Aaron Harang had another quality start, pitching 6 scoreless innings. He ’s won his last 4 and really pitched well enough to win again tonite. Dare i say this…i’ve come to enjoy watching him pitch. My 9 year old has better velocity, but the Harangatang has movement, he locates and changes speeds. He also leads the team with 17 quality starts.
However, Cole Hamels was on his game tonite. He allowed only 4 hits across 7 innings, 1 run, no passes and 9 KOs. In the post game interviews, he mentioned that he rarely used his best pitch, a change up, because his fastball was working so well tonite.
Alas, there was no score into the 7th when Shae Simmons came on in relief. After giving up a hit to Grady Sizemore, Shae served up nasty 2-2 slider that Rollins fouled off. I was sure, at that moment, that he was going to KO Rollins, but then he threw a sinker that didn’t sink and Rollins hammered it into the wind and over the fence. 2 – 0 Phillies. Grrrrr!
The Braves put a rally together in the bottom of the 7th. After Freeman was robbed of a hit on a terrific play by Chase Utley. Upton doubled, Heyward flied out. Chris Johnson doubled and plated Upton. Tommy LaStella left us hanging with a strikeout to end the flame.
B.J. Upton made it interesting in the 8th with an infield single, but then got caught stealing to end the inning.
David Carpenter pitched the top of the 9th and Jonathan Papelbon came in to finish it out for the Phillies.
Our 3 game win streak was stopped and we are now tied for first with the Nationals.
BTW: Evan Gattis is expected to return next week against Miami. Luis Avilan was optioned to Gwinnett.
Regarding the last thread: since he went to go work for Major League Baseball, Peter Gammons has not seemed to be nearly as well-sourced as he was when he worked for ESPN or for the Boston Globe. He’s also 69 years old. I am guessing that his days of hustling are behind him.
Colby Lewis, in my eyes, looks like the biggest pansy in Major League Baseball.
If you want to employ the shift, you also can’t add a 10th fielder known as the Unwritten Law. Make a pitch, loser.
Yeah I read about that. What a clown.
The Lewis thing is pure comedy. Even his teammates must be chuckling about that whine.
Colby Lewis would have despised Wee Willie Keeler.
Regression!
I guess Johnson was saving all of his power for the second half. I am okay with that if he keeps this up.
CJ’s OPS this month is .933. That’ll do nicely.
Stop hitting our guys. Especially our good ones.
I think La Stella has patented that bases loaded/bases clearing double thing.
The Phillies pitching coach looks like a merchant captain from the Spanish Main.
Wow….another 3 RBI double…It’s becoming his signature.
Mr. “Bases Loaded” La Stella.
Deaf dumb and blind boy, he’s in a quiet vibration land
Strange as it seems his musical dreams ain’t quite so bad.
TOMMY!
Making contact is a good thing.
I have come to expect a double from La Stella when bases are loaded. This kid is just a joy to watch. I am going to go nuts the first time he drops a bomb.
I love Tommy La Stella.
alex…
Gammons…
what does 69 have to do with it? careful!
You tell that young whippersnapper, blazon.
Lets just call it and give the bullpen a nice Sunday off.
With the addition of Shreve and S. Simmons, the subtraction of Uggla, and the likelihood of Gattis joining tomorrow, this team is ready for another run!
Typical Peraza and Wren: Peraza leads off game with a single, steals 2nd right away, and Wren doubles him home.1 out later, Wren steals 3rd base but is left stranded by a GIDP.
And Chris Johnson has been relevant these last 34 games with an OPS right at .850
Nothing wrong with being 69 – Billy Joe Shaver’s 74 and kicking ass like always – but Gammons is already in the Hall of Fame, he’s employed by the organization he ostensibly covers as a journalist, and he’s at an age where most people think about retiring and doing something else. Hitting the pavement and doing shoe-leather reporting doesn’t seem to be his top priority right now.
That was a terrific at-bat by B.J.
Great at bat B.J.
Mario Hollands walked the bases loaded, then he walked in a run. So, naturally, Tyler Pastornicky strikes out on three pitches.
@27
Essentially said the same thing on twitter. That’s a “stamp back to Gwinnett” at-bat.
Honestly, I want to see what the kid Gosselin has. From my understanding, he would serve as a super utility guy just as well as Pastornicky in that he can play a number of positions.
@28, he’s basically a pinch runner. There’s nothing else he does even adequately.
Eight runs on 6 hits & 6 BBs — thanks, Phils!
This La Stella kid hasn’t stopped hitting.
@30
Judging from the getting picked off Saturday night, I am not even sure he is a pinch runner. Schafer is the only pinch runner we need on this team. I want to see someone like Gosselin or anyone else get a chance. Pastornicky has had his fair share of chance over the last few years. It is time for someone else.
@31
I’d like to say thanks to the Phils, too, but this might be a sign of change. I would say that most of our players today have showed the ability to have patient. If this is true, we could be looking at a great second half.
David Hale recovered nicely last inning. He’s been gold this year. Beating up on the Phillies is kind of fun.
The illusion of David Carpenter is seemingly done. Seems like we should start calling him Groovy.
Recap up