The Phillies continue their quest for the post-season when they open a three-game series with the Mets at Shea Stadium.
A couple of interesting figures are on the Phillies side tonight in Queens. The Phillies have won 10 straight games started by Randy Wolf (2-0, 5.61), and overall, the left-hander is unbeaten in his last 12 starts dating back to last season. Wolf has also been great at Shea Stadium, going 5-1 with a 2.42 ERA in 12 starts (credit AP preview for these numbers). Wolf has also been swinging a hot bat since his return.
The revenge factor will work against him, however, as the Mets will look to rebound from a poor showing in their four-game series at Citizen’s Bank Park. Their rotation may be ragged, but they’re getting it done, most recently a three-game sweep over the scuffling Cardinals. New York also enters with an 11-game home winning streak on the line.
For the Mets, rookie Brian Bannister (2-0, 2.89 ERA) will come off the 60-day disabled list and start in place of Orlando Hernandez.
This game is a fine case where the Phils better not make a no-name rookie pitcher look like Cy Young. It's happened far too many times since I've been on this planet...they need to go for the throat during this series. Must pull out of NY with a sweep or 2 outta 3.
Posted by: Drama Queen | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 02:59 PM
If there was ever a series to do some damage against the Mets, this one is it. No Glavine, no Pedro...
Posted by: Tom G | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 03:17 PM
Phils' have not had a day off in over two weeks. If generally have a tough time in NY too. If they take 2 out of 3, that would be great.
Posted by: MG | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 03:52 PM
You may rave about Wolf's unbeaten streak, but the number of baserunners he has allowed since his return is simply alarming. I think he's in big trouble tonight.
Posted by: Stick | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 03:58 PM
Jason: In the interest of full disclosure you should probably mention that in Wolf's starts this season, the Phils are averaging 9 runs per game.
Posted by: clout | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 03:58 PM
MG lets try to win every game not just 2 of 3.
Clout lets not forget Wolf has improved with each start.
A good opportunity to gain some ground in the wild card.
Posted by: Bob D | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 04:14 PM
Anyone else see the article about the phils in the ny times today.
There's not too much new in it, but it is kinda sweet that they quote Lidle talking about how the Phils have been better since he left:
"Curiously, the Phillies have been a better team without Abreu and Lidle. Gillick said the departures of Abreu and Bell, two veterans, enabled Utley, the workaholic, to feel more comfortable as a leader. Gillick said the Phillies were following him.
“It’s going to be Utley’s team,” Gillick said.
Abreu, whom Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman called “an on-base machine,” has made an already potent and patient Yankees lineup more of each. Still, the Phillies have played their best baseball since Abreu and Lidle left.
“It’s a situation where it shakes things up a bit,” Lidle said, referring to how the new-look Phillies have responded. “Sometimes that happens.”
Posted by: The other Adam | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 04:19 PM
The trade definately seems to be win-win so far, considering how well Abreu has hit for NY. The Phils do seem more comforatable now, but I think a lot of that has to do with the stability in the rotation and C and Delluci hitting better than anyone expected. It's possible that the subtraction of Abreu helped the Phillies, but this team has had better streaks WITH Abreu over the past two years, including this year's 12-1 and last season's September run.
Hopefully his performance for the preeminent team in all of sports in the middle of a pennant race erases the idea that he isn't a winner.
Posted by: kdon | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 04:33 PM
"Go for the throat"... "do some damage"... "Mets seeking revenge"... am I the only one thinking about how little this weekend series means to NY? The Phils are so far off their radar that they are trotting out their 6th, 7th and 8th starters. A Phils sweep would bring down the Mets division lead to 11.5 -- is that really something that worries them? They win the series they feel they need to: sweep at CBP in June, sweep the Braves at home, and a sweep the Cardinals just in case home field advantage comes down to being determined by regular-season series victories. Everything else is just gravy to them.
That being said, it should completely work to the Phillies advantage. They should go for the series sweep for no reason other than they should be trying to win every game between now and October 1st because the wild card is very attainable for any one of the log-jam of teams that are 4 GB or less.
Posted by: Phighting Mad | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 04:35 PM
Forgot to put this in:
Abreu w/ Yankees, .376/.487/.538 = 1.024 OPS
Posted by: kdon | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 04:35 PM
anyone out there tonight...2-0 start is good for me!
Posted by: Drama Queen | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 07:16 PM
Wow, I can't believe they're allowing Thurston to play this much already...why not, as long as he produces.
Posted by: Drama Queen | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 07:17 PM
Good start. Lets go Wolfy!
Posted by: BloodStripes | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 07:20 PM
Mets fans singing MVP for Beltran. No way muts you got it all wrong......Howard for MVP
Posted by: BloodStripes | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 08:03 PM
Honestly, Howard is the MVP. If the Phils finish with a respectable record, considering how things looked a month ago, Howard will deserve the award. He's most likely going to hit 50 homers and knock in a hefty amount of runners.
Posted by: Drama Queen | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 08:11 PM
agreed but i believe the phils need to make the playoffs or finish maybe one or two games out. i believe team's record is important when looking at a player's qualifications
Posted by: dane | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 08:20 PM
Hey we were right about Utley. 2 for 2 so far. Well done oracle DramaQueen, Dane and if I may say so Blood.
Posted by: BloodStripes | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 08:24 PM
O.K 2 for 3 aint bad
Posted by: BloodStripes | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 08:24 PM
Joe Thurston has looked HORRIBLE today - although I should say that I didn't see him play before. But man, his swing looks weak, and he can't handle that breaking ball down and in.
Posted by: Ed | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 08:30 PM
Cant believe we did'nt score Vic after his lead-off triple. Bloody hell!!!
Posted by: BloodStripes | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 08:33 PM
C'mon!
Posted by: Drama Queen | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 08:41 PM
we're hanging in there. Both starters nearing 100 pitches. C'mon pen....be good, be good!!
Posted by: BloodStripes | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 08:45 PM
BloodStripes- we dominate!
Posted by: Drama Queen | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 08:48 PM
sandoval has looked very bad at the plate since his call up.
Posted by: dane | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 08:48 PM
Don't understand why Wolfie got lifted there. Sandoval is under the Mendoza line, whereas Wolfie usually swings good wood. And while he has thrown 94 pitches, he's got the bottom of the order coming up.
Posted by: ajc | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 08:52 PM
Mate....i sure hope we can dominate.
Only us 3 here toady? I'm moving around the 3 blogs too.
Posted by: BloodStripes | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 08:52 PM
I mean today....no toadies.
Posted by: BloodStripes | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 08:52 PM
go manuel
Posted by: dane | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 08:53 PM
Fire 'em up Charlie!!!
C'mon Phils!
Posted by: BloodStripes | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 08:54 PM
watching on gamecast - why did Cholly get tossed?
Posted by: ajc | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 08:54 PM
argued that chavez bunted a ball and it hit him outside the box
Posted by: dane | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 09:03 PM
I'm listening, missed the reason! Dane do you know?
Posted by: BloodStripes | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 09:06 PM
LOL.....cool....hopefully its fired up our boys to hang tough and win this game.
Posted by: BloodStripes | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 09:07 PM
if he was out of the box, he should have been called out. if the ball hits you and youre still in the box it a foul ball but if youre out of the box then your out
Posted by: dane | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 09:07 PM
Jose 'K'
Posted by: BloodStripes | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 09:22 PM
that nickname may stick
Posted by: dane | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 09:24 PM
That 8th was good Arthur...well done.
At least Madson gets the bottom end of the lineup. Green, Woodward, Chavez.
Posted by: BloodStripes | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 09:33 PM
Hey Dane, forgive my ignorance i'm in Australia. Can you give me a run-down on your blog one day about how the college baseball system works? Is that easy? I been checking out the Winthrop site and trying to work out what level some of the teams are at. All the different schools and conferences, neutral games. Hows it work?
I'm gunning for ya bro, hope you win!
Posted by: BloodStripes | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 09:36 PM
thanks. i'll give a run down of college baseball. winthrop is a D-1 school. i've been considering doing some blogging about our team's daily activities like lifting and practices.
Posted by: dane | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 09:42 PM
Yeah, that would be cool.
D-1? see thats part of what I dont get. Is that division one or is division 1 and A. Sorry man, i'm very interested but have no idea.
Posted by: BloodStripes | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 09:46 PM
C'mon Madson, close it dude!
Posted by: BloodStripes | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 09:47 PM
ill work on a blog entry and get it up in the next day or two. lets go mad dog
Posted by: dane | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 09:48 PM
On-ya Dane, that would be great.
Here's the scary part, mut baserunner. yikes!
Posted by: BloodStripes | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 09:51 PM
great win. way to shut down madson
Posted by: dane | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 09:53 PM
Woooo hooooo....."PT1ITWCFTFP"
Another save for Madson
Posted by: BloodStripes | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 09:53 PM
Wolfman continues the streak. Howlin'!
Posted by: BloodStripes | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 09:57 PM
That's an awesome save by Madson. He goofs up Reyes on an 0-1 change, then makes him wait to really screw up his timing by throwing to first, and then throwing on the afterburner. I love it. Way to pitch, dude.
Posted by: Mike H. | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 10:01 PM
its always nice to get the first one in a series especially against the talented mets
Posted by: dane | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 10:02 PM
Yeah great start. Hopefully Perez (2-10, 6.63 ERA) pitches for NY tommorrow. The Philly offense ought to be able to mash him up.
Posted by: BloodStripes | Friday, August 25, 2006 at 10:16 PM
Not a great start by Wolf but but the bullpen really picked him up. If there has an "unsung" player on this team, it has to be Geary. Geary has been the only constant in this bullpen all season long and he is on to appear in 75-80 G and pitch 90+ innings.
That is a awful heavy load for a bullpen guy. I just hope he holds up but he clearly is the a big key in the Phils' drive for a WC spot.
Posted by: MG | Saturday, August 26, 2006 at 01:07 AM
Today's game scares me because Glavine will probably be pitching "inspired". Inspired because he's not done for his career and/or the season.
Posted by: Drama Queen | Saturday, August 26, 2006 at 08:13 AM
Glavine? He's not pitching until next week. We have the magical Olivier Perez.
This should be a win for us.
Posted by: Greg | Saturday, August 26, 2006 at 08:55 AM
About Coste's Cold Pizza appearance, from phillies.com:
Coste the star: Chris Coste's scheduled live appearance on ESPN's "Cold Pizza" was scrapped when he arrived at the studio late because of a transportation mishap. Instead, he taped the segment, and it's scheduled to air on Monday.
"I just have to hope there's no earth-shattering sports story that happens over the weekend and I get bumped," he said.
Coste said the interview consisted of many of the topics for which he's become known, such as living his dream as a 33-year-old rookie. He brought his A-game.
"My coffee hadn't kicked in yet, so I might not have been as articulate, but I was as long-winded as ever," he said.
Posted by: BushLig | Saturday, August 26, 2006 at 09:25 AM
The FoxSports site has Glavine pitching. This was checked 9:30 AM Saturday morning, 8-26-06.
Posted by: Lake Fred | Saturday, August 26, 2006 at 09:28 AM
At 9:54 the MLB site says O. Perez
Posted by: Will | Saturday, August 26, 2006 at 09:54 AM
glavine doesnt pitch until next week
Posted by: AC | Saturday, August 26, 2006 at 12:51 PM
I don't care if Sid Fernandez is pitching tonight...we're winning!
Posted by: Drama Queen | Saturday, August 26, 2006 at 02:08 PM
Yep, it's definitely Oliver "I've walked 51 batters in 76 innings and have an ERA of 6.63!" Perez. If we lose tonight, shame on us. I have a feeling we'll be a half game out after tonight, Arroyo had a great first half but has thrown lots of innings and hasn't pitched as well in his last 10-12 starts.
Posted by: Adam | Saturday, August 26, 2006 at 02:38 PM
No, no, no... Bob Ojeda is pitching tonight...
Burrell back in the lineup tonight. I'd like to see the Burrell Who Crushes the Ball in Shea Stadium come out tonight.
BP Postseason odds (with PECOTA) has the Phils at 28% likely for the wild card and Coolstandings.com has them at 34%.
MG, I'm buying what you're saying about Geary. Here's a guy who could have bought a commuter pass from Scranton to Philly in the last few years, who has pitched his way to be a critical cog of the bullpen.
Posted by: Mike H. | Saturday, August 26, 2006 at 04:13 PM