Game chat: Halladay takes aim at 20th win tonight

Roy Halladay (19-10, 2.49) tries to become the first Phillie since 1982 to accomplish the feat tonight in the second of three with Braves. First pitch is 7:05, with rookie Mike Minor (3-1, 5.84) slated for Atlanta. Following last night's win, the Phillies, who have won eight straight, hold a four-game lead in the National League East. Notes: Monday night’s Phillies victory over the Braves had the highest rating of any Phillies regular season game in Comcast SportsNet history. The 3-1 win received a rating of 14.5 (431,400 households). Phillies games are averaging an 8.0 household rating through mid-September, which is also a new high for the network. Lineups: Sans Jimmy, standard set. [Jump to the newest comments]

Comments

[Spitz]

Wow, not the most flattering picture of Doc! Looks like the "before" picture on a late night skin creme infomercial.

[clout]

I wonder what the Beerleaguer Eagles blog looks like right now.

[jr]

Best have a good night or Cole becomes #1.

[CJ]

Pete Happy won the last thread with this gem:

***WAR - ????***

Whines Above Replacement. How much more negative a poster is than the theoretical average BL poster. Ties heavily to BAPip.

[Hope SE]

What is the latest report on J Roll?

[CJ]

clout: "I wonder what the Beerleaguer Eagles blog looks like right now."

I participated in a Yahoo group for the Eagles (Eagles Virtual Fan Club) for years, but recently got out. You'll be shocked to learn that I was a front office apologist on there and that I always saw things through green-colored glasses. I fiercely defended McNabb more than I defend Ryan Howard and KK!

[CJ]

Heather: Online poker money frozen? Sounds strange. Were you holding it in an online bank like Neteller? If it was on the poker site, you'd still be able to get it out via check.

And for what it's worth, the government still hasn't made playing online poker illegal. The UIGEA actually just made it illegal for banks to conduct transactions with business that operate online gambling (poker, etc.). The player isn't actually breaking a law.

[Lake Fred]

I agree with Spitz, not the greatest photo of Doc. I guess he's hanging out too much with Werth!

[clout]

CJ: Defending Howard, McNabb and KK is a breeze compared to defending Andy Reid.

[Andy]

on line poker
eagles discussion
and a professional wrestler photoshopped into Halladay's uniform...

who are you and what have you done with the REAL beerl...

Oh, wait. That's all par for the course.

[Conshy Matt]

so i guess the vick news is out?

we need scott to give us a "Kolb's My Guy" graphic with big red.

Andy Reid the anti Charlie?

[CJ]

Hope SE: Last I saw today was that he hopes to be ready for the playoffs. Pretty ominous.

[CJ]

clout: Done my fair share of defending Reid... who happens to be the greatest head coach in Eagles history. He's got his flaws, but he also lead the Eagles to unprecedented success. I wish McNabb were still the QB. I'm also NOT a Vick fan. Killing dogs puts you really low on my list.

But let's not hijack this thread on Eagles talk too much...

[Bubba]

Yes - the lack of news on what has been described a a minor strain on Rollins is very troubling.
He wasn't even in full uniform the last few games.

[J.R. King]

Any poker player will tell you, three aces and KK is a good hand.

[Little Ollie]

Yes, but as someone said yesterday, Phils have three aces and two jokers.

[Hope SE]

CJ: Thanks. That is ominous. Ugh.

[BloodStripes]

Thats a full house

[Old Phan]

"I wonder what the Beerleaguer Eagles blog looks like right now."

Kolb is actively hurting the team.

[Spitz]

Last I read (can't remember where), JRoll said he was shooting to be back for the playoffs, and was planning to get some ABs in some fall league games.

[NEPP]

Kolb is mentally weak.

[BloodStripes]

If ya haven't read it, its worth the read. Cool story on Hamels.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AtKSV.2uRgCE_EJVPYhKOUkRvLYF?slug=jp-phillieshamels092010

[Marley]

Kolb is 3 inches taller than Vick.

[Buddy Ryan in 2008]

Well a full house of aces over fives will win in all but 664 hands out of 2,598,960. I'll take those odds.

[Rodney King]

Eagles' BL right now:

The Phillies Eagles never should've traded Lee McNabb for Tyson Gilles' drug habit chicken scratch.

[dlhunter]

Oops, that's me above. Forgot I played racial peacemaker in the morning thread...

[joe]

well, then maybe we can convert Kolb to 3rd base.

Although, his arm strength may be an issue.

[NEPP]

****Although, his arm strength may be an issue.****

Post of the night.

[RT]

Like it or not, McNabb's not the QB anymore and Vick isn't a permanent solution. The Eagles need to use this year to get Kolb some seasoning. Besides, it's not like they're going anywhere this with all these injuries.

[kuvasz]

Not a real big Andy Reid fan, I'd rather praise Charlie Manuel for his leadership of a group of guys, who in most cases would have started to phone it in around mid-June were it not for Charlie.

Manuel doesn't hit, pitch, or field a lick but this fella' has kept the team together and focused, and regardless of the team's innate talent ought to be in the running for Manager of the Year.

[Matt H]

igglesblog is clearly the football equivalent of beerleaguer. They are losing their s*** as you might imagine. And interestingly enough, the second most recent post is titled, "Darren Daulton is Wrong!!!"

[dlhunter]

Cholly Manuel: Lidge is our closer.
Andy Reid: Vick is our starter.

[NEPP]

One bad game and Vick will be in Reid's doghouse...bank on it.

[Spitz]

NEPP, you forgot to follow that up with "Ba Da Ching"!

[Old Phan]

As long as Reid isn't in Vick's doghouse.

[Mick in Houston]

I would say bleeddinggreennation is closer to beerleaguer than igglesblog.

Does anyone think the Braves are sending out the rookies against the Phils almost as a white flag for the division. In an attempt to do what they can to win the WC?

I know it sounds crazy but if the Phils have the division wrapped up by their last series, the Braves can easily win 2 of their last three games.

[bullit]

i'd like to see a photoshopped "3 amigos" with halladay as steve martin, hamels as chevy chase and oswalt as martin short.

[Tray]

Gonzalez and McCann are the only Braves in the lineup who have ever gotten a hit off of Halladay.

[NEPP]

Hopefully our #3 has a good game tonight.

[philwynk]

I absolutely love the way this man attacks the strike zone. Six pitches and out. Awesome.

[Spitz]

Mick, I had a similar post earlier today. This is actually not that big a series for the Braves. Wins are obviously good, but if they get swept, it means that they will likley get Worley and Kendrick in the final series of teh season.

[Old Phan]

That was a rough inning for Roy.

[NEPP]

That first inning was Hamelsesque.

[NEPP]

****i'd like to see a photoshopped "3 amigos" with halladay as steve martin, hamels as chevy chase and oswalt as martin short.****

My little buttercup...

[CJ]

This game feels like a loss.

[bay_area_phan]

I hope Cholly isn't planning to bring Halladay back out for another inning. His pitch count is already up to 6.

[Spitz]

Remeber when the #3 for the Phils last year was Pedro Martinez? And they made the WS? Jeez times are good.

[BloodStripes]

Killer start. 6 pitches.

[Mick in Houston]

Spitz, sorry I missed your earlier post and was listening to the MLBtv guys going nuts on why the Braves are using these pitchers.

[Wes Chamberlain]

This is called style my man!

[Old Phan]

BAP, I think Madson is warming up.

[NEPP]

****Remeber when the #3 for the Phils last year was Pedro Martinez?****

I'd kill to have Pedro on this team...he'd be an awesome 5th starter if only for the press conferences.

[CJ]

The humor level on Beerleaguer has never been higher in the years I've been here. Some really funny stuff this year. Makes it a joy to stop by each day.

[Willard Preacher]

This game feels like a 1.5 run cover for the Phils. I mean, if internet gambling were not deemed illegal by our goverment. I wouldn't want any assets frozen.

[NEPP]

****The humor level on Beerleaguer has never been higher in the years I've been here. Some really funny stuff this year. Makes it a joy to stop by each day.****

Its been a hell of a year.

[NEPP]

Gambling is highly frowned upon in gov't offices...right up until March Madness.

[NEPP]

When Minor drops that curve in its pretty impressive.

[Spitz]

Willard, you are suggesting that the Phils will score at least 2 runs against a lefty they are facing for the first time. Don't count your chickens.

[NEPP]

I love when Utley does that.

[GreysFan]

I live up here in New England where my assests are frequently frozen by the time the WFS rolls around, and I am not happy that for the second night in a row MLB teased me with the possibility of Phils-Braves and then delivered, sigh, Yankees-Rays. Watching on the computer gets old sometimes.

[Old Phan]

Nice AB, Ryno.

[NEPP]

Nice...just take what he gives you.

To Greysfan: Yeah, tell me about it. I figured we'd get at least 1 of the Phillies games but no, we're apparently Yankees territory now.

[Unikruk]

Did I just see Ryan lay off of two 0-2 slopballs low and away before lining a fastball? Amazed.

[CJ]

Cue: Jayson Werth is mentally weak in 3... 2... 1...

[Mick in Houston]

@ NEPP and GreysFan, I lucked out here in Ithaca, they teased with both games and gave us the Phils .. for whatever reason.

[Don Carmen]

Jayson Werth is mentally weak ;-)

[NEPP]

Ashame Werth couldn't go to the Ryan Howard school of hitting.

[Tray]

The bad luck with RISP continues!

[GreysFan]

NEPP: Isn't everywhere Yankees territory?

[NEPP]

****@ NEPP and GreysFan, I lucked out here in Ithaca, they teased with both games and gave us the Phils .. for whatever reason. ****

How in the world does that make sense...you'd think upstate NY would get the Yankees automatically on YES anyway. Oh well, MLB.tv is fine.

[Mick in Houston]

I figured it would be ridiculous to have the Yankees on two channels, but I guess the more yanks the better

[CJ]

Just thinking... should the Phils make the playoffs, and each series go the distance... the Phils would get 17 starts from H2O out of the 19 games.

Of course, to get to that many starts, H2O would have to lose at least 6 of those starts.

[bay_area_phan]

Ok, this umpiring is ridiculous. Those were strike 3 and strike 4.

[CJ]

Did anyone see this article on Yahoo about Cole Hamels? I really enjoy seeing all the love Cole has gotten from the national media the last two games.

[NEPP]

Ahh...playoff style baseball where Howard MAKES catches in foul territory. Ever notice how he ups his defense in Sept/Oct?

[Mick in Houston]

20-4, strikes - balls

[joe]

>Manuel doesn't hit, pitch, or field a lick but this fella' has kept the team together and focused, and regardless of the team's innate talent ought to be in the running for Manager of the Year.

Oh, from what i hear, ole cholly can still swing the old hickory stick a bit.

[Greg S. from Lanc, PA]

Halladay had an extra day of rest, right? Did him well. Would like to see us wrap this thing up early so he can get it again before the divisional series.

[Call me Ishmael]

LA and Franzke currently debating the origin of the word "sibling". And by LA and Franzke, I of course mean just LA, while Franzke laughs at him. These two crack me up.

[Bob]

Way too many foul balls by the Braves. Halladay's pitch count is in jeopardy.

In seriousness, it would be great to see the offense turn it on tonight and let Roy roll downhill to #20.

[dlhunter]

@Call me Ishmael

"Come to Minnesota, it's not indoors anymore."

[Old Phan]

Roy helps himself. Swinging at the first pitch, no less.

[bay_area_phan]

Halladay has really improved his hitting over the course of the year. He might have surpassed Hamels as our best hitting pitcher.

[Lincoln Hawkes]

I'm late to the party. Lemme try to get caught up.

1) @LittleOllie- When I referred to the rotation as a full house, I was actually editing my comments. My original opinion was that we've got three aces and two deuces... but KY and KK haven't been quite as sh*tty recently.

2) I'll say it right now, the McNabb trade was worse than the C____ L__ trade.

3) I'm fine with the Braves surrendering the division to focus on the WC in the last series. Gives us a chance to snap their spines in that last series and leave them for dead.

4) Maybe it's the way the radio is miked tonight, but the crowd needs to wake the hell up. So quiet it sounds like an Atlanta home game.

[NEPP]

Wow...McCann with a smart move there and he almost had him.

[Lincoln Hawkes]

Is it weird that the only reason I miss Brett Myers is for his bat?

[bay_area_phan]

The Phillies' cluch hitting in this series has been abysmal.

[Tray]

Very weird, because he's a top ten NL pitcher this year. Although I couldn't stand him when he was here and it's true that he was only likable when he hit (or closed).

[Old Phan]

Why would the Braves even consider not playing for the division? Seems very hard to believe.

[Bob]

"Halladay has really improved his hitting over the course of the year. He might have surpassed Hamels as our best hitting pitcher."

Is that anything like being the tallest office building in Wichita?

[NEPP]

Clutch hitting...not familiar with that term.

[Mick in Houston]

@ Lincoln Hawkes, no way Brett Myers has been unreal this season. 30+ games of at least 6 innings. By far the Astros ace!!!

[Lincoln Hawkes]

Well Tray, when you've already got three of those 10 best NL pitchers, a fourth just feels decadent.

[NEPP]

Spin-O-Rama!

[Mick in Houston]

Now Valdez is just getting cute

[NEPP]

Sometimes I think Doc allows a baserunner so he can set up a DP.

[Lincoln Hawkes]

That's what I mean Mick... doesn't evoke one iota of longing or regret in me that we let him go. He was more frustrating to watch when he pitched than pretty much any recent Phillie I can remember, and his off the field troubles were a headache.

But he was fun as hell to watch bat.

[bay_area_phan]

If the Phillies' pitcher had hit into a rally-killing DP, Cholly would be taking plenty of heat on BL right now for not having him bunt.

[Call me Ishmael]

dlhunter - The funniest thing is, is I remember LA being in Reading for a little when I was growing up. He seemed gruff, a little stand-offish. Now I realize he's hilarious, and I can totally see him acting this way all the time.

Nice DP gentleman.

[NEPP]

Poor Read but thankfully Werth has good "closing speed" out there in RF.