Game chat: Hamels, storms stand in way of sweep

Isolated showers are expected tonight, but not much by way of isolated power from the Phillies' lineup when the hometown nine concludes their series with the first-place Nationals. First pitch is 7:05. Right-hander Edwin Jackson (1-1, 3.31) meets Cole Hamels (6-1, 2.48), who is seeking his seventh-straight victory. The offense-starved Phillies move Carlos Ruiz to the No. 4 hole. Pierre LF, Polanco 3B, Pence RF, Ruiz C, Victorino CF, Wigginton 1B, Galvis SS, Fontenot 2B, Hamels P. Jimmy Rollins remains on paternity leave. … Pitching-wise, the bullpen is riding a season-best streak of 12 2-3 scoreless innings. [Jump to the newest comments]

Comments

[Raul's grandpa]

Iverson is in town to throw out first pitch. The game will be played after the West Coast games are over.

[GTown_Dave]

It's a shame the number is already retired or I'd get a #1 Phillies jersey personalized w/ the words "PATERNITY LEAVE", because that's easily my favorite thing about this team right now.

[HammRadio]

RE: Iverson Had the Comcast-Spectacor just built a TGI Fridays in the Wells Fargo center they would have saved themselves so much drama.

[SLO Phan]

My prediction:

Phils jump out to a monstrous 2 run lead. Rains come, Hamels doesn't come back after delay, BP comes in and gives up 6 runs.

JW jinxed the BP with his 12-2/3 scoreless innings stat.

[gobaystars!]

Will Iverson show up?

[Rauls grandpa]

Phillies take a 5 run lead. Rains start. Officials unsure what to do bring David Stern across the street to provide some ineffectual commish work. He suspends game to restart tomorrow night and establishes dress code.

[Scott]

If Iverson shows up, does r00b sign him to a two-year contract??

[Scott]

Maybe he can cup his ear to the 11,000 fans that will be there for the first pitch.

[Scotch Man]

Report: The entire wait staff of the City Line Ave. Fridays has called in sick.

[gobaystars!]

Iverson is doing the ceremonial tip for the Sixers not the first pitch for the Phillies, guys.

[Ticket Oak]

.

[Scott]

Then Iverson could cup his hand to the nine fans on Beerleaguer...

[Scott]

Watching T-Mac gaze lovingly and longingly at Wheels before each game really creeps me out. He looks like he's about ready to slip him some tongue.

[donc]

Thanks for the Ticket Oak picture. Any possibility you can throw in some WB Mason and Safe and Secure with NY Life to completely ruin the evening.

[Rauls grandpa]

I would never count on AI to tip anything or anybody.

[Fatalotti]

I would never count on AI to tip anything or anybody.

Posted by: Rauls grandpa | Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at 07:09 PM

That's cold.

[GTown_Dave]

This Harper kid has said & done nothing but all of the right things so far. He's really starting to piss me off.

[goody]

Great. Now it's going to be 100 deg. for Doc's Sunday AFTERNOON start in StLo.

[nonamePHame]

Win or Loss? Feels like a _________ .

[donc]

Gtown: Agree completely. He's a known douche bag and he has had the gall to act like a total professional at 19. I guarantee that 5 years from now he'll be the baseball version of Deon Sanders, but for now Old Six Tool is playing against type. And the kid busts it too. Extremely aggravating. I think he's just doing it to vex guys like you and me.

[GBrettFan]

You know, the media makes a big deal out of Harper & Hamels meeting again "for the first time since Hamels hit him." The beat writers tweeted "And the first pitch to Harper is a ball" and "Bryce Harper flies out to left".

Are they the only ones who haven't moved on? Or was anyone waiting with bated breath to see what would happen?

[Fatalotti]

Wheeler still talks about Hamels cutter like he just developed it. He's been throwing it since the beginning of the 2010 season. Can we stop acting like it's a new development?

[Fatalotti]

GBrett, I forgot all about it.

[GTown_Dave]

donc: I'm beginning think he was created in a lab expressly for that purpose.

[DH Phils]

I agree that the douchiness of Bryce Harper appears to have been overstated. He seems like a young Utley in terms of effort, but with more charisma. Pretty easy to like.

[donc]

Wheeler still talks about toupe epoxy like it's a new thing. In the chronology of human history Cole throwing a cutter is like identifying the missing link as far as Wheels is concerned.

[GBrettFan]

Me, too, Fata.

I'm preoccupied with whether the Phillies will be able to win tonight.

And I saw that Jimmy Rollins' BA is the lowest of any position player except Thome, as well as lower than Cliff Lee (who's hitting .308, although he's only had 13 ABs), Cole Hamels, and Roy Halladay. I hope paternity leave helps somehow.

[MG]

Only thing holding back the Phils is 'not playing loose?'

Get some classical music, afternoon tai chai practices, and a hooka in that clubhouse immediately.

What a bunch of largely cliched nonsense.

[Willard Preacher]

Juan Pierre, a base-running extraordinaire!!!

[GTown_Dave]

Love that laudable Pierre versatility.

[MG]

Pierre is just a horrid baserunner.

[DH Phils]

The Phillies are clearly trying for the most unique ways to kill a rally, but I'm pretty sure they've done that one already.

[GBrettFan]

Unbelievable. Is there anything we CAN do well when it comes to offense?

I may finally be moving past frustration to resignation. But I'm not sure.

[Willard Preacher]

I actually harbor a much larger irrational dislike for Juan Pierre than I do for Bryce Harper.

[GTown_Dave]

MG: Werth took the hookah, the roach clip & the gravity bong w/ him. Bastard.

[NEPP]

Can we hate Pierre yet?

If Harper were a Phillie, there would be 43000 Harper jerseys in CBP right now.

[Fatalotti]

Is everyone still enamored with Pierre? It was a poor idea to make him a starter earlier this season, and it's still a poor idea that he's starting more than once a week.

[Fatalotti]

I actually harbor a much larger irrational dislike for Juan Pierre than I do for Bryce Harper.

Posted by: Willard Preacher | Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at 07:27 PM

I don't know how you can say this with a straight face. Hatred of Juan Pierre is most definitely rational.

[Willard Preacher]

And JA Happ's leftover smoke and mirrors seems to be missing this season as well. Not that KK hasn't been looking frantically to try to locate them.

[MG]

Pierre just plays with his head up his a$$ way too much. Understand that was a hit & run but how can he get deked by some rookie by Desmond on that play & not look in to see the ball was hit to RF?

[NEPP]

i was never enamored by Pierre.

[GTown_Dave]

Kevin Cooney: "Some of what's gone wrong here is the missing pieces. But a large part of it is the baseball IQ of this team is just plain awful."

Bingo.

[Willard Preacher]

I think I can resign myself to acceptance if I just continue to tell myself that RAJ put this team together simply to debunk the "CBP=bandbox" myth. What did I read that we have 3 guys on pace to hit more than 10 (yes TEN) HR's?!?!

Yeah, that's what I'm going with.

[MG]

JRoll doesn't make that play anymore.

[NEPP]

Galvis is a pleasure to watch.

[MG]

Who ends up with a better OPS this year - Pierre or Podsednik?

[GTown_Dave]

Preacher: That's pretty good, but I'm sticking w/ my "r00b built this team to become the first to win a game by a score of 0 to -1" theory.

[donc]

A hookah in the clubhouse MG? This isn't Vegas. That wouldn't be legal. Fredi sure can pick it at SS can't he? Definitely better than what's his name.

[let's go eat]

I like that Polanco as so patient at the plate /s ; and how established base stealer like JP was doubled up by a 19 yr old kid. JP is on top of his game alright

And Pence - as soon as he sees a pitch in the strike zone, w/ a 3-0 mind you -he tries to murder the ball & pops up...

Both Pe & Po are just too anxious up at the plate. w-o a clue what to in the situation before them,,

We are off on the wrong foot in the 1st inning,

[GBrettFan]

Yeah, the bad baseball IQ, the stupid mistakes, are enormously annoying and have occurred so much that I've come to expect them.

[NEPP]

Good thing nobody was on base for our cleanup hitter.

[MG]

Umps should be fired/fined for unnecessary player ejections.

Tired of watching umps actively engage in confrontation with players instead of doing everything they can to keep their cool & keep the game moving along.

[MG]

Meant suspended without pay. Not fired.

[MG]

Wigginton continues to just scuffle. Just not hitting anything hard at all this month.

[let's go eat]

good eye by Victorio... looking for a fastball, all the PHillies batters do, so the opposing pitchers go with a breaking pitcher of some sort, and the phillies look like they are miniature golfing at home plate

[Willard Preacher]

I like Harper even more now!

[Fatalotti]

All Fontenot does is get singles once in a while.

[donc]

Fontenot's picture on the score board looks exactly like Mickey Morandini.

[MG]

Nice to see a hit with RISP but that was a mistake by Harper there. He doesn't dive and he has a good chance to get Chooch.

[NEPP]

How much better would the offense look had we saved the money we spent on Rollins and spent it for a real bat and just went with Galvis?

[Raul's grandpa]

While travelling I encountered a Salt Lake area paper and the columnist actively discussed the reason for Harper, Ellsbury and Doc's sportsmanship and dedication...that of course, is living life by the Book of Mormon. I never knew.

[GBrettFan]

I'm finding Victorino and Pence to be not-very-fun to watch this year.

[MG]

Hamels had a pitch there to hit. At least they got a run.

[GBrettFan]

Speaking of Morandini, I went to the Lakewood Blue Claws game today. My daughter's middle school band played the national anthem before the game.

The game was tied 2-2 until a walk-off win in the 11th.

[donc]

"Hamels had a pitch there to hit. At least they got a run."

What a pathetic post. Unfortunately it is entirely accurate and appropriate.

[NEPP]

I'm gonna miss Hamels next year...and the year after and the year after that.

[Willard Preacher]

"I'm gonna miss Hamels next year..."

We don't play the Yankees in interleague next year?

[GTown_Dave]

I already miss hitting. Remember hitting? Hitting was fun.

[donc]

I love these little glimpses into Wheels life. He may be the only man alive more boring than Will Schweitzer.

[Willard Preacher]

GTown, you remember those hits where, sometimes the guy who hit it would wind up on 2nd or 3rd base? Hell, I even used to remember a few where the runner got to go all the way around the bases!!

Ah, memories...

[donc]

Some cleanup hitter. He can only single.

[Fatalotti]

Just realized Ruiz was batting cleanup. Interesting. First time in his career.

[NEPP]

Nice hit, Vic!

[GTown_Dave]

Preacher: I thought I saw Vic hit one of those second base ones just now! Must have been a sweet, sweet illusion ...

[donc]

Gtown: Stop with the racist crap. I'll call you on it every time.

[GTown_Dave]

donc: I honestly choked on my burger laughing when I read that. Serves me right for being such a vile racist.

[NEPP]

Totally lost.

[GBrettFan]

That was a nice hit by Victorino last inning.

And that was nice baserunning by Harper.

[donc]

Those second base ones. You're not fooling anyone with that code talk Dave. I don't know how you live with youreself.

[SLO Phan]

Desmond hasn't hit his daily homer against the Phillies yet?

[NEPP]

Harper is ridiculous.

[donc]

it is apparent that Harper has made it his sole purpose in life to stick it to Cole Hamels every chance he gets. If he scores a run here if it's not an extra base hit, it will be all on his hustle.

[Let's go eat]

Harper type of play reminds a lot of how Pete Rose & Jackie Robinson played. ( not that I was around to see Jackie played)

[NEPP]

Galvis needs to work on his bunting.

[SLO Phan]

Well, looks like the offense is done for the night. Good luck, Cole.

[donc]

LGE: Yes but Harper can really run too. He's dangerous on the base paths. Rose was opportunistic to be sure, but he wasn't very fast. Quick frame.

[GTown_Dave]

5 whole pitches? LASER SHOW!

[donc]

Cole is just dealing.

[Fatalotti]

Hamels is killing it tonight.

[Willard Preacher]

(keeping my big effing mouth shut)

[NEPP]

That's about as far as Pierre will ever hit a baseball.

[donc]

Harper did track that ball by John Pete like a catcher would. Hey, I take my victories where I can find them.

[NEPP]

BOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[GBrettFan]

YES! Love Chooch!

[donc]

I want to have Chooch's baby.

[Let's go eat]

Chooch for President!

[NEPP]

DId Chooch actually tag him?

[GTown_Dave]

It's nice to see a good defensive play for a change. word to Pence & Chooch.

[donc]

Nepp: Don't ruin a beautiful moment with petty details.

[Muuurgh]

It looked to me like he got him on the elbow.