Phils Swept By Jays

This is the same team that took a series versus the Yankees, Mets, and Dodgers in their parks. Surely they could come home and take a team that hasn't beaten a National League foe yet all season. Coming into this series with a 13-16 record at home, should we really have been surprised the Phillies got swept by the Toronto Blue Jays?

The Phillies were struck out 31 times during the series and 89 times the past nine games, a number that has to drop immediately. As far as scoring, they went into today's game with only four runs. They scored seven today which still kept their RPG for the series at 3.75.

Tuesday: Cole Hamels pitched solid but needed to go past six innings. As the team's ace, you need to go deep into a game every start. His six innings, two runs on seven hits and six strike outs may have been enough to earn him a win but there is no reason he couldn't have gone deeper. Ryan Madson blew the game in the ninth and the game went into extra innings. Clay Condrey imploded, giving up five runs in the top of the tenth.

Wednesday: See my recap I wrote earlier today.

Today: It was a see saw battle as the Jays jumped out to another early two-run lead. The Phillies clung on and took the lead in the fourth, 4-3 after a two-run Rollins homer. They added another in the fifth off of a John Mayberry Jr. homer and then let the Jays tie it up in the seventh. Toronto took a two-run lead in the eighth and Philadelphia then tied it up. But Rod Barajas took Madson deep to put the Jays up for good, 8-7.

Series MVP's: Former Phillies Scott Rolen and Rod Barajas

Rolen: 6-14, 3 runs, 2 doubles, HR, 4 RBI's, .394 OBP

Barajas: 4-9, 2 runs, 2 HR's (one game winner), 4 RBI's

Next Series: Baltimore Orioles (28-37; 8-20 on the road) @ Philadelphia Phillies (36-28; 13-19 at home)

This is another the series the Phillies should sweep or at least win but with their current home record and lack of competence versus AL teams, I don't know what to expect. They play tonight at 7:05 versus the Mets so these numbers are prior to then. They are 5-3 in inter league play (Phils are 3-6) but are 4-6 in their last ten. With a putrid record on the road for Baltimore, this should be cake for Philly.

Probables:

6/19: R. Hill (2-1, 5.81), Bastardo (2-1, 5.25)

6/20: Bergesen (4-2, 3.79), Happ (4-0, 3.53)

6/21*: Guthrie (4-7, 5.42 ERA), Hamels (4-2, 4.48 ERA)

*attending

Richmond Dominates Phils (recap)

The Blue Jays were unsure up until yesterday who they would throw against the Phillies. Scott Richmond became the choice but it could have secretly been injured pitcher Roy Halladay the way he pitched. Richmond pitched eight strong innings and allowing only one run on five hits, one walk, and struck out 11 en route to a 7-1 victory for the Blue Jays

The Phillies managed to get a run out of Jayson Werth's solo homer in the fourth. After being roughed up in the first two innings, Jamie Moyer settled down nicely until the seventh where he gave up a hit and then a two-run blast to Aaron Hill. He got yanked for Chad Durbin who saw Scott Rolen's solo homer go out to left to cap the scoring.

Jimmy Rollins, Chase Ultey, Ryan Howard, and Raul Ibanez are all considered to be the pop in the Phillies line up. They were nothing similar to that as they went 1-13 with six strikeouts. The only hit came from Howard's single which was followed up by a double play ball hit by Ibanez. It was that kind of night. The Phillies could only muster six hits and struck out 12 times.

Now it's time for a little rant...

Jimmy Rollins is a terrible lead-off hitter and we know this. But at that same time, he is the best guy on this team for that. Rollins should be dropped back to the six-spot, not for a few games, but for an extended period of time until he starts hitting and getting his confidence. The reason I say this is because that's how Shane Victorino got into a hitting role late last year and sparked the Phillies' World Championship run. He batted behind Pat Burrell and made the most of it.

The line up should be:
-Victorino/Werth/Utley/Howard/Ibanez/Rollins/Feliz/Ruiz or Coste/pitcher vs RHP.

-Victorino/Utley/Werth/Howard/Ibanez/Rollins/Feliz/Ruiz or Coste/pitcher vs LHP.

Ever since Rollins hit 30 homers during his 2007 MVP campaign, he has tried to hit home runs. As a lead off guy, that's not supposed to be his game. He needs to wait on pitches, hit line drives, get walks, work the count, and just be smart. My new slogan for him is "Be smart, Jimmy." Once he establishes himself as a line drive hitter and does it on a constant basis, then I want to see him moved back in the lead off spot where he can be the catalyst he once was two years ago. Hopefully Charlie Manuel sees the light.

Be Smart, Jimmy.

The Return of Rolen

I am very excited for this three game series with the Toronto Blue Jays. For the sixth time, I will get to see my favorite Phillie return home to with stand the boos and idiots who didn't appreciate what he brought to this franchise. Scott Rolen is still a true Phillie in my book.

Rolen had a remarkable career in Philaldelphia, batting a career .281, 150 homers, and 559 RBI's in seven seasons. He won the rookie of the year in 1997 and tallied four of his seven Gold Gloves while here. He was also an all star in his final year in Philly and added four more in St. Louis.

After his feud with the Phillies front office, mainly Dallas Green who said he was trying to be better than he really was, and was upset at the Phillies lack of urgency to win, Rolen refused to sign a contract extension in his final year. He wasn't being greedy and he wasn't sticking it to the city he loved to play for, he just hated his boss and the situation he was in. Rolen was traded to the Cardinals along with a prospect for Placido Polanco, Bud Smith, and Mike Timlin.

Rolen went to St. Louis from 2002 until 2007 and won a World Series there in 2006. Along with Albert Pujols and Jim Edmonds, he helped form a dangerous 3-4-5 spot in the lineup. He was then traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for Troy Glaus.

Rolen has had to battle injuries he sustained while playing in Veterans Stadium for most of his career. His aggressive play, tenacity in the field, and amazing skill with the glove at third base wore him down as he would dive along the rock-hard surface in the Vet. He would continue to struggle with injuries after leaving Philly with the torn shoulder labrum he sustained in Philly along with his constant sore lower back.

Rolen has played some great baseball this year for Toronto, hitting .320 in 54 games. His power numbers have dropped as he has only three homers and 18 doubles with 19 RBI's.

I'll be at Wednesday's game wearing my Rolen #17 Phillies jersey and cheering hard for him in full force.

FIM #11: Goodbye Vet

A brand new era deserves a brand new stadium. But with bringing in a newer, fresher experience for the fans and players comes the sacrifices of memories and traditions. Moment #11 is the destruction of our beloved Veterans Stadium.

Built in 1971, The Vet was home to the infamous "Boo Birds" (Eagles fans) and the rowdy Phillies fans in the 700 level. Whether it was fights, flashings, or pure vulgar banter, the 700 level was one of the most infamous group of fans in all of sports. The fans were so bad that a municipal court was installed in the stadium for fans who were ejected from the game.

The stadium was famous for it's terrible field conditions such as a concrete like playing surface and poor draining. The AstroTurf would also act as an oven for baseball and football players, reaching up to 120 degrees on hot July, August, and September days.

The Vet was home to two MLB All Star games: the first in 1976 during the nations bicentennial and again in 1996. The Phillies won their first championship in 1980 there. Players like Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton to Lenny Dykstra and John Kruk to Jim Thome and Scott Rolen all played in this stadium.

There were so many great Phillies moments that occurred here. Game 6 of the 1980 World Series was won here when Tug McGraw struck out Willie Wilson of the Kansas City Royals in front of about 66,000 fans to win their first championship.

The latest game in MLB history was played their. The Phillies and Padres started a double header on July 2nd, 1993 and due to rain outs and delays all day, they didn't complete the second game until 4:40 in the morning on July 3rd. Mitch Williams drove in Pete Incaviglia to win the game in the 10th.

Kevin Millwood and Terry Mulholland own the only 2 9-inning no-hitters in The Vet's history. Mullholland did his in 1990 and Millwood did his in 2003. Both were ironically against the Sn Francisco Giants.

In 2004, Phillies fans threw D-cell batteries at St. Louis Cardinals outfielder J.D. Drew after when drafted by the Phillies, said he would never play for Philadelphia, re-entered the draft next year and was picked by the Cardinals.

After it's demolition in 2004, Citizen Bank Park used the area where The Vet stood as an additional parking lot. Fans will never forget The Vet nor the memories left in it. But there are new ones to be made at CBP, including a World Championship and seeing guys like Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, and Chase Utley represent the new home of the Phillies.

The implosion

My ticket stubs throughout the years at The Vet