Categories: 2011 GamedayPosts

Gameday: Phillies (34-24) vs. Pirates (28-29)

Philadelphia Phillies (34-24) at Pittsburgh Pirates (26-29)

Roy Halladay (7-3, 2.56 ERA) vs. James McDonald (3-3, 4.85 ERA)

Time: 1:35 pm, PNC Park
Weather: Sunny, 80
TV: MyPHL 17
Twitter: Phillies Nation

It’s has not been a pretty second leg to the Phillies road trip. After last night’s 6-3 loss, that’s now four straight losses for the second time in a month, and four straight games with three runs or less.

Simply put, this offense sucks. I’d say give them another few weeks before we completely dismiss them, essentially because they are just becoming healthy. However, for those of you that think it’s an offensive phase they are now in; think again. This is who they are. This group of brute sluggers has turned into a soft-hitting, mess of an offense; one incapable of line-drives or small ball. Clutch hits have gone by the wayside.

Until proven otherwise, it’s now the way it is.

Yesterday, Roy Halladay clone Charlie Morton went seven strong innings. Today, the Phillies will need the same thing, or better, from the real thing. Halladay goes today after struggling in his last start. He gave up three home runs to the Nats after just two through all of his starts to begin the season.

The Pirates will be hungry today, too. They can reach .500 in June for the first time since 2005. That’s quite an accomplishment for a team that often finds itself in the gutter. Pittsburgh will be gunning for Halladay, but it’s not time for him to respond; it’s time for the offense to do something, anything.

They’ll have to respond, likely without Jimmy Rollins. He suffered a contusion on his right knee and says he’ll probably miss a few games, but doesn’t believe it’s DL-worthy.

PHILLIES LINEUP:

Victorino CF, Polanco 3B, Utley 2B, Howard 1B, Ibanez LF, Ruiz C, Brown RF, Valdez SS, Halladay P

Your Gameday Beer– IRON CITY LIGHT

I.C. packs a punch, but the light beer tones that down a bit, only providing a minuscule buzz at just 4.5 % ABV. BeerAdvocate gives it a C-, pretty much a dead-on tell of what Iron City is all about. But, you’re in Pittsburgh, so drink as the natives drink. Be forewarned, it’s an ugly piss-yellow color, so when you wake up after a night of these, you’ll be leaking neon. It’s cheap and gets you buzzed. Careful, lads. -By Pat

GO PHILLIES

Pat Gallen

Pat joined Phillies Nation in July 2009, coming over from Examiner.com. As a previous employee of both Comcast SportsNet and the National Basketball Association, Pat prides himself on being a well-rounded individual when it comes to sports. However, the Phillies are first on the list. You’ll usually find Pat chiming in on the Phillies Nation Facebook or Twitter account, weekdays on 97.3 ESPN radio or hosting Phillies Nation TV. He’s also a Senior Writer for the site, and in his free time is a music enthusiast and Will Ferrell movie-follower. His favorite beer: Philly’s own Yards. In 2015, Pat moved on from Phillies Nation as a sports anchor and reporter for CBS-3 in Philadelphia.