Sorry. It’s very hard not to use cheezy fish related references when we beat the Marlins. More importantly, we swept the team with the best record in the MLB, on the road. Granted, they were just coming off getting swept by the Pirates, but it was a welcome sight nonetheless.
2009: 9-8
2008: 8-9
2007: 6-11
Player of the Series: Shane Victorino (5 for 15, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 1 SB)
Goat of the Series: N/A
The Good News:
- We got a quality start! We got a quality start! Moyer just feasts on the young free-swinging Marlins. 6 IP, 1 ER, 6 K. What a welcome sight. It’s a miracle we are 9-8 through 17 games with only one above average start.
- Any doubt about the desire and fight of this squad went away with their title should be squashed with the 2 improbably 9th inning comebacks. The last time the Phillies won back to back games when trailing in the 9th was 1957. All 15 Marlins’ fans must be fuming.
- Lots of balance in our offense right now with 6 players over 10 RBI already, more than any team in the NL. Makes us looks a lot more consistent than we really are though.
- Ryan Madson is 3rd in the majors in K/9 (at least 9 IP) with 14.00. Only Rich Harden and Jonathan Broxton have higher rates.
- Looks like we will miss Johan Santana in the weekend series against the Mets.
The Bad News:
- It was promising to hear Brad Lidge say that he had found a flaw in his delivery, but the results last night weren’t all that promising. 5 walks in 8.2 innings is not a good thing. However, once he gets this worked out, he should be fine.
- Who knows how this weird schedule (down to Florida for one series and back without a day off) will affect them this week.
- Rollins still looks lost at the plate. Just got to wait it out with him until he gets right.
Pre-Series Post: Hopefully we are as good as the Pirates…
As the Phillies head to Florida, they hope they can duplicate the success of the Pirates, who handed the Marlins losses #2, 3 and 4 on the season this week. The Phillies have played down to their competition so far this year, so hopefully a series against the team with the NL’s best record will wake them up a little. We’ll see how they do as we roll towards the Marlins/Blue Jays World Series that everyone predicted.
Pitching match-ups for the series:
Friday: Myers vs. Josh Johnson (2-0, 2.91 ERA)
Saturday: Park vs. Chris Volstad (2-0, 2.76 ERA)
Sunday: Moyer vs. TBA
Three Questions for the Series
- If we couldn’t hit crappy right-handed pitching, how will we do against good right handed pitching?
- Will the warm air of Florida trick our guys into thinking it’s July, and it’s time to start winning?
- Will Moyer continue to baffle the Marlins young hitters?
Prediction
The Phillies are still in their early season stage where they are totally and completely unpredictable. The way they are playing, the way the Marlins have been playing and the pitching match-ups certainly make it seem like we’d be hard pressed to take 2 of 3. Which is exactly why I’m picking us to take 2 of 3.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
At this point I can’t say we’re as good as the Pirates. The main reason they swept the Marlins was pitching, which we’re not getting a lot of as yet. Ohlendorf threw 7 innings of scoreless, 2-hit ball in game 1 and Karstens went 6 innings and gave up 3 hits and 1 run in game 2. In game 3, Maholm gave them their worst start of the series, 6 innings, 8 hits, 4 runs, but they hit enough to make up for it. Also, their bullpen was solid throughout.
Th Pirates also scored some runs, 8 in game 1 and 7 in game 3, with a just good enough 3 runs in game 2. One of the big things they did was that they scored first in every game. Imagine that. They won game 1 8-0, scored the first two runs in a 3-2 win in game 2, and jumped out to a 4-0 lead in a 7-4 win in game 3.
So, after analyzing how the Pirates swept the Marlins, I predict that if we pitch and hit better than they do in each game we will sweep them, but if they pitch and hit better than us they will sweep us. How’s that, JKAY?
uhhh….. WTF was that?
we have given up 31 HR this year. 2nd in the NL is COL with 22. ouch.
another game where we get shut down by starting pitcher only to rally huge in the night when the game was handed to us by ‘only balls and HR’ Lindstrom.
player of the game: Florida Manager who was too dumb to recognize that Lindy had NOTHIN with him that nite. I would have pulled him even before Rollins came up.
bski: i am humbled now. you dont have to rub it in. can you believe that guy gave up another HR to Utley!! what a basket. even I’m pissed and I dont root for the Marlins.
jkay……Sorry. Just busting your chops, not rubbing it in.
The Phils weren’t on tv in my area so I wasn’t able to see any of the game. Can someone explain to me how Myers was able to pull off the Houdini act of only giving up 3 runs in the first while allowing 8 hits and 6 walks over 6 innings on 119 pitches? I see that Bonifacio was picked off first, Ramirez was caught trying to steal 3rd, and both Baker and Ross grounded into double plays, so I’m guessing that helped erase a lot of base runners. Lots of chances for the Marlins but the homer by Uggla was the only time they made us pay, huh?
okkkkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!! is this gonna happen EVERY GAME! phils just LOOOVVVEEEE to be dramatic. lucky that Lidge didnt blow it. well all that matter is that you win it somehow right?
bet my lucky boxers they drop 2 to the Nationals….anyone with me?
Florida just received an eye-opening revelation; the Ws dont necessarily mean you are there yet! sound fundamentals on defense and discipline is what separates you from Mets and Phils, you knuckleheads, just be patient and work on it. ohhh it also helps to have a bullpen that can actually come through. sorry!