Game chat: Phils host Nats seeking fourth straight

Winless right-hander Joe Blanton (0-2, 7.31) tries to remove the "O" from the Nationals' attack in the first of three from Citizens Bank Park. Unbeaten Shairon Martis (2-0, 4.11) starts for Washington.

Summary: With Blanton on the mound and the right-hander Martis going for Washington, Charlie Manuel finally found an opportunity to give Greg Dobbs a start. The league's premier pinch hitter has been the forgotten man this season, stepping to the plate a mere 14 times. Dobber will bat seventh and give Pedro Feliz a break at third base. Manuel also mixes up the catchers today, giving Lou Marson the start. With Carlos Ruiz eyeing a Wednesday return, it could be the last start for Marson. After a brutal debut, Blanton rattled off quality starts in his next two. For Washington, Ryan Zimmerman enters the game riding a 15-game hitting streak.

Comments

[Sophist]

Hadley. LOL. It's a fair point. Although if Romero told the supplier who he was, they are SOL.

Dollar Dog night at the park. Should be rowdy.

[CJ]

Good for Charlie for getting both Dobbs and Marson in the lineup. Lou deserves at least one more start before going back down. And Dobbs needs at bats!!!

[RSB]

Is that 'Starting Lineup' card for real? Can't be...

[EastFallowfield]

Dobbs had a similar start last year as he did this year (0-11 vs 0-10, I think).

He started getting hits during a start at third.

[clout]

Martis has accounted for 50% of his team's wins this season.

[Knight]

I'm amazed Charlie is putting Dobbs in to start today. I guess the Gut is in some kind of logical mode tonight. Charlie must be sick.

[bay_area_phan]

This guy completely shut us down the last time. Hope he doesn't become the Natinals' new Tim Redding.

[doubleh]

Nice start to the game, Joe! 3 up, 3 down!

[timr]

Struck out the side! A really nice start.

[CJ]

Now that's a way to start a game, Joe.

[bay_area_phan]

Wow. Blanton looks like Nolan Ryan out there. Like I said from Day 1, Gillick made a very smart trade in acquiring this guy.

[redbeard]

nice start, B

[Jack]

Blanton becoming a strikeout pitcher this year. If he can keep that up and have his luck come around on balls in play, he'll be fine.

[clout]

BAP: LOL.

[EastFallowfield]

First hitter at Bailout field hit a routine fly to left. Dropped by Gary Sheffield. BOO!

[CJ]

HA!!!

Gary Sheffield in for the defensively challenged Daniel Murphy in LF.

First batter, routine fly ball to LF.

Sheffield drops it. Flat dropped it.

Hilarious.

[redbeard]

lol sheffield, thats awesome

[doubleh]

Walks Utley on 4 straight pitches, so of course that means Ryan HAS to swing at the first pitch.

[CJ]

Wow... John Maine may just have broken Hanley Ramirez's wrist with a 95 MPH fastball up and in.

[NEPP]

Yes, I distinctly remember your whole-hearted support for the Blanton deal, BAP. I actually went back through the archives and was able to find the following quote from you:

"I can't believe we managed to snag a hurler like Blanton and only had to give up Cardenas and Outman?!? Gillick is a magician! World Series, here we come!!! " -BAP on day of the trade.

[Knight]

I see Blanton used all his good pitches there in the first inning.

[NEPP]

Have we been able to pinpoint the exact moment the wheels came off the Blanton Express?

[clout]

This lineup is no pushover. If the Nats didn't have horrendous pitching, they'd be dangerous, although Gonzalez is a huge downgrade from Guzman.

[ZT]

C'mon Joe, what are you doing out there?

[Knight]

What a terrible throw by Werth.

[redbeard]

what a crappy throw

[Knight]

I mean, it had no chance to get him anyway, but still.

[clout]

well, that wasn't very good.

[Knight]

So much for hoping for an easy series against the Nationals.

[ZT]

Yup, pitcher hits the RBI single, do you think it will be that kind of game tonight?

[Knight]

I feel like it's always that type of game against the Nats.

For as bad of a team as they are, we're always completely stumped by their pitchers, and their lineup rakes against Phillies pitching.

[MG]

Blanton has pitched this year for the Phils like he did for Oakland last year - glimpses of dominance but way too often he struggled with his control on his fastball and was just too hittable.

So far this year, Blanton has exactly the look of a back-end guy who will give you an ERA slightly north of 4.50, around a .500 record, and about 10-11 wins. Most teams that would be good enough but with a likely failoff from Moyer, the Phils need Blanton to pitch a bit better.

[ZT]

T-Mac getting us excited for a HR, at least there was the dropped ball.

[Knight]

Oh man, I thought he caught that.

[MG]

Martis actually looks like he has enough stuff to be a legit starter. Just don't know if he has the control . . . .

[redbeard]

there ya go dobbsy

[NEPP]

That whole "get the lead and stay out front" crap was silly. Its much better to spot the opposing club a couple of runs.

[ZT]

Dobbsy!

[Knight]

NEPP: WFC handicap

[philsphan]

Dobbs!

[NEPP]

Sweet Lou!!!

[NEPP]

Okay, I'll admit I shouldn't cheer a DP even if it does score a run.

[Knight]

I'll take the DP for a tie game there, especially with the pitcher and Rollins coming up.

[ZT]

NEPP: Being a Double Play that brought home the run, i think Lou deserves only one "!". I'll have to check the stat books to see if that's right.

[mm]

Knight: absolutely. I'm sure Charlie was like "Well son, either put up the middle of the infield, or hit a fly to the outifeld, just don't pull it down the lines."

[Jack]

Blanton having control problems, but he's also getting squeezed here somewhat.

[redbeard]

sigh

[NEPP]

Here we go with another HR streak...Thank God, I was getting worried.

[Knight]

So much for that. Blanton has zero control tonight. Zero.

Someone warm up Happ or Condrey.

[mm]

well we managed one game this year without giving up a hr.

[redbeard]

hung that one just a tad

[ZT]

Get him out of there!

[mm]

well, f***

[Knight]

...
Is it too quick to call a pitcher toast in the 3rd inning?

[denny b.]

Country Joe needs to get his crap together. He throws at least one meatball every game, that anybody could hit out.

He could be the #2 starter for the Mets, but this isn't acceptable here.

[joe l]

Rubbish. Absolute rubbish.

[Matt]

Awful. Just...awful. And embarassing.

[bathtubhippo]

blanton looks like he's throwing HR derby with those belt-high slightly inside pitches....

[NEPP]

What is up with Blanton???

[bay_area_phan]

Problem with Blanton is that when he's bad, he's really bad. If that's going to be your pattern, you need to be pretty damn good the rest of the time. Last year, he was. This year, not so much.

[Matt]

Jimmy. Ugh.

[NEPP]

Good thing we benched Jimmy.

That's a .157 avg for him now.

[mm]

I personally didn't experience this but i know some of you may have grown up with a swear jar. I think the phillies need something similar in the clubhouse for HR's given up, wiht a $500 minimum. Doubles for every HR you give up per game. So two hr's in a game = 1500 in the HR jar. Proceeds donated to Charity.

[NEPP]

Just a thought, why not put Vic in the leadoff and put the following lineup out tomorrow:

CF Victorino
C Marson
2B Utley
1B Howard
RF Werth
LF Ibanez
3B Feliz
SS Rollins
Pitcher

[CRD]

NEPP- I was thinking about that exact line up today.

[timr]

Guess I gave Blanton a bit too much credit for his first inning. Doh!

[ZT]

Vic
Werth
Utley
Howard
Marson
Ibanez
Feliz
Rollins

[NEPP]

Marson lack of power doesn't translate to the 5 hole very well is the major downside with that. His patience would be good in the 2 hole though.

[denny b.]

Country Joe just needs to hold them now. He will probably only be in there for 5 innings now.

This game, has all the makings of one of those 9-8 type of games. The ball is flying tonight.

Just hold em down as much as possible, and the bats will get to Martis and whatever scrub the Nats bring in from the pen.

[Matt]

Howard! Where did this superb fielding 1st baseman come from?

[NEPP]

Sam Perlozzo=Best Fielding Coach Ever!!!

[denny b.]

FYI, Chooch was pulled from tonights lineup in LV. Haven't heard, if it was injury-related or not. He was just supposed to DH tonight.

Marson may be here a little longer, then originally thought.

And, Carrasco seems to be having some health issues right now too. Doesn't look too serious, but you never know.

[NEPP]

Figure if he was pulled its likely a injury issue...odds are at least.

[Matt]

Marson can't handle breaking stuff.

[Matt]

Jesus, that kid's got some power.

[mm]

Pull him out!

[Knight]

Oh well, begin hoping and praying we can get the Nationals starter out before the 7th inning and Blanton doesn't give up any more.

Because once again a mediocre starter has completly shut down the Phillies offense.

And I didn't even get to post this before Blanton gave up another HR. Can we pull him yet?

[redbeard]

mccarthy's homerun call is the worst in the biz

[Benson]

Dare I say.......Eatonesque?

[mm]

WFCII:Eaton's Revenge.

[redbeard]

here comes taschner. yay.

[denny b.]

Hopefully, Taschner has his A stuff tonight.

Hope to get out of this inning at 6-2. There is plenty of time, left to get back into it. This might be one of those wild nights.

[CRD]

"Because once again a mediocre starter has completly shut down the Phillies offense."

He has only pitched 4 innings.

[Knight]

Thank god, go to your room and don't come back out until you learn how to locate a single pitch all night.

@redbeard, not even close. There are some terrible terrible announcers out there. We were just spoiled for years and years.

[denny b.]

Happy Jack had em' all the way.

Come on bats. Its a hitters night.

Carpenter has a good game going at LV tonight. 3 hits and 0 ER through 6 IP. Mayberry hit his 4th HR of the year, off Clay Buchholz. He has started to hit.

We have had some really good pitching in the minors this year. But, so far, these teams are not scoring runs worth a crap. A lot of great pitching outings, are being wasted with no support.

[redbeard]

knight, i was exaggerating. a bit of hyperbole if you will.

[Hincha de los Phillies]

Third time through the order not looking too good for the young guy. They might have figured him out here.

[Matt]

Impatient, impatient.

[redbeard]

slam!

[bay_area_phan]

I have to seriously question the wisdom of letting Taschner hit in a game you're trailing by 3 runs. Especially after he faced 2 batters last inning & they both hammered the ball.

[Knight]

GRAND SALAMI FOR THE BIG MAN!

[ZT]

Wow looks like our singles hitter, Howard, has a little bit of power too.

[redbeard]

sat on it and blamo!

[Matt]

That pitch was Blanton-esque.

[denny b.]

As I was saying...

[Benson]

Franzke's calls on the radio are the best. Anyone tired of the TV crew should definitely consider switching over.

[joe l]

been watching on mlb.tv... they advertised a radio feed / TV sync feature but I haven't been able to get that to work. hopefully they implement it soon

[Knight]

Man, if they added a radio/TV sync, I'd probably have to buy MLB.TV.

[Matt]

okay, that's three crushed balls off of taschner. pretty lucky so far.

[Matt]

Make that four crushed balls.