Categories: 2010 GamedayPosts

Gameday: Phillies (73-57) at Dodgers (67-64)

Philadelphia Phillies (73-57) at Los Angeles Dodgers (67-64)

Roy Halladay (16-10, 2.22 ERA) vs.
Hiroki Kuroda (9-11, 3.56)

Time: 10:10 p.m at Dodger Stadium
TV: Comcast SportsNet
Weather: Mostly Sunny, 67
Twitter: @philliesnation

This is what sets 2010 apart for the Phillies.

Faced with a similar position the past two seasons – heading into a big road series in need of wins, the Phillies would have had one hot starting pitcher (Cole Hamels in 2008, Cliff Lee in 2009) and a grab bag (Brett Myers and Joe Blanton ’08, Hamels and Pedro Martinez in ’09) for the rest of the series.

But not this year. This is why they got Roy Halladay and then added Roy Oswalt. Not to slight Kyle Kendrick, a serviceable fifth starter, but with the ability to hand the ball to Halladay and Oswalt heading into a key series – whether it’s at Dodger Stadium or Yankee Stadium – you have to like the Phillies’ chances.

Tonight it’s Halladay’s turn, and if anyone can maintain the staff’s momentum after an overpowering series against the first-place Padres, it’s Halladay. He’s been so dominant since his Sunday night clunker against at Wrigley Field in mid-July, until last week it seemed he might not lose the rest of the season. But then a bloop single and the Phillies’ inability to score in the Astros series ended that bid (Amazing bonus stat: Halladay has failed to pitched at least seven innings only four times this season).

But no matter how well Halladay pitches, the offense has to score runs. And before their five-run “explosion” yesterday, the Phillies hadn’t scored that many runs in a week. The struggles of Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino from the left side of the plate – and from Ryan Howard and Chase Utley in general – are a major threat to the Phillies’ playoff hopes with each day they continue.

Your Gameday Beer – Philadelphia Original Lager

Brewed by Red Bell Brewery out of the Brewerytown neighborhood of Philadelphia, this beer is a classic microbrew lager. It’s a bit heavier than Yuengling, with more of a roasted malt flavor and some sweet coffee and caramel hints. Its supreme drinkability coupled with a pour that looks like iced tea means you can sneakily house several of these bad boys. Have your favorite pasta with some marinara sauce and a few Philly Lagers. – By Brian

GO PHILLIES!

Jon Fogg

Jon joined Phillies Nation in April 2010 and is perpetually grateful that the World Wide Web came along, allowing him to write about the team he has followed since, well, as long as he can remember. At his first Phils game, in 1991 against the Pirates at the Vet, Jon watched wide-eyed from one of those plastic, spine-numbing seats as a lanky outfielder named Barry Bonds cracked a two-run homer off Tommy Greene and a game-winning RBI double off Mitch Williams in the ninth. In those halcyon days, he listened to most games on the radio because cable TV didn’t extend out into in the remote swamps of South Jersey. Most days, you’ll find Jon looking for misplaced commas and devising flashy headlines at a newspaper; these days his publication of choice is the Baltimore Sun; he’s also worked at The (Allentown) Morning Call and The Washington Times.