Phillies win first game of 2009

It was a series that absolutely blew for the first 24 1/2 innings. Then with the help of some timely hitting, patience, and a bull pen that couldn't hit the broad side of a barn, the Phillies erupted to end the series on a high note. Going into Wednesday's game, the Phillies lost their first two games to the Atlanta Braves by a combined score of 8-1 and the starting pitching surrendered all 8 runs and a total of 5 home runs, the trend continued into the first 6 1/2 innings of Wednesday afternoon.

Joe Blanton got shelled, giving up 2 homers and 7 runs total and the bull pen surrendered 3 more to give the Braves a 10-3 lead. Now I am not going to make a habit of doing game stories but the story of the bottom of the 7th must me told in the eyes of someone who was there to witness it: me.

It was the 7th inning stretch and me and brother had to leave early so we walked downstairs to watch the Phillies bat one more time. They had the heart of the order coming up so I wanted to see them take one more stab at the Braves pitching. Shane Victorino led off with a ground out. Chase Utley then singled and Ryan Howard got hit high in the shoulder by a pitch. The crowd was absolutely livid at that pitch, especially for it hit one of the hometown heros. Jayson Werth drew a walk to load the bases and this is where the fun begins:

Braves 10 - Phillies 3 - bases are loaded with 1 out for Raul Ibanez.

10-4 - Ibanez hits an RBI single to score in Utley. Bases still loaded.

10-5 - Pedro Feliz hits another RBI single to drive in Howard. Bases still loaded.

10-6 - Matt Stairs pinch hits and walks in a run. Still loaded.

10-7 - Chris Coste pinch hits and walks in a run. Still loaded.

10-8 - Jimmy Rollins walks in a run. still loaded.

10-9 - Victorino singles to score Stairs. Still loaded.

10-10 - Utley walks to score in a run. Still loaded.

10-11 - Howard grounds out but drives in Rollins. Second and third with 2 outs and then Werth flew out to right to end the inning with the Phillies on top 11-10.

Yes people. that was an 8-run inning to come back from being down 10-3. Ryan Madson, also known as "The Bridge to Lidge," pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the 8th. They added another run to go up 12-10 in the bottom half on a sacrifice fly by Eric Bruntlett. The Braves hit a solo home run off Brad Lidge to make it 12-11 in the top of the 9th. Mr. Perfect then held on to earn his first save of the year, striking out Garrett Anderson.

Pictures from the game will be posted later today. 

The Phillies Tailgate

Tailgating is a part of any sporting or concert event. Everyone knows the Philadelphia tailgate is the greatest tailgate in the country. A successful and fun tailgate includes good food and snacks, plenty of soda, water, and beer, good music, and fun games. Also an important part of a good tailgate is to have atleast 5 and no more than 10 people. I've tailgated quite a few times and it's been really fun. Here's a guide of good tailgates for all situations, whether it's people or size of vehicle.

1) Team Spirit: You must be decked out in as much Phillies attire as possible. Hats, jerseys, tshirts, bikini tops (for the ladies), or whatever red you can find. Let the opposing fans know what team you bleed for and show them how a real tailgate is worked. Don't forget to start chants at random times and boo the hell out of some guy, his wife, and children all wearing Mets crap.

2) Food: There are a few reasons why this is important. The best is because you get hungry when drinking beer and you need something to absorb it so you aren't trashed before the game (I actually can't tolerate drunken ass****s at any type of event). Also because the stadium food will cost you an arm, a leg, and your first born son.

Now some great food for the tailgate include simple stuff like nacho chips with salsa, vegetables and dip, and other chips and pretzels. If you have a bigger vehicle with more space, you can bring a tiny grill and make burgers and hot dogs. You can also bring pre-made cold sandwiches and cold subs since they are easier to store in a cooler than a cheese steak.

As far as refreshments, water and soda are fine for the family. Beer is great for the 21+ club. I don't endorse under-aged drinking but if you do, do it at your own risk, be safe, and use plastic cups. You can be a cheap ass and but Keystone or Natural Ice or can get the main stream Bud, Coors, or Miller, or you can even go over the top and drink Heineken, Corona, or Guinness. Make sure you have something for the women as well such as Smirnoff Ice. You can even get creative and bring some vodka or rum to go with the juice or soda you brought. No tequila shots please. You aren't trying to get lucky. You're going to a baseball game.

3) Music: "Good music is good music. Everything else just sucks" - Dave Matthews. He's right. Everyone has their preferences. I love tailgating with Dave Matthews Band or any hard classic or current rock. Rap is good too but nothing terrible like Lil' John or Vanilla Ice. People also rock it hard to metal. It all depends on your atmosphere. No thrash metal with kids around.

Some music don'ts:
-Michael Bolton
-Elton John
-Coldplay
-The Jonas Brothers
-Hannah Montana
-country (Except Tim McGraw. He's got a special place in the hearts of Phillies fans).

4) Games: Tailgate Games LLC has a great site for buying tailgating games. Beer Pong. That's all I have to say on that. You know what it is. There's also the Tailgate Toss which is a game where you toss bean bags onto a board with a hole at the top (kinda like horseshoes). Another great game is Washers, which is similar to Tailgate Toss. And then there is Ladder Golf, which is where you throw a string with a ball on each end at a structure with 3 poles and you have to get it to wrap around one of the poles. If there is a grassy area where you can drive in stakes then Horseshoes is my all-time favorite game. I prefer pong or Tailgate Toss as well.

There you have it guys. A simple and small tailgate guide for those how want to try new things or haven't tailgated before. Have fun this year watching your Fightin's defend their title. And don't forget. Please be safe and courteous of other fellow fans. As for Mets fans... F*** 'em.

A season to remember - slideshow

Throughout the 2008 season, I went to a total of 6 regular season games, 1 preseason game, and 0 play off games (the latter was a huge bummer). I brought my camera with me to 4 games: 6/17 vs Boston; 6/22 vs the LA Angels; 7/4 vs the Mets; and 8/22 vs
the LA Dodgers. I also saw them play the Mets and Blue Jays in the regular season and the Blue Jays in the preseason.

In the Red Sox game, the Phillies lost 3-0 as John Lester earned the win for Boston. In the Angels game, the Phillies lost 3-2 as Cole Hamels pitched great minus his terrible 2nd inning. In the Mets game, the Phillies rallied in the 6th after being down 2-0 to tie it up and Shane Victorino hit the game winning single. Finally, in the Dodgers game, the Phillies plowed the Dodgers 8-1 with Ryan Howard's 4th inning 2 run home run off Greg Maddux to put the Phillies up 2-1 and ahead for good.

The pictures in this slide show weren't any true key parts of the season but they showed the players doing what they did best. They also show how the players contributed to this season leading to a World Championship. So enjoy the slide show of pictures I took (yes I know some of them are pretty good) and take the time to read the captions for more information on how these players did.

This week in the Phillies blog world

It's been a busy week for the Phillies and all news regarding them. They just had their first game today versus the Pittsburgh Pirates and lost 8-2 but Jamie Moyer looked solid in his 2 innings pitched and newly acquired left fielder Raul Ibanez drove in a run. Well here's a look at what's going on in other sites:

Today - Todd Zolecki, former writer for Philly Inquirer, is enjoying his new job with MLB.com and wrote on his blog a full analysis of the Phillies first day in action.

Today - The Phillies Nation also gave a small recap of today's game as well as the signing of Carlos Ruiz to a 1 year, $475 K contract.

Monday - The Beerleaguer talked about an interview Comcast Sports Net's Leslie Gudell held with the only two Phillies managers to win a World Series in Charlie Manuel (2008) and Dallas Green (1980). A link was also provided to the interview.

Today - The 700 Level did a little thing on Oakland's GM Billy Bean talking about his ex-pitcher Joe Blanton, the #4 starter in the Phils' rotation.

Today - Phuture Phillies also did a recap and went more in depth with the how the prospects played versus the Pirates.