2013 Phillies - Game 2 - Running Diary

5:19 EST - I was not able to watch all of Monday night's game. Tonight will be the first game that I get to sit down, try and relax, and try not to overreact if Roy Halladay's night does not go as well as every one would like it to.

There has been a ton of talk, almost all bad, about Roy Halladay the last month plus. Tonight, for the first time this season, he will have a chance to show whether or not he is a top tier pitcher, or any kind of pitcher for that matter. The Braves were red-hot all spring and continued to rake against Cole Hamels on opening day, so this will be a true test for Doc right out of the gate.

He is facing Braves left-hander Paul Maholm. Maholm spent most of his career with the Pirates before splitting time between the Cubs and Braves last season.

Charlie Manuel filled out his lineup card the exact same way tonight as he did Monday and it is as follows:

Ben Revere CF
Jimmy Rollins SS
Chase Utley 2B
Ryan Howard 1B
Michael Young 3B
Dom Brown LF
John Mayberry RF
Erik Kratz C
Roy Halladay P

Check back in around game time for updates on how Doc's night is going.

5:45 EST - This quote/scene sums up my thoughts on Doc's potential performance tonight.

6:45 EST - Two and Half Men will be leading us into the broadcast on PHL 17. It's a Charlie episode.


6:58 EST - Astros got shut out by the Rangers again today. They struck out 43 times out of 81 outs. Good luck this season Houston. That's a division game by the way. The NL West will no longer have Houston to beat up on.

7:03 EST - The Phils pregame show did us the pleasure of showing the 6-0! lead Doc blew in Atlanta last season. Great memory. Michael Bourn, Brian McCann, and Chipper Jones did a bunch of the damage, none of which are in the lineup tonight. Here's the Braves starting 9.


1. Angrelton Simmons SS
2. Jayson Heyward RF
3. Justin Upton LF
4. Freddie Freeman 1B
5. BJ Upton CF
6. Dan Uggla 2B
7. Juan Franciso 3B
8. Evan Gattis C
9. Paul Maholm P

7:10 EST It has been raining for an hour straight but they are starting on time. Revere in the box.

7:12 EST After Revere grounded out to the pitcher Jimmy swings right handed at the second pitch and gets jammed. The bloop was beautifully placed and Upton misplayed it to give Rollins a double.

7:14 EST Utley Ks on a slow looping curveball on a 1-2 count. The Piece Strides to the plate. The Phils fail to score but did threaten with Howard on 1st with a walk and Rollins on 3rd after a steal. The initial commercial on the broadcast featured Erik Kratz supporting Godshall's Turkey Bacon. Erik Kratz sittin on top of the world right now. Thanks Chooch.

7:23 EST Doc takes the mound and gets a K to start the game.  A changeup that fooled Simmons. It is raining steadily and the fans are sparse early on -- and there goes the no-hitter. Heyward broke his bat on a single to right. He still hit it pretty hard if you ask me. Doc just hit 90 on the gun with a fastball on the black for his first pitch to Upton, swing and a miss.

7:28 EST The air just got let out of the balloon.

7:38 EST Halladay struck out the side. He gave up three hits,  and three runs, including a 2 run smash HR to centerfield by Justin Upton, and he did that in a tidy 40 pitches. Some of the printable texts I received included:

"Too early for a rain dance"

"So glad they're doing pitch count now on the tv scoreboard"

And I may or may not have had to pour myself a drink.

3-0 Braves through 1.

"Not the way they drew it up." Wheels

7:49 EST The Phils threaten again but a 1st and 2nd no out GIDP by Kratz left Halladay at the plate with a man on 3rd and 2 outs. Roy went down swingin'. That first inning was a gut punch and Doc is warming up to try and get through the next inning with Maholm leading off.

7:56 EST He's rackin up Ks. Doc strikes out the side in back-to-back innings.  He has hit 92 on the gun. This time it took him 16 pitches and he did it 1 2 3. Season's back on. Not that I like to overreact.

8:02 EST After Rollins smoked a home-run right handed 10 feet foul he rips one past Simmons at short and singles to left. Jimmy is 2-2 to start the game.

8:09 EST Phils leave men on base for the first 3 innings. The Big Piece goes down looking to end the inning. Froze on a ball on the outside corner.

8:11 EST Wheels waxing poetic on Justin Upton's power as he leads off the 3rd. Gotta admit tho, Justin Upton has got some power. Make that 7 strikeouts through 7 outs. We're starting to gain some traction. Freddie Freeman bloops a single on a nice pitch to break up 4 straight Ks.

8:20 EST BJ Upton goes down swinging. Doc has 8 Ks through 2 2/3. He's settled in and finally got a ground out to end the 3rd. The opportunities have been there on offense, it's time to stop letting Maholm off the hook.

8:31 EST Halladay goes down swinging with 2 men on as the Phils fail to capitalize with men on base for the 4th straight inning. The top of the order needs to get something going next top half. Doc's pitch count is climbing but he's been effective since the shaky start.

8:34 EST Evan Gattis just got his first career Major League hit. It was a home run off Roy Halladay. He threw the bat down and acted as if he knew it was gone. It was out by a few feet and Dom Brown was camped at the wall trying to pull it back. Take it easy bro. 4-0 Braves no outs in the 4th.  87 pitches. :(

8:39 EST Halladay gets through 3 and 1/3. "Not sure how many it was in that first inning, boy oh boy, it was a lot of pitches that Doc threw there." Sarge bein' Sarge. 95 pitches in total. He tallied 8 Ks but the highlight is that he got 10 outs. Of all the performances Doc could have had to start the season, and it's early we all know that, this is not the one you wanted to see.

8:45 EST "It's only Four-Nothing. Couple a bloops and a blast and you're right back in the game." Sarge bein' Sarge.

8:50 EST Raul Valdez comes in and gives up back-to-back walks to load the bases. Freddie Freeman up. This doesn't feel good.

8:51 EST Good night Irene.

8:58 EST Freddie Freeman continues to be a professional Phillie killer and with a little help from Valdez he smashed an opposite field bases clearing double. 7-0 Braves. The Braves have struck out 11 times through 4 innings and lead by 7.

9:04 EST Maholm just cruised through the top of the order getting Utley looking on a borderline call. Shut out through 5. It's bleak.

9:11 EST Second 1 2 3 inning of the game for the Phils. Whoopee.

9:16 EST The Piece swings at the first pitch and drops the bat as if it has a chance. Warning track power on a ball he sent the other way near the left field corner. Sigh.

9:19 EST Maholm comes out to a standing O after pitching 5 2/3 of scoreless ball. Out pitching Halladay in a landslide.

9:41 EST And the Phillies are on the board. Chase lined a double to right field on an 0-2 count to knock in Laynce Nix and Ben Revere, who also got hits on 0-2 counts. Chase has now knocked in 5 runs in the first two games. Pitching change with Howard coming up, think it will be a lefty?

9:46 EST Luis Avilan gets Howard looking. The second time he's gotten Howard in as many nights.

10:03 EST We're in the top of the 8th with one out. The rain has been falling steadily the entire game. Can't wait for Cliff Lee tomorrow.

10:09 EST The Phils go down in order. Playing out the string here.

10:11 EST Papelbon sighting in Fulton County. Bottom 8.

10:19 EST Just for fun Jayson Heywared takes Papelbon deep for a 2 run homer. John Mayberry looked like he may have had a chance to rob a home run but he looked feeble attempting to snare it. 9-2 Braves. Its getting piled on.

10:24 EST The Phils will only need an 7 run rally in the to top of the 9th to force the Braves to bat in the bottom of the 9th. To be honest, I'd probably be flipping channels by now if I wasn't doing this. For instance, I missed the Sixers lose to the Bobcats and was sad I missed out on Jrue Holliday's solid game.

10:30 EST The Phillies went quietly into the night in the 9th. This was not the game I was hoping/expecting to commentate. Oh well, there's still 160 to go.

Final Score:

Braves 9
Phillies 2

Ouch.