Game chat: Phillies try to cool off Beltran, Cards

The defending champion St. Louis Cardinals play host to their Division Series victims in the first of four beginning tonight at 8:15. Joe Blanton (4-4, 3.74 ERA) meets Jake Westbrook (4-3, 2.41). Jimmy Rollins returns from paternity leave and is automatically reinserted into the leadoff spot. John Mayberry starts in left field. Meanwhile, the Cards have overcome the loss of Albert Pujols, and Lance Berkman, due to a terrific season by league home run leader Carlos Beltran, who was instrumental in the Cardinals' three-game sweep of the Padres the previous series. Positive thinking: Frustrations aside, the Phils are just 4.5 games out of the division lead. [Jump to the newest comments]

Comments

[Muuurgh]

Lucky for us they ain't never seen our boy Freddy G...

[GTown_Dave]

Shouldn't Molina have gotten tossed for that outburst?

[Fatalotti]

Jimmy has a line of .000/.000/.000 since the birth of his son. Guess it didn't help.

[bay_area_phan]

This still feels like a loss.

[EastFallowfield]

It was a daughter, I thought.

[Fatalotti]

Ruiz is such a terrible hitter. Taking a walk in an RBI situation. What a coward!

[bay_area_phan]

2 RISP and less than 2 outs. The Cardinals have us exactly where they want us.

[GTown_Dave]

Fatalotti: HBP. But if he had taken a BB, it would've been a mistake. Vic has been terrible.

[Fatalotti]

Ooooh, so close to squandering that opportunity. Nice try, Vic! Better luck next time!

[NEPP]

No way we score here.

[donc]

Wiggy You Magnificent Bastard.

[bay_area_phan]

Why on earth is Wigginton starting every game?

[NEPP]

Wigginton? Why even bother wasting the time of the AB?

[GTown_Dave]

I guess Wigginton is angry that everyone keeps asking about Nix.

[NEPP]

Wigginton!!!

[Fatalotti]

GTOwn, ha, I wasn't fully paying attention. I'm watching the finale of season 1 of Mad Men. These AMC shows keep distracting me. Thanks for the correction.

[lorecore]

Jumping on their none-stuff starter who actually has the best ERA on the staff coming into the game.

[bay_area_phan]

Exactly like I said: great move to start Wigginton.

[NEPP]

As a former RHP who could probably touch 60 mph now...I'd feel pretty confident in getting Mayberry out.

[GTown_Dave]

Fatalotti: You're doing what I ought to be doing: Watching something else. Carry on.

[donc]

Wow. Ball Four to Kberry looked pretty good to me.

[Fatalotti]

Haha GTown, I've got multiple screens, but only Mad Men is worthy of audio right now. :)

[Fatalotti]

A veritable offensive explosion!

[bay_area_phan]

Dom is starting in the OF tonight for LV. Now here's the odd part: he's starting in CF.

[donc]

A veritable offensive orgy by the Phitins.

[GTown_Dave]

Galvis takes advantage! M-V-P! M-V-P! M-V-P!

[lorecore]

Very greatful for some first inning runs, but Joe Blanton + STL Cards + this strike zone could = disaster.

[Raul's grandpa]

They should let KK pitch tonight since they already have 4 runs to work with.

[NEPP]

2013's starting SS Freddy Galvis!!!

FRED-DY
FRED-DY
FRED-DY!!!

[Muuurgh]

Freddy!! YOU AIN'T NEVER SEEN NOTHIN' LIKE THAT, WESTBROOK.

[GTown_Dave]

Well, the Cards have come out & officially whined about the strike zone. Game's theirs.

[bay_area_phan]

By the time the first inning is over, this game will probably be 4-4.

[EastFallowfield]

Ryan Lawrence:

The Phillies have scored more runs in the 1st inning vs. Cards tonight than they did against them in final 20 innings of NLDS.

[Muuurgh]

Pence should never try to barehand a ball ever again.

[Fatalotti]

Can Pence field a ball in right field w/out bobbling it? Seriously.

[donc]

Bryce Harper would have made Pence pay for that. Beltran isn't exactly Carlos Hustle.

[Muuurgh]

Y'know, maybe Pence's right arm got mysteriously shorter or something and RAJ just isn't saying anything about it.

[NEPP]

Looked like a trap but good play I guess.

[bay_area_phan]

Finally a little BABIP luck goes our way.

[EastFallowfield]

By the time the first inning is over, this game will probably be 4-4.

May our summer be filled with negative predictions fails...

[donc]

EFF: For BAP that qualifies as unbridled optimism.

[NEPP]

Chooch is just awesome.

[Scotch Man]

Domonic Brown in CF in LHV tonight. Interesting....

[NEPP]

Shane!!!

Clicking on all cylinders baby!!!

[Fatalotti]

The Phillies are so mean beating up on Jake Westbrook. Bullies!

[GTown_Dave]

Anyone notice how Vic has picked it up some since I began ripping him in earnest? I need to start an Amazon wish list so you all can thank me properly.

[bay_area_phan]

This outburst is all about Jake Westbrook reverting to career norms. It has nothing to do with the Phillies.

[NEPP]

Brown in CF?

Honestly, after watching Pence for 2 months, my appreciation for Brown's defense has gone up.

[Tony La Russa]

Two separate strike zones.

[EastFallowfield]

This outburst is all about Jake Westbrook reverting to career norms. It has nothing to do with the Phillies.

Self parody?

[curt]

Vic's final season here will be like most others. He'll get his average up over .300 at some point this summer, and finish .280ish, leading the team as usual.

[GTown_Dave]

Nice replay of Molina trying, & failing, to remove the donut from his preferred bat. Man, I really don't like that guy.

[EastFallowfield]

Braves bullpen just allowed a grand slam, Braves down 5-2 trying to salvage the finale of their 4 game set against a good team.

[Phlipper]

Wow! 6-0?

Well, they'd never get that kind of lead against a team with a winning record. If only they could beat the winning teams like the Braves do. That's why the Braves are 25 games up on the Phils.

[Luis]

I dont usually do this but what a awful AB by Mayberry..especially that last pitch..

[Luis]

Blanton had a better AB than Mayberry

[Fatalotti]

EFF, Braves win tonight, they'll be 12-11 vs. teams with a winning record. It's a meaningless stat, but it negates whatever point you were trying to make.

[Phlipper]

Galvis would definitely had that. Rollins has clearly lost a step - and he wasn't that good a SS to begin with.

[Phlipper]

Galvis would have had that hit by Schumaker. Rollins should retire.

[NEPP]

Galvis is a very very good defensive player. And he's batting enough to justify a starting role at SS.

Its nice to see him do as well as he has. He hits the ball with far more authority than he did a couple years ago when he was 150 lbs soaking wet.

[bay_area_phan]

Beerleaguer is going to be a fun place tonight after we lose this game.

[donc]

Damn BAP. Thats bitter even for you.

[Al Batross]

Galvis would have found a way to turn two there. JRoll's contract is the worst in the history of baseball.

[NEPP]

Imagine this scenario:

Rollins walks, signs with SanFran or Milwaukee or whatever
Galvis takes over SS
Rube signs Beltran to play LF.

That would've sucked.

[bay_area_phan]

donc: What's worse is that I actually believe it.

[donc]

Now I do too BAP.

[GTown_Dave]

Dammit, Cliff Lee!

Wait, what?

[NEPP]

This is pretty disgusting to watch.

[Fatalotti]

Blanton/Westbrook...a pitching matchup for the ages!

Posted by: Fatalotti | Thursday, May 24, 2012 at 08:05 PM

[lets go eat]

Blanton is pitching like Blanton again

[donc]

Wheels is positively damp talking about the Cardinals. His wimpyness knows no bounds. Bet he wears his underwear in the shower.

[GBrettFan]

Is Blanton intending to give back all 6 runs in one inning, dammit?

[lets go eat]

BAD BAD BAD BAD

[Fatalotti]

The Phillies bullpen tonight, anyone?

[Dickie Thong]

ZOMG!!!

[GTown_Dave]

Remember back when dumbasses were blathering on about how they're more confident w/ Blanton on the mound than anyone but Hamels?

Good times, good times ...

[bay_area_phan]

This inning is like a practical joke that started off kind of funny, but then the jokester doesn't know when to quit & ends up completely p*ssing you off.

[Jonathan Papelbon]

Time to bring me into this high leverage situation.

[NEPP]

Wheels completely falling off here.

[GBrettFan]

I was hoping Blanton would pitch well tonight. I thought it would be our best chance for a W this series.

Because we never win for Lee, we can't hit Garcia, and Halladay seems to be struggling & will pitch in the heat. Plus there's the fact that the Cardinals' offense is way better than ours.

[Scotch Man]

OK Rube. Time to bring Oswalt back for another ride.

[donc]

"Remember back when dumbasses were blathering on about how they're more confident w/ Blanton on the mound than anyone but Hamels?"

To be fair Dave he was pitching for the A's then.

[Fatalotti]

The Cardinals just have a stout offense. Blanton is not a good matchup for them.

NL leaders in OPS+

Cardinals: 121
Dodgers: 111
Braves: 101
Mets: 100

Everyone else is under 98. The Cardinals offense is very good.

[The Hook]

Slim B back to heavy B
FO show

[NEPP]

This is the part where the Cards pitchers completely shut us down the rest of the way.

I read ahead.

[donc]

Blanton is stout to.

[Fatalotti]

This is the part where the Cards pitchers completely shut us down the rest of the way.

I read ahead.

Posted by: NEPP | Thursday, May 24, 2012 at 09:23 PM

Good one!

[GTown_Dave]

donc: Sadly, it was this past Sunday.

[donc]

No. He hasnt pitched for them since Connie Mack owned the team.

[Buster]

Just hilarious, YMCA. Just said to Matthews he wonders if the momentum has shifted after the four run lead. No tmac, mo is definitely still with us moron.

[Fatalotti]

Actually Buster, Mo's out for the season. Tore his ACL.

[EastFallowfield]

EFF, Braves win tonight, they'll be 12-11 vs. teams with a winning record. It's a meaningless stat, but it negates whatever point you were trying to make.

Where do you find their record vs winning teams? Is it teams that are winners now or winners when they faced each other? Do exactly .500 teams count as winners?

[GTown_Dave]

They should've used LaRussa's mug shot for the outfield wall.

[NEPP]

Bad BL poster not closing your italics tag

[NEPP]

Teset

[GTown_Dave]

Italics are fun!

Then again, so are most things when compared to watching this Phillies team.

[GTown_Dave]

NEPP killed the fun. This whole night feels like a loss.

[curt]

I'm impressed by this new cleanup hitter. Oddly enough they had a guy with a similar name during the 5 year run, but that poor sod was never good enough to bat above #8.

[lets go eat]

WILL PIGGLY WIGGLY come thru in the clutch?

[Fatalotti]

WILL PIGGLY WIGGLY come thru in the clutch?

Posted by: lets go eat | Thursday, May 24, 2012 at 09:34 PM

Not even a little bit.