Game chat: Lee seeks clutch win as Phils eye sweep

Cliff Lee's signature game this season came in a 10-inning shutout that ended in a loss. The Phillies left-hander tries to dial up that kind of effort, with better support behind him, as the hometown nine reaches for the brooms at 4:05. Right-hander Josh Johnson stands in his way for the Marlins. A win would stretch the Phillies' streak to a season-high seven. [Jump to the newest comments]

Comments

[NEPP]

Damnit...Cards tied it up.

[Brooklyn Phillies]

Um, EFF, if the Phillies are still in now, they must have been still in it at all previous points of the season, right?

[GBrettFan]

Interesting to read this quote from Reyes, since I think he was just added to the punchable list...

"Nothing surprises me, because I've been through the same situation," said Marlins shortstop Jose Reyes, who watched the Phillies catch them in the standings in 2007 while a member of the Mets. "I don't count them out, at all."

[mainerob]

It's funny how all that T-Bag drivel was driving BLers crazy not too long ago. I was among those annoyed by it. However, a 7-game winning streak with a double-header thrown in and only one scheduled off-day happens in swift order. It was only one short week ago that we were lambasting the broadcasting crew for their unbridled optimism.

Well, this Rome was built in just 7-8 days. Moreover, the teams ahead of the Phils, with the lone exception of the Brewers, are cooperating bigtime with their collective matador welcome into the mix.

I find it humorous how all the pundits say that X team hardly stands a chance to move up, because there are so many teams to climb over. One of sports truisms is that if you win consistently, other teams are losing consistently at the same time. Teams on winning streaks simply find themselves leaping over teams that were higher in the standings. Somehow, it just happens.

Moral of the story: take care of your own business and the competition will part the waters for you.

[GBrettFan]

Tweet from Reds reporter, retweeted by Mandy Housenick:

John Fay ‏@johnfayman
RT @nathansheets Assume the #phillies make the playoffs. Think they could be the favorite?//Favorite? No. Team no wants to play? Yes.

[gobaystars!]

Jose Reyes has been checking under his bed for Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley every night since 2007.

[Cyclic]

Brewers aren't ahead of us.

[GTown_Dave]

"Favorite? No. Team no wants to play? Yes."

Agreed.

[Cyclic]

I recall many here did not want to play the Cardinals back in 2011.

[GBrettFan]

I think the "not the favorite but the team no one wants to play" last year was the Cardinals, wasn't it?

[Meyer]

YesGrandall

[Fatalotti]

3-2, Daddies

[Cyclic]

PIT down 1-0

SD retakes the lead over STL

Getting funner.....

[can_of_corn]

Gotta love the Friars. Thanks, guys, for keeping at it for us.

[awh]

"But I've found that I can go take a quick leak and not miss anything at all."

WP, thank you. I was in a quandary as to how to handle mini-mart ABs. Now I know.

[UBIK]

Headlly and Grandal aren't a bad 3/4 combo, especially out of the 3B and C spots

[aksmith]

Were the season a little longer than 162 games, the playoffs might include two of Phillies, Brewers and Padres.

[UBIK]

Does anyone else think its weird that the only two righties in the Padres order hit at 6 and 7?

[CN]

STL 2, SD 3 ^7
PIT 1, CIN 1 ^4
ATL 1, MIL 0 ^1
LAD @ ARI 9:40 PM

[Fatalotti]

Clayton Richard is pitching a really good game.

[gobaystars!]

I think in a 200 game season the Phillies catch the Nats.

[Bonehead]

Aumont has pitched 5 times in the last 6 days
Pap - 6 times in 8 days

I hope there are a couple of blowouts in the Astros series.

Next off day not until the 20th.

[gobaystars!]

6 outs to go.

[Fatalotti]

6 outs to go.

[Fatalotti]

Sorry gobay, didn't mean to steal your thunder. :)

[Fatalotti]

4 more.

[SLO Phan]

I hope one of the positive things to come out of the win today is that UC realizes it is ok for Orr to start a game, instead of Mini Mart.

[MG]

Listening to this old Ashburn documentary and Kalas/Ashburn voices brings back a lot of memories of growing up.

[Criff Ree]

3 outs with Holliday down! It's truly Fathers' Day!

[gobaystars!]

So this was Mike Stanton's post game meal last night. Good move. Eat like a winner; play like a winner. I somehow doubt Roy Halladay makes many calls to Insomniac Cookies.

https://twitter.com/Giancarlo818/status/245740134685896704

[gobaystars!]

Alright time for Hoffman to shut the door!
He's still on the Pads, right?

[Bonehead]

No, Rollie

[gobaystars!]

right.

[Bonehead]

In 1976, Fingers had 134 IP in 70 games, all relief. 62 GF.

[gobaystars!]

I never thought I'd root for someone named Luke Gregerson.

[Fatalotti]

Uh oh.

[gobaystars!]

A double!

[Meyer]

Get this guy out of there.

[Fatalotti]

Come on infield pop-up.

[Fatalotti]

AWESOME!

[CN]

One more. Hoo boy.

[gobaystars!]

Uncle Buddy doesn't know how to manage a bullpen. There is no explanation for this.

[Meyer]

Go Gregerson

[Meyer]

Walk him Greger

[Fatalotti]

That's why I don't know why they just don't intentionally walk him after they go down 2-0. That last pitch wasn't very far off from being a wild pitch/passed ball. Just issue the free pass and move on with it.

[gobaystars!]

live look in!

[Fatalotti]

3 back!

[Sophist]

Haha

It's happening

[NEPP]

YES!

[gobaystars!]

3 back!

[CN]

3 out.

[GTown_Dave]

3!

[can_of_corn]

Sigh of relief. Now on to the next game.

[CN]

Oh In Play, Out(s), how I love thee so~

[Fyn]

Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!

[DH Phils]

I can't believe this is happening.

[bay_area_phan]

I've been guilty of it too, but the "Beerleaguer told me" schtick is basically just code for, "I was arguing with some guys on Beerleaguer about it, and I was right. Nya, nya, nya." Because, in point of fact, the regular posters who comprise Beerleaguer were all over the board about the merits or demerits of Hunter Pence -- just as they are all over the board about pretty much every subject under the sun. "Beerleaguer" never told anyone anything. Some guys on Beerleaguer did.

3 back!

[Meyer]

What a day. The topper will be the Dodgers having a players only meeting after an embarrassing loss.

[Buy sell]

CARDS LOSE!

[Bonehead]

Okay. Now moving on to Pirates gameday.

[Bonehead]

1-1. B5

[wes covington's ghost]

Baseball Heaven is becoming HELL..Believe it!

[EastFallowfield]

Yo, new thread

[Al Batross]

It's kind of funny that for much of the season, the Phils' expected W-L was much better than their actual record.

Now their actual record is better than their expected W-L, albeit only slightly - but somehow it seems that they are playing much better baseball than they were when their actual W-L was worse than their expected W-L.

Kind of backwards from what I would predict.