Gavin Floyd and the Phillies seek redemption when they face Livan Hernandez and the Nationals tonight at Citizen's Bank Park.
Tonight we get to see a pitcher who's coming off his best major-league start in over a year.
Gavin Floyd is easier to watch when the Phillies can do what they did last time, which was put five runs on the board in the first inning. That makes it easier to sit back, relax and enjoy the fact that the guy you're watching is a 23-year-old kid with a lot of promise.
Against Atlanta, Floyd went six innings with five hits and three earned runs to earn the win. His curveball locked knees.
In order for the same cushion, the Phillies need to do what they didn’t do yesterday, capitalize in the early frames offensively to give their starter the edge. For all that went wrong, Bill Dancy’s call in the first is what sticks in my craw. The offense, for the most part, has been streaky, scoring just four times the last two games. They're generating almost all their offense with home runs.
They’ll look to get it going against Livan Hernandez (1-2, 7.00), a pitcher that makes for great trivia. He consistently ranks near the top in innings pitched, including a major-league-high 246.1 in 2005. He has more complete games than any other pitcher over the last six years (31). He’s also a great hitting pitcher, batting .236 for his career.
The Phillies and their fans need something to go right! And not just go right for one or two game, rather over a solid week of play like a 5-2 or 6-1 stretch. That's going to start tonight! I'm trying to be positive, albeit very difficult. I've had my share of negativity on this team so far this season, but I'm trying to be proactive right now. Go Phils!
Posted by: Carson Book | Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at 07:02 PM
Ryan Church, ding dong....this stadium is killing us.
Posted by: That Dude | Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at 07:24 PM
Can you believe the nats actually put church in the minors to begin the season? He is a very solid outfielder.
Finally Ryan Howard hits a homerun with someone on base!
Too bad David Bell is playing tonight...he really sucks! I know the options aren't much better with Gonzalez and Nunez, but hey give it a try! Manuel can't keep Bell in the 7 hole hitting weak grounders and popups to the infield.
Posted by: Carson Book | Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at 07:34 PM
Coors Lite once again, Livan Hernandez upper deck.
Posted by: That Dude | Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at 07:38 PM
Way to take a pitch, J-Roll!
Posted by: BushLig | Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at 07:49 PM
How is that not batter interference on Royca Clayton?
Posted by: That Dude | Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at 07:58 PM
im listening to the DC broadcast team and they are going apeshit over the fact that that Bell pop fly went yard. This stadium sucks.
Posted by: That Dude | Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at 08:05 PM
Bell mustve been wondering how he hit a homer.
Posted by: That Dude | Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at 08:09 PM
effing fasano
Posted by: That Dude | Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at 08:13 PM
As a DC area resident watching the game on MASN, I'm longing for the Phillies broadcasters. The Nats TV guys suck. They claimed that the ghost of Richie Ashburn is blowing the HRs out of the park tonight after seeing Bell's HR.
Dig the Fasano fan group!
Posted by: BushLig | Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at 08:14 PM
Can we fire Manuel yet or make some kind of trade to shake this team up some?? They flat out suck in every aspect right now. They such offensivey, defensively, and with their pitching (primarily down in the pen). It's about time the hammer falls with all the talk about the importance of getting off to a fast start, especially with all the early home games...
Posted by: Jon | Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at 09:16 PM
Am I crazy or is Geary warming up?
Posted by: That Dude | Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at 09:56 PM
ok "whew" its Franklin
Posted by: That Dude | Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at 09:59 PM
WTF is Foghron thinking? Victorino HAS TO BUNT! UGH
Posted by: That Dude | Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at 10:13 PM
Talk about pulling one out of their ass, but hey its a win! At home nonetheless!
Posted by: Jon | Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at 10:16 PM
I'm still angry at them and they are still quite lame right now. However...
A win's a win!!!
Posted by: BushLig | Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at 10:22 PM
I have to admit, when I saw that ball rolling out to right field and heard Harry say, "They're sending Abreu around..." I thought "Oh, no. Not again!" Well, it worked out OK this time thanks to an extremely weak throw.
My favorite part of the game was Aaron Rowand striking out in the late innings. It's been a long time since I saw a Phillie visibly upset with himself for striking out. F-bombs and everything. Too often they look perfectly content to go take a seat on the bench after a K. If there is such a thing as a good strike out, that was it.
Posted by: Nat | Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at 10:34 PM
They won in a great comeback game and your favorite part was seeing some guy swear? Burrell does that all the time.
Posted by: chris | Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at 11:25 PM
The more that I see of Rowand, the more I like him. This team needs his fire, that's for sure.
Looks like Howard is heating up his power stroke again, that's what we need!
Nice to see them get a W.
Posted by: Theragtopguy | Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at 11:28 PM
The much maligned bullpen comes through tonight after a very mediocre start by Floyd. For as much criticism as the middle relief as received on this blog, the starting pitching has been worse. Only Myers and Madson have given them above-average stuff.
As for the supposed "staff ace," Lieber has looked terrible in each of his 3 outings so far. Lieber needs to win at least 15 games for the Phils to have a chance at the playoffs. "Dough Boy" was never a fitness buff but he really looks out of shape.
Posted by: MG | Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at 11:37 PM
I though Foghorn was dumb, but to pitch to HOward when Franklin is on deck and cant really be pinchhit for is beyond belief. If their GM wasnt drunk I guesshe would fire him.
Posted by: That Dude | Thursday, April 20, 2006 at 12:15 AM
I'm back in New Orleans after an extended Katrina evac job relocate in Houston. This morning was the first in the eight days I've been back that the morning paper actually had the current Phillies boxscore. The print was so small that the runs that Floyd gave up are barely discernable, almost like they were nothing. A Ryan Howard homer in extra innings is a nice win. This is sure a tough team to be a fan for. I'm foresee that when I die, St. Peter will say, "I see you were a Phillies fan. You've paid your penance during your lifetime. You can walk right in."
Posted by: Lake Fred | Thursday, April 20, 2006 at 08:29 AM
Another meaningless and non-clutch HR from Bobby.
Sarcasm intended.
Posted by: kuff6 | Thursday, April 20, 2006 at 09:56 AM
I agree, kuff. It was the key hit in the game. I'm sitting there wondering when they will get it going against Livan's 80s fastball, and finally Bobby says enough.
He's the owner of the two biggest home hits of the season. No disrespect to the job Howard and Utley did last night. They played an equal or more important role depending who you read this morning.
I'll write later, but so far we're seeing a noticeably more aggressive hitter in Abreu.
Posted by: J. Weitzel | Thursday, April 20, 2006 at 10:03 AM
I think some people (Eskin cough) will say Abreu was not agressive in the 10th when he worked a walk with Victorino up to bat after him. I still think getting the walk was a good thing (besides the obvious, him scoring the winning run), the problem being Foghorn's stupidity in not having Victorino bunt him over. It drives me nuts that it wasnt even talked about in the papers this morning.
Posted by: That Dude | Thursday, April 20, 2006 at 10:29 AM
The thinking there was they had Utley and Howard on deck against the left-hander, who just came into the game and looked like he was having trouble with his command.
Posted by: J. Weitzel | Thursday, April 20, 2006 at 10:43 AM