Philadelphia Phillies (62-69)
Roy Halladay (8-7, 3.88) vs. Mike Minor (7-10, 4.71)
Time: 7:35, Turner Field
TV: CSN
Weather: Mostly sunny, 82
Media: Twitter and Facebook
Jimmy Rollins is in the lineup tonight. And how do you feel about that? He was given a talk-to by Charlie Manuel about once again failing to run out a pop up in the Mets series. Manuel said Rollins “manned up.” It’s unlikely he’ll ever learn from his mistakes, but Charlie probably should have benched him a game just to send a message. Not that it matters, but with a team of youngsters surrounding Rollins, he should be showing some more leadership qualities.
I’ve gotten into arguments with people about the whole “leadership” thing, but I do feel it exists. He is the elder statesman and players look up to him. Rollins’ longevity has made him one of the best shortstops in the game, and over a long period. But when he has these letdowns, it drains an already struggling team. Manuel said it himself, that he believes it could affect the rest of the team. My thought is, if you’re going to make millions playing a kids game, you should be going hard most of the time. Those few times he completely dogs it will always stand out.
And still no Domonic Brown, not sure what the issue is. If it’s his knee, it was clearly worse than he was letting on. But more injuries are stunting his growth.
LINEUP: Rollins SS, Frandsen 3B, Utley 2B, Howard 1B, Wigginton LF, Mayberry CF, Kratz C, Martinez RF, Halladay P
Your Gameday Beer: Brewery Ommegang Three Philosophers
Can you believe summer is nearly through? If you’re going out, go out in style with a taste summer ale from Samuel Adams. As you know, it’s always a good decision. Put the burgers on the grill, sear the steaks, and cut up some potatoes. Enjoy the final days of the summer season. -Pat Gallen
Go Phillies!
