Game chat: Phils' focus turns to division pacesetters

Pitching match-ups: Cole Hamels and Brandon Beachy are scheduled when the Phillies begin the first of six road games against the second-place Braves and first-place Nationals. First pitch is 7:10 from Turner Field. After Beachy, who is off to a stellar start, the Phillies face Tommy Hanson, Randell Delgado, then in Washington, Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmerman.

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Comments

[Luis]

This series is going to be a good litmus test for the state of the affairs for the Phillies.

[Dickie Thong]

Feels like a win.

[Joe D]

Hamels gon' be so filthy.

[Iceman]

There's officially a game thread graphic for everyone.

[Willard Preacher]

The thing about the Braves is that their bullpen is solid (particularly the back end). There won't be any playing from behind this series (especially since the Phillies don't play well from behind anymore, anyway). They need to score early and often.

[NEPP]

Has Mini Mart ever gotten a graphic?

[Willard Preacher]

NEPP, Mini actually had a couple last season. See April 10 and July 5th.

[GBrettFan]

Oof, tough pitching for us. We should be able to beat Delgado, if Blanton does his part.

I think I'll be happy if we win 3 of 6. I'm curious to see how these games go. Will the Phillies rise to the challenge and beat these division rivals? What happens when the low-scoring Nationals meet the lower-scoring Phils, now that the Nats are coming back to earth?

[J. Weitzel]

Yes, Mini-Mart has gotten a graphic. The WSJ style headshots we did last season. Ross Gload also got one, Kyle Kendrick, AAAberry. Lots of guys. First for Iron Orr.

Really, there was only one choice for tonight.

[gobaystars!]

The Braves pen is good this time of year. By September they wil be blowing leads again. Don't worry.

[NEPP]

***Mini actually had a couple last season. See April 10 and July 5th.***

How in the world do you know/remember the specific dates like that?

[Hugh Mulcahy]

What's the theme here, Orr out to prove Atlanta was wrong to give up on him?

[Willard Preacher]

NEPP, I kept a thread header log all last season, to track the correlation between opposing players and losses. Just keeping JW honest.

[Dan in Philly]

Funny how crappy our team has been to still be .500. Imagine once we get Utley and Howard back.

[Elephant in the room]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but every game Pete Orr has started the Phillies have won.

[Elephant in the room]

Is that true? I think he's started 5 and they've won 5.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Elephant - that appears to be true.

[Jack]

"AAAberry"

Well done, JW. Well done.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

That was Lorecore from a previous thread.

[Iceman]

Not sure if it's been mentioned but Heyward is going to miss the next two games at least with an oblique injury.

[can_of_corn]

Mini's gotten a haircut since then, if I'm not mistaken. May be time for his new look to grace our screens.

[GTown_Dave]

"AAAbery" is inspired. Hell, I like the guy & I still can't help but be impressed w/ how wonderfully insulting of a nickname that is.

[MG]

Isn't Galvis starting at 2B tonight?

[Jack]

How many people are going to watch the Phils game instead of the Flyers tonight? I can't imagine all that many.

[Rauls grandpa]

Iron represents strength, endurance and standing the test of time.

This guy is "One Potato" Orr to me.

[GTown_Dave]

Jack: I'll probably have the Flyers on the TV & baseball on radio/Gameday. Beachy represents the best shot the Phutiles have for & win in this series. Far be it from me to completely miss them pissing it away.

[Dragon]

By this road trip being a litmus test, do we mean a rough base indicator or a measurement of the amount of acid in the fan's stomachs when the road trip is over.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

I'm not choosing. I'll start watching the Phils game, hit record when the Flyers game starts, then watch the recording during intermissions and after the Flyers game ends.

[GTown_Dave]

Hugh: If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice.

[bay_area_phan]

Things I care about more than tonight's Flyers game:

1. agricultural economic policy in Micronesia;

2. the outcome of the 2012 World's Strongest Man Competition;

3. the romantic lives of the Kardashian sisters;

4. a 700-page book entitled "Winning Tactics for Chutes and Ladders;"

5. the crappy Phillies.

[BobbyD]

I'll watch the Flyers pregame show, followed by the Flyers game, and then the Flyers postgame show. And the remote will not even be in my hand.

[can_of_corn]

All 9+ innings. Always

[GBrettFan]

I'm a one-sport fan - er, Phan.

[Willard Preacher]

More people will watch the Phillies, even losing 5-1 in the 9th, than will watch the Sixers. Of this, I'm certain.

[Willard Preacher]

I, for one, will be watching none of the Phillies, Flyers or Sixers, as I'll be as the live results show for The Voice.

I need to re-evaluate my choices in life...

[GTown_Dave]

Preacher: Say hi to Christina's Aguileras for me. And yes, you really do.

[Willard Preacher]

Will do, GTown. Taking one for the team tonight. Work related spiel and all of that. The damndest thing is that I can't even have a cell phone there to check scores/post pithy derision about the Phillies' offense.

[mike 64]

Phillies are old and they stink. Run is over trade halladay, lee because phillies finish 3rd in division.

[lorecore]

Sports Bar night fellas, all at once!

[Bake McBride was Here]

Will be switching back and forth between Flyers and Phils, for the first hour or so on a TV in the basement that lacks a remote.

[Bake McBride was Here]

Below are some aids for mike64.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammar

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelling

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punctuation

[Ruben Amaro, Jr.]

"Winning Tactics for Chutes and Ladders"

I wrote that book!

[MG]

British version 'Snakes and Ladders' is more true to its Indian source and doesn't include the hokey morality scenes of doing good/bad acts by children that Milton Bradley insisted upon in his lame US version.

[NEPP]

I will give Jimmy credit for running the count full before popping up.

That's progress for him.

[The Perils of Thinking]

The Braves announcers just named as one of their keys to victory: "No FB to Choo".

They then discussed that Ruiz hits fastballs well, stated that his nickname was "Choo" twice more, then made a train joke.

Way to research the opposition, guys.

[Bake McBride was Here]

Rollins:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUFBNMzZ4_8

[gobaystars!]

I see great things in this game.
Big win tonight. Can't wait. Colbert had his strawberry cosmo, DVRed Letterman and is ready to get it done tonight.

[SLO Phan]

10 pitch inning for Beachy. Never get tired of this new approach by the Phils.

[let's eat]

stellar performance by the phillies offense

[MG]

Over/under hits vs. Beachy tonight: 4.5
Over/under XBH hits vs. Beachy tonight: 1.0

He's going to cruise against this lineup tonight. Hope they can somehow scratch out 2 runs tonight against Beachy & that Hamels is just locked in.

[let's eat]

glad rollins reacted quickly - else bourn is on 1st

[MG]

Actually make that hits 3.5. Beachy's been really good so far this year & he's the best starter the Braves have right now.

[let's eat]

all the other teams make the phils pitchers work the p/c up..

but not the phillies hitters 3 pitches - i just gotta swing..

[GBrettFan]

Beachy is a good pitcher. His ERA is under 2.00 this season so far.

LOL about "Choo".

[let's eat]

pigglywiggly looked totally clueless

[NEPP]

This is one of those times where we really are facing a very good pitcher.

[NEPP]

Nix takes by far the best ABs on our team right now...against RHP at least.

[GBrettFan]

David Hale tweeted this pic with "Big crowd down at the ol' ballpark tonight"

https://twitter.com/#!/DavidHaleTNJ/status/197460640208662528/photo/1

Also, did you catch Pence's tweeted pic of Chooch in his pinstriped suit last night?

Nothing of consequence, just fun tidbits to amuse while the offense flails at Beachy's pitches.

[GTown_Dave]

So who had Beachy in the First Pitcher to No-Hit These Phillies pool?

[sdphillie]

That tweeted picture reminds me of the Braves games on TBS in the late 80s/early 90s where they were very mindful of their camera angles and did a very good job of not letting you know that nobody was at the game... until they then won every stinkin NL East title for 47 years in a row.

I recall the XFL doing the same in their rather short existence.

[GTown_Dave]

Hale's pic should be captioned "Citizens Bank Park in 2014".

[gobaystars!]

Do you really think CBP will be empty in 2014?

[NEPP]

Even in the dark days of the late 90s, the Phillies averaged more than I see in this Braves crowd.

[NEPP]

Francisco proves that you dont need to be Chipper Jones to kill the Phillies, you just need to play 3B for the Braves.

[Bake McBride was Here]

Why is every other station showing Obama making a speech? Has Armageddon begun?

[NEPP]

Maybe he dug up Bin Laden and had him killed again...

[MG]

gobaystars - No way. Not this empty. The only time the Vet looked like that was on those Sept weeknights after Labor Day when the kids were back in school, it was cool at night, and the Phils were eliminated mathematically sometime shortly after Labor Day.

[GTown_Dave]

Not that empty, but crowds of 30-32K wouldn't surprise me. The bloom's gonna come off the rose real fast.

[NEPP]

Galvis cant buy a hit right now.

[NEPP]

The Braves are averaging 28K and change right now.

I would guess tonight's crowd is closer to 20K at best.

[Bake McBride was Here]

Just imagine if McCarthy, Pierre McGuire, and Doc Emrick started calling games together. All that high-pitched squealing would mean millions afflicted with tinnitus by the end of each broadcast.

Flyers 1
Devils 0

[NEPP]

In the 2nd year at CBP, we averaged 32K...I bet that's where we'd fall too if and when we start missing the playoffs.

[bay_area_phan]

Well, so far, the Phillies' offense has managed to be even more ghastly than I've become accustomed to.

[MG]

Interesting bet from a friend who is a Nats' fan:

Phils O/U in the upcoming series: 6.5 runs total in the series.

Not touching it especially with who the Phils have to face although I sadly would take the under if I had to.

[Iceman]

The best game thread comment in the history of BL: MG's analysis of Chutes and Ladders. Gave me a laugh while stuck at work with no TV.

[Bake McBride was Here]

"Things I care about more than tonight's Flyers game:"

Still haven't gotten over the demise of the California Golden Seals?

[gobaystars!]

Yeah if they start losing and don't make moves to improve the team and increase interest then attendance will drop. But what makes anyone think that the team won't keep winning and won't make moves to improve? Is it just a "window closed! I was right! The good years are over!!" fantasy?

[NEPP]

Woohoo...no hitter over!

[gobaystars!]

There's the hit.

[bay_area_phan]

Bake: It's a regional thing. Hockey just isn't popular on the west coast. Granted, the Sharks do sell out every game, but it's the same 17,000 fans every night & they're the only 17,000 people in northern California who pay attention to the NHL.

[NEPP]

Great AB by Shane.

[gobaystars!]

Good AB. Not the best result.

[GTown_Dave]

That's the best AB Vic has had in years. Of course he ought to be able to get actual hits of off Beachy, but we're grasping at straws here.

[bay_area_phan]

"Great AB by Shane."

Other than the fact that it ended in a weak pop-up, and his 6 foul balls were 6 of the weakest, most pitiful swings in the history of baseball, yes, it was.

[NEPP]

At least he made the pitcher work.

~yes, the bar is that low at this point~

[NEPP]

Pence crushed that one.

[A.T.]

This series may determine how the Phillies with fare against other teams in the NL East.
And do you know why management will not change a single thing? Because they are still raking in money from ticket sales because they have determined the Phillies do not need to win to sell out the stadium and make a bunch of money.

Check out this blog that really listens to the people who comment and accepts articles from reasonable people:

http://thebigphillydogblog.blogspot.com/

[NEPP]

Ouch...that was Dom Brown-esque.

[bay_area_phan]

Watch them score that a triple.

[gobaystars!]

OK. Time for Wig to deliver.

[Bake McBride was Here]

Piggly Wiggly!

Not to mention some help from that splendid Braves' defense.

[Allan Thornburg (AT)]

Excellent at-bat by Vic; softened Beachy up for Pence. Now it's time for two-out heroics from Wiggy.

[GBrettFan]

Great job taking opportunities by the Phillies! How nice to type that.

Also, I'm really happy we have pretty good defense.

[curt]

Gotta love the hometown scorer trying to protect Beachy's ERA, of all things.

[GTown_Dave]

In Play, Run(s)?! :-o

[Allan Thornburg (AT)]

WIGGY!

[gobaystars!]

Up around 70 pitches in the 4th. Got some runs. Keeping the lockdown part of the pen out of the game. Nice work.

[Iceman]

Can't watch the game, but gamecast tells me that a few hitters really worked the count on Beachy that inning, like real live Major League baseball players.

[NEPP]

Its a shame our regulars have sucked so bad given the fact that Wigginton has basically given us the equivalent of Howard's production for the first month. We could have very easily gotten 14-15 wins had Vic, Rollins, Pence and Polly actually played like they should.

[Dave]

Have to say, they've gotten some value out of the Wiggy signing so far.

I just hope he doesn't become one of Charlie's guys.