Phillies Career Stats Against Brewers

The following roster is what is believed to be the 25 players representing the Phillies versus the Brewers in the first round of the National League playoffs. Listed with each player are their career stats against Milwaukee.

Rotation:
1. Cole Hamels 2-1 record, 4.41 era, 1.10 whip.
2. Brett Myers 4-1, 1.77, 0.84.
3. Jamie Moyer 9-5, 3.63, 1.32.
4. Joe Blanton 0-0, 3.86, 1.00.



Bullpen:
1. Brad Lidge 5-3 record, 2.43 era, 1.10 whip, 17 saves.
2. Ryan Madson 2-1, 2.13, 1.26.
3. JC Romero 0-0, 2.53, 1.69.
4. Chad Durbin 0-1, 4.26, 2.21.
5. Scott Eyre 2-1, 6.68, 1.84.
6. Clay Condrey 1-0, 0.00, 1.15.
7. Rudy Seanez 4-0, 1.44, 0.96.







Lineup:
1. Jimmy Rollins .257 average, .740 OPS.
2. Jayson Werth .340, 1.043.
3. Chase Utley .336, .906.
4. Ryan Howard .250, .874.
5. Pat Burrell .268, .915.
6. Shane Victorino .271, .752.
7. Pedro Feliz .260, .752.
8. Carlos Ruiz .237, .736.





Bench:
1. Greg Dobbs .267 average, .933 OPS.
2. Chris Coste .133, .411.
3. Matt Stairs .283, .927.
4. Eric Bruntlett .333, .836.
5. Geoff Jenkins 0-7, with 1 walk.
6. So Taguchi .282, .759.

Overall, I'm confident that our pitching staff will be able to keep the games close and that the offense will score enough to win the series. CC Sabathia will likely be troublesome, but as long as the Phils take care of business against the other Brew Crew pitchers, all will be good in the hood. This season the Phils were 5-1 against the Brewers and outscored them 33 to 16.

Look-a-like Alert:
Were Eric Gagne and Seth Rogen separated at birth?


~Carson

Know Your Enemy - Playoff Edition

The Phillies open the their 2008 NLDS series at home on Wednesday against the Milwaukee Brewers. A series preview will be up on Tuesday or Wednesday, but before we focus on stats and pitching matchups, let's take a closer look at the history of the Milwaukee Brewers. Who are they? What is their organization built upon? Hopefully the following tidbits of information will make you more familiar with the Phillies' next victim.

Rising From The Ashes...
The Milwaukee Brewers were established in 1970 after the Seattle Pilots franchise was sold to Bud Selig. The year before, Bud and his group failed to get an expansion franchise when four were handed out (Seattle, Montreal, Kansas City, San Diego.) Luckily for Bud, the Seattle franchise was destined to fail. They had an old, dilapidated stadium that only could seat around 17 thousand per game for much of the season. The team stunk. They only drew 600K for the entire season and at season's end, the organization was broke. They were declared bankrupt six days before opening day of 1970 and were sold to Selig and his group.

With only six days before the season opener, the Brewers didn't have time to get new uniforms, so they took the Pilots logo/name off of the shirts and stuck a Brewers logo on. They had originally intended to have navy and red as team colors, but because of the time crunch, the Brewers continued with the Pilots light blue and yellow. The other thing that continued...sucking.

They Suck Like Us
Since inception, the Brewers have been pitiful. How pitiful? Well, they almost have a worse winning percentage than the losingest franchise in sports history. The Brewers are 3010 and 3338 for a .474 winning percentage. The Phillies boast a .470 winning percentage.

Mmmmmm, Sausage
There is a sausage race in the middle of the sixth inning at Miller Park. The sausage (brat, hot dog, chorizo, polish, and italian) became a full-time attraction at the park in 2000 but didn't get really popular until 2003, when Phucco Randall Simon hit the italian sausage with a baseball bat and knocked it over. It was Randall Simon's only memorable hit as a Pirate.

Chuckie Likes To Hack
Chuckie Carr was an outfielder for the Brewers in the mid-90's. During a game in 1997, Chuckie popped out to third on a 2-0 count. When questioned about the decision to swing by manager Phil "Scrap Iron" Garner, Carr replied, "That ain't Chuckie's game. Chuckie hacks on 2-0." Chuckie was released shortly thereafter and never played after the '97 season.

From Motivation To Rehabilitation
Steve Sparks was a Brewer farmhand in 1994 and was on the verge of a major league call-up. That was until he dislocated his shoulder trying to rip a phone book in half. Apparently Sparks was trying to duplicate a stunt performed by a motivational speaker.

Freakin' Sweet Logo
This logo ranks right up there with the Montreal Expos "M", the bat swinging San Diego Padre, the wide-grinned Cleveland Indian and the Colt 45's logo with the gun for best baseball logo of all-time.

The Fat Man Is A Meat Whore
Prince Fielder went vegetarian this year. Why does this seem wrong? Is it because I expect vegetarians to be skinny? No, I know plenty of fat vegetarians who shove carb after carb down their throat. Is it because powers hitters should eat only rare steak and raw eggs top get their protein? No, they have supplement shakes for that. Is it because Prince got paid to promote meat? Yeah, that's it. The dude was in a Mickey D's commercial with Cecil. I don't care if he was only a kid, you can't go from selling McDonald's cheeseburgers to eating tofu. It's un-American.

Here's the video.

Corey

Sunday is a Day of Rest

For 161 games the Phillies regulars went through the wear and tear of the season trying to accomplish Goal #1- reach the postseason. With the first goal checked off of the list, it's now on to Goal #2- advance through the first round in the playoffs. Don't worry, there's also Goal #3- reach World Series, and Goal #4- parade down Broad Street. However, goals 2-4 will have to wait until Wednesday when the Phils begin the National League Divisional Series with the yet to be determined Los Angeles Dodgers or Milwaukee Brewers. Until then, there's still game #162 to be played today, and on the last day God rested, and so shall the Phillies.

My Proposed Lineup:
1. Ryan Howard- 1B
2. Tadahito Iguchi- 2B
3. Matt Stairs- LF
4. Geoff Jenkins- RF
5. Lou Marson- C
6. Eric Bruntlett- SS
7. Greg Golson- CF
8. Mike Cervenak- 3B
9. Kyle Kendrick- SP

I want Howard batting leadoff and swinging for the fences in an attempt to belt homeruns 49 and 50. If the game doesn't appear to have any chance of heading into extra innings I'd pinch-hit the regulars starting in the 8th inning and bring the rest in as defensive substitutes in the 9th so they can get a rousing standing ovation from the sellout crowd. JA Happ, Adam Eaton, and Les Walrond would be working the bullpen for me today.

~Carson

Clinch No Cinch

Jamie Moyer- stellar.

Jimmy Rollins- gold glove.

Pedro Feliz- clutch.

Jayson Werth- timely power.

Shane Victorino- crazy warrior.

Brad Lidge- still perfect.

Philadelphia Phillies- repeat NL East champions. Suck it Mets!


~Carson

A Tale Of Two Cities

Philadelphia:



New York:


Odds & Ends
- From now on, striking out, hitting a homer and making an error in the same game will be known as a "Howard," and will be kept as an official WSBGM's statistic next year.

- Omar Minaya got a 4 year extension this week, which is great news for the Phillies. Hopefully he'll keep bringing in chumps and choke-artists. Four more years! Four more years!

- Magic number is 1 for the NL East. A Phils win or a Mets loss this weekend and it's a second title in two years for Philadelphia. It's Moyer v. Lannan today at 4:00, national TV from FOX. Get ready to celebrate. I have a case of Andre champagne in the fridge and I've covered my basement in plastic...

Corey

Weekend Awaits Us

3 games to go, with a 1 game advantage in the NL East and a 1 game advantage in the Wild Card standings. Things never seem to come easy for the Phillies...









Phils/Gnats:
Friday 7:05- Collin Balester (3-6, 4.83 era, 1.43 whip) vs. Kentucky Joe Blanton (8-12, 4.79, 1.41). Saturday 3:55- John Lannan (9-14, 3.86, 1.32) vs. Grand Pappy Moyer (15-7, 3.78, 1.33). Sunday 1:35- Odalis Perez (7-11, 4.27, 1.46) vs. King Cole Hamels (14-10, 3.09, 1.08).


Mets/Marlins:
Friday 7:10- Chris Volstad (5-4, 3.10, 1.33) vs. Re-Re Mike Pelfrey (13-10, 3.70, 1.36). Saturday 1:10- Ricky Nolasco (15-7, 3.55, 1.12) vs. Nobody John Niese (1-1, 7.07, 2.00). Sunday 1:10- Scott Olsen (8-11, 4.23, 1.33) vs. Darth Santana (15-7, 2.64, 1.17).



Cubs/Brewers:
Friday 8:00- Ryan Dempster (17-6, 2.99, 1.21) vs. Jeff Suppan (10-10, 5.06, 1.53). Saturday 3:55- Ted Lilly (16-9, 4.17, 1.25) vs. Dave Bush (9-10, 4.25, 1.15). Sunday 2:05- Jason Marquis (11-9, 4.43, 1.43) vs. Cheeseburger Sabathia (16-10, 2.80, 1.14).


Weather:
Philly: Friday- 70% showers, Saturday- 60% thunderstorms, Sunday- 50% thunderstorms.
NY: Friday- 100% rain, Saturday- 90% thunder showers, Sunday- 60% thunder showers.

~Carson

Myers Needs Hug, Phils Need Win

Brett Myers' last 2 starts in the Hunt for October: 8.1 innings, 19 hits, 4 walks, 16 runs (14 earned), 0-2 record, 15.12 era. Thanks a-freakin-lot you mental pansy! Myers wants to be a so-called "rockstar", but I've got news for you Brett, ain't nobody coming to see your ass on tour when you're singing that shitty tune. His horrific outing against the Marlins was excusable because he had been so good prior to that. However, 2 abysmal outings in a row leads me to believe that the craptacular Brett Myers has returned just in time to screw over the team for the playoffs. I don't have the patience nor the positive mental attitude to try and spin the Phils' current state of affairs in a soft white light. No, I'm pissed because they're pissing away a golden opportunity. Not all is lost, but it could be if they continue losing.

Contributions:
*Ryan Howard did what he does best- went yard (#47), struck out (#196), and made a costly error (#18).

*Chris Coste is a good guy, but his September is one to forget, batting just .125 (3-24); that's uglier than Jorge Cantu's minefield. In case you haven't noticed, and obviously I have, Coste is taking a backseat to Carlos Ruiz and may be on his way out of town following the season.

*Every time Charlie Manuel suggests Jayson Werth is worthy of a full-time gig, he begins struggling and striking out a buttload. His swing and misses are more disgusting than the video you found in your parents' room labeled "private".

*Much needed off day today. Phils need to regroup and gear up for the Nationals series. No rest for a Phils Phan though, as it's- Root, root, root for the Cubbies. If they don't win it's a shame. For it's 1, 2 games out for the Mets if the Cubs win the game. Rich Harden vs. Pedro Martinez tonight...who's your daddy?

~Carson

Give It Away

Big Blows:
Bases loaded triple by Jose Reyes, Mets go on to win 6-2.

Walk-off 2-run homerun by Prince Fielder, Brewers win 7-5.

Errant pick-off move by Cole Hamels and a fat pitch to Casey Kotchman, Phils lose 3-2.

Phillies gave last night's game away. It wasn't all Cole's fault, although he did come up very small despite what his line might suggest- 7 ip, 8h, 3 r, 2 er, 1 bb, 7 k. However, he did battle through 7 innings and with any modicum of offense would have likely been the victor and receiving praise this morning. The offense was essentially nonexistent last night, and when batters managed to become base runners they ran themselves into costly outs (Burrell, Victorino). Overall, it was a poor performance late in the season in a game they could ill afford to lose. Luckily they've been playing well lately and built themselves a thin cushion that is now down to 1.5 games over the Mets. Tonight Brett Myers looks to redeem himself against Jo-Jo Reyes and the Braves. Don't give it away!

Greedy little people in a sea of distress,
Keep your more to receive your less,
Unimpressed by material excess,
Love is free, love me, say hell yes.
Give it away, give it away, give it away now.
Give it away, give it away, give it away now.
Give it away, give it away, give it away now.
I can't tell if I'm a king pin or a pauper.

~Carson

5 To Go

#5 belted a 3-run shot into the night sending the Phillies fans into a frenzy assuring a win and inching closer to a playoff spot. Pat Burrell had been slumping mightily, but that homerun gave the rundown relief crew a bit of breathing room and allowed Brad Lidge to chill in the bullpen with his jacket on just happy the game was secure. All around it was a helluva game featuring rookie JA Happ coming through with a nice outing again, Chase Utley picking up his 100th rbi, the hot bat of Shane Victorino, Greg Dobbs with yet another pinch-hit, killer speed of Greg Golson, some nice defense by Pedro Feliz, and big time relief from Seanez, Eyre, and Madson. Phils now 2.5 up on the Mets with only 5 to go. Go Phils!

Tid-Bits:
*Jayson Werth swiped his 17th consecutive bag last night, and now has 19 on the season leaving him 1 short of a 20/20 campaign (homerun/stolen base).

*Scott Eyre picked up his 3rd win as a Phillies only needing 3 pitches to do so.

*Today's games: Cole Hamels (Phils) vs. Jo-Jo Reyes (Braves), Johan Santana (Mets) vs. Sean Marshall (Cubs), and Jeff Karstens (Buccos) vs. David Bush (Brewers).

*Screw the Mets!

~Carson

Lovin' It!

At the beginning of the season I predicted a measly 82 victories for the 2008 Philadelphia Phillies, with most of the losses to be squarely pinned on the shoulders of the rag-tag pitching staff. I thought the team's trademark would be a powerful offense to be followed by pitching that couldn't hold leads, but that has been far from the truth; and boy have I been wrong (and I'm lovin' it!). The pitching staff, both starters and bullpen have been excellent this year with a MLB 8th ranked era of 3.93. Our closer, Brad Lidge, exiled from Houston has a perfect 100% save conversion rate this season and is getting himself into the mix for Cy Young votes. The eldest member of baseball, Jamie Moyer, just won his 15th game yesterday and has an amazing 3.78 era. Cole Hamels leads the NL in innings pitched and has settled into the staff ace throne admirably. Brett Myers was a complete letdown in the 1st half of the season to come back from a minor league demotion and put on a brilliant pitching display in his return helping to lead the Phils to a eventual hopeful playoff spot. Ryan Madson, Chad Durbin, and JC Romero have played their roles well in relief and because of all the pitchers listed above that's why the Phils currently hold a 1.5 game lead over the Mets for the NL East.

Game Stuff:
*Pat Burrell and Ryan Howard are now equal in terms of batting average, each sitting at .247. I really don't care who ends up with the higher average, just as long as each of them ups it over the final week here.

*Pedro Feliz's 2-run homerun yesterday was huge. He's not playing as much as he hoped to when he first signed here, but when he does play he plays defense well and has come up with some clutch hits.

*Jimmy Rollins has stolen 45 bases despite being out over 20 games for an ankle injury and being obviously hobbled upon his return. He's now batting .280 with a .348 on base %, and in my opinion that's quality for a leadoff man.

*Rookie JA Happ is set to make his 2nd start in a week in a high pressure situation against Atlanta tonight as the Braves come to Philly for a 3 game set while pitching Jair Jurrjens in the opener. Let's hope Happ can shut the Braves down like he did last week and help the Phils roll on to another victory and game up in the standings.

*Mets lost again. I don't believe in jinxes, so here enjoy this lovely picture...

~Carson

Phils Hold On In Florida

“The bullpen as a whole was outstanding,” Lidge said. “I’m a little biased, but I think that’s what won the game tonight.”

I couldn't agree more. It helped that the molten hot Florida lineup went 1-12 with RISP an struck out 16 times on the night. Props to chubby, much maligned starter Joe Blanton who K'd 9 Marlins in his five innings.
--------------------------
Elsewhere
Brewers - Holy crap, this team is in the shitter. The game yesterday marked the end for the them. They had their big gun on mound in Sabathia, but lost to the Reds thanks to a bases-loaded, two out single by pinch hitting pitcher Micah Owings. Owings is a really good hitter, but it still says "P" next to his name, so it has to sting the Brew Crew that their ace got beat by a pitcher's bat. They are now 4-15 in the month and have gone from 5.5 up in the Wild Card, to 2.5 down. Stick a fork in them, they're done.

Mets - It's about time the Braves beat somebody. The loss puts the Mets behind the Phils by 1/2 game, but with a game in hand, and 2.5 ahead of the Brewers for the WC. Hopefully the Braves can pull another out today against Mike Pelfrey before returning to their losing ways...
---------------------------
Magic Number Watch
Wild Card - 5
NL East - 8
---------------------------
Today's Game
Jamie Moyer looks to continue his absolute dominance of the Marlins. Moyer is 5-0 with a 1.60 ERA in his career at Florida. His opponent is fine young pitcher Chris Volstad. Volstad has thrown nine innings against the Phils this year and has only allowed a single run.

Game time is 4:05, the same time as the Eagles-Steelers game. Why the hell couldn't they throw the first pitch at 1:05 like every other freakin' Sunday game on the east coast. Now the "Last" button on my remote is going to get worn out. Television is local, so cross your fingers for a high def signal...

Corey

Myers Lays An Egg

Brett Myers has been superman lately, but maybe the Florida Marlins are his kryptonite. After that egg he laid last night, his ERA against the Fish this year stands at an cool 8.03.

Myers has been so good recently that he is above criticism for this game, as far as I'm concerned. These games happen against hot teams, playoff race or not. Now, as for Charlie leaving him in to long, that we can criticize...
----------------------------------
Your Tattoos Are Blinding Me
Fredi Gonzalez complained about Brett Myers' arm tattoo last night, and the umpires made Myers put on a long sleeved shirt to cover up the ink. A petty complaint? Probably, but I say it's about freaking time those things got covered up. I hate those wrist tattoos. You know who has wrist tattoos? Emo chicks. Does Myers have a tramp stamp too?
----------------------------------
One More Complaint
I just want to give thanks to the CW 15 out of Harrisburg for possibly causing permanent damage to my retinas due to the awful picture quality of the broadcast last night. Not only was the game not broadcast in high def, the standard def broadcast looked like they rubbed each camera lens with Vaseline before the game. It was so blurry my eyes now hurt from squinting. Deplorable.
----------------------------------
Today's Game
The Fish are hot right now and even missing their best hitter to injury (Hanley Ramirez - shoulder) isn't enough to slow them down. The person responsible for controlling the big sticks today - Joe Blanton. Oh crap. Help us Jeebus...

Corey

The Braves Surrender

Just when you think you've had enough of Pat Burrell and his slump...WHAM!...he shows you why you should never give up on Pat Burrell.

Forget Turner Field. After the Phils took all nine games played in Atlanta this year, that place is now called Citizen's Bank Park South, or Cit South for short.

Hamels was solid but particularly unspectacular last night. To avoid spontaneous elbow combustion, Hamels threw 103 pitches and was out of the game. I have to think that if the bullpen would have blown this lead, I would blow a gasket complaining about Hamels only pitching six innings. As it was, Madson survived his own team's defense, Romero and Lidge were solid, and the Phils left town with the ATL sweep.
----------------------------
Where's The K?
Another game, another strikeout. Right? Not lately. Howard has slowed his K progression so much that, as The Fightins pointed out yesterday, Diamondback infielder Mark Reynolds has passed him for the lead. [Reynolds had 192 entering last nights game.]

I'm not happy about this. I want the Phils to win. It would be cool if Ryan Howard pulls out an improbable MVP award, too. But I also want that strikeout record and I want it over 200.
----------------------------
Elsewhere
NY - Was there any doubt that Johan was going to beat the Gnats last night? The Mets are still 1/2 game behind the Phils, but since the Mets have an extra game to play, you almost have to look at this as a tie for the lead in the NL East.

The Mets now head down to Cit South to take on the Braves for three. Hopefully they won't lay down like they did against the Phils.

Oh, and there are people out there trying to say the Jose Reyes isn't gay. I'm not buying it...

Milwaukee - What the hell is wrong with team? Whatever it is, I hope no one figures it out until December or so. After their bullpen implosion in Chicago yesterday, the Phils have a 2 game lead on the Brewers for the Wild Card.

The Brewers go to Cincinnati to play a Reds team that, despite being 12 games under .500, has won four consecutive series. Ben Sheets isn't scheduled to pitch in the series, but the question is will he pitch the rest of the year? This could be a big blow for the Brewers...
----------------------------
If the season ended...
If the season ended today, a lot of people who have tickets for the final homestand would be pissed, but these would be the playoff matchups in the NL.

----------------------------
Fish Fry
The Phils are hot, but the Fish may be hotter. Florida has rolled off eight straight wins. They are getting solid pitching and are just killing the ball. This is the Phils hardest series remaining (ATL & WAS at home), so 2 of 3 would be great.

Myers, Blanton and Moyer will go for the Phils, against Johnson, Sanchez and Volstad. No Ricky Nolasco is a good thing...

Corey

Let 'Em Have It!

Mets win, no sweat.

Brewers win, who cares.

Phils win, all that matters.

As long as the Phillies continue to win, it doesn't matter what the other teams vying for the postseason in the National League do. The Phillies have the almighty half game lead on the Mets for the NL East and a 1 game margin over the Brewers for the NL Wild Card. Those standings are tight enough to make me break out in a fit of claustrophobia, but the fact remains that the Phils are looking at their second straight playoff berth. 10 games to go, I can't wait to see what happens...

Cole Hamels and the Phils look to sweep the Braves for the third time this season in Atlanta with brittle Mike Hampton going for the Braves.

*Image courtesy of Sports Propaganda.

Other games:
Mets- Johan Santana vs. Nationals- Cy Redding.
Brewers- David Bush vs. Cubs- Rich Harden.

Phils Stuff:
*In the biggest game of JA Happ's life he pitches 6 quality innings and picks up his first MLB win. Nice!

*Jayson Werth swiped his 18th bag of the season and is 2 short of a 20/20 (homerun/stolen base) season. Not bad for a guy considered nothing more than a platoon outfielder at the beginning of the year.

*Ryan Howard must be chugging the Powerade by the gallon, because the man is an absolute beast in September and has managed to wiggle his way into serious MVP consideration.

~Carson

MVP! MVP!

Ryan Howard's ridiculous September:

 Avg HR RBI OPS
.396 8 22 1.448

----------------------------
Happ-y Days Are Here Again
"It came down between (Happ) and Kendrick," said Charlie Manuel, "and we thought Happ was our best option."

Kendrick's last ten starts (3-6 with a 7.63 ERA) made this an easy decision for Charlie and the crew. He has solidified his position OUT of the rotation for the remainder of the year and has left the Phils hoping to get a solid start out of somebody. Anybody. Happ is that body tonight.

The Braves will throw Jair Jurrjens (13-9, 3.64). He's faced the Phils once this year, going 8 innings and giving up only 3 hits without surrendering a run.
----------------------------
Cuz I'm Free...Free Fallin'
After losing to the pathetic Gnats, David Wright had this to say, "This is what makes it fun...This is what you work hard for." Huh? I think I know what he means (fun being in a playoff race, etc.) but that is a funny way of putting it following a bad loss. I think I would have chosen my words more carefully...

The Mets look to continue their trademark September plummet against the Gnats. It will be Brandon Knight for the Mets against Gnats rookie Shairon Martis. Santana goes for the Mets tomorrow, so this is the last chance for the Gnats to steal another in this series.

Elsewhere, there doesn't see to be any Dale Sveum magic in Brewer Land as CC Sabathia lost his first game in the National League. The Phils are now a game up on the Brewers for the Wild Card. My buddy Ben Sheets goes for the brewers tonight against Jason Marquis.

Corey

12 Games Remain

Holy crap, it's the middle of September already. I remember anxiously awaiting the first pitch of the 2008 Philadelphia Phillies season back on a cold day in March, and yet here we are with only 12 games remaining on the schedule and the Phils in the thick of the NL playoff picture. Things didn't always look so good for the Phightins though, but thanks to some recent events they're sitting pretty.

Recent Events:
*Phils sweep Brewers in 4 games, with manager Ned Yost getting axed afterward. I truly believe that WSBGM's played a small role in this firing.

*Mets are once again on the way to becoming the MLB laughingstock as they're on the verge of a second straight September swoon that plays them right out of the playoffs.

*Hurricane knocks the hottest team in baseball out of their hometown right into a "neutral site" in Milwaukee and the Astros end up being beaten into submission by the Cubs.

*Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, and Jayson Werth are kick starting the offense while the pitching continues to hold up their end of the deal.

Tonight:
*Jamie Moyer (14-7, 3.68) and the Phils take on rookie James Parr (1-0, 0.00 in 2 starts) and the Braves in Atlanta.

*Mike Pelfrey (13-9, 3.77) and the Mets face Odalis Perez (6-10, 4.48) and the Nationals in Washington.

*CC Sabathia (15-8, 2.81) and the Brewers square off against Ryan Dempster (15-6, 3.02) and the Cubs in Chicago.

~Carson

Sunday Recap

Game 1 - Pat Burrell had a HUGE single in the eighth that put the Phils ahead and was followed by a three run homer by Shane Victorino that put the game away. But don't overlook the significant contribution of Ned Yost's stupidity. He brought in Brian Shouse to face Utley and Howard with Werth already on first. It was a good move because Shouse sports a 0.65 WHIP against lefties. Utley bunted Werth to second and then Yost intentionally walked the hot hitting Howard. But then he inexplicably left Shouse in to face Burrell. I understand that Burrell is struggling big time, but Shouse has a 1.61 WHIP against righties. Burrell singles in the game winning run and Yost leaves Shouse in to face another right handed hitting batter, Victorino, who takes Shouse deep. Game over. Thanks Ned.

Reader Bloodstripes also pointed out that Yost put Corey Hart in the leadoff spot for both games despite his recent struggles. Hart went 1-8 and hit into a key 4-3 double play in the first game.

Oh yeah, and Manuel brought Brad Lidge into the game with 1 out, nobody on, and a 4 run lead in the 9th, despite having another game 3 hours later. Thank goodness they didn't need him in the series closer.

Game 2 -Brett Myers continued his second half Superman act. He became the first pitcher since Andy Pettitte in 2000 to pitch a complete came on only three days rest.
---------------------------------------------
Elsewhere...
NL East - I don't think Billy Wagner is the only person crying in New York about their former closer's bum elbow. Luis Ayala and Pedro Feliciano combined for 5 runs in the ninth helping the Mets lose a two run lead.

Wild Card - The Astros played nine innings and had zero hits, which makes it tough to win. Carlso Zambrano picked up the no-no, and the Phils picked up a game and a half on the 'stros.

Here are the updated standings:



Today's games of interest:
2:05 - Astros (B. Moehler) v. Cubs (T. Lilly)
7:10 - Mets (P. Martinez) v. Gnats (J. Lannan)

Corey