It’s Opening Day everyone!!!  It should be a National Holiday, but alas, the powers that be do not agree.  Instead, it’s just a Thursday on the everyday calendar, but in my mind, it is one of the most exciting days of the year.

To get started for the year, let’s look at some questions that face our foes within our division:

Nationals (by Keara Dowd @kgdowd):

1. Bryce Harper. Unless a tsunami hits Syracuse and his legs get crushed by the water, he will be making his big league debut at some point this season. Nats fans (and the entire baseball world) will get to see what this kid can do. He likely won’t be blowing everyone away at first, but if his bat is steady enough, he could help the Nats make a push into a playoff spot.
2. New Rotation. The Nats brought in a lot of new pitching during the offseason with Gio Gonzalez and Edwin Jackson. These additions mean that the Nats don’t just have a chance to win once every 5 games (as they did briefly with Strasburg in 2010) but should get a chance to win every time they step on the field. The new guys should be able to help the rotation find consistency and overall improvement.
3. Rebounding Werth. Jayson Werth had one of the worst seasons of his career statistically in 2011. The “fart in the wind” as he described it, can’t happen again with his salary. Also, without his bat, the Nats are going to have a really hard time getting enough runs to win games. Now that the pitching staff is set, it’s important for the position players the Nats already have to step up at the plate and bring the run support.

» Continue reading “NL East Preview”

Roy Halladay - Photo credit: Steve Trapani

Once again it took a Doc to cure the Phillies of whatever was ailing them.  Oh and the offense wasn’t bad either!  In fact they had a total 19 hits and had scored nine runs by the fourth inning.

I was hanging at my parents’ house flipping back and forth between the Phillies/Mets and Eagles/Giants.  And let me just say, being a Philadelphia sports fan can be both rewarding and frustrating at the same time.

Anyway, the nine runs the Phillies got were plenty enough to win, although I could swear there was a point where they tried to blow it.  The moment reliever Antonio Bastardo was brought into the seventh to replace Roy Halladay, and gave up a 2-run homer to Ronny Paulino, the feeling of dread started to emerge.

I don’t think I could have handled a sweeping by the Mets.

So thankfully the Phillies hung on, won 9-4 and got out of New York via airplane, not a broom!!!

Complete Box Score Phillies/Mets – 9/25/11 Game

Halladay recorded his 19th win in Sunday’s win over the Mets.

Manager Charlie Manuel was pleased with yesterday’s effort.

“We had some real good things happen in the game, but the most important is we got us a win,” manager Charlie Manuel said.

“You can see the difference,” Manuel said. “When we’ve got all of our guys in there we’ve got a pretty good lineup. I like our lineup when we’ve got everybody here, but when you’ve got two or three of them missing we become a different team. It’s very important we keep our guys in there.”  – Phillies.com

The Phillies finish out the season with a 3-game series in Atlanta against a struggling Braves team who are only holding the Wild Card lead by one game.  Which is shocking because a couple weeks ago the Braves had a comfortable lead over the St. Louis Cardinals but are now very close to imploding and watching their postseason bid fade away.

So the Phillies are either going to be the Braves’ worst nightmare or dream come true.  In the words of my dad, “Depends on WHICH Phillies team decides to show up.”  Ain’t that the truth!

Check out tonight’s game preview after the jump…

» Continue reading “99 Wins – FINALLY!”

Angry Face

I sure wish I had some words of wisdom on why the Phillies are playing so poorly.  And I know the excuses are out there.  Everything from the IronPigs filling in or going with six different pitchers in the second game.  But in all seriousness, should we be concerned?

I mean Cole Hamels only allowed one run in seven innings, and gave up only four hits in Game 1.  So it wasn’t the pitching that hurt them, it was the the lack of offense.  And haven’t we heard and said that before?  The offense has been so cold lately, that I surely hope it thaws sometime before next Saturday because if not, they might be in trouble.

Maybe this is all apart some bigger plan or its some kind of fake-out.  Make all the postseason teams think the Phillies are tanking and lull them into a false sense of security.  Okay that’s silly, but I’m grasping here!

All I know right now is that they just lost their 8th game in a row and are in danger of being swept by yet another National League East rival.

*sigh*

Phillies lost Game 1 by a score of 2-1.

Complete Box Score Phillies/Mets – 9/24/11 Game 1

Phillies lost that the Game 2 by a score of 6-3.

Complete Box Score Phillies/Mets – 9/24/11 Game 2

Check out Sunday’s game preview after the jump…

» Continue reading “WTH…Phillies Lose BOTH Games To Mets!!!”

Friday night’s Phillies/Mets match-up was postponed due to what else…RAIN!   The Phillies will play a split doubleheader on Saturday with Game 1 starting at 1:10 pm EDT and Game 2 at 7:10 pm EDT.

Saturday’s Game 1 Preview

Phillies (98 – 58)     vs     Mets (74 – 82)

Game Time:  1:10 pm EDT

Citi Field – New York

TV:  WPHL 17 – Philadelphia

Radio:  WPHT 1210, WUBA 1480

Weather at Game Time:  73,  showers likely

Pitching Match-Up

Philadelphia:  LHP Cole Hamels  (14-9) ERA 2.80

New York:  RHP R.A. Dickey  (8-13) ERA 3.35

Hamels allowed seven hits and four runs and struck out nine in seven innings in Sunday’s 5-0 loss to the Cardinals. He hopes to pick up his 15th win Friday against the Mets, which would tie a career high, which he set in 2007.

Dickey has 11 straight quality starts, but is just 4-5 in the stretch. He lost 1-0 to the Braves in Atlanta last Saturday despite giving up just three hits in 7 2/3 innings. Chipper Jones had the winning hit in the eighth after two walks. – Phillies.com

Game 2 preview is after the jump…

» Continue reading “Phillies/Mets Rained Out, Split DBLHeader Saturday”

ClipArtGuide.com

Well, here is my recap. On Thursday evening, the Phillies were swept by the Washington Nationals and are now on a 6-game losing streak.

It is what it is!

Roy Oswalt threw 7.2 innings, gave up seven hits and six runs.  Though three of those runs were courtesy of a 3-run blast by Mike Morse in the eighth.  Charlie Manuel had gone out to the mound before Morse batted, making us think Roy’s night was done.  Well, Charlie decided to let Oswalt who was at 104 pitches at the time, stay out there.  The score was 3-0, two men on and two outs, so at that point I figured, Oswalt is either going to get the guy out or give a up a run or two.  Obviously it was the latter.  I really can’t say I was surprised, not that I felt Oswalt pitched poorly, its just kind of the way things have been going for the Phillies.  They lost 6-1!

Complete Box Score Phillies/Nationals – 9/22/11 Game

I agree with View’s writer Karilee Jeantet, that right now winning or losing doesn’t mean anything, that October 1st is when it does.  Read her take here:  What’s Wrong With The Phillies

However, it’s not fun watching them lose.  In fact its downright depressing, but not in a suicidal-let’s-jump-off-the-Walt-Whitman-together type of thing.

I had a conversation with my Dad before the game came on and he was stating how the Nationals are going to be a team to contend with next season.  And I agree.  They already have a group of guys who hit very well and their pitching is decent.  Add one Stephen Strasburg to that mix and possibly a young and hungry Bryce Harper, they are gonna be a force.  The signs are there now and they have played the Phillies tough all season long.  Guess now shouldn’t be any different.

Tonight, the Phillies head to the Big Apple for a 3-game series against the NY Mets then head south to Atlanta to finish out the regular season against the Braves for a 3-game series.  I REALLY hope they end the regular season on a high note then go into the playoffs with tons of momentum. Keeping the fingers crossed.

Check out Friday’s game preview after the jump….

» Continue reading “Yes Its True, Phillies Were Swept By Nats”