KTE: Philadelphia Phillies (August 27-30)

[Gwreck]

KTE: Philadelphia Phillies (August 27-30)

70-59, 2nd in the East, 6.5* games behind the Mets. 2nd in the wildcard race, 3 games behind San Diego.

*will adjust 1/2 game based on the results of tonight's NYM vs. LAD matchup.

Phillies have lost 2 of 3 in 3 consecutive series, at Pittsburgh and home vs. the Dodgers and San Diego. They are 5-6 vs. the Mets this season and have 3 more games, Sep 14-16 at Shea vs. the Mets.

New and notable:
Chase Utley broke his right hand on July 26 and has been out since. He just completed a series of rehabilitation games in the minors and will likely be activated for the Mets series (possibly as early as Monday). Tadhito Iguchi, acquired from the White Sox at the deadline has been playing second in Utley's absence. Iguchi has 2-8-.301 (.357 OBP) since been acquired.

Brett Myers (he of the alleged assault on his wife, and general asshole-ness) gave up two homers in the 9th inning on Saturday night. Myers gets asked about the homers, he says they were "just pop ups." A reporter from the Philadelphia Inquirer then asks if that's what Myers really thought, and Myers replies "you don't know anything about baseball" and calls the reporter "retarded." The reporter asks Myers if he can actually spell "retarted" at which point Pat Burrell had to restrain Myers and escort him to a back room of the clubhouse.

Since we last saw the Phillies, both Tom Gordon and Brett Myers have been activated off the DL and have returned to the bullpen. Ryan Madson went down in late July with a strained right shoulder and is a longshot to return at all this season.

Shane Victorino missed a couple of weeks in August with a quad injury but returned to the lineup a few days ago.

The Phillies also picked up all-or-nothing bench player Russell Branyan on August 9. In his 9 ABs for the Phillies so far he has 6 Ks and 2 hits (both Homers).


Pitching matchups:
Monday Aug 27: Brian Lawrence v. JD Durbin ®
Durbin is 5-3, 5.44 (4-2 4.43 ERA as a starter). The Mets beat him up in the first agme of the 4-game series in late June, 8 hits and 6 ER in 4.2 innings.

Tuesday Aug 28: Tom Glavine v. Adam Eaton ®
Eaton is coming off the DL (right shoulder inflammation) to make the start. 9-8, 6.36 ERA, 82Ks and 57 BBs in 133 innings. He beat the Mets on April 11 and June 6 and has good career numbers against the Mets (5-0, 1.89 ERA in 5 starts).

Wednesday Aug 29: Oliver Perez v. Jamie Moyer (L)
Moyer is 11-10, 5.16 ERA and is the only Philly SP to have been on the roster all year while simultaneously avoiding the DL all year. His last two starts against the Pirates and San Diego (on Friday) were awful, allowing 8 runs in fewer than 5 innings (6 and 7 earned, respectively) in both.

Thursday Aug 30: Orlando Hernandez v. Kyle Loshe ®
Loshe was acquired from the Reds at the deadline and is 1-0, 3.95 in 5 starts for the Phillies. (6-12, 4.58 for the Reds). 6 H, 3 BB and 6 runs in 4.2 IP on July 15 while pitching for the Reds against the Mets. Giving up the longball has always been a big problem for him (19 this year).

Who's Hot:
Since we last saw him July 1, Pat Burrell has raised his average 66 points and hit 12 homers with 37 RBIs. He had a 1.332 OPS in July and while not quite as hot as that is still playing everyday (previously, his PT had been cut).

Jayson Werth has been getting some additional outfield playing time with injuries to Victorino and Bourn and has been hitting more lately (.317-3-13 in 63 August ABs).

Who's Hurt:
Lots of Philly injuries this season.
Cole Hamels was put on the DL last week with a strained elbow. He will probably return September 3rd against the Braves.

First string catcher Rod Barajas is out with a strained hamstring and strained groin.

Michael Bourn, their promising, young, speedy outfielder is still a few weeks away with a sprained ankel.

Ryan Madson, as reported above.

Freddy Garcia (shoulder strain) pitched in a rehab assignment on Thursday. He might come back in September after opting not to have surgery.

Misc.:
Newly acquired Jeff Conine can be added to the ex-Phils list. He was acquired by the Phillies last season for the stretch run.

[stevejrogers]

K About TE's lone World Championship



Entertaining book about the relationship the city and the team had, specifically that year's squad who puts the "Bad Guys" of 1986 and the Bronx Zoo to shame in terms of internal strife.

[metirish]

Listen to Myers here with the reporter...he's a class A wanker.

http://www.beerleaguer.com/beerleaguer/2007/08/audio-brett-mye.html

[Elster88]

Gotta admit, Rogers is very well read when it comes to baseball books.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

That's a great clip!

"How do you spell retard?"

[Willets Point]

SteveJRogers wrote: Entertaining book about the relationship the city and the team had, specifically that year's squad who puts the "Bad Guys" of 1986 and the Bronx Zoo to shame in terms of internal strife.

I don't think the '86 Mets were torn by internal strife. They partied hard, did drugs and executed cats but got along with one another for the most part. They just fought everyone else.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Judge the popups yourself:

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

Dear Assclown,

Face reality and own up to the fact that you got hammered the other night.

I don't think the announcer called the first home run as "...deep to right field..." because he thought it had any chance of staying in the park. He made the call almost immediately after the crack of the bat, there really wasn't much doubt where that ball was going to land. The second home run did barely clear the fence, but it was to the opposite field and just left of the 374' designation. Seems like a 375' opposite field home run is a little more than a cheap pop up.

The Phillie fans weren't booing the Padre hitters for their cheap home runs, they were booing you for coughing up the lead.

I hope you saved some of your dazzling stuff for the Mets this week.

Sincerely,
Rockin' Doc

[Guest Edgy DC]

Of course that guy's a retard. He's filling in for somebody.

He's like a relief pitcher that couldn't handle starting.

[Frayed Knot]

Heard that reporter on the radio yesterday.
Yeah he's a fill-in, mainly because he covers numerous things for the paper and no longer works the Philly beat regularly even though he was doing so before Meyers was born. But I guess covering Schmidt & Luzinski doesn't give him enough knowledge to question current players in Brett's eyes.



btw, LoDuca activated, Almoar DFA'd

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Utley activated (I think)

[Gwreck]

Johnny Dickshot wrote: Utley activated (I think)

Confirmed via Phillies press notes. They DFAed Branyan to make room.

[stevejrogers]

Willets Point wrote: ="SteveJRogers"] Entertaining book about the relationship the city and the team had, specifically that year's squad who puts the "Bad Guys" of 1986 and the Bronx Zoo to shame in terms of internal strife. I don't think the '86 Mets were torn by internal strife. They partied hard, did drugs and executed cats but got along with one another for the most part. They just fought everyone else.

Well not specifically in '86, but Straw had his bouts with Hernandez and others through the years, which is what I was thinking about.

Also that 1980 Phillies team seemed like a tough team to warm up to, even if you were a life long Phillie fan. I could see a non-Met fan loving the '86ers, likewise the '76-'81 era Yankees for non-Yankee fans (who weren't predesposed to hating them of course)

[Guest cooby]

This has got to be the first friggin Phillies game all season that was not aired on Comcast Sportsnet.

[Guest Edgy DC]

]Eaton is coming off the DL (right shoulder inflammation) to make the start. 9-8, 6.36 ERA, 82Ks and 57 BBs in 133 innings. He beat the Mets on April 11 and June 6 and has good career numbers against the Mets (5-0, 1.89 ERA in 5 starts).

Who do we get tonight? Adam Eaton, Met killer, or Adam Eaton, owner of the worst ERA in the National League?

[metirish]

Really the Mets need to bater the shite outta Eaton,so to answer your question we get the owner of the worst ERA in the NL.

[Guest Edgy DC]

BATER THE SHITE OUT OF EATON!

Wow! It reads like something out of Chaucer.

Really, if I don't see that banner at the game tonight, I'll be very cross.

[Frayed Knot]

Only a looser would put up a baner like that

[metirish]

Busted.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

cooby - "This has got to be the first friggin Phillies game all season that was not aired on Comcast Sportsnet."

In retrospect, you should probably consider yourself lucky.

[Guest cooby]

Yeah, I guess so...

So I get to work today and I'm complaining to my Phillie-fan friend Jason about this and he says that he was talking to his grandma on the phone last night and she was watching them on Comcast!

What am I, chopped liver?

[Elster88]

Two teams that have been in the same division for 41 years and never really have a pennant race together could be a statistical oddity or it could be two historically poorly-run franchises.