Gameday: Phillies (31-33) vs. Twins (27-33)
LHP Cole Hamels (2-9, 4.56 ERA) v. RHP P.J. Walters (2-1, 3.00 ERA)
TIME: 8:10, Target Field
TV: Comcast SportsNet
Weather: 78, broken clouds
Media: Twitter and Facebook
For the optimistic Phils fan, watching this team in 2013 has been torturous. The Phillies were unable to put together anything more than a three game win streak for two months. They had their fair share of two and three game runs, but would immediately give any ground they made up right back. Last week, with Domonic Brown in the middle of a historic hot streak, the Phillies broke through the .500 mark that had eluded them since they were 6-6 in mid-April… which, of course, cued three straight losses in Milwaukee and a serious knee injury to Erik Kratz.
For the pessimists, this latest downturn is the ultimate evidence that it’s time to close the window on this version of the Phillies roster as legitimate contenders. One thing is for sure, if the Phils don’t want to go into sell mode come July, they need Cole Hamels to be significantly better than he has been this season. Hamels was brilliant in his last start against the Marlins, fanning 11 in only seven innings for his second win of 2013. In Minnesota tonight, Hamels will try to replicate that effort against a Twins lineup that ranks 10th in the American League in runs.
Lineup: M. Young 3B, Revere CF, Rollins SS, Howard 1B, Brown LF, D. Young DH, Mayberry RF, Galvis 2B, Quintero C
Smithwicks has been around forever yet it never gets old. This red ale is one of the most common Irish brews and is perfect if you are in that Irish mood and want something lighter than a Guinness and a bit more than a Harp lager. It might not jump out at you, but you know that you are going to get a consistently solid beer, and a lot of times, that is enough.
