Sunday chat: Phillies prepared to punch playoff ticket

Sundays have been fine days for clinching. It could happen again if Cole Hamels (12-10, 2.93) and the Phillies top the Mets, and if Livan Hernandez (10-12, 3.75) and the Nationals can trip up the Braves. Both games begin at 1:35 ET.

Mets 5, Phillies 2: Ryan Howard gave the Phillies an early lead in the first inning with a two-run homer, but the Phillies couldn't tack on in Saturday's 5-2 loss. Kyle Kendrick pitched six shutout innings before running into trouble in the seventh. Chad Durbin allowed a run in two-thirds of an inning, but also allowed three of Kendrick's runners to score. Elsewhere, the Braves blanked the Nationals 5-0.

Lopes last season? First base coach and base-running guru Davey Lopes told Matt Gelb of the Inquirer that he is unsure whether he will return next season. Lopes, who is in his fourth year with the club, confirmed that he has been asked to stay on, but would not go into specifics on his future plans. Gelb also confirmed that all five field coaches, a group that apparently includes newly assigned hitting coach Greg Gross, have been asked to stay on for next season. "We would like to invite everybody back," Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told Gelb. "We'll see how it goes." [Link]

Notes: The Phillies have been playing exceptional baseball, but could use a little more offense. Over their last five games, they've averaged under three runs. ... Charlie Manuel told reporters that Jimmy Rollins will be out until Monday at the earliest. ... Ed Wade is feasting on the Phillies' table scraps once again. The Astros claimed right-hander Cesar Carrillo off waivers from the Padres earlier this week. Carrillo, a former first-round pick, was picked up briefly picked up by the Phillies, but dropped to make room for Brian Bocock on the 40-man roster.

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Comments

[Zudok]

I'm going down there to help Cole take care of this today. The Braves will lose. Got a Fleur de Lehigh iced up for post-game Pattison Avenue consumption. Let's do this thing today. (Go Nats!)

[NEPP]

Season=Over

[Iceman]

This game feels like a clinch.

[rauls grandpa]

I don't know if I like the game situation for Cole's psyche. It is a cool day, it is a day game, he probably hasn't seen his chiropractor in a few days. He may struggle.

[NEPP]

Cole has been lights out in Day games this year...totally not concerned.

The weather will help him stay cool and not overheat. I expect a 75 pitch CG shutout.

[Call me Ishmael]

I like that, Iceman, nice play on the usually-dire BL meme.

Even with last night's loss, I'm not concerned. Never thought the Phils would win out, and a scuffling loss may be just what this team needed to stay a bit grounded heading into the playoffs. Besides that, it was Dylan Gee (sp?), who we all know has a bright career ahead of him as the #1 in the Mets organization, or at least that's how the Phils made him look.

[cut_fastball]

(repost) Iceman -- bay_area_phan is one of the funniest and smartest posters here. He is always missed when he is away.

Take his posts with a grain of salt, but what he uses is a very dry sense of humor and irony to convey what is often an underlying truth. He simply does not, and has never "spout[ed] nonsense".

[ozark]

On "The Sports Reporters" on ESPN they were absolutely swooning over the Phils, hoping for a rematch w/ the Crankees. The national guys, however, failed to mention that they have overcome numerous dry spells this year. By the way, I wonder why there aren't any Philly writers on these kind of shows? Are they too ignorant of the national scene?

[Call me Ishmael]

I thought I'd share this comment from Metsblog, it really had me laughing last night, but it also touched on what BL was discussing yesterday, about the rivalry between these two teams kind of wearing down:

"You know what gets me, much as I hate the freakin Phillies?

Imagine what a rivalry this could be if we had a fighting, ballsy team! Every one of these games would be a potential instant classic. Instead we’ve gotta watch Philadelphia, of all historic losers, pull New York’s pants down in public year after year after year.

I feel like I’ve got a bullied kid who comes home fat and bloody every day. Only now the kid is pushing 50 and it’s getting old."

It's been many years since Philadelphia could be called the bully of the NL, but we're seeing it now, I guess. Just because your team is out of the playoffs, or it's the end of the season, does not mean you'll get any less hustle or grit that the Phils usually display, and that's a team that is easy to root for.

[The Truth Injection]

spouted nonsense could be the same as being overly reactionary. Generally I like BAP but I think even he would admit that he goes for hyperbole to prove his points- even when it is not necessary.

[CJ]

cut fastball: The idea that bap has never spouted nonsense is nonsense. I'm fairly certain that even bap would admit to that.

ozark: Bill Conlin was a regular on the Sports Reporters back in the day.

[ozark]

CJ: Back in the day when he had bottom teeth.

[rauls grandpa]

That was the last time Bill Conlin and "regular" was ever used in the same thought.

[Scott]

rauls grandpa: Thank you in advance for never discussing Bill Conlin's bowel habits again.

[CJ]

And the cheating scandal grows a little larger in Colorado. Check it out.

[Call me Ishmael]

I like Tracy's comment in that article: "I can't even tell you where the hell the humidor room really is."

[Lincoln Hawkes]

I think even BAP would agree that at this point in its career hyperbole no longer packs the punch it once did. Quite frankly hyperbole sucks.

[Lincoln Hawkes]

***I like Tracy's comment in that article: "I can't even tell you where the hell the humidor room really is."***

If previous articles have been correct, than the humidor is the door right next to...the...rockies...clubhouse.

[rauls grandpa]

The whole humidor thing stinks to high heaven. I am by no means a purist who believes that the game must be played with smaller gloves and ash bats but doing something special to balls in one stadium without any sort of immediate MLB supervision is bullsh!t. Perhaps the Braves should insist on a humidor at CBP?

[Call me Ishmael]

Lincoln - Ha! I had no idea. Makes his comments even funnier.

[Old Phan]

At CBP, they should just move the mound closer.

[rauls grandpa]

The Phillies have just announced they will be removing the outfield fences and raising the batters box area 25 inches when they play the Braves next season at CBP. When the Phils bat the Braves can request inflatable fences like the gutter blockers offered pre-school children at the bowling alley.

[Call me Ishmael]

Pre-school children? Even with the bumpers in I'm lucky to break 65 when bowling. I'm what's known in bowling circles as 'terrible'.

[bay_area_phan]

I've been known to engage in hyperbole, but what on earth is hyperbolic in saying that the Phillies' offense has been pitiful for a goodly portion of the season? Beerleaguers have been bitching about it all season and, yet, after a hot September, it's like it never happened -- even though our offense has actually been, yes, pitiful through much of that hot September.

Bad games happen to every offense. But when things go sour with the Phillies' offense, it's almost never for just one game. It's invariably an extended stretch of play that continues for weeks at a time. And, lo and behold, here we are in the midst of yet another one -- against an assortment of AAA pitchers, no less. The Phillies need to break out of it before playoff time because, if they hit like this in the playoffs, it will put immense pressure on H20 to be nearly perfect. That's not hyperbole. That's fact.

[Old Phan]

"even though our offense has actually been, yes, pitiful through much of that hot September."

Compared to...?

[EastFallowfield]

BP Postseason Odds dropped to 99.99952.

[CJ]

Fact: Phillies have averaged 5.3 R/G in September.

Fact: Phillies hitters have an OPS of .831 in September.

Fact: Phillies hitters have an AVG of .288 in September.

Fact: Phillies have hit 28 HR in 23 games in September.

I know, I know... my facts are different from bap's facts. Sorry about that. Some things are just nonsense. Others are facts. I'll let you decide.

[Tray]

You may have noticed that we've faced practically no good pitchers this month. Dickey, Anibal Sanchez, Clayton Kershaw, and Pelfrey are pretty much the only ones.

[CJ]

Tray: Yep... that's right. bap complains we aren't scoring against bad pitchers. I point out our great offense this month. You follow up with, "But it's only against bad pitchers."

That's Beerleaguer complaining logic at its finest!

[Lincoln Hawkes]

Beerleaguer logic is like beergoggle vision.

And even then, this is still one of the more reasonable corners of the intraweb.

[Tray]

It would be Beerleaguer complaining logic at its finest if BAP and I were the same person, but we're not, so my point stands alone as a perfectly reasonable complaint. Or observation, rather. Obviously we are, in fact, scoring against bad pitchers, though apparently not as much as bap would like us to.

[CJ]

Tray: So your complaint is that we should be scoring more than 5.3 R/G because we're facing bad pitchers?

[EastFallowfield]

Now entering Day Three of obsession over a legal slide by Chase Utley on the mets TV networks.

[GBrettfan]

Watching Cole pitch this season is such a delight!

[Kutztown Fan]

I'm at the game. Why isn't Rollins starting. I thought he was supposed to.

[B.Gizzle]

Does anyone happen to have today's Behind the Pinstripes on their DVR and be able to burn it to a DVD or even dub it to a VHS? Willing to pay for a copy of this...please help me Phils fans!

[phillyinnyc]

well that was a productive offensive 1st inning..

geez

[GBrettfan]

KF, Charlie said yesterday (after the game, I think) that Jimmy was feeling sore and would wait another day to start.

[GBrettfan]

I think he said "sore," but he made it sound mild, just another day of rest needed, supposedly.

[phillyinnyc]

OH JUST GREAT..

the phillies s/have at least 2 runs in the 1st inning...

[Tray]

Well maybe, but like I said, it's not a complaint, it's an observation. I'm just saying that perhaps you can't place so much reliance on our September stats when we've been facing a steady diet of pitchers who barely belong in major league baseball.

[Kutztown Fan]

Thanks. Oh and Wright is a pvssy, but he smashed that ball

[EastFallowfield]

Braves down 1-0.

[phillyinnyc]

do the phillies think they already won this thing? because yesterday and so far today - their play has been less then champion like.

[GBrettfan]

I'm counting on Cole + just enough offense to get us a W today. Even if that makes me greedy in this month when so many wins have been earned already, and when Cole has been so amazing.

[GBrettfan]

The count was 2-strikes, with 2-outs, yet I saw not one single rally towel waving, nor one fan clapping, behind home plate during that last pitch. :(

KF, I charge you with getting the fans into the spirit of things, wherever you're sitting!

[phillyinnyc]

wtf is happening here?

[The Truth]

That David Wright guy sucks..

[EastFallowfield]

Mets announcers now ripping Beltran for dogging it from first on the Wright DP ball.

[phillyinnyc]

The phillies are not playing very inspired ball today... Misch is not Cy Young..

The mess are hitting Hamels like he is Misch

[Kutztown Fan]

Crowd isdead here. Is Cole getting squeezed?

[MG]

'Flat' is the adjective that comes immediately to mind watching the Phils so far and this looks like the 'Day-Hamels' version we have seen a fair amount the past few years.

[Tray]

Does Hamels lose his control in the daytime as well?

[MG]

'Day Hamels' vs 'Night Hamels' this year coming into today:

Day: 12 GS, 5-2, 3.02 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 8.9 K/9, 3.59 K/BB

Night: 19 GS, 7-8, 2.87 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 9.4 K/9, 3.77 K/BB

[Lincoln Hawkes]

Day Hamels, ah-ahhhh, fighter of the Night Hamels.

He's a master of karate, and friendship, for everyone.

[MG]

Tray - A bit and all of his pitches are a bit more effective at night from the numbers I ran with Truth Injection this offseason:

Day (49 GS) - 8.1 K/9, 3.07 K/BB
Night (98 GS) - 8.9 K/9, 4.00 K/BB

[MG]

ERA of 4.20 during day vs. 3.20 at night in his career now. I really hope that Hamels' start in the playoffs this year are at night.

[phillyinnyc]

win 3 from the braves

then lose 1 - looking like 2 to the mess??

[Tray]

I don't see why lighting should cause you to lose control. It can obviously cause your pitches to be more hittable. Then again, if you're feeling more hittable, you may start aiming at the corners.

[MG]

BAP did have a valid point earlier. This offense has shown that it can gone into some nasty funks this year especially when Ibanez starts to cool off which looks like he is in the process of doing.

[rauls grandpa]

Daytime Hamels=mental case
This is the sloppiest crap game.

[MG]

Tray - It shouldn't be it has been a constant year of his career so far. Hamels pitches better at night and at CBP. The differences aren't profound this year but they are still there.

[GBrettfan]

LA says strike zone is inconsistent, but admits that Cole has not had usual control from the beginning, KF.

Crowd was more into it that half-inning.

Phils needing to score 5 - sounds like a lot today.

[phillyinnyc]

this is as bad as i have seen Hamels in quite a while.. maybe he is in a dead-arm stage...from those past 2 110+ pitch games..

this gm definitely looks like a loss!

[MG]

Nice if the Phils can get some help from the Nats today because it would be great if the Phils can have Halladay, Oswalt, and Hamels all have short starts their next time out.

[rauls grandpa]

I may not be his greatest proponent but Rollins never acted so haphazardly on the basepaths as Reyes.

[phillyinnyc]

we better hope the nat-nals can keep the braves down, so at least we have that,

[GBrettfan]

Nats may help the Phils, but the Phils also need to help themselves. Last inning would have been a good start.

And now we need 6.

[Kutztown Fan]

This is the worst game I've ever seen in person

[GBrettfan]

Bad day for Cole. If only I had faith the BP would do better. And they might.

Yes, the offense really needs to pick up the pitching today. They owe Cole anyway!

[The Truth]

Phils 9-8 against Mets going into this game

[phillyinnyc]

do not know why UC would put him out there - esp given the 4th inning he had...

i think it's a little arm fatigue from the past couple starts being 110+ pitches...

[clout]

I come to Beerleaguer to learn.

Today I learned from BAP that teams have hot and cold streaks during the season.

And I learned from Tray that hitters beat up on below-average pitchers and have trouble with good pitchers.

I would never learn a thing if it weren't for the posters on Beerleaguer.

[EastFallowfield]

Hamels has given up 7 runs in his last 6 starts. Wuss.

[EastFallowfield]

Braves vs Nats: 8-9

[phillyinnyc]

2-1 NATS

ANKIEL JUST HR

[phillyinnyc]

ANKIEL HR

2-1

[kilbillrain]

We were up 7 w/ 8 to play..now that would take the cake huh

[clout]

Herndon rounding into playoff form. Durbin, not so much.

[GBrettfan]

KF, I take it you were not at the day game on Labor Day, nor at the Roy Halladay v. Red Sox start in May....Those were 2 bad games I was at. This one is a big let-down, I agree, because they'd been doing so well - both as a team and Hamels personally - that we rather expected them to play better today.

Did LA just say they've only scored 1 inning of their past 17?

[phillyinnyc]

This would look like a good place to pinch hit Herdon w/ w/ w/ w/ Greg Dobbs

Bet you the Citizen Bank paper reward - a dime.

[phillyinnyc]

yep - i NOW did see that dobbs and misch are both LH

[clout]

Solid hit by Mayberry.

[kilbillrain]

Hi Chase!

[cut_fastball]

Chase! Thanks for making my dire speculations moot for a day! May it happen many, many more times!

[clout]

TypePad acting up again?

[clout]

Oh, I see, no one posting. Football day.

[Marley]

Take a seat, Pat. No win for you!

[Call me Ishmael]

Shonn Green, the running back? Man, that guy can do everything.

[GBrettfan]

This is more like it. Thank you, Chase!! Good job, Ryan! (Did anyone else think he did check his swing? I'm not the best judge of that, but I thought he checked it. Not that it matters now.)

[kilbillrain]

Is it me or are the Mets pitchers getting calls the Phils aren't?

[clout]

Worley needs to throw that duece for strikes if he's going to be successful.

[GBrettfan]

Would have been great had Werth gotten a hit there.

I hope Worley will be successful in holding them here.

[clout]

Smart play by Polly.

[John]

Is it me or are the Mets pitchers getting calls the Phils aren't?

Sarge agrees with you.

[clout]

Melky double with 0 outs.

[clout]

Ankiel double, Braves tie.

[GBrettfan]

I have to give props to the rookie here.

Come on, offense!

[phillyinnyc]

DON'T DEPEND ON NATLS

2 doubles in 7th inn

2-2 tie

[clout]

Livan out, Sean Burnett in.