Phillies swing for third-round knockout in St. Louis

With all this talk about the Mets, lest we forget the Phillies must overcome a tough match-up tonight against Adam Wainwright and the Cardinals. First pitch is 8:10 p.m when the Phils try for the sweep and seventh-straight win.

Game chat: A nice, quick 5-2 win in regulation would do nicely. One without many hits, walks or pitching changes. Very few mound visits or deep counts. Just a couple quick homers, a solid seven innings from Jamie Moyer, a one-two-three inning from Tom Gordon to bridge the gap to Brett Myers for his 18th save. Game ends at the manageable hour of 11 p.m., you brush your teeth and go to bed happy. In the morning, you wake up with wood. Life would be so fine.

Lineups are posted: Jayson Werth, Carlos Ruiz and Abraham Nunez are in. Jim Edmonds and Albert Pujols are out. Discuss all of tonight's action, including Mets/Nationals and Pirates/Padres, right here.

Comments

[Sophist]

Jamie Moyer has not lost to the Cardinals in more than 20 years.

[Andy]

Sophist:
not many pitchers can say that about any team.

[Sophist]

And with that piece of trivial information, I'm off to the came. Look for a 1979 maroon Phils cap behind home plate somewhere. . .

[Andy]

In Re: Moyer and getting value on deals. Maybe he should now be known as the "Real Steal."

[J.R. King]

Last night's game was great fun, but I'm left with two concerns: Burrell and Howard. Burrell has bailing again, lifting his hands and getting out of the way on pitches right down the middle. Howard, meanwhile, was trying to pull everything into the right field seats when all the team needed was a base hit.

Plus, the team (understandably) looked out of gas. Maybe it's time to re-insert Victorino in the lineup and give Burrell a rest. Shane's energy always seems to lift this team up (just like Rollins).

[Zach Morris]

Mets go down 1-2-3 in the first. Go GNats!

[CJ]

Lineups are in...

6th Werth
7th Ruiz
8th Nunez (Moyer's personal third baseman)

[CJ]

Also, no Edmonds or Pujols for the Cards and the pitcher is hitting 8th again. Scott Spezio is the cleanup hitter.

[parker]

Another error on Reyes.

It may have been posted earlier, but Jaime Moyer has not lost to the Cardinals in 20 years (1987). Lets keep the streak going tonight.

[CJ]

Is Reyes' head on straight any more? Terrible first inning error.

[CJ]

parker: I sure hope that doesn't mean the Cardinals are due!

[parker]

Ah yes, it was posted at the beginning of this thread. Sorry Sophist, didn't mean to steal your thunder there, I was trying to get the Reyes error post in there and just reviewed the posts, although I figured someone had mentioned that stat.

[madubbs]

You see that LaRussa put the pitcher at the 8 spot, granted he is batting 291, however, i am pretty sure this isn't the first time he has done this

[CJ]

maddubbs: LaRussa has batted his pitcher 8th for 44 consecutive games.

[CJ]

1-0 Mets in the 2nd.

[ajc1]

Rollins, Utley, Burrell, Rowand, Werth and Victorino all are setting career highs in on-base percentage this season. How 'bout them apples?

[emerson]

Nats rallying in the second. First and third, one out.

[ajc1]

no Pujols again, but Eckstein is back in the lineup

[naylman]

Nats tie it up.

[parker]

Clout, I just read your response to that moron Mets fan on the previous thread, and I about fell out of the chair. "Philly has the ugliest women on the face of the earth, so the joke is on you."

I don't know if I agree with that, at least from based on the ones at the stadium that the camera is always focusing on.

Nats 2-1

[naylman]

Matt Chico RBI single! The pitcher! 2-1!!

[parker]

Oops, should be "at least based on" in previous post.

[denny b.]

Not that he has been that great this year, but Willis has been pushed back to tomorrow, so he will pitch against the Mets.

You can't stop Matt Chico, you can only hope to contain him.

[parker]

If the Nats pull any BS (Like knocking the man who would have been MVP out for a month with AAA pitchers) in the upcoming series, something will happen.

[Zach Morris]

The ol' hidden ball trick

[Greg S.]

Nunez had two fantastic grabs in Moyer's last start, or was that 2 starts ago. Either, it seems to work having him in there for Moyer's put them to sleep pitches.

[parker]

I was just watching the replay of Willie Mo Pena looking like an idiot trying to find a baseball that was lodged in the fence at RFK, and the replay had a caption that said: "Super Slow Mo" apparently referring to the speed of the replay. I found the possible double meaning humorous.

[Jack]

Shouldn't we add San Fran/Arizona to a game we should be watching? If Arizona loses tonight and we win we're only 1 behind them in the loss column. That said, we just need to win. I agree, JR King, Burrell has been cold recently, starting before the Mets series. I mean, he obviously was due for a little slow-down, but we can't afford a huge slump. He needs to produce.

[Tray]

There's a reason for that parker, women in expensive seats tend to be better-looking.

[naylman]

Mets tie it right back up, 2-2.

[parker]

Tray, definately true, but not all were in those seats. I would probably have assumed that good looking women in the best seats are wives or girlfriends of the players.

[parker]

definite, darn it.

[Spitz]

Washington sure is getting a lot of hits. They gotta convert them into runs though.

I hate cheering for a crappy team like that Nats, but I guess this is what September baseball is all about if your team didn't take care of its business in April.

[PhilCarpenter]

I wonder if the announcer pissed his pants again last night. I hope to listen to an innumerable of email discussing his bladder issues.

[parker]

Well, Burrell could not have hit that much harder.

[The Theory]

Nothing like letting the opposing pitcher start off the game with a 6 pitch inning...

[Brian G]

And he couldn't have run much slower.

[parker]

Anybody else hear about the Cubs complainng that the Astros are making bogus changes to their starting rotation in the Brewers series?

Nice play Moyer

[parker]

Alright, got out of it. Whatever we were in. Man on base always seems like we are in something.

[The Theory]

Nice of Moyer to even out that awful 6 pitch inning with his own 8 pitch inning...

[Phemale Philly Phanatic]

Not as clean as a Jose Mesa extra inning appearance, but we take it none the less. :)

[squatter]

189..........

[parker]

I have to wonder if squatter is pulling against Howard, and why?

[squatter]

I have to wonder why parker refuses to acknowledge the number of strikeouts and ofers Howard has. Here's your chance Parker--tell me, how many strikeouts this year? (I have given you a hint above)

[Rusty E]

Can someone save me the research and tell me the contract status for Werth beyond 2007?

[PhilCarpenter]

this clown is talking about his urination habits ago, what is the email which they are refering to? I want to lob one over to the Cards announcing booth/

[squatter]

Okay Parker, I'll give you another hint. First, the number above the Q, then the number above the U, then the number above the I. Try it now, maybe you will get it.

[parker]

I tell you what squatter, I'm going to post Howard's RBI and OPS totals every time they change, just so you are aware of that as well. I'm not sure that you keep up with that. And I do aknowledge his strikeouts, I'm just not as impressed with them as you are. If you want to be a critic, maybe criticising someone who did not win the ROY and MVP in consecutive years.

And while we are counting, # of guys to ever do that: 2

[fljerry]

yesterday he was asked what time he gets up and he said 4am - then he said to go to bathroom

[Brian G]

Rusty: I believe Rowand is arbitration eligible for two more years, and thus is under our control unless we choose not to offer him arbitration, which we would obviously be stupid to do.

[squatter]

Okay, parker, I don't like to see you suffer, you obviously don't know the answer. Right now, at least for the next twenty minutes or so, it's 189. Sorry if I made that too hard.

[parker]

And here is a hint about the other guy that did it, he is in the Hall of Fame.

[squatter]

Don't worry though, parker, I won't call you stupid because you didn't know the answer.

[Greg S.]

Everyone keep swinging at the first pitch adn this is going to be a short game. Guess everyone wants to get to bed early tonight.

- Greg

[Jim]

3-2 Mets

D'oh!

[Greg S.]

make that 4-2

[parker]

Squatter, if you can quantify how many games his K's have cost the team, then I will be impressed. I can tell you how many walk off HR's he has hit. What do you think is a more important stat? K's, RBI's, HR, OPS? Just wondering, since those K's are so important.

[madubbs]

nunez is such a bad hitter, maybe we should have batted moyer eight tonight like larussa's lineup...

[Greg S.]

It would be better if only the Cards swung on the first pitch.

[Rusty E]

Thank you Brian G

[MG]

squatter - I care about the strikeouts when Howard is failing to get on base in general and not hitting like he has been the past 3 weeks.

I defended Howard all season but if you take out his 2 HR, 5 RBI outburst on Monday, he has had a dreadful Sept. so far. A big change from last year.

[squatter]

Jeez, Parker, I don't think I need to impress you, do I? I mean, you already told me last week what you thought of my intellect. (twice)

[PhilCarpenter]

Hey I suggest that PARKER and SQUATTER get a room so they can spoon each to tell each other how they really feel.
Maybe the Cards announcer can give a lukewarm golden shower for some sh--ts n' giggles for the rest of us.

[squatter]

MG, yeah, we posted his stats here last night, they're dreadful.

[Brian G]

Man Nunez is awful. That's gotta be the 20th time in a row he has K'd, grounded back to the pitcher, or grounded to 2b. Worst hitter in the majors.

[curt]

Wainwright will be barely warmed up when this one's over.

[Ben Keeler]

LA really pissed at Nunez on the radio....saying he has no gameplan and Manuel should be giving him the take sign. agree with that.

[strange]

Hey squatter and parker: give it a rest, huh?

[squatter]

PhilC-- what is it with you and pee?

[squatter]

Okay, strange. But I reserve the right to bring it up later.

[parker]

Whatever assertions I may or may not have made regarding intellect were certainly in the context of a particular statement, squatter. A person can make an idiotic comment without being an idiot. They are not mutually exclusive.

[Josh M]

Pitcher in the 8 spot. Not even Nunez gets that treatment.

[MG]

One guy that has not gotten the proper kudos this month so far has been Werth. Doesn't have a HR but he is doing everything else including walk a ton, hitting well, and driving in runs. Especially important since Utley and Howard haven't produced at their normal levels this month.

[parker]

Anybody think that LaRussa bobblehead should be slumped over the steering wheel of a car? I can't easily forgive that error in judgment.

[PhilCarpenter]

Parker/Squatter,

Unless either of you can truly contribute something meaningful to society - i.e. like pitch middle relief for us - please refrain from your silly banter.

Lets keep the simple mantra:
Bring peace with middle relief.

[Andy]

After the last couple games, I'm wondering why LaRussa has Eckstein leading off; has he run out of AAA infielders?

[squatter]

Moyer's pitching his usual game, so far. His pitch count is down, too, so maybe he can go a little further tonight. Bound to help.

[curt]

Werth is close to KK at the top of the list of positive surprises.

[Rusty E]

Bring peace with middle relief - Kinda Catchy...

[Zach Morris]

Settle down now!!

[parker]

It looks like Ankiel has had a stroke lately with the way his facial muscles slant to one side.

[Zach Morris]

4-3. nice

[Andy]

Here's the situation that makes the LaRussa pitcher 8th thing work. Two runners on for Ankiel, after Ankiel has seen Moyers once. So, sometimes it works. But I still think it's strange. If it worked often enough more people would do it.

[PhilCarpenter]

Everyone say it now...

Bring peace with middle relief.

[Andy]

There goes the pitch count.

[Zach Morris]

Looked like it caught the outside corner

[Tray]

Howard's OPS is down to .928, parker, and he's hitting .259. He's having a pretty disappointing season for someone of his abilities.

[parker]

Wow, didn't see that coming.

[squatter]

That guy who was too good for us--JD Drew-- just homered tonight. He's up to nine already.

[Zach Morris]

YEAH!!!

[Andy]

Thank you Jamie.

[brother]

See ya!

[parker]

Ok, Tray, but what would the Yankee's pay for that kind "year" down as it may be? Any other team? The batting average could be better, and probably will be eventually. Most players wish they could have that "off" year.

[diggitydave]

let me just mention the fact that the 9 cardinal batters have 28 homeruns this year COMBINED.
3 out of the 9 phillies starters have at least that THIS YEAR.
there's no reason we can't beat this crap team tonight. they really are horrible

[parker]

I do have to admit, that swing looked pathetic.

[Jeff]

We need to get Wainwright's pitch count up at least if we're not going to score runs...

[J.R. King]

"One hit ... That's all we got is one g*d-d*mned hit ..."

[squatter]

Good eye, Howard.

[diggitydave]

you can't say goddamned on the radio!!

[Zach Morris]

Do you guys prefer 'Hack-zilla' or "Whiff-thra"