Game chat: Road to Wild Card goes through Houston

Tyler Cloyd (1-1, 4.24) and the Phillies bring their playoff hopes to Texas for the first of four with the lowly Astros. First pitch is 8:05 p.m. with right-hander Lucas Harell (10-9, 3.83) on the mound for Houston. Of note for the Phillies: Kevin Frandsen returns to third and bats seventh. The Phils are riding a season-high seven-game winning streak. They trail St. Louis by just three games for the final Wild Card spot. Elsewhere, St. Louis begins a four-game series in Los Angeles tonight at 10:10 p.m. Lance Lynn and Josh Beckett are scheduled. [Jump to the newest comments]

Comments

[Willard Preacher]

Although against clearly inferior competition, this weekend is make or break for our expectations for the rest of the season. Everyone remembers the infamous Houston series to end previous regular seasons.

Throw on top that STL and LA are going at it and we need to win simply to stay relevant (can only make moderate "noise").

Basically, we can quickly play ourselves out of it against a team we should beat up on, but the upside is minimal. I just hope the Fightins from this past home stand made the trip.

[aksmith]

Ryan Braun - Cheater.

Tyler Cloyd - On the hot seat.

Michael Martinez - Replaced by someone with a broken leg.

Yep, it's time for that run to the playoffs.

[Cyclic]

Is there precedent for players playing with Frandsen's kind of leg fracture?

[aksmith]

Yes, players can play with a stress fracture of the fibula. It hurts like crazy, but it's not a weight bearing bone. I don't know which part of the fibula is broken, but it's not unprecedented. I think Schilling pitched with a fractured fibula while still with the Phillies at one point.

[Cyclic]

It probably says more about Mini Mart than it does about Frandsen, actually.

I hope he can be effective.

[Willard Preacher]

"It probably says more about Mini Mart than it does about Frandsen, actually."

Think about what it says about Pete Orr!

[donc]

The technical term is a Mini Fracture. If your replacement's first name is Mini (and his lifetime batting average is lower than your weight), you play.

[Scott Sheridan]

Frandsen will be fine. We will pump him full of Cortisone. It worked for Howard last year.

[A-Train]

Give Poly some more of those magic vitamines and send him back out there!!!

[bay_area_phan]

There must be like 5,000 fans there.

[donc]

Christ, I can't remember the last time Jimmy did something positive.

[A-Train]

He may need a larger batting helmet.

[Cyclic]

All he does it hit.

[Cyclic]

is*

[bay_area_phan]

"Christ, I can't remember the last time Jimmy did something positive."

I can't remember the last time the Phillies won a game.

[Cyclic]

Craig Biggio is in the house. Jinx?

[Sophist]

Little bad luck

[donc]

Tyler Green at shortstop? That knuckle curve to first should be interesting.

[Muuurgh]

That was pretty comical. Howard was out by, what, six feet?

[Sophist]

Is this Astros team the worst MLB team you've ever seen? Serious question.

[bay_area_phan]

Cloyd doesn't mess around. If he's on, he could probably pitch 6 innings in the time it takes Papelbon to pitch 1.

[Kutztown Fan]

It must be depressing to play in such an empty ballpark.

[Cyclic]

This is looking to be a stressful one.

[DH Phils]

BAP: Both of these guys are working quickly. With those 2 and this umpire, this game may go final before the Dodgers start.

[donc]

Could be Sophist. That's a disgrace. So why am I so worried?

[Sophist]

2003 Tigers may have been worse in recent history.

[Dickie Thong]

There is only one player on their 25-man roster over 30 years of age, and he is 31. Wow.

[bay_area_phan]

http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/DET/2003.shtml

This team was pretty bad too.

[donc]

How about the Orioles team that lost like 21 in a row to start the season?

[Sil Campusano]

Free Ruf tonight?

[Sophist]

Haha. Yeah, BAP, I went through looking for the worst run differentials on 9/13 in previous years. 2010 Pirates, 2005 Royals, 03 Tigers, some Diamondbacks team.

Kratz!

[bay_area_phan]

There we go!

[Cyclic]

Is that Mayberry out there?

[bay_area_phan]

That is a very strange leftfield wall.

[GTown_Dave]

I'll go w/ the 2003 Tigers as well, although these Astros are close. I doubt Houston's ownership will be waxing poetic about all of the wonderful contributions Ed Wade made to the franchise anytime soon.

[NEPP]

Looking good so far.

[Sophist]

The '01 O's were probably their worst this century. 63 wins, outscored 687 to 829. Those 03 Tigers were outscored 591 to 928. Yeah. 43 wins. They went 3-20 in April.

[Iceman]

"There is only one player on their 25-man roster over 30 years of age, and he is 31. Wow."

In BL's eyes (or, I'm sorry, in the eyes of a lot of people on BL), that means they should be the best and 'hungriest' team in baseball.

[Iceman]

This team looks clinically dead. 2 innings in and I already think they need to sweep these guys, with the Cardinals teed up for 6 games against them.

[DH Phils]

I would put the team on the field ahead of the others, considering that in the first half they actually weren't terrible, before trading the handful of useful players they had (Carlos Lee, Chris Johnson, Myers, Wandy Rodriguez, Happ, Lyon).

Who knows if they would keep up (keep down?) the pace but 12-45 since the ASB puts them at 34-win pace.

[donc]

I was thinking of the 88 Orioles. Lost their first 21 and won 54 total. Hard to believe a team with Cal Ripken on it could be so bad.

[Sophist]

I'm trying to find how often in the last 20-30 years a team has scored fewer than 600 runs in a season.

[Sophist]

"Hard to believe a team with Cal Ripken on it could be so bad."

And Eddie Murray (and RSB)

[Muuurgh]

And for Cloyd, a perfect game cometh against the Astros to assuage the concerns of any BL naysayers...

I hope we score 8 by the 5th and Ruf comes out to play for the rest of the game. This would be the perfect team to make a debut against, would it not?

[donc]

Forgot about Murray. I think I've blanked him out of my memory since he snapped out of a hideous funk in the '83 series against the Phillies. I was at game 5 and Phillies fans started chanting "Eddie Eddie". So of course he put the Phillies out of their misery with 2 homeruns. I just about turned green when they started the chant. Only Phillies fans could break balls down 3 games to 1.

[Mini Mart]

WTF! UC isn't playing me??? Dude, I'd like tripled my BA in the last couple of weeks! FML!!!

[Dickie Thong]

The '88 Orioles also had Jeff Stone and Rick Schu, so...

[NEPP]

The 2010 Mariners managed just 513 runs. Last year they scored 556. That 2010 team was pretty horrific.

[DH Phils]

Since I rip them every time they ramble about something stupid, I should compliment McCarthy for his Dummy Hoy anecdote, which was actually pretty interesting.

[Iceman]

While we're looking historical teams up, anyone know or care to look for a team that has outplayed its Pythag as much as the 2012 Orioles?

-20 run differential, 19 games over .500 through 143 games. That is absolutely incredible. Boston has a better RD and is 17 games behind them.

[Dickie Thong]

Mini-Mart would fit right in on the Astros. He'd be considered a veteran.

[NEPP]

I'm not saying that Ryan Howard is going to hit into a DP here but Ryan Howard is going to hit into a DP here.

[DH Phils]

That throw by Maxwell is the stuff of 45-win teams.

[Sophist]

Yeah that offense, for the Mariners, was historically bad, but in that run environment ... They held their opponents over over 200 fewer runs than that Tigers team.

[NEPP]

That was surprisingly useful.

[GTown_Dave]

The Phillies should present Martinez to the Astros before leaving town. A player that versatile should have no problem flourishing in the American League.

[DH Phils]

Good God, this team is dreadful.

[Iceman]

Yeah, this is a team that should be swept, considering we'll be throwing Hamels and Halladay against them.

[Sophist]

Okay, 4 game sweep has to happen. I'm convinced.

Iceman, what about that DBacks team from a few years ago?

[bay_area_phan]

Considering how abysmal Howard has been lately, I'll count that sac fly as a gigantic success.

[Little Ollie]

Houston announcers are pretty up front with how bad their team is.

[NEPP]

Mayberry is better than Howard right now.

That's scary.

[GBrettFan]

Um, yes, we should sweep these guys. I've only been watching for a few batters & I can tell that.

[NEPP]

***Yeah that offense, for the Mariners, was historically bad, but in that run environment ... They held their opponents over over 200 fewer runs than that Tigers team. ***

No argument here, that Tigers team was brutally bad.

[Sophist]

07 DBacks were outscored by 20 runs and won 90 games.

[Dickie Thong]

The Astros are hapless and not because they traded Happ.

[bay_area_phan]

I assume Lake Fred moved up to one of the 10 front rows, because there's really no reason to be sitting anywhere else.

[Sophist]

I'll be scared when Howard has a normal offseason and has a 93 OPS+ in September.

[awh]

smart play so far tonight...

[NEPP]

***I'll be scared when Howard has a normal offseason and has a 93 OPS+ in September. ***

Exactly. Howard is a shadow of himself right now because he's not healthy yet.

[Sophist]

broken leg IF single

[Iceman]

Sophist- yeah, good memory on that one. The 2007 D-Backs had a -20 differential and finished 90-72. Orioles on pace to somehow out-do that amazing good fortune.

Came back to bite the D-Backs though, as the Rockies- the +101 RD Wild Card team- beat them handily in the NLCS.

[donc]

You know things are bad when a guy with a broken leg is beating out infield hits against you.

[NEPP]

This is rough to watch for the 'Stros.

[bay_area_phan]

Kratz needs to put this game away.

[Sil Campusano]

Figured these guys couldn't be as bad as I thought. I was right; they are worse.

[Sil Campusano]

This guy Harrell throws equipment in the dugout better than he does pitches to hitters.

[bullit]

damn, i missed the dummy hoy anecdote. there was a pretty good doc on pbs about him a few months ago.

[Sophist]

2005 Padres were outscored by 42 runs. Won the West (2 over .500 though). That division was terrible.

I think those are the only two recent playoff teams to be outscored.

[Dickie Thong]

I think the Sugarland Skeeters could sweep this team.

[Iceman]

Enroll this guy in some anger management classes.

I'm sure the rest of the guys in the dugout love that act.

[Cyclic]

Bye bye no no & perfecto

[DH Phils]

bullit: I had never heard of him before. The reason they brought him up is he's next in line for Pierre on the all-time SB list.

[Dickie Thong]

Good one, Wheels. Looks more like a switch-out than a switch-hitter. LOL.

[Iceman]

If this guy fails to get a bunt down, the Gatorade cooler is not long for this world.

[donc]

The lighting in that park is as bad as Tropicana Field. Must have something to do with Orange Juice. Throw in the 40 or so thousand empty seats and that's one dreary ass atmosphere. The cheers, boos and whistles all echo in that empty mausoleum.

[Sil Campusano]

Switch out is hitting better than Mini Mart.

[Dickie Thong]

That stadium is more dead than the Plymouth Meeting Mall.

[Iceman]

The Orioles are also 27-7 in one-run games, which I guess would explain their horrible run differential.

That's really extraordinary. I'm absolutely rooting for them, for reasons other than just foiling the Yankees (though that is always a good enough reason to root for any team). But if their front office fails to improve the team in the off-season, they're doing their fans a disservice, because they will surely not repeat this kind of success.

[bullit]

dummy hoy has amazing career stats. his family is working to get him in the hof. the doc made the case that hoy is responsible for the development of hand signals. having to trun around to see the ump's call after each pitch was so disruptive to his rhythm that his third base coach started signaling the call to him (around 1897).

[NEPP]

Can we NOT walk a run home here?

[Sil Campusano]

Donc - I noticed that as well. Maybe they've dimmed the lights to save money. Either that or hide how bad they play...

[Iceman]

Nice job to maneuver out of that.

[NEPP]

Dodged a bullet there.

[bay_area_phan]

I was sure that inning was going to end in ugly fashion.

[donc]

That's a good point Ice. Baltimore is historically a fabulous baseball town. Angelos has really ruined that. I was watching that great game there last night. The fans there were going nuts but there were only 26,000 of them. They are so disillusioned that it will take more than one magical year to get them back. And that is a shame because they've always been very loyal. If Angelos hadn't screwed that up, I bet the Expos never would have moved to DC.

[NEPP]

If Angelos were to sell, it would only take a year...especially if Ripken were part of the new ownership group (something he's shown serious interest in being part of).

[donc]

I worked at the Spencer Gifts in the Plymouth Meeting Mall back in the 70's. 1970's.

[donc]

Angelos must be one gigantic d!ck. That's not right.

[Iceman]

donc- those fans definitely deserve a year like this. I was at one of the Yankees fans last week and the fans are very engaged. Still one of the best ballparks in the MLB, or in any of the major sports, in my opinion.

Their owner has done them pretty dirty, especially since Ripken left. The way the franchise still idolizes and celebrates him, while refusing to blaze their own trail forward, would infuriate me as a fan. I understand the guy was a HOF player, but every celebration the franchise focuses on is on him and him alone. Let it go. Time to create your own identity. It's been over a decade.