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| Cole is back, baby! |
Good evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome to my running diary of Cole Hamels' first start of the season. It has been a while since I've done a running diary so for those of you who aren't familiar with the concept I'll explain.
As the game is being played tonight, I will be reporting and commenting on the action as it is happening. It removes the hindsight from any opinion and allows for insight that will hopefully turn out to be completely erroneous and laughed at the next day. That's the goal anyway. Also, for anybody following the action live and reading the blog it will be necessary to press refresh on your browser every five minutes or so to allow for anything I'm posting to display on the page. Who's ready for a late night?!
On paper, we have a pitcher's duel ahead of us at Chavez Ravine. Hamels should have a good feeling on that mound. He is the owner of two postseason wins there including the brilliant game-five-series-clinching-win in the 2008 NLCS. Overall, Hamels is 6-1 with a 2.41 ERA against the Dodgers and that includes a 3-0 record with a 2.22 ERA in LA.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers send one of their two former Cy Young winner's to the bump in the form of Zack Greinke (Greinke won his with the Royals). On the season, Greinke is 3-0 in four starts with a 2.42 ERA. He has yet to make it out of the sixth inning and is a bit of a jackass if you ask me. You see, the Dodgers played a series against the Padres one week before the season really got started in Australia. Here's the direct quote on what Greinke thought of this idea. Keep in mind the Dodgers are paying him $26 million this season and will pay him $102 million more over the next four years.
"I would say there is absolutely zero excitement for it. There just isn't any excitement to it. I can't think of one reason to be excited for it."
Well Zack, I could think of about 26 million reasons just for this season. What an ambassador for the game huh? I guess if I was getting paid $26 million to go on a pseudo vacation to do my job, which is in fact, just playing a game, I'd have zero excitement as well. Wait.. What..?
The Phils will be looking to win their 4th straight game and 3rd against the Dodgers in an effort to win the four game set in LA. Check back for updates as the game begins..
**Posts from here down will be shown in reverse order**
1:03 AM EST: Dom Brown strikes out on a high fastball. Dodgers win 5-2.
"The 5-6-7-8 hitters were oh for fourteen with nine strike outs, I think that's the difference right there," LA. I think you're right LA.
I gotta get to bed.
1:01 AM EST: Dom Brown swings at the first pitch and fouls it off. On the second pitch he stares at a fastball on the corner. 0-2.
1:01 AM EST: Marlon flies out to Yasiel. One out left.
12:59 AM EST: Marlon Byrd swings and misses at the first pitch he sees from Jansen. It was a fastball high and out of the zone. Hmmm..
12:57 AM EST: The Dodgers closer is Kenley Jansen. He's already appeared in 15 games and has 7 saves in 9 opportunities. He also got Ryan Howard to fly out to center.
12:55 AM EST: Camp gets Gonzalez to fly out to the warning track in dead center. We will go to the 9th with the Phillies needing 3 runs to tie the game. Ryan Howard will lead off. The bullpen has been an issue.
Here's Camp's info - your guess is as good as mine right now, it's late.
12:52 AM EST: Shawn Camp is breathin heavy, I guarantee you that. He's given up an RBI single. And another single. Now Adrian Gonzalez steps to the plate to pinch hit with men on first and second.
12:50 AM EST: "That run charged to Mario Hollands," Scott Franzke. Ryno went with Shawn Camp. I can't believe I'm saying this: I don't know who Shawn Camp is. It's 5-2 Dodgers after Camp gives up a 2 out single to score another run.
12:45 AM EST: Sandy having serious conversations with Bowa and McClure. Here he comes. That's it for Mario Hollands after getting one out in the 8th. He is chased by a double from Van Slyke, his second of the game.
12:43 AM EST: Hanley Ramirez was 1 for his last 20 until he was 2 for his last 21. Super Mario just went from big to small. Leadoff home run for Hanley to negate the Nix home run. 4-2 Dodgers.
Hanley really stood in the box and admired his blast to dead center. You'd think raising your average to .095 in your last 21 at bats you might just put your head down and jog around the bases. Off Mario Hollands no less, act like you've been here before Hanley.
12:38 AM EST: Well, Howard will lead off the 9th. Utley goes down swinging on a curveball that fell off the table from Howell.
12:36 AM EST: Rollins flies out to Puig. Even the way Puig catches a routine fly ball gets under your skin if you're not a Dodgers fan.
"I still think Carlos Gomez has Puig beat as hot dog of the year," LA.
12:34 AM EST: Revere up, he's hitting .445 against lefties. Take a look at JP Howell. Are you surprised he's a lefty?
12:32 AM EST: That's it for Greinke. Top of the order coming up and anybody who knows anything knows the Dodgers need to bring a lefty into this ball game.
12:31 AM EST: Jayson Nix just sent one deep to left on the first pitch of the 8th. 3-2 Dodgers. So glad Don Mattingly decided to keep Greinke in.
12:30 AM EST: No way.
12:27 AM EST: Jayson Nix makes a nice play leaning over the dugout fence to end the 7th inning with the Dodgers up two runs. Jeff Manship did not make it out of the inning by the way. Mario Hollands induces the foul pop off the bat of Andre Eithier. Citizen's Bank Park is currently missing out on an opportunity to play this every time Super Mario does something positive.
12:22 AM EST: Puig delivers his second clutch two out hit in as many plate appearances. He thought his line drive off the wall was a home run when he flipped his bat. Not quite. Even though he didn't get out of the box he still went in cleats high to 3rd base without a throw. Yasiel Puig has a certain, zest, for the game. 3-1 Dodgers.
Zack Greinke is winning the game for the Dodgers one strike out and one at bat at a time.
12:22 AM EST: F word.
12:20 AM EST: Promptly, Greinke doubles down the line. Here comes the Cuban sensation.
12:18 AM EST: Manship gets the first two outs with little effort. Don Mattingly is rolling the dice and sending Zack Greinke to the plate in the bottom of the 7th with 107 pitches.
12:16 AM EST: Jeff Manship has taken over for Cole Hamels in the bottom of the 7th inning of a 2-1 ball game. They said there were no restrictions on Hamels but he only threw 86 pitches. Sandy is feeling the bullpen, perhaps.
Hamels line: 6 IP 2 ER 1 BB 5 K, he can lose it he can't win it.
That walk was with 2 outs to Zack Greinke and it led to the go ahead run. It was an encouraging outing from the 146 million dollar man. If he hadn't been so sharp I wouldn't complain about that one hiccup, but like I mentioned before, you can't walk the pitcher.
12:14 AM EST: Obviously Ryno couldn't handle watching Freddie get below .040 on the season and wanted Cody to get down a shade under .190. The bottom of the order, and who ever is playing 3rd base right now, are a problem at the plate.
12:13 AM EST: The side is retired. That was a 2nd pitch foul pop out pinch hit appearance for Asche. Is that a good approach?
12:13 AM EST: Cody Asche alert.
12:11 AM EST: 0-11 with 8 Ks. Chooch goes down on yet another check swing that went around. Not much conviction up there. Greinke has 11 Ks. Just letting you know.
12:09 AM EST: "5-6-7 and 8 hitters are 0-10 with 7 Ks," LA just let us know. See post at 11:54 PM.
12:08 AM EST: 91 MPH fastball at the letters and Dom some how foul tips it into the catchers glove. These guys are like Kit in A League of Their Own, "I like the high ones!"
"Mule"
"Nag"
12:05 AM EST: Greinke is out of the 6th for the first time this season. Dom Brown leading off the 7th.
12:02 AM EST: Van Slyke hits an even more pathetic swinging bunt than Byrd. That's a big out folks. Hamels can get Juan Uribe and escape... And as I type that Uribe grounds out to Rollins on the first pitch. That's a big time job from Hollywood. He's through 6 and given up 2 runs on 86 pitches. His ERA is 3.00.
12:01 AM EST: Infield in.
12:00 AM EST: Midnight. Bullpens up, Jeff Manship :/. 82 pitches for Cole and Kemp skies a ball 10 feet short of the warning track in center. Do you think Hanley can make it to 3rd on Revere?
11:59 PM EST: Hanley Ramirez smokes a leadoff double down the line in left. Hamels was cruising until all of a sudden...
10:21 PM EST: First pitch for Hamels is a fastball on the inside corner at 90 MPH that got called a ball.
1:03 AM EST: Dom Brown strikes out on a high fastball. Dodgers win 5-2.
"The 5-6-7-8 hitters were oh for fourteen with nine strike outs, I think that's the difference right there," LA. I think you're right LA.
I gotta get to bed.
1:01 AM EST: Dom Brown swings at the first pitch and fouls it off. On the second pitch he stares at a fastball on the corner. 0-2.
1:01 AM EST: Marlon flies out to Yasiel. One out left.
12:59 AM EST: Marlon Byrd swings and misses at the first pitch he sees from Jansen. It was a fastball high and out of the zone. Hmmm..
12:57 AM EST: The Dodgers closer is Kenley Jansen. He's already appeared in 15 games and has 7 saves in 9 opportunities. He also got Ryan Howard to fly out to center.
12:55 AM EST: Camp gets Gonzalez to fly out to the warning track in dead center. We will go to the 9th with the Phillies needing 3 runs to tie the game. Ryan Howard will lead off. The bullpen has been an issue.
Here's Camp's info - your guess is as good as mine right now, it's late.
12:52 AM EST: Shawn Camp is breathin heavy, I guarantee you that. He's given up an RBI single. And another single. Now Adrian Gonzalez steps to the plate to pinch hit with men on first and second.
12:50 AM EST: "That run charged to Mario Hollands," Scott Franzke. Ryno went with Shawn Camp. I can't believe I'm saying this: I don't know who Shawn Camp is. It's 5-2 Dodgers after Camp gives up a 2 out single to score another run.
12:45 AM EST: Sandy having serious conversations with Bowa and McClure. Here he comes. That's it for Mario Hollands after getting one out in the 8th. He is chased by a double from Van Slyke, his second of the game.
12:43 AM EST: Hanley Ramirez was 1 for his last 20 until he was 2 for his last 21. Super Mario just went from big to small. Leadoff home run for Hanley to negate the Nix home run. 4-2 Dodgers.
Hanley really stood in the box and admired his blast to dead center. You'd think raising your average to .095 in your last 21 at bats you might just put your head down and jog around the bases. Off Mario Hollands no less, act like you've been here before Hanley.
12:38 AM EST: Well, Howard will lead off the 9th. Utley goes down swinging on a curveball that fell off the table from Howell.
12:36 AM EST: Rollins flies out to Puig. Even the way Puig catches a routine fly ball gets under your skin if you're not a Dodgers fan.
"I still think Carlos Gomez has Puig beat as hot dog of the year," LA.
12:34 AM EST: Revere up, he's hitting .445 against lefties. Take a look at JP Howell. Are you surprised he's a lefty?
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| JP Howell |
12:32 AM EST: That's it for Greinke. Top of the order coming up and anybody who knows anything knows the Dodgers need to bring a lefty into this ball game.
12:31 AM EST: Jayson Nix just sent one deep to left on the first pitch of the 8th. 3-2 Dodgers. So glad Don Mattingly decided to keep Greinke in.
12:30 AM EST: No way.
12:27 AM EST: Jayson Nix makes a nice play leaning over the dugout fence to end the 7th inning with the Dodgers up two runs. Jeff Manship did not make it out of the inning by the way. Mario Hollands induces the foul pop off the bat of Andre Eithier. Citizen's Bank Park is currently missing out on an opportunity to play this every time Super Mario does something positive.
12:22 AM EST: Puig delivers his second clutch two out hit in as many plate appearances. He thought his line drive off the wall was a home run when he flipped his bat. Not quite. Even though he didn't get out of the box he still went in cleats high to 3rd base without a throw. Yasiel Puig has a certain, zest, for the game. 3-1 Dodgers.
Zack Greinke is winning the game for the Dodgers one strike out and one at bat at a time.
12:22 AM EST: F word.
12:20 AM EST: Promptly, Greinke doubles down the line. Here comes the Cuban sensation.
12:18 AM EST: Manship gets the first two outs with little effort. Don Mattingly is rolling the dice and sending Zack Greinke to the plate in the bottom of the 7th with 107 pitches.
12:16 AM EST: Jeff Manship has taken over for Cole Hamels in the bottom of the 7th inning of a 2-1 ball game. They said there were no restrictions on Hamels but he only threw 86 pitches. Sandy is feeling the bullpen, perhaps.
Hamels line: 6 IP 2 ER 1 BB 5 K, he can lose it he can't win it.
That walk was with 2 outs to Zack Greinke and it led to the go ahead run. It was an encouraging outing from the 146 million dollar man. If he hadn't been so sharp I wouldn't complain about that one hiccup, but like I mentioned before, you can't walk the pitcher.
12:14 AM EST: Obviously Ryno couldn't handle watching Freddie get below .040 on the season and wanted Cody to get down a shade under .190. The bottom of the order, and who ever is playing 3rd base right now, are a problem at the plate.
12:13 AM EST: The side is retired. That was a 2nd pitch foul pop out pinch hit appearance for Asche. Is that a good approach?
12:13 AM EST: Cody Asche alert.
12:11 AM EST: 0-11 with 8 Ks. Chooch goes down on yet another check swing that went around. Not much conviction up there. Greinke has 11 Ks. Just letting you know.
12:09 AM EST: "5-6-7 and 8 hitters are 0-10 with 7 Ks," LA just let us know. See post at 11:54 PM.
12:08 AM EST: 91 MPH fastball at the letters and Dom some how foul tips it into the catchers glove. These guys are like Kit in A League of Their Own, "I like the high ones!"
"Mule"
"Nag"
12:05 AM EST: Greinke is out of the 6th for the first time this season. Dom Brown leading off the 7th.
12:02 AM EST: Van Slyke hits an even more pathetic swinging bunt than Byrd. That's a big out folks. Hamels can get Juan Uribe and escape... And as I type that Uribe grounds out to Rollins on the first pitch. That's a big time job from Hollywood. He's through 6 and given up 2 runs on 86 pitches. His ERA is 3.00.
12:01 AM EST: Infield in.
12:00 AM EST: Midnight. Bullpens up, Jeff Manship :/. 82 pitches for Cole and Kemp skies a ball 10 feet short of the warning track in center. Do you think Hanley can make it to 3rd on Revere?
11:59 PM EST: Hanley Ramirez smokes a leadoff double down the line in left. Hamels was cruising until all of a sudden...
11:54 PM EST: Byrd grounds out on a swinging bunt. Hey, he didn't K. The Phillies end their half of the 5th with 1 hit, 2 left, and no runs. Not going down 1, 2, 3 is a small win I'll take. Will need the extra at bats for the top of the order the way 5-6-7-8 have been going lately.
11:53 PM EST: First pitch swinging Byrd fouls back a letter high fastball. I say take one there, but that's just me, and conventional baseball wisdom.
11:53 PM EST: First pitch swinging Byrd fouls back a letter high fastball. I say take one there, but that's just me, and conventional baseball wisdom.
11:52 PM EST: Howard gets a 2-0 curveball that's a foot outside. They make the 3-0 pitch intentional. Nice to see some respect for the big man. I'd take my chances with Marlon Byrd right now too.
11:50 PM EST: Chase Utley hits his league leading 9th double of the season setting up the Piece with 2 outs and the tying run in scoring position.
11:49 PM EST: Pat Burrell sighting (mention) on the radio. He's in the building somewhere. Giving girls the eye.
11:48 PM EST: Two weak fly balls in 4 pitches for Revere and Rollins. Not frustrating at all.
11:43 PM EST: Chase Utley just added to his WAR with a big time play at 2nd. Andre Eithier sent a scorching ground ball up the middle but Utley made the stop and got up to throw out Eithier and saved a run. Top of the order coming up. Got to get the sticks going.
11:41 PM EST: Check out my post at 11:32, that's what we call jinxing it. Yasiel Puig lines an RBI single to left on the first pitch of his at bat. Hamels doing this to himself. You. Can't. Walk. The. Pitcher. 2-1 Dodgers. Hamels is capable of getting emotional as we know. He's frustrated and he needs to settle the ____ back down.
11:39 PM EST: A cardinal sin has been committed by Cole Hamels. He just walked Greinke and wasn't too close to the zone after he gave up a hard hit single to Drew Butera.
11:32 PM EST: Justin Turner gets rung up on a borderline pitch on the outside corner. Hamels dealing.
11:31 PM EST: Hamels gets Uribe flailing with a changeup on the outside corner. K number 4. Cole has hit 94 on the gun tonight. We like to call that velocity.
11:27 PM EST: Greinke gets the side as Hamels was borderline walking back to the dugout as that fastball painted the corner. 5 straight and 9 total Ks for this wonderful humanitarian Zack Greinke. He's at 76 pitches through 5. A more respectable job is being done by the Phils at the plate at this point despite the Ks. 1-1 ball game nevertheless.
11:26 PM EST: Freddie down. This time on a solid check swing. Greinke has four strikeouts in a row.
"The Phils have just got to get something out of the bottom of the order. Besides the pitcher," LA.
11:25 PM EST: Freddie up.
11:23 PM EST: Chooch taking a seat. That's 7 for Greinke. This was a strike at least.
11:20 PM EST: Hamels induces a Van Slyke pop up to centerfield. Folks Hamels is through four innings with 48 pitches. The Dodgers are employing a Phillies-esque gameplan against a guy who hasn't thrown in the Majors yet this season. I'm frustrated with the lack of patience if I'm Magic Johnson. But if I'm Magic Johnson, there's not a goddamn thing in the world that could actually piss me off.
11:18 PM EST: Matt Kemp doubles again. That's a single on anybody else in the majors. "That's on the arm, or lack of arm of Ben Revere," LA. 2 outs bottom 4 with Kemp on second.
I have a similar arm to Ben Revere. Sadly.
11:16 PM EST: Andre Eithier take a seat. Hamels 3rd K of the game.
11:12 PM EST: That's 6 Ks for Greinke through 4. Dom Brown goes down on a fastball up and away. Byrd's ball was also out of the strike zone. Need more patience from these guys. Greinke is tough though, we'll take the tying run there.
11:10 PM EST: These strike outs are racking up for Marlon Byrd. 27 Ks in 20 games. If you have more strike outs than Ryan Howard you're not exactly on your game. Howard has 25 ;)
11:07 PM EST: The Big Piece delivers! Greinke threw a change up down and away and Howard served a single into left field. A nice piece of hitting, if you will. We've got a tie ball game with a man on 1st and one out in the 4th. You have to like seeing that kind of hitting from the Piece.
11:06 PM EST: Jimmy makes a ballsy play and takes off for 3rd on a ball hit just to his left. Ramirez thought better of the throw. LA says he was "a little escared" of making that throw. Piece up. 1 out. Man on 3rd. Cmoonnnnn!
11:04 PM EST: Jimmy sends a rocket deep into the night, just foul. Next pitch he keeps fair and puts it in the right center gap for a double and we have a man in scoring position with no outs for Chase Utley in the top of the 4th.
11:01 PM EST: Didn't matter one bit. Hamels sends Yasiel back to his seat for the second time in as many at bats, this time on a dirty curveball down and in. Hamels just cruised through the third on 10 pitches and has 26 strikes in just 37 pitches.
11:00 PM EST: Hamels throws one right down the middle to Puig for a ball. LA is non plussed.
10:57 PM EST: Marlon Byrd 1. Dodgers fan 0. Byrd makes a basket catch leaning over the right field foul fence as a rather portly Dodgers fan tried to make an attempt at the ball but we can see why he never played outfield. 1 down in the 3rd.
10:56 PM EST: They're showing the Eagles schedule on the broadcast. We didn't get any favors from Gooddell and the boys.
10:54 PM EST: Revere strikes out on yet another ball out of the zone; this one about a foot outside. We're heading to the bottom of the third.
10:52 PM EST: Well it wasn't 9 up 9 down. Cole Hamels gets Phillies pitching's 5th hit of the series with a nice piece of hitting. He slapped a low and outside curveball down the line for a single. AJ Burnett had three hits last night and Cliff had one Monday. They say Burnett is available to pinch hit tonight.
10:51 PM EST: Freddie down. He has 1 hit in 19 at bats. Swung at a first pitch fastball shoulder high and then looked minor league on two straight curve balls.
10:50 PM EST: Freddie up. He has 1 hit in 18 at bats.
10:49 PM EST: Chooch pops up. We got to hear it on the radio a half second before it happened. I swear the commercials throw off our sync. They really just don't want you to be able to do this.
10:46 PM EST: Turner, formerly of the Spurberry Police Department, flew out to left. With two strikes on Butera, Cole Hamels picks off Van Slyke trying to steal second. Ryan Howard managed to unspool with that deliberate arm motion and throw a strike to Jimmy to get him at 2nd. Hamels out of the inning giving up one run.
10:41 PM EST: Juan Uribe knocks in the first run of the game with a sac fly to right field. Better than a hit, not better than a strikeout. Justin Tuner at bat. Looks like this guy from Super Troopers.. 1-0 Dodgers with 1 out and a man on first in the 2nd.
10:39 PM EST: Scott Van Slyke, gotta be related to Andy, singles in the hole to left. We've got runners at the corners with no outs in the bottom of the 2nd. Jump right in Cole, the water is warm..
10:38 PM EST: First hit of the ball game is a leadoff double by Matt Kemp. Took Dom Brown a year and a half to cut it off before it got to the wall near the corner.
10:35 PM EST: Dom Brown rolls out meekly to second base on a 3-1 pitch. A few guys have gotten ahead of Greinke but no one has been close to squaring one up through one and a half innings.
10:33 PM EST: Byrd strikes out on a pitch slightly less pathetic than Howard's. Still not close to a strike. Scott Franzke let's us know that out of the last 15 four game series the Phillies have won two. It will take tonight or tomorrow night to change that.
10:32 PM EST: Adult beverages have been made.
10:31 PM EST: Howard strikes out on a pitch that was never even close to being a strike. About eye level. Frown face.
11:48 PM EST: Two weak fly balls in 4 pitches for Revere and Rollins. Not frustrating at all.
11:43 PM EST: Chase Utley just added to his WAR with a big time play at 2nd. Andre Eithier sent a scorching ground ball up the middle but Utley made the stop and got up to throw out Eithier and saved a run. Top of the order coming up. Got to get the sticks going.
11:41 PM EST: Check out my post at 11:32, that's what we call jinxing it. Yasiel Puig lines an RBI single to left on the first pitch of his at bat. Hamels doing this to himself. You. Can't. Walk. The. Pitcher. 2-1 Dodgers. Hamels is capable of getting emotional as we know. He's frustrated and he needs to settle the ____ back down.
11:39 PM EST: A cardinal sin has been committed by Cole Hamels. He just walked Greinke and wasn't too close to the zone after he gave up a hard hit single to Drew Butera.
11:32 PM EST: Justin Turner gets rung up on a borderline pitch on the outside corner. Hamels dealing.
11:31 PM EST: Hamels gets Uribe flailing with a changeup on the outside corner. K number 4. Cole has hit 94 on the gun tonight. We like to call that velocity.
11:27 PM EST: Greinke gets the side as Hamels was borderline walking back to the dugout as that fastball painted the corner. 5 straight and 9 total Ks for this wonderful humanitarian Zack Greinke. He's at 76 pitches through 5. A more respectable job is being done by the Phils at the plate at this point despite the Ks. 1-1 ball game nevertheless.
11:26 PM EST: Freddie down. This time on a solid check swing. Greinke has four strikeouts in a row.
"The Phils have just got to get something out of the bottom of the order. Besides the pitcher," LA.
11:25 PM EST: Freddie up.
11:23 PM EST: Chooch taking a seat. That's 7 for Greinke. This was a strike at least.
11:20 PM EST: Hamels induces a Van Slyke pop up to centerfield. Folks Hamels is through four innings with 48 pitches. The Dodgers are employing a Phillies-esque gameplan against a guy who hasn't thrown in the Majors yet this season. I'm frustrated with the lack of patience if I'm Magic Johnson. But if I'm Magic Johnson, there's not a goddamn thing in the world that could actually piss me off.
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| Decent graphic. Sanatana. LOLzz |
11:18 PM EST: Matt Kemp doubles again. That's a single on anybody else in the majors. "That's on the arm, or lack of arm of Ben Revere," LA. 2 outs bottom 4 with Kemp on second.
I have a similar arm to Ben Revere. Sadly.
11:16 PM EST: Andre Eithier take a seat. Hamels 3rd K of the game.
11:12 PM EST: That's 6 Ks for Greinke through 4. Dom Brown goes down on a fastball up and away. Byrd's ball was also out of the strike zone. Need more patience from these guys. Greinke is tough though, we'll take the tying run there.
11:10 PM EST: These strike outs are racking up for Marlon Byrd. 27 Ks in 20 games. If you have more strike outs than Ryan Howard you're not exactly on your game. Howard has 25 ;)
11:07 PM EST: The Big Piece delivers! Greinke threw a change up down and away and Howard served a single into left field. A nice piece of hitting, if you will. We've got a tie ball game with a man on 1st and one out in the 4th. You have to like seeing that kind of hitting from the Piece.
11:06 PM EST: Jimmy makes a ballsy play and takes off for 3rd on a ball hit just to his left. Ramirez thought better of the throw. LA says he was "a little escared" of making that throw. Piece up. 1 out. Man on 3rd. Cmoonnnnn!
11:04 PM EST: Jimmy sends a rocket deep into the night, just foul. Next pitch he keeps fair and puts it in the right center gap for a double and we have a man in scoring position with no outs for Chase Utley in the top of the 4th.
11:01 PM EST: Didn't matter one bit. Hamels sends Yasiel back to his seat for the second time in as many at bats, this time on a dirty curveball down and in. Hamels just cruised through the third on 10 pitches and has 26 strikes in just 37 pitches.
11:00 PM EST: Hamels throws one right down the middle to Puig for a ball. LA is non plussed.
10:57 PM EST: Marlon Byrd 1. Dodgers fan 0. Byrd makes a basket catch leaning over the right field foul fence as a rather portly Dodgers fan tried to make an attempt at the ball but we can see why he never played outfield. 1 down in the 3rd.
10:56 PM EST: They're showing the Eagles schedule on the broadcast. We didn't get any favors from Gooddell and the boys.
10:54 PM EST: Revere strikes out on yet another ball out of the zone; this one about a foot outside. We're heading to the bottom of the third.
10:52 PM EST: Well it wasn't 9 up 9 down. Cole Hamels gets Phillies pitching's 5th hit of the series with a nice piece of hitting. He slapped a low and outside curveball down the line for a single. AJ Burnett had three hits last night and Cliff had one Monday. They say Burnett is available to pinch hit tonight.
10:51 PM EST: Freddie down. He has 1 hit in 19 at bats. Swung at a first pitch fastball shoulder high and then looked minor league on two straight curve balls.
10:50 PM EST: Freddie up. He has 1 hit in 18 at bats.
10:49 PM EST: Chooch pops up. We got to hear it on the radio a half second before it happened. I swear the commercials throw off our sync. They really just don't want you to be able to do this.
10:46 PM EST: Turner, formerly of the Spurberry Police Department, flew out to left. With two strikes on Butera, Cole Hamels picks off Van Slyke trying to steal second. Ryan Howard managed to unspool with that deliberate arm motion and throw a strike to Jimmy to get him at 2nd. Hamels out of the inning giving up one run.
10:41 PM EST: Juan Uribe knocks in the first run of the game with a sac fly to right field. Better than a hit, not better than a strikeout. Justin Tuner at bat. Looks like this guy from Super Troopers.. 1-0 Dodgers with 1 out and a man on first in the 2nd.
10:39 PM EST: Scott Van Slyke, gotta be related to Andy, singles in the hole to left. We've got runners at the corners with no outs in the bottom of the 2nd. Jump right in Cole, the water is warm..
10:38 PM EST: First hit of the ball game is a leadoff double by Matt Kemp. Took Dom Brown a year and a half to cut it off before it got to the wall near the corner.
10:35 PM EST: Dom Brown rolls out meekly to second base on a 3-1 pitch. A few guys have gotten ahead of Greinke but no one has been close to squaring one up through one and a half innings.
10:33 PM EST: Byrd strikes out on a pitch slightly less pathetic than Howard's. Still not close to a strike. Scott Franzke let's us know that out of the last 15 four game series the Phillies have won two. It will take tonight or tomorrow night to change that.
10:32 PM EST: Adult beverages have been made.
10:31 PM EST: Howard strikes out on a pitch that was never even close to being a strike. About eye level. Frown face.
10:30 PM EST: Howard rolls an 0-1 pitch just foul. "We know Howard has speed,we've already seen a triple now we can see an infield hit," LA.
10:29 PM EST: That was as good a first inning as you could hope for. Hamels hit 92 on the gun and threw dazzling changeups and the curve ball already mentioned.
10:27 PM EST: Hanley battled to a full count but hit a chopper to Rollins who threw him out by a step. A low throw was dug out by The Big Piece. He's just like John Kruk or Rico Brogna over there..
10:25 PM EST: Good god. Nasty curveball from Hamels gets him to 0-2 on Hanley Ramirez. "Talk about breakin out the hammer early," LA.
10:23 PM EST: Well, he can still throw a filthy changeup. Yasiel is left shaking his head and flailing away as Cole gets his first K of the season against his first batter. Ya gotta love it.
10:18 PM EST: Greinke takes 18 pitches to go through the Phillies 1, 2, 3 in the first. Chase lofted a fly ball to center that carried all the way to the warning track but once again, caught by Matt Kemp.
I have not detected if Larry Andersen is half in the bag yet, but it's early. We can hope.
10:16 PM EST: Jimmy had two different hitter's counts in his at bat. He swung through a 2-0 pitch and check swing fouled the 3-1. Another fly ball caught by Matt Kemp on a 3-2 pitch. If the first two guys are going to make outs I'll take working counts as solace.
10:13 PM EST: Ben Revere working a nice opening at bat here. He hit a 3-2 pitch, the 7th of the at bat, about as far and as hard as he can hit one. Caught by Matt Kemp with little effort. Not much power for Benny.
10:02 PM EST:
Yup, officially going to sync this game to the radio. LA and Franzke here we come!
9:55 PM EST: Botallico and Harris really went out on a limb for their prediction's of tonight's "standout stars" - Chase Utley and Cole Hamels. Let's hope fellas, let's hope.
9:50 PM EST: Ryno deciding to keep Cody Asche on the bench. Pick your poison at third base for the Phils so far this season. Galvis is hitting .056, Asche is at .196, and the incomparable Jayson Nix is coming in at a scorching .156. Not exactly Mike Schmidt these days.
9:45 PM EST: Just kicking it here watching pre-game with Ricky Botallico and Marshall Harris. I enjoy RIcky, he brings some passion to this gig. When the Phils got smoked 12-1 by the Rockies last weekend he was red in the face mad talking smack on who he called "Jered" Pettibone.
Here's tonight's lineups:
Ben Revere - CF
Jimmy Rollins - SS
Chase Utley - 2B
Ryan Howard - 1B
Marlon Byrd - RF
Domonic Brown - LF
Carlos Ruiz - C
Freddy Galvis - 3B
Cole Hamels - P
Yasiel Puig - RF
Andre Ethier - LF
Hanley Ramirez - SS
Matt Kemp - CF
Scott Van Slyke - 1B
Juan Uribe - 3B
Justin Turner - 2B
Drew Butera - C
Zack Greinke - P
Nice to see Adrian Gonzalez out of the lineup.
Of course the only game the Phillies lost in this series was this one. I'll take 3 outta 4 in LA 8 days a week though.
ReplyDeleteThe Phils have a 3 game set that starts in Arizona tonight. The DBacks are currently the worst team in baseball and a series win is a necessity to keep the momentum going. The Phils are now 4-3 on their 10 game trip West.