The better Happ pitches, the higher his value becomes, but is it even an option for the Phillies to trade him now?
Mets continue to fade:
Meet the new Mets. They have little pitching, a struggling offense, and lack a certain je ne sais quoi.
This weekend was a complete letdown for a team that began the second half six-and-a-half out of first. The Mets lost three of four to division rival Atlanta at a time when they really needed a turnaround. On Thursday, the Braves won the opener 5-3 behind a quality start from Derek Lowe. Friday was even more of the same as New York was trounced 11-0. A 5-1 victory on Saturday salvaged the series to an extent, but Sunday, the Braves made it yet another headache for the Mets.
A 7-1 Braves blowout puts New York nine games out of first place in the NL East. Is that a surmountable number for a team decimated by injuries and lacking a true staff? Fernando Nieve, the young hurler for New York, left the game with an injury.
The Mets as a team seem beaten down to the point of losing all will to compete. Their manager may go, their GM could go as well, plus, their star shortstop Jose Reyes is still not ready. It’s the turning point for the Mets right now as they approach a double-digit deficit in the division.
Atlanta sits six-and-a-half behind the Phillies, with Florida seven out.
Marlins getting a new stadium, name:
Over the weekend, the newly swept Florida Marlins finally broke ground on a new stadium on the site of the old Orange Bowl. The 37,000-seat ballpark will include a pool, and most importantly, a retractable roof.
As the Phillies learned the hard way this weekend after a rainout and a lengthy delay, South Florida can’t keep a baseball team if they don’t build a roof. The sweltering heat of Miami has pushed the fans away in droves, but finally there is help on the way.
In addition to that news, when Florida moves into its new digs, they will officially change their name to the Miami Marlins. A new stadium for the Marlins is a dangerous possibility for the rest of the NL East. A cooler home and new found money brought in from the ballpark could make a good, young team even better.
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