Game chat: Phillies featured on prime time ESPN

For the fourth time this season and third time this month, the Phillies take center stage tonight on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball.

Preview: Lately, it’s been business as usual for the starting rotation, all except Joe Blanton (1-0, 4.50), who’s given up eight runs over 10 frames in his previous two starts. The Phillies are hoping for better results the second time around against Hiroki Kuroda (7-9, 3.97), who held the Phils to one run in seven innings on Aug. 14. Lineups are posted: Greg Dobbs starts at third, Carlos Ruiz does the catching, and for the third time in a row, Pat Burrell moves into the No. 3 hole.

Comments

[Hope SE]

No posts for . . . a long time for BL.

All the BLers must be chillin', grillin' and settlin' in for the ESPN show.

Like the lineup with PTB #3; and if the Krukker is right with JRoll as player of the game, we're in the green.

[EastFallowfield]

Sure, with Manny they're 11-10, without him...maybe worse!

Ah, the wisdom of Joe Morgan.

[J. Weitzel]

Gotta love that Dodgers right-hander Joe Blanton.

[kells]

Miller just said "they will up against The Dodger righthander Joe Blanton: wow.
Miller + Joe Morgan= me drinking some Victory beer.

[redbeard]

these guys are brainless

[NEPP]

Blanton looks decent so far.

[PhillR]

ESPN's number 1 baseball analyst at work.

[NEPP]

Have I mentioned how dumb Joe Morgan is?

Did you know his daughter is going to Stanford? If he mentions it again tonight I may smash my laptop into the wall.

[redbeard]

joe morgan: this a beautiful ballpark, pretty easy to get to.

[NEPP]

Well...it is right off of 95...though he's probably staying across the parking lot in the hotel.

[NEPP]

So, thats a weird stain on Blanton's brim...throwing some special pitches tonight Joe?

[NEPP]

Here it goes on teh booing...shut up Morgan.

[KoolEarl]

Ugh...Phils bats better show up tonight

[Run Up The Score]

This is not going well. Come on, Bloatie, get out of this.

[redbeard]

nice play werth getting there and calling off utley cause he's in better position to throw

[donc]

Wasn't Blanton the guy that had the stain on his hat when he pitched against us in Oakland?

[NEPP]

Yeah...I'd much rather see Werth's arm with momentum behind it then Utley falling into the outfield.

COme on Joe...get out of this.

[NEPP]

Booyah!!!

[donc]

What'd he throw 30 pitches in that inning?

[AFish]

Why is this guy called an inning eater? Once again, a ton of pitches early.

[redbeard]

time to hit...

lets go phils!

[spenn]

He's called an inning eater because he uses every ounce of the inning. He eats it up and takes forever.

[NEPP]

Maybe "inning" is the Oakland word for cheesesteak?

Nice infield single by Jroll...he was probably safe even if it was cleanly fielded.

[mvptommyd]

Is morgan serious with this comment?

" Why are they booing Ramirez, I mean they only have seen him a few times?"

Response " Because he is the bad guy"

Morgan " Well they boo the good guys like rollins to, I think they just like to boo"

I need more Yuenling to drown out Morgan

[birds]

"tough error"
huh?

[spenn]

I think of the Phillies fans as parents. When you do something right, we use positive reenforecement. We'll cheer you on. If you screw up, we disciplin you. Boo the living hell out of you.

[NEPP]

Joe Morgan sucks.

[NEPP]

I swear if Morgan mentions his kids in college...

[spenn]

Hey Nepp, do you hapeen to know where they go to college? I don't think he has said it enough for you.

[birds]

I can tolerate the "daughter starting at stanford" much more than the sycophantic Johnny Miller talking about how great a player Joe Morgan was.

[NEPP]

One goes to Stanford for Gymnastics and the other goes to USC I believe...though I dont remember if she plays any sports.

[Hope SE]

NEPP: Soccer scholarship to USC.

[NEPP]

Thanks...I had forgotten that.

[NEPP]

So much for sure hands in Left...hope that doesn't come back to hurt. Harder than it looks to make that play though.

[birds]

blanton could have used that out.

[NEPP]

Carraco dominated the PawSox today...
6.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 SO.

Was hitting 93/94 in the 7th inning still...very good sign for him. He's got a 2.10 ERA since his promotion.

[Slocs]

i thought an innings eater oitched lots of innings. Blanton has already thrown 42 pitches, he'll be lucky to go five, he's killing the team. ime for happ

[AFish]

Kuroda hasn't thrown a strike this inning, and they're trying to say he was throwing at Werth?

[AFish]

Put on the double steal here!

[NEPP]

That was a horrible strike call on Ruiz.

[AFish]

Props to Cholly for the double steal, even though it didn't work.

[fljerry]

it wasn't a double steal it was a hit and run - count 3-2

[Slocs]

tell me why ruiz is starting again?

[Slocs]

phillies pithers having great success high and in to Manny. night and day compared to last week

[NEPP]

Coste is 35 years old and can't play every day...

[mvptommyd]

Manny better hurry with that dump he is taking because he is due on the field.

That shot was hilarious of him running down to the clubhouse through the hallway

[John]

I gotta say: I really like Blanton. Granted, it's in a "relative to Eaton" sense, but it's still a compliment!

Mostly, I like this about him: when Eaton was presented with a chance to crumble, he always did. Blanton, at the very least, puts up a fight.

My apologies if he proceeds to give up 8 runs.

[NEPP]

Getting rid of Eaton was one of the best things they've done...His whiny postgame interviews were getting real old.

[redbeard]

did manny just gave our ball girl a lil bump n grind?

[The Theory]

Phillies announcers = bad

it is sad that watching an ESPN telecast would make me long for Philly announcers.

[AFish]

At least they're making Kuroda throw pitches tonight.

[Slocs]

Last 10+ games for rollins 5 for 47 with 3 runs scored. guy is invisible got to drop in the lineup as he is Nunez instant out like.

[AFish]

Did Miller just call the pitch with a 3-0 count the "payoff pitch?"

[johnnysanz3]

enough with the 3-0 green light!!!!!! take the damn walk

[NEPP]

At what point do you NOT give howard the green light on 3-0? That was probably Ball 4 and if not the next pitch probably would have been...painful.

[joe l]

I love how Howard takes the helmet off and stars into space as if he expected a different result on that pitch.

[AFish]

Howard hit an RBI double yesterday on a 3-0 count

[anon]

You absolutely can't roll a weak grounder to second on a 3-0 pitch. That sums up Ryno unfortunately.

[joe l]

(stars = stares)

[NEPP]

If its a good pitch its fine but a low fastball is usually a ground ball.

[mvptommyd]

Geez, again howard could have taken the walk but swings at a bad pitch that is grounded lazy to 2nd.

[NEPP]

Gold Glove.

[donc]

Prediction: Rollins lead off at bat will be changed to a hit. But it won't happen until the Phillies get a hit.

[AFish]

NOOO! The "slide piece" has returned.

[NEPP]

Can they show a replay of that "swing"...it looked pretty freaking close to me.

[mvptommyd]

I love SARGE after that shot of him yelling at the ump from the booth

[mvptommyd]

That call Was BS he didn't swing, he clearly checked it.

[AFish]

It wasn't a swing, but Miller and Morgan clearly don't want to talk about anything that is happening on the field.

[NEPP]

Funny how they won't replay it.

BTW...my ears are bleeding listening to Joe Morgan.

[NEPP]

Why talk about the actual game going on...that would be silly.

[redbeard]

its cool, he walked him to set up the triple play

[donc]

Those idiots are trying to hang that on Utley?

[NEPP]

Maybe if JRoll hadn't doubled clutched it...still it was a close turn...can't get them all on those.

[NEPP]

Nice DP by Rjoll...and all is forgiven.

[AFish]

Rollins has really stepped up his defense over the past two weeks.

[donc]

The double clutch cost us the DP. No harm done however. How bout a hit or two boys. The guy's pitching a decent game but come on.

[vegas]

Hits have to start coming soon, the Blanton highwire act can only last for so long.

[NEPP]

Rollins' defense has been great all season...he should easily repeat with another Gold Glove.

[cjp]

Please, Chooch, don't take the bat off your shoulder.

[NEPP]

You can't stop Carlos Ruiz...you can only hope to contain him.

[NEPP]

textbook bunt by Blanton.

[cloyd]

hope jimmy can come up big here

[NEPP]

Brutal swing by Jimmy...he's really pressing right now...Wonder why?

[redbeard]

wow jimmy missed that by a mile

[NEPP]

What does "rough" have to do with frontrunning Joe? He's such an idiot.

[PhillR]

Joe Morgan: "I don't want to blame Jimmy Rollins, but its all his fault."

[redbeard]

joe morgan is a horses ass

[AFish]

I'll give Morgan props for joking that he was booing Schmidt during the '83 series.

[NEPP]

548 Joe...not 560 Something...get it right.

[Hope SE]

Need Chase to come through --- like that!

[NEPP]

Saint Utley does it again...Thanks Chase!!!

[cloyd]

thank you chase utley

[redbeard]

thank you mr. utley

[PhillR]

Joe Morgan: "Utley is definitly a good hitter."

Thanks for clearing that up!

[Slocs]

see Jimmy Williams go over to Blanton and tell him, its your bunt why the run scored. Williams does a good job with the pitchers and bunting.

[RSB]

The way Rollins is going, they'd be booing him even if he never said anything about the fans.

Utley starting to drive in some big runs again.

[NEPP]

That was a perfect bunt...the big thing alot of people don't get about bunting is you're not hitting the ball you're catching it with the fat part of the bat...you don't need to add anything to it. Blanton's bunt was perfect.

[The Theory]

"I'll give Morgan props for joking that he was booing Schmidt during the '83 series."

...was he joking?

[NEPP]

I think Utley likes the 2-hole.

~reads above~

Yeah that doesnt sound gay or anything...

[NEPP]

Am I the only one who thinks the yellowbook commercial girl is cute?