Today's News
August 31, 2007
| By Dennis Bakay
| 
Discuss
Sweep
Phillies fight back from 10-8 defiicit in epic battle to defeat the Mets
Gotta make this one short since I'm heading to the airport in literally 20 minutes to head to Phoenix for the weekend.
This is one of those games that really makes you a believer. I have believed in this team for quite a while now. If you pay attention to what I say and do for the website I started a petition for believing in the Phillies. And, when I'm speaking objectively of the team (the Dennis Bakay who's a writer) I think they are good enough on offense and with their mediocre pitching to make it to the playoffs in the NL. And, if the rumors hold true about them going after Carlos Silva they may have just a good enough 1-2-3 punch in the playoffs in Hamels, Moyer, and SIlva to hang with the NL teams and make it to The World Series.
With that said, yesterday was a hell of a game. I was heading home about 4:30 and caught the last 2 innings on the radio and must say it's the best game I've ever heard on the radio. The 8th inning was quite gut-wrenching as they found themselves in a 10-8 deficit after having a 5-0 lead, only to come ahead after it was tied up 5-5.
And, then Pat Burrell got revenge against Billy Wagner with a homer in the 8th to make it a one-run game. As if that wasn't enough the 9th inning got even better when Iguchi tied up the game with an RBI single. And, Jimmy Rollins was walked so that Wagner could get to Utley.
Howard Eskin actually agreed with the move and said right now Rollins is better than Utley since he just came off the DL, while Rollins has been hitting like a house on fire. I agree with the move to that extent, but I still wouldn't walk Rollins to get to Utley. Even at 80% Utley can kill you. And, he did.
When Utley hit the game-winner chills went down my spine as Scott Fransky and LA went insane. I felt like a kid again and damn near had tears in my eyes. That moment really touched me as a fan. It's moments like that you savor as a sports fan.
And, so goes the sweep. And, the Phils are now just 2 games behind the Mets after a Saturday night meltdown and post-game debacle which saw Brett Myers lose his mind and make an ass of himself.
That is in the rearview mirror now after one series. That's all it takes in this game to be on the ropes and to become an aggressor. They went from the prey to a predator in just 4 games.
And, yesterday was great on so many levels. One, they beat their fiercest rival and make no mistake the Mets are that rival now. Two, Billy Wagner got embarrassed after running his mouth so many times about the team and Burrell. And, three they right on the Mets' asses now.
This team will make the playoffs with that type of moxie and grit. There was no excuse for their meltdowns at Pittsburgh and against the Dodgers and Padres. No doubt, but that was a rough patch. All good teams go through rough spells. Look at the '05 White Sox and '06 Tigers and Cards. They all stumbled into the playoffs. And, look where they ended up.
A lot happens during a 162 game season. No team has ever won more than 120 games and there's a reason for that. So, take that "The Hater". You may think the Phillies will stink it up again, but this team is for real.
The Phils head to Florida tonight and will look to hook the fish. Kendrick is on the hill against Sergio Mitre. 7:05 is the gametime.
Alright, that's it. I'm outta here and off to the Valley of the Sun. I'll update the site tomorrow and Sunday. Talk to you then.
Out.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Worm Turns
Phillies win a dramatic game on a foolish mistake by the Mets
A few months back this is the kind of game the Phillies would have lost in such fashion. My oh my how the worm has turned. In fact this team has done a complete 180 in just a week; they are a schizophrenic bunch. The difference is literally night and day, summer and winter, black and white...you get the idea.
The Phillies lost many games on stupid mistakes. And, when I say stupid I mean stupid. We're talking egregious mistakes by third base coach Steve Smith, managerial mistakes, not tagging up on a flyball, and foolish errors in the infield and outfield.
This new Phillies team, the one with heart, the one that wins the close games (lets assume last week was an aberration and just a rough patch) cannot be denied when they are in a tight game.
With the score at 3-2 and runners on first and third and nobody out Shawn Green chopped a dribbler to Jimmy Rollins and when he flipped it to second base Marlon Anderson pulled a dirty slide and took out Tad Iguchi in blatant fashion.
See dramatized crime scene photo for proof. And, yep that's an exact quote by Marlon Anderson as he realized the blunder he committed.
And, second base umpire CB Bucknor immediately called Shawn Green out at first to end the game.
The Mets left the stadium an unhappy bunch.
And, the Phillies...well to the victor goes the spoils.
Some may call them schizophrenic for their sudden surge after floundering last week. I can't argue with that.
But, they are light years different from that team we witnessed in April, May, and season's past when the going gets tough.
They take on the Mets today at 1:05 at The Bank.Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Chargin'
Ryan Howard blasts one in the 11th as the Phillies close the gap with the Mets to 4 games
Today's theme of the day is percentages.
For starters the Phillies' playoff chances just shot up in recent days as they have gone on a 3-game winning streak following a hideous stretch of games that saw them lose three straight series and 6 out of 8. They now have a 27.9% chance of playing in October.
And, the Phillies' chances of winning go WAY up when they allow 3 runs or less. They have a ridiculous 39-5 record when allowing 3 runs or less. Yep, 39-5 people; that's no joke.
Last night while taking out the trash I made it a point to turn the TV on in the kitchen and keep my eye on that TV because Ryan Howard was up in the bottom of the 10th inning. And, I can't tell you how many times I've missed a home run while leaving the house or taking out the garbage or going outside. And, I knew that The Rhino was going to hit one out. I just believed in him.
And, wouldn't you know it, as I'm keeping my eye on the TV screen, staring through the door as I'm on the steps (after quickly throwing the garbage bag into the can) that Howard belted the next pitch into the right field seats. It's true. The odds are 1:1 that I'll miss a homer when I make an attempt to turn away from the game.
It was a great feeling yes indeed. Of course I got some hate mail in recent days for a column posted by Phillypurge staffer Mike Santa Barbara which stated the Phillies' season is done. People have been pointing the finger at me when I never wrote it. I like Mike's articles. He brings good stuff to the table, I just don't agree that the Phillies' season was done. I still maintain they'll make the playoffs. They went through a rough stretch of embarrasing losses, but every team goes through those stretches during a 162-game season.
That's part of the ebb and flow of baseball.
The Phils will look to close the gap to within three games and take the series tonight. Jamie Moyer heads to the hill against Oliver Perez.
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Donovan McNabb is 100% he'll start against Green Bay in Week One
More on percentages. Donovan McNabb said he wouldn't commit to a percentage in terms of how much he's recovered. He wouldn't go there.
And, I don't blame him, because the Philly media had a field day with his quote about being "75%" during training camp.
McNabb said, "Uh-oh! Here we go with the percentage talks again." All he would say is that he is 100% certain he'll be starting in the season opener up at Green Bay.
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An odd fortune....
Today my girlfriend told me about her fortune in her fortune cookie that said, "Where do you find a one-legged dog?" And, the answer was "right where you left it." Now, what is the percentage of finding a fortune like that?!
She sent me a photo of it, so I decided to put the proper answer on it.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Chase On
Utley returns in full swing and leads Phils to 9-2 victory
I actually heard a caller on WIP yesterday suggest that Utley stay in the minors a little longer since he went just 1 for 10 in 3 games at Reading.
I guess that caller changed his mind after Utley's performance last night in his first game back since he broke his hand on July 26. He went 3 for 5 with a double, home run, and 2 RBI.
I'd say he's back. And, with the Phillies chasing the Mets and Padres for the division and wildcard respectively they'll need Chase to keep the chase on.
It also helps when you get quality starting pitching. J.D. Durbin recorded his 2nd quality start in his last three starts and struck out a career high 6. I don't think it's a fluke with Durbin. He's a young pitcher that is starting to develop. If you don't take my word for it then listen to Mitch Williams on the post-game telecast on Comcast or on WIP on the weekends. He loves Durbin's arm and feels he's developing nicely.
Pat Burrell had another big game against the Mets, going 2 for 4 with a home run, and I hope you're sitting down for this one. He raised his average to .270!
In fact, Burrell has a whopping 38 homers and 97 RBI in his career against the Mets. And, he's still among one of the hottest hitters in the majors since July 1. So, Burrell's message for all of you haters out there is this.
Jayson Werth went 5 for 5 last night and now has 9 straight hits in his 9 at-bats. The record for consecutive hits is 10 accomplished by 10 different players.
The Phils take on the Mets again at 7:05, same time, same place. Adam Eaton returns from the DL to face Tom Glavine.
Don't laugh. Eaton is 5-0 against the Mets. Eaton, like Pat Burrell is a Met-killer.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Smacked Down
The Steelers make mince meat out of the Eagles
One of my most hated phrases is now, "Well, it's only preseason." I can't stand the banal cliches, so I'm going to stop using this cliche for now on and furthermore when talking about Eagles preseason games.
Ok, now that I got that out of the way. These games are meaningless, but they are a good way to gauge just where the team is at during this phase of the year.
And, based on last night they have a lot of things to work out, bugs if you will for their season-opener at Green Bay on September 10th.
Last night the Steelers treated the Eagles like one of Adebsi's prison bitches in the TV show OZ.
The Eagles were dominated on both sides of the ball in the first half, first team against first team. It wasn't even close. McNabb went 5 of 11 for 60 yards including a dropped touchdown pass to Kevin Curtis. And, Big Ben went 13 of 25 for 247 in the air.
The lone bright spot of the evening was rookie Kevin Kolb, who went 26 of 37 for 242 and a touch.
Willie Parker torched the whole Eagles defense on one run. On Parker's 18-yard TD run it was like a gazelle being chased by a bunch of tree sloths.
While they didn't get torched on the ground, the linebacking rotation could not defend the pass.
Brian Westbrook came in for just one play and exited. I'm ok with that. I could care less if he were to receive one carry during the preseason. Just keep him healthy and fresh for week one.
That's it for the first team this preseason, as the Eagles will have their fourth and final preseason game on Thursday night against the Jets at The Linc.
There is a lot of work to be done for this team, but I'm confident they'll be ready. They have younger, faster linebackers, an improved defensive line, and McNabb is close to the McNabb of old.
Coming soon, my preseason prediction for the Birds.
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Phillies win 14-2 to avoid a sweep, but still lose 3rd straight series
Here comes a shocker. The Phillies won big yesterday when the pressure was off. They romped the Padres 14-2, but who cares?
Friday night was a complete disaster. Milton Bradley took the Phillies' hearts by rubbing it in after his second homerun by tossing a bat toward the dugout.
Saturday, nothing was done.
Had I been the manager I would have ordered my relief pitcher to hit him in the head. Not in his thigh, or arm, but square in the head. Take him out and show him that you don't show up a team in a blowout like on Friday night.
And, of course the bullpen had a meltdown on Saturday night after Kyle Lohse was pulled too early. Why he was yanked after 6 1/3 is beyond me. Manuel seems to be inclined to stick to a system of relievers pitching in the 7th, 8th, and 9th. Gordon and Myers combined to give up 3 homeruns and thus the ballgame.
Brett Myers did his best Hal McRae impression Saturday night. Just who can forget the infamous video of the Royals skipper flipping out on reporters. Myers added some comic relief after the game and the last couple days by making a complete ass of himself after the game though when he freaked on a reporter and called him a "retard." Check out the audio of the outburst right here.
And, this takes us to yesterday when the pressure was completely off the Phillies as they found themselves 7 games behind the Mets and 4 in back of the Padres for the wild card.
Is it a shock that they went from famine to feast in the offensive department? They've completely reverted back to the Phillies of old, the Phillies we loved to hate.
What happened to that team with heart that started grinding out wins and finding a different way to win?
Maybe it's because Utley and Victorino have been absent.
Maybe. If. Two words we've learned to live with when it comes to the Phils.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Dive Bomb
The Phillies lose again, falling to the Padres 14-3 and now have dropped 5 of 7
So, the Phillies have lost two series' in a row and were blown out again last night. Suffice it to say their season is dive bombing faster than the character "Kong" on that bomb in the film Dr. Strangelove (the photo shown above).
There really is no excuse for this sudden drop-off in play. Yes, they've had injuries beyond belief, but you still have to play like a major league team and it's obvious that once again the pressure is on with them being tied for the wild card lead and they have failed miserably in attaining a wild card lead.
Think about it. They were tied a few days ago with the Padres for the wild card lead. And, this is after they lost a series to the Pirates, a team they should never lose a series too. That alone was disgraceful. So, what do they do? They come home and lay an egg against the Dodgers and fall two games behind the Padres.
As if that's not bad enough, the Padres, the team they are now chasing in this wild card chase come in and they played arguably their worst game of the season. It was an abomination. Sure, they were up 4-2 and then had a run taken away, but to just fall the (expletive deleted) apart in the 5th inning is disgraceful.
Jamie Moyer should pitch better than that. He's been in this league long enough and has to rise to the occasion when Cole Hamels is down.
And, Brian "Bleeping" Sanches should not be on this roster. He is the pitching equivalent to Tin Man. He has no heart. He and Clay "F'in" Condrey belong among the bottom feeders of the minor leagues. 
And, another of the usual suspects, Joe Table gave up four runs in the 9th.
Don't forget the Padres just rubbing it into the players faces last night. Milton Bradley should be plunked on the first pitch in his first at-bat today. If he gets a season-ending injury, then so be it. In the words of one John Cheyney, I say "goon it up." Time after time after time after friggin' time again this team has allowed their players to get hit pitchers and failed to react. In this case the Padres were rubbing it in. And, after last night if that isn't enough to stick in their crawl and make them retaliate, then they really are a bunch of tin men.
And, there you have it, one gigantic turd of a game.
This is what the Phillies have been reduced to after showing so much heart and resiliency throughout the season. What the hell has happened?
I'm not going to sit here like Howard Eskin and say "I told you so." I really felt this team had moxie and showed me something none of the other Phillies teams have in season's past.
And, they've reverted back to their primitive ways. You can blame it on injuries all you want, but there's no excuse for them to lose 5 of 7 in the heat of the wild card chase. That's crumbling under pressure.
It is what it is.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Dumped
The Phillies take a dump against the Dodgers; get crushed 15-3
Let's see here. What adjectives can I use to describe last night's "game" involving the Phillies and Dodgers that won't involve me dropping an F-bomb or using any other obscenity?
Atrocious. Horrific. Horrible. Abominable. Pathetic. Disgusting. Embarrassing. Hideous. Appalling. Disgraceful.
Ok, that's enough. While peeking over at the TV set last night during my fantasy draft with my buddies last night I noticed the score got totally out of hand by the 13th round of our draft. It started out poorly, but who would've thought 15-3 would have been the final result? Then again if you're the Orioles that's not bad considering the Rangers dropped 30 runs on them last night.
Just what the hell happened last night? Part of me almost thinks Dutch Daulton teleported an imposter team onto the field last night.
And, what's up with Dutch? If you saw him on Daily News Live last week it's clear he's lost. I think he has the potential to become the next Marshall Applewhite.
Shane Victorino returned to the lineup last night, but it didn't really matter.
J.D. Durbin didn't even get really lit up. He only gave up 4 earned runs (5 total) in 6 innings.
Then, the tandem of Joe Table a.k.a Jose Mesa and Clay "F'in" Condrey gave up 10 runs.
Yep, you heard it here first. Condrey's new nickname is "F'in." It's simple and effective. You just slip the F bomb in the middle and voila and you get the message, because there's no F'in way he should be in the majors any longer.
Get him outta here.
The good news is that Cole Hamels' MRI showed no structural damage, but he will be on the DL and go on the fritz for 3 weeks.
The Phils will look to win the series today at 1:05.
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McNabb wants answers
McNabb is once again rocking the boat. You can't accuse him of being a company guy any longer. He was quoted as being "shocked" by the Eagles' decision to release Jeremiah Trotter the other day.
In fact, in Les Bowen's column of The Daily News he had the following quote from McNabb:
"I was shocked," McNabb said, after answering a couple of perfunctory questions about his right knee and the Birds' offense at McNabb's weekly Wednesday news conference. "I was truly shocked. A guy that was asked to slim down, and he did that. A guy that came into camp in great shape, had a great training camp, and also played well in two preseason games. [It was] something I did not expect and something it probably is going to take days for us to get over, days or weeks. I'm sure we'll all see him again and talk to him. I look forward to hopefully seeing him play again. I don't think this is it for him. I think he has some more years left, and I hope nothing but the best
This is a major departure for McNabb. Had this been 3 years ago, he would have been singing a different tune, but it's clear he's taken on a more individualist style this offseason.
It will no doubt take some time for the players to get over this one, but #5 wants some answers as to why Trotter was axed.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Doomsday
Sad day in Philly sports continues with bad news for Cole Hamels
The Phillies' season has become analogous to the story of the two siblings in the Jim Carey movie, "Lemony Snicket: A series of Unforunate Events." Without spoiling the movie, there are two young siblings who are thrust into the care of the evil Jim Carey character after they are befallen with the worst of circumstances.
This brings us to the Phillies. After losing countless players to injury, namely MVP Chase Utley, Shane Victorino, and Brett Myers, their ace is now on the fritz.
Cole Hamels is set to get an MRI today on his elbow. Right now they are calling it a "left elbow strain" and it's more of a perfunctory move just to confirm that it's nothing too serious. He will miss his scheduled start today, but could miss up to 3 weeks.
Remember this is the same team that said Brett Myers would miss just a few weeks and he missed two months. They also said Tom Gordon was getting a routine check-up in March, when in reality his labrum was torn to shreds.
If Hamels misses a start or two it's going to be a big loss, make no mistake about it. He is the guy who is there to prevent losing streaks from continuing; that's the mark of a good ace. However, missing only two starts is nothing compared to if it's for a month or god forbid the rest of the season. If he winds up missing the rest of the season there's no chance of them reaching the playoffs.
I've been optimistic, but they cannot go anywhere without the ace of their staff, especially considering he's the anchor to a very weak pitching staff with only one other semi-reliable option in Kyle Kendrick.
We will all find out today just what is going on in that elbow.
Say it aint so?
And, there did happen to be a game last night. The Phillies wound up with a comeback victory, and another 1-run victory.
Things got scary when Ryan Howard slipped while going for a ball in the 6th inning during a monsoon. He got up and was limping.
Turns out the big fella was ok. In fact, he wound up stealing the first base of his career an inning later. It was an absolutely stupid play though. Why the hell was Howard told to steal with Rowand up to bat, with a one-run lead, and only one strike and two outs? Had Howard been thrown out it could have stifled an insurance run or even a two-run homerun since there were two outs.
It was great to see The Rhino get his first steal, but it was clouded by a stupid managerial decision. Turns out Rowand flew out for the third out, but it was a stupid decision nonetheless.
Kyle Kendrick got his first victory in the month of August, to improve to 6-2 on the season.
The Phils face off against the Dodgers tonight, same time same place.
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The aftermath of the Axeman getting axed
Brian Dawkins and Trotter were very emotional over his departure.
Dawkins was emphatic at the press conference about Omar Gaither "not" being Trotter, with no disrespect meant to Gaither, but really there's no comparison at this point. The Axeman was one of just a few Eagles linebackers in history to make four or more Pro Bowls.
Anytime you have players going to battle for that many seasons, through so many great and depressing times things are going to be tough.
And, Trotter was on WIP yesterday saying, "We" as in we have some good young players. It's going to be weird to see him in a new uniform no doubt.
Having not seen enough of him to really see where he stands at this point in his career I can just go on last year. Sure, he was a step slower, but was he "that" bad? The word through the grapevine is his legs are shot. He did struggle against the pass in a few preseason games, but is that enough evidence to cut him loose? He is still very effective against the run and that’s what this team needs is support on run defense albeit even if he can contribute just 20-25 snaps per game.
Then again, would the Eagles cut Trotter if he could be a big contributor on this team? Would they be that stupid?
This move is similar to the Corey Simon move (in terms of the timing) and look what Simon did after he went from Philly to Indy.
Think about that.
It will be sad if the Eagles do win a championship and Trotter isn't there to join in on the fun.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Axeman Axed
Jeremiah Trotter has been released by the Eagles
In a shocking twist, the Eagles have released middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter.
Andy Reid will hold a press conference later today, but there is no immediate explanation as to exactly why they've made this stunning move.
Trotter's skills eroded a little it last year, but he was said to be playing pretty well in camp. Perhaps, the Eagles want to go in another direction (Omar Gathier), but I don't agree with this move at all.
Trotter is a valuable run stopper and if the defensive line plays like legit NFL lineman and not like a bunch of rag dolls like they did last year then Trotter would be more effective.
Trotter and Sheldon Brown were a few of the scape goats from last season and it's unfair to pin the blame on them.
Mike Patterson was a complete joke aside from one big play against the 49ers. To quote Angelo Cataldi, "he's the most overrated Eagle ever." I agree wholeheartedly.
Patterson, Howard (I'm sick of the injury excuses he's just not that good), Bunkley (who was invisible), and Walker were all ineffective for the most part last season.
And, Jim Johnson deserves a lot of the blame as well. His schemes were inferior for the most part.
It's a sad day for the Eagles. So long Trot.Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Unlucky #7
Phillies suffer another brutal loss to the Pirates and lose the series
It appeared that the Phillies were going to bounce back with a solid victory after their meltdown on Saturday night, which saw Jamie Moyer give up 8 runs and the team blowing a 4-0 lead in the first inning. They wound up losing that one 11-6.
As if that wasn't bad enough the pitching staff put the Phillies’ fan base back on suicide watch during the 7th inning yesterday. Kyle Lohse was pitching spectacular ball, yielding zero runs in 6 1/3 innings and then the floodgates opened up.
He gave up a bases-clearing double and was pulled in favor of J.C. Romero who has been Mr. Dependable since arriving to the club a month ago.
Romero got tagged for a run and Antonio "El Poop" Alfonseca was brought in. El Poop promptly gave up 3 runs and thus the game went into oblivion.
And, now the questions will start to arise. Was this team playing over their heads?
Now that Victorino and Utley are still out will the bullpen rear it's ugly head?
The Medusa of bullpens was bound to crumble this team's chances at a playoff spot at some point wasn't it?
There's no two ways around this. It's an absolute disgrace for the Phillies to lose this series to the likes of the Pirates. They are an abominable team, with a National League worst 52-70 record. You cannot lose a series like this. It harkens back to last year when they were in the wildcard lead with a week to go and they lost a series to the Washington Nationals.
Call it a letdown; call it running out of steam. I call it a travesty and they had better regroup and do it quickly. The most critical point of the season is upon them. They have a 10-game homestand starting Tuesday against The Dodgers, Padres, and Mets-in that order.
It's do or die time.
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A second opinion for Shawn Andrews?
There's an unconfirmed rumor that Shawn Andrews is seeking a second opinion on his ankle with a doctor not affiliated with the team.
Usually these rumors turn out to be just that. Take it with a grain of salt. There's certainly something to be said about Andrews being freaked out, yet the organization telling him to be silent. Added to that, Andy Reid acted as if everything is hunky dory and he'll be ready for the start of the season.
Something just doesn’t add up there.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
He's Back!
Donovan McNabb tosses for 138 yards in a quarter of action as Birds rout the Panthers 27-10
Last night was an interesting commute to the stadium. Upon hearing about the raise in parking prices, I heard of the sudden $80 charge for RV's to park at the stadium parking lots now for Eagles games.
Can you say rape?
Then, the commute was atrocious. Bill Bergey said during the post-game show it took him an hour and 45 minutes to get to the stadium from his house. I have no idea where he lives, but all I can say is it took my girlfriend and I an hour and a half to get there from King of Prussia including 30 minutes just to get from the city to the stadium.
It was worth the fight through traffic though. Upon arriving it was already 3-0 and we could hear loud cheers from outside the stadium. That was of course McNabb taking the field for the first time.
He did not disappoint. On the second drive of the game he led a touchdown scoring drive, when Tony Hunt pounded it in from a yard out. And, on the third drive of the game he led another drive. And, he even took a sack and got right back up. He didn't hobble or anything.
It is evident that #5 is ready to play. This isn't Daunte Culpepper revisited. He's more on the Carson Palmer point on the bell shaped curve.
All in all, he completed 6 of 9 passes for 138 yards and exited with a 10-0 lead.
The offense and defense were both sharp. While the linebackers struggled at times on the run defense, the pass rush was relentless and Juqua Thomas and Broderick Bunkley combined on a nice forced fumble/recovery.
Lito Sheppard took an interception to the house in the second quarter on an errant pass by Jake Delhomme.
As for the receivers, Hank Baskett (3 catches for 52 yards) and Brent Celek (4 catches for 45 yards) stood out the most to me. Baskett made a couple nice grabs in traffic, including a really nice catch along the sideline. And, Celek caught some passes over the middle and showed he can be a downfield threat.
More importantly it will make the Eagles forget L.J. Smith quickly when he exits after the season.
Last night's performance should relieve a lot of concerns without a doubt, both in terms of McNabb's health and the defense.Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Heeere's Donny!
Donovan McNabb makes his long-awaited return tonight
This isn't just any preseason NFL game now. It happens to be the return of Donovan McNabb, who was last on an NFL field nearly 9 months ago to the day (November 19th to be exact).
Much has changed since he blew out his ACL while running out of bounds to avoid a sack by the Tennessee Titans' Kyle Vanden Bosch.
Jeff Garcia saved the Eagles' season (or so he received credit for it even though Westbrook really did) as the Eagles won 6 straight games to win their 5th division title in 6 years. And, they came within 3 points of playing in their 5th conference championship game in as many years.
The Eagles shocked the Tri-State region by selecting Kevin Kolb with their top draft pick in the April Draft.
And, so the rumor mongering began. Many felt that this would be #5's last year. Kolb was selected so the Eagles could move on with an injury-plagued superstar who was nearing the age of 30, which is the Eagles' M.O. over the years.
Others felt he would be here two more seasons since the team would decide to move on as soon as his contract comes up.
And, there are others like me who look at this situation much like John Elway's situation in Denver 16 years ago when Tommy Maddox was selected with their top pick. Elway, like McNabb came up short in the Super Bowl (3 times to be exact) and was coming off an injury-marred campaign. Maddox was selected as insurance in case Elway would never be the same again or continue to be injured. It turns out Maddox played more in his rookie year than at any point in his Denver career and never ended up being the guy. Elway became healthy again and the Broncos had lots of success when they brought in Mike Shanahan and Terrell Davis.
The rest is history.
The Eagles don't have to replace Andy Reid for that to happen. They just need to commit to a solid running game. Look at the Super Bowl champs since 2000. All of them outran their opponents in the playoffs to win Super Bowls. The numbers are overwhelming (I'll release my breakdown in the near future of those statistics).
Tonight is a big night for one reason. People want to see if McNabb can play against a first-team defense for just a little bit. It will give them a barometer as to how much he as progressed.
The Eagles feel he is ready to play and from what I saw up in training camp, he looked very close.
Only time will tell if they're right.
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Phillies take the series against the Nats
There are now five certainties in life. Death. Taxes. The Suns will be a dynasty if they ever play a lick of defense. The Eagles will become a dynasty if they develop a consistent running game in the playoffs. And, the Phillies are nearly unbeatable when they allow 3 runs or less.
The Phillies are 36-5 when allowing 3 runs or less. Chalk up their series-clinching win against the Nationals to great starting pitching and a solid relief effort by Alfonseca and Myers.
Tom Gordon had us in suspense once again as he suffered another meltdown. It's probably time to just shut him down. I actually feel bad for him. He's trying with all his might, but he just doesn't have it in him anymore to go out there and pitch. His arm is in shreds and the poor guy has to be hurting. The Phils should ask him to retire and buy him out at season's end. It's their F-up for signing him to begin with, so they should let the man exit with some dignity.
At any event, Cole Hamels was well...Cole Hamels. He tossed 6 2/3 innings of shut out ball last night and allowed just 4 hits, while striking out 6 along the way to notch his 14th win.
As they have so often done this season, someone different stepped up to generate the runs and this time Carlos Ruiz hit one out. He hit a two-run shot in the 2nd inning (his 4th of the season) off Hanrahan to give the Phils a 2-0 lead. And, really they never looked back.
Things got hairy in the 8th with Gordon serving up a two-run shot, but Myers took control in the 9th to get his 11th save of the season.
The Fightins head to Pittsburgh tonight as J.D. Durbin makes his return to the rotation and goes up against the Pirates' Tom Gorzelanny, who is their ace.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Sputtering
Phils offense struggles again as they lose to Nats 4-2
There are certain nights when you watch the Phillies and they just don't have it. Kyle Kendrick had a lackluster start and didn't make it out of the 6th inning, while allowing 4 runs.
In fact it was his second worst start since arriving to the majors.
The Phillies really did have a chance to win this game though and blew it. They squandered a prime situation with bases loaded and nobody out in the bottom of the 6th, and managed to only get one runner home when Chris Coste singled to right. Both Russell Branyon (Tuesday night's hero) and Jimmy Rollins both struck out swinging after Coste's RBI single. And, Tad Iguchi grounded into a fielder's choice at shortstop.
At that point it was clear they wouldn't win this game. It's a long season and you can't win 'em all as they say.
This was one of those nights. Or, maybe they’re offense is finally taking a hit from the losses of Utley, Victorino, and Bourn. They are just 3-3 in the last 6 games, with a .194 team average and averaging just over 3 ½ runs per game over that span.
Victorino will be back maybe by the end of the month and if they’re lucky so will Utley. They have to rely on their pitching staff more than ever now.
The Phils will look to win the series tonight at 7:05. And, their odds are good because Cole Hamels is on the hill. With the offense sputtering, his start couldn’t come at a better time.
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He's back! McNabb will start tomorrow night
Even though it was a foregone conclusion that McNabb would play in the second preseason game.
Many coaches and staffers acknowledged a month ago he'd be ready by this point, but it was made official yesterday.
Donovan McNabb will start in the Eagles' preseason home opener against the Carolina Panthers. Look for McNabb to play for one or two series' tomorrow night.
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Shawn Andrews gets "tear-jerker" news
The reports regarding Andrews' ankle injury are certainly conflicting. Reid prohibits players from revealing specifics about injuries but from the sound of it, Andrews is very apprehensive about what the future holds.
I don't know what to think right now," Andrews said when asked if he'd be ready for the Sept. 9 season opener in Green Bay. "I'm just rehabbing, trying to rest it, stay off it, keep my weight down, stay focused, and try to get better."
Andy Reid on the other hand just said he wouldn't play this week and gave the typical "We'll see how he does next week" perfunctory response.
Andrews seems much more concerned.
"It's tough," he said. "When I was talking to a specialist, and what he said to me, it was a tearjerker. It's kind of tough because it's something I love to do, and I can't be out there to sweat and grind with my teammates right now, and I don't know what the future holds. But I'll be OK either way."
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Jerome McDougle out for the year-the pillage continues
This is what the Eagles get for screwing Todd Pinkston. Yes, I said it. They screwed Todd Pinkston. Pinkston should have still been on the shelf after recovering from his torn achilles injury last year, but the Eagles made him active and he "played" in a preseason game, but it was obvious he was in no condition to play. He was not healthy enough to play, which should have warranted being put on the IR list, but instead the Eagles cut him and he was out of the NFL.
He just now caught on with a team, the Redskins to be exact, but it was pretty rotten for the Eagles to kick him to the curb like that. This brings us to Jerome McDougle. The Eagles have received their comeuppance.
Jerome McDougle will miss the season with a torn triceps.
Jerome McDougle, the biggest thief since Jesse James has robbed the Eagles again. All in all, he has gotten $13 million out of them since 2003 and their return on that investment is a total of 33 games played, 36 tackles, 4 pass deflections, 3 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. There are players that can compile those sort of numbers in a game not counting the tackles of course.
McDougle is a bona fide turd. He barely played in his rookie year, having been on the fritz for much of the year after suffering a leg injury in the first game of his career. He stunk in '04. It's a shame that he was shot in the preseason in '05 and missed the season, but it's clear that wouldn't have made a difference. He wasn’t developing as a player when he had a shot in 2004. And, last year he made as much of a contribution to the Eagles as Dick Cheney has to the welfare of this country.
Good riddance Jerome McDougle. Just like Ryan Moats, we hardly knew ye.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Comeback Kids
Russell Branyon saves the night in his fist at bat as a Philllie to give them a 3-2 victory
Who says the Phillies can't win one-run games? They have now won two straight games involving one-run decisions and it's their second one-run game win off the Nationals in a row.
For nearly seven innings this game was a stone cold pitcher's duel between Washington's Shawn Hill and Kyle Lohse. The score was knotted at 0-0 and in the 7th Lohse made his first mistake when he threw a pitch slightly off the middle of the plate. It wasn't the worst pitch in the world, but enough for Tony Batista to rope it and knock in two runs.
Then, Lohse was taken out after getting Felipe Lopez to ground out to second and Batista advanced to third. Alfonseca came in and finished up the inning by recording the final out.
And, in the eighth inning, like they've done so many times this season the Phillies woke up and answered the call. They were down 2-0, but not for long. Carlos Ruize singled to center and scored Jayson Werth. And, the real fireworks happened when Russell Branyon made his Phillies debut by hitting for Alfonseca. The result was a two-run home run and ultimately the game winner.
Alfonseca got the win and Brett Myers came in to take care of business in the ninth, by recording his 10th save of the year.
Branyon's story is a great story. He had his truck stolen in Phoenix during spring training and it was ruined after the perps used it to transport illegal immigrants across the border. Then, his refrigerator went on the fritz in his home in Florida and ruined a lot of his food. And, the Indians cut him after he struggled with strikeouts. Of course many will say, "yeah well, he's a major leaguer he can afford it." He was on the rungs after being cut and on the verge of being out of baseball or in the dregs of the minor leagues.
To see him come to the Phillies in the heat of a pennant race and hit a game-winning homerun in his first at bat is a hell of a great thing to see.
The Phils (63-55) face off against the Nats tonight, same time, same place at 7:05. Kyle Kendrick goes up against Tim Redding.
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Brian Westbrook gets snubbed off the Eagles 75th anniversary team
Ok, it's not an official Eagles anniversary team, but rather was put together by a panel of people including Governor Ed Rendell, Ron Jaworksi, and some writers. However, it's a travesty for Brian Westbrook not to be on the squad!
If Ricky Watters is on the team, Westbrook certainly deserves to be on the squad too.
Some other questionable ones were Clyde Simmons being above Hugh Douglas. Just imagine if Hugh had Jerome Brown and Reggie aside him.
Norm Van Brocklin was #1, with Reggie White #2, and Chuck Bednarik at #3.
All in all, it's a fun exercise that was put together by the people at the Inquirer and philly.com.
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Adam Eaton may get moved to the pen for the time being
Charlie Manuel said Eaton's salary wouldn’t affect his decision, should he decide to put him in the bullpen rather than throwing him out there for the next start.
When Burrell was struggling mightily, Manuel platooned him in left field despite his hefty $13.25 million salary figure. And, it worked wonders. Burrell worked out the problems and he's been one of the hottest hitters in the majors over the past 6 weeks.
Eaton doesn't have the track record that Burrell does. Let's not forget Burrell has had multiple seasons with 30 or more homers and 90 plus RBI. The equivalent for Eaton would be multiple seasons of 15 wins and a sub 4.00 ERA.
He has yet to do either in his career.
But, maybe some time in the pen will make him a viable #4-5 starter if he can get his head together. He has been a mental midget this season; the Phillies' answer to Kerry Collins.
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Victorino Update
He won't return for the series against the Pirates this weekend after suffering a setback last night during his rehab start. He felt "something grab" when he tried to beat out a ball at the plate.
There is no immediate timetable on his return.
Ouch.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Stinkfest
Eagles preseason opener a total toilet fest as Eagles have their worst preseason loss in 11 years
The biggest rip-off in sports also known as preseason football (where teams charge full price for garbage games) is dreadful in and of itself.
About the only value in preseason football is to get a little taste of the first stringers and to get a glimpse of the younger players when they go up against one another. And, that's about it. If it wasn’t for us having to wait 7 months for any taste of football, we wouldn’t even watch or pay any attention to the preseason.
Last night we were treated to an abominable game. It was the Eagles' worst preseason loss in 11 years; they lost 29-3.
I won't go crazy over it like Angelo Cataldi this morning, but I could only bear to watch about 10 minutes of it throughout as I had the game on in the background during my fantasy football auction draft. Bad enough my buddy restricted LT's rights for $180, but at least the Birds could have given me a reason to watch.
Any reason.
The defense was horrid on the Ravens' first drive downfield. Will James, who has been shoved down our throats by the Eagles propaganda machine more than the WNBA was dreadful. The defensive line got about as much push as a GEO Tracker on its last legs.
Kevin Kolb was running for his life against third and fourth stringers, and Ryan Moats will collect a check for the rest of the year as he sits on the IR. And, his career with the Eagles is for all intents and purposes over. It was unlikely he would’ve made the team anyway.
Kelly Holcomb, Jeremy Bloom, and Brent Celek were a few of the bright spots. Holcomb completed 7 of 10 passes and Celek had 4 catches for over 50 yards. Bloom had some nice returns, including a 35-yard kick return. He did injure his toe, but returned.
Overall, this game was just a pure waste of time.
Isn't that what the preseason generally is anyway?
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Phillies bullpen has been on fire
Ok, before you petition to have me committed to the Norristown State Hospital think about this. The Phillies bullpen has a combined ERA of 2.30 in the last 24 games according to Todd Zolecki in the Inquirer.
They are our favorite people to rip in town. Hell, I gave Antonio Alfonseca the moniker "El Poop" early on the season, a spin off his nickname "El Pulpa."
Let's take a look at some of the individuals.
J.C. Romero-2.36 ERA and he's only allowed 2 earned runs in 21 appearances since joining the Phillies. The downside is his WHIP is a 1.72, which for those of you who don't know is the total number of walks and hits divided by innings pitched. Anything around 1.75 or above is considered (expletive deleted).
Tom Gordon-3.70 ERA in 8.1 innings pitched since returning. Aside from that blown save he has done ok considering his shoulder is shredded like roast beef. He has 5 K's over that span (9 appearances).
Jose Mesa-5.65 ERA, but he hasn't allowed a single run in his past 11 appearances. That alone deserves some praise. Could Joe Table have turned a new leaf? Probably not, but enjoy it while the going is good.
Antonio Alfonseca-3.86 ERA and 5 earned runs in his last 13 appearances. Aside from that blown save (where he allowed 3 runs) he's been pretty solid over his past 13 appearances. He has allowed 18 baserunners though in the span of 9 innings.
When breaking it down over the past 24 games, they are 15-9. And, that's pretty good baseball in the dog days of summer.
Utley injury update...
He will being light tossing this week and could begin hitting next week. The team says he'll be back at the end of the month, but remember they're the same people who said Myers would be out for 2 weeks. And, he was 2 weeks away from being 2 weeks away for 2 months.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Mission Accomplished
Phillies knock off the Braves to take the series
You hear that loud noise erupting from Citizen's Bank Park? It's the sound of the Phillies brain trust celebrating their 4-2 home stand.
After Pat Gillick made those embarrassing comments with regards to "3-3 being acceptable" they were sweating this series out without a doubt.
Adam Eaton was atrocious like usual on Saturday night. Some people in the media are saying he should get one more chance. As T.O. would say if it looks like a rat, smells like a rat, and tastes like a rat than bye golly it's a rat. Adam Eaton is a clunker. And, they have to move him to the bullpen. Say what you want about J.D. Durbin, but at least he out-pitched Jake Peavy on their home turf.
The Phils hung in there last night after another early deficit. And, Jamie Moyer settled down to pitch 7 nice innings.
There was even a reprisal by the worst third base coach in baseball, Steve Smith. He made his return (it did seem like he was gone for a month since he hasn't screwed up in a while) last night on a serious botch. He sent Pat Burrell home against Jeff Francouer, who has one of the best arms in baseball. Can you say Mark Whitten? Needless to say Burrell got gunned down.
The Rhino a.k.a Ryan Howard provided some fireworks with a 3-run home run, which put the Phillies in front for good.
On the mend
Shane Victorino will begin a rehab assignment on Tuesday; he could return for the series against the Pirates this weekend.
The Fightins are idle tonight and will begin a 6-game road trip tomorrow night when they face the Nationals.Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Twilight Zone
Phillies win a bizarre game and pull to within 3 of Mets
From the get-go this game was strange. The game-time temp was 64 degrees. This is the antithesis to Tuesday night (when I attended) and it was so sweltering and muggy that you could barely breathe.
Just like the weather going the opposite direction, the game in itself became a tale of two games.
And, Cole Hamels had a clunker of an inning in the first inning.
It appeared he was in for a rough evening.
Then, the Phillies countered it with 4 runs in the bottom of the first.
From a clunker to a gem...
After the first inning Hamels settled down and tossed up a gem (didn’t allow a hit for the next 6 innings) and both teams were stymied on offense. The Phils didn’t hit safely again until the 7th.
Tom Gordon worked the ninth for a save and this very well could have backfired on Manuel. He couldn’t use Myers for a third straight night, so he had to rely on Gordon to get the save.
Luckily he did and the Phils pulled to within 3 games of the Mets and are now in 2nd place.Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Drowned
Phillies get drowned by the fish and lose it in a 4-2 rain-soaked 9th inning
Man vs. fish. Usually the man wins this battle unless it is a shark of course.
The Phillies couldn't outlast the Florida Marlins last night in humid rain-soaked affair. As the game went on things got sloppier and sloppier as there was pouring down rain from the 6th inning on.
Once again Kyle Kendrick got no run support. And, in embarrassing fashion Charlie Manuel yanked him in the 7th inning even though he only threw 71 pitches.
Say what?
Manuel wanted to get a pinch hitter in there for Kendrick and his choice-Wes Helms couldn't get a bunt down and struck out swinging.
Things didn't go well for Brett Myers who was brought in a tie game in the 9th and for the second night in a row, which makes about as much sense as opening up the hatch to a submarine in the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Myers is just starting to get healthy again, yet Manuel chose to overwork him already in a non-save situation.
Suffice it to say Myers allowed a hit to Mike Jacobs (broke his franchise-record 0-33 hitless streak) and he blew the game by allowing 2 runs during a monsoon in the 9th inning.
This marks the second straight game where the Phillies didn't give Kendrick any run support, after going 7 innings and allowing 2 runs. In fact, this is the third straight start where he has gone 7 innings. He is now 5-2 on the year with a 3.75 ERA.
The Fightins face the Braves tonight at 7:35. Hamels is on the hill against Chuck James. Hamels has become must see TV.
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Eagles notes
According to G Cobb, L.J. Smith was overworking himself because he's in a contract year. Turns out that backfired on him.
And, he also makes note of Andy Reid laying into the defense yesterday.
Kolb gets his first taste of boos after throwing a pick in practice.
Yesterday, if you saw the video I have up you can see Kolb throwing a bad interception in practice. Kolb got a taste of what the fans are like-albeit they were booing in a joking manner.
They were giving me a hard time, they were giving [Ryan] Moats a hard time. Everybody was getting a hard time today. It's really comical sometimes. You get used to it. In the end, they want to win as bad as we want to win."
If you missed it, here is our camp coverage right here from Lehigh.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Camp Coverage
L.J. Smith, Shawn Andrews, Brian Westbrook among those out of camp
After attending Eagles training camp today at Lehigh I walked away with a few tidbits of knowledge.
#1-It's smarter to sit up on the hill and watch. It provides a much better view and you don't have the parents standing in front of you with their kids up on their shoulders. And, you're not crammed in amongst other people fighting to look around them in the boiling heat.
#2-It's even smarter to leave the 8:15 practice at 10:00 to beat all of the traffic. Last year we were stuck in a crowd that didn't move for 10 minutes in the sweltering heat, before being allowed to go through the gate. Today we left during the special teams drills (yawn) and beat the traffic and made it home within an hour.
#3-It's still hotter than a Columbian torture prison up there. There needs to be a new weather rule created called "The Lehigh Rule." This is a formula where you add 10 degrees to whatever the temperature is in immediate outlining areas.
#4-Koy Detmer still looks like the same old guy with the scruffy beard, and he was wearing a McNabb jersey. Imagine that! Check it out here.
Ok, onto the football. The players are dropping like flies for various reasons. First off, Shawn Andrews is on crutches and a walking boot. He had his ankle examined by the doctor in Philly and yes it's the same ankle he broke in his rookie year. The word is it's just a sprain (he injured it last week) and he will rest it. They need the big guy to be healthy because make no mistake about it; he's one of the top 5 offensive lineman in the league.
L.J. Smith re-aggravated his sports hernia today. I saw him go downfield during a drill and he promptly went down on the ground. He was helped off the field a few moments later. He just started practicing in contact drills earlier this week.
According to Donovan McNabb (who went through the same injury), "Having had pretty much the same injury with the torn groin and getting it surgically repaired and coming out here, it's something you have to battle through," McNabb said. "Right now, he's going through a different phase of it. You just hope that everything works itself out and he'll be back here being the L.J. we all know."
Brian Westbrook as everybody knows has left camp for personal reasons. The word is it's a death in the family. He and the team have been closely guarded over the details.
Now, onto football for real this time.
How much can you take away from camp? It's hard to say. Really it's difficult to see indivdual defensive players' performances during the simulated game drills. Everybody flies around so fast and you really get to see if the quarterbacks and receivers have their timing down.
I will say that McNabb looked sharp (the videos are below) and Kolb looked sharp on some plays. You will see a bone-headed interception that Kolb threw, but the old adage remains; don't take it too seriously, it's just camp.
Moats got a lot of action today and looked impressive. And, the receivers were dropping a lot of balls today.
It's good to see McNabb out there. He was limping, but that's to be expected considering he's recovering from a major knee injury.
Check it out here for the videos and photos from today.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Rhino's Charge
Ryan Howard powers the Phillies to an 11-1 victory over the Marlins
I happened to be at this game last night and it was brutally humid. There was pretty much no air movement, so the Phillies didn't have the typical river breeze that has so often helped would-be flyballs go over the fence.
Once in a while a breeze came in that provided total relief in an environment that resembled a tropical rain forest.
And, then the first pitch of the game came when Jamie Moyer served up a homerun to Hanley Ramirez. That quickly the Phils were in the hole and my friend started grumbling. I said to relax and that they would tie it in the second inning.
So, they did. I was right about that. I also said Marlins starter Rick Vanden Hurk (great name, but horrible pitcher) would be knocked out in the fifth inning. I was two innings off on my prediction. He got shellacked in the third inning and exited. And, it didn't end there. The offense was on and so was Jamie Moyer.
They, meaning the offense and Jamie Moyer did just about everything right sans the opening-pitch homer to Ramirez.
Ryan Howard broke out of his slump and had a monster game, by hitting a pair of homers and even running out a throw to first base in impressive fashion. The Rhino was a charging on that play for sure.
And, J.D. Durbin recorded his first major league save.
Many of you are probably wondering how J.D. Durbin got credit for a save last night when the Phillies had a 10-run lead while he was in the game.
Well, here's the official rule from the Rules of Baseball:
A save is a statistic credited to a relief pitcher, as set forth in Rule 10.19 of the Rules of Baseball. That rule states The official scorer shall credit a pitcher with a save when such pitcher meets all four of the following conditions: (a) He is the finishing pitcher in a game won by his team; (b) He is not the winning pitcher; (c) He is credited with at least a third of an inning pitched; and (d) He satisfies one of the following conditions: (1) He enters the game with a lead of no more than three runs and pitches for at least one inning; (2) He enters the game, regardless of the count, with the potential tying run either on base, or at bat or on deck (that is, the potential tying run is either already on base or is one of the first two batters he faces); or (3) He pitches for at least three innings.
He satisfied one of the following conditions and that is he pitched for at least three innings. So, there you have it.
The Phillies go up against the fish again tonight as they pit Kyle Lohse up against Dontrelle Willis who is riding a career-worst 8-game losing streak. I'm putting my money on the Phils to win the series tonight.
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Utley's return still weeks away
According a piece in The Daily News today, Chase Utley is still a few weeks away from returning. He was injured 13 days ago against the Nationals.
And, that would be about right. This is an injury that can take anywhere from 4-6 weeks to heal from, and Utley's case falls on the low side of that.
Utley will visit hand specialist Randall Culp again on August 20th. The Phillies still believe he'll be back by the end of the month. The good news is that their offense hasn't been the problem since Utley got injured; it's been their pitching. And, the bad news is Utley won't be back in the 3 1/2 weeks that many have hoped for.
As far as the other key injured players go, Victorino began a running program on Monday and could begin a rehab assignment this week. And, Michael Bourn could be ready for a rehab assignment in two to three weeks; he has not begun running yet.
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Jeffrey Lurie gives his annual state of the team address
Say what you want about Jeffrey Lurie, but you can never accuse the man of not trying to win. He steps back and lets his people do whatever it takes to win. They may do it their way, and you may not always like it, but at least they are giving maximum effort.
It's disappointing as hell that the Eagles didn't win a Super Bowl. They should have made it to the big game in 2003 and played Oakland. That would have been their first. And, we all know how they gave the game away to New England.
The window is still wide open and as much as before with a young nucleus of key players blended with veteran leaders.
Lurie's passion and aversion to losing can be best summarized by this quote, "Yeah, I enjoy owning a team, but the pain of a playoff loss like [last season in New Orleans] just kills you for months and months and months."
You can never doubt his propensity for wanting to win. I've said it before and I'll say it again. This team will win a Super Bowl if and when Andy Reid decides to run the ball and do it effectively in a championship game.
Pretty soon I'll be releasing a breakdown the Super Bowl teams since 2000 and their rushing numbers in the playoffs and the evidence is overwhelming that you need to run effectively and stop the run to win in this league.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Campin' Out
Eagles camp notes: McNabb and Reid spoke yesterday, Hunt looking good, and much more
The Phillies were idle last night so of course that means lots of Eagles news.
McNabb and Reid had a press conference where they addressed some things concerning his rehab. McNabb was held out of practice, but it wasn't for anything serious, rather it was just typical soreness that comes with rehabilitating from this type of injury.
Tale of two third round picks at running back.
Tony Hunt has been stellar in camp and Ryan Moats fumbled one away yesterday. It's only camp, but Moats has to prove he belongs after a wasted year in '06.
A bigger concern should be in regards to Brian Dawkins. He was held out of practice again for what is termed as "Achilles tendonitis." Andy Reid said he should be ready for the opening season game against Green Bay.
Can you say that again Sir?
McNabb clarified his remarks regarding Michael Vick yesterday.
Yeah, it’s probably a good idea to do that Donny. He might be a good friend of yours, but it's a pretty sensitive topic for millions of folks and you don't want to be on the wrong side of things.
According to Reuben Frank, Kevin Curtis is catching on, and pretty damn fast.
Phillies beat writer Todd Zolecki is giving Pat Burrell some serious props for his hot bat.
Burrell's average has jumped higher than tech stocks in the late-90's. It went from just above the mendoza line (.202) all the way up to .268 in a little over a month.
The Phils play tonight at 7:05 against the Marlins at The Bank. I'll be there and look for some photos from the game tonight.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Miracle in Milwaukee
Phillies put up 5 runs in the 9th and 2 in the 11th to survive with an 8-6 victory
After a horrific, devastating loss Saturday night this game had hangover written all over it. And, early on it went that way. For 8 1/2 innings yesterday the Phillies were abominable. Adam Eaton stunk once again. The offense was well, offensive. And, there were some defensive blunders thrown in there as well.
Then, in the 9th a different team took the field. Could Darren Daulton have used his super powers and tapped into the 6th dimension to channel the '93 Phillies into this team yesterday? What pray tell was it?
Whatever it was, it was miraculous and it saved their season. Had they been swept this game it might have caused the team to spiral downhill. And, they nearly blew it in the 11th with Joe Table on the hill. With one out he served one up to deep, deep center field and Aaron Rowand leaped like a flying squirrel and snagged the ball over the fence.
Then, Mesa allowed a hit to right field that was misplayed by Roberson. The baserunner went to third (who he walked) and a single in effect became a double.
It was a game of inches when Mesa loaded them up and the ball was hit like a missle and Tad Iguchi was in the right place at the right time. Had that ball went a little further to the right, two runs would have scored and there was no way they would have won. Not with Mesa pitching the way he was.
Chalk this one up to a resilient offense, Aaron Rowand, and luck on Iguchi's part. It was a miraculous win and much like Brian Westbrook's season-saving punt return in 2003, a mirror image.
Wes Helms, who has been maligned for much of the season, gets major kudos. He hit the game- winning hit in the top of the 11th; a two-run, two-out double to score Howard and Rowand. It doesn't get much more clutch than that.
This is the game that saved the Phillies' season. Now they just need to win the next couple series' against the Marlins, Braves, Nationals, and Pirates and they get their young guns back in Utley, Victorino, and Bourn.
And, then they'll be in very good shape.
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Playoff chances back up.
With the win yesterday, the Phillies' playoff chances are back up to 25.1%.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Out-pitched
Rookie Yovani Gallardo out-pitches Kyle Kendrick as Phillies lose 2-1
Kyle Kendrick had his third best start as a Phillie, only this time he wound up with an L. He's had three starts of 7 innings, including two where he allowed just one run. This time he allowed one too many because Brewers rookie Yovani Gallardo was a tad better in 6 2/3 innings.
Kendrick and Gallardo matched each other tit for tat. KK allowed 2 runs, 8 hits, and only 1 walk. And, he had 2 strikeouts. He's not a strikeout pitcher. And, you don't have to be in order to be a good pitcher in the bigs. His bread and butter is the groundball to flyball ratio, and once again that was effective. He had 12 to 9 groundball outs to flyball outs.
Gallardo had 8 strikeouts (his bread and butter) and allowed just 5 base runners the whole night. The lone run against him came on a Pat Burrell homerun.
Perish this thought, but I think the Philies need to stick it out with Pat the bat now. He's not going to leave Philly unless they pay him the king's ransom so he voids that no-trade clause. And, Burrell has stepped up during Ryan Howard's enormous slump.
Howard has been quite simply, abominable since Utley went on the fritz. He has gone 5 for 29 with 0 homeruns, 3 RBI's, and 18 strikeouts since Utley's injury. He has been killing the team.
Now, that the Phillies lost last night their playoff chances dropped by 5%. They now have a 27.4% chance of making the playoffs. How do I know this? Well, there's a website out there called http://www.sportsclubstats.com/ which runs a computer simulation millions of times each night to determine how each team finishes at each seed. It's very intriguing. I'll be constantly updating you on the Phillies' playoff chances from here on out. Thanks to Ken Roberts for this great website.
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Camp update...
Will James, the cornerback formerly known as Will Peterson gets Jacked Up!
G Cobb called into the Saturday show with Ray Didinger and Mark Eckel on WIP and mentioned a huge hit by Tony Hunt that got the crowd going.
He was taking it in on the goal line and leveled Will James.
According to Cobb, this could make a lasting impression on the Eagles and force them to utilize Hunt on short yardage situations and goal line situations.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
y
Chi-town Split
Phillies split with the Cubs after dominant offensive performance, winning 10-6
Wow. Who saw this one coming? Jayson Werth (known by many as Jayson "Werthless") came off the DL and hit leadoff in the lineup and knocked in 4 runs.
And, who woulda thunk up this one? Kyle Lohse in his debut got knocked out of the game and J.D. Durbin came in an emergency relief situation and wound up with the win.
Stranger things have happened I suppose: see J Roll's in the park homer on an error for proof.
I personally think the Phillies could have gone into Chicago and won the series. Many are happy they ended up splitting. I expected them to at least split. You can say all you want about how the Cubs are the hottest team in the majors over the past two months (since trading troublemaker Michael Barrett), but the Phillies are a resilient team that finds ways to win.
They are reminiscent of the 2003 Eagles, who started out 2-3 and struggled mightily against the Giants in the 6th game, but ended up winning on a Brian Westbrook punt return with less than a minute to go. Remember that game?
Donovan McNabb had about 65 yards passing and was awful. After that punt return for a TD, the Eagles wound up winning 9 games in a row and made their third consecutive appearance in the NFC Championship game. And, they were decimated by injuries. They lost countless players on the O and D lines and somehow found a way to win against Green Bay without Brian Westbrook and Carlos Emmons. Ah, hmm...4th and 26.
This Phillies team has something special about it. Despite the injuries and shortcomings in the bullpen and the rotation, they just find ways to win.
There's an interesting column today by Paul Hagen about Charlie Manuel deserving another chance for holding this ship together.
Does he?
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Some early camp notes...
Eagles seem to be running the ball more early on in camp
G Cobb says the receivers need to improve
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Gettin' Away
Brett Myers blows the save in the 9th with two wild pitches; Phils lose 5-4
This is another one of those could've, should've, would've games. Carlos Ruiz and Brett Myers are the goats this time.
Ruiz was involved in two blunders, on both sides of the bases being loaded. In the eighth inning, during a primo opportunity to take the lead he grounded out to the shortstop with bases loaded, which ended the inning.
And, in the ninth inning after Myers loaded the bases, he threw a wild pitch that Ruiz was unable to block, thus resulting in the winning run for the Cubs.
Myers said after the game that Ruiz blocks that ball "nine times out of 10." He was clearly dejected after the game and said, "You can just put in there that I stink."
Again, it wasn't the injuries that cost the Phils this game, it was their pitching ultimately. Jamie Moyer had a lackluster start and put the Phils in the hole early on. They were down 4-1 at the end of three innings. He ended up gong just 5 innings and gave up 4 runs. He did have 6 strikeouts, but allowed a total of 11 baserunners (9 hits and 2 walks) and he stretched the bullpen out.
Added to that, the entire pitching staff had 9 walks total, including 3 by J.C. Romero and 2 by Myers.
When you have pitching like that, are missing your MVP, and when Ryan Howard strikes out four times, the chances of walking out of the park with a win are never good.
This marks the second straight loss for the Fightins and they dropped to third in the division. They will face the Cubs today at 2:20 and look to split the series. Kyle Lohse makes his Phillies debut against
Sean Marshall.
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In other news...
Brian Dawkins assumes responsibility for the Eagles’ playoff loss last year and blames it on the D.
McNabb reiterates the fact that he's not a "rah, rah, rah" kind of guy.
Former Eagles Darwin Walker gets paid!
He agreed to a 5-year $25 million deal with the Bears.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Eaton Alive
Adam Eaton implodes in the 6th as Phils lose 7-3
This was a game that the Phillies could have easily won. Having fought back from a 2-1 deficit, Pat Burrell made it 3-2 in the 6th with yet another homerun. Pat the bat, wrapped up a torrid July by hitting .431, with 6 homers, and 22 RBI to raise his average to .260.
And, things fell apart faster than a pair of knockoff Nike's in the bottom of the 6th inning when Adam Eaton got knocked out of the game after giving up 3 runs (5 total for the night).
Geoff Geary made his first appearance since being called up and allowed another 2 runs in the 7th.
Even though the Phillies have been decimated by injuries on the offensive end, it was their pitching that cost them this game. And, without Utley and Victorino in their lineup they'll be hard pressed to overcome shoddy pitching.
It's going to be a tough two weeks before Victorino and Bourn return. The lineup has less speed than the Betty Ford Clinic now. With Rollins as the only speedster (well that's proven since Roberson hasn't done it on a major league level) they will have a hell of a time manufacturing runs.
The Phils will look to avenge last night's loss and win the series tonight at 8:05. Jamie Moyer takes the hill against Rich Hill.
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Phillies acquire relief pitcher from Mariners who beat up his wife
This is either a really desperate measure (highly likely) or just a callous move on the Phillies' part (probably some of that too). Yesterday they acquired reliever Julio Mateo from the Mariners for minor league infielder Jesus Merchan.
Mateo has pretty solid career numbers. In six seasons he has an 18-12 record with a 3.68 ERA, 216 strikeouts, 298 hits allowed, and 85 walks in 318 1/3 innings pitched.
That's not the problem. The problem is he was demoted to the minor leagues since a May 5th incident in a Manhattan Hotel room when he allegedly attacked his wife and bit her. After the Phillies went through that PR nightmare last year with Brett Myers this was certainly not a smart move.
Sure, he's certainly better than the schleps they throw out there like Yoel Hernandez and Clay Condrey, but for them to acquire an alleged wife beater shows a sheer lack of concern for what happened last year.
It would be akin to the St. Louis Rams signing a wide receiver who killed someone in a drunk driving accident. Then again, they never canned Leonard Little's ass for the incident (where he killed a woman in a drunk driving accident while being legally drunk) so they might as well do that if someone of that ilk comes along.
Even though everyone is making a huge deal out of the Michael Vick situation and rightfully so, nonsense like this still goes on. Society has their priorities totally backwards when they place animal abuse above brutality towards women and killing people in drunk driving accidents. Sorry, but human life is more important if you ask me, not discounting what Vick did in any way.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
