The Phils and Cards play a crucial Game 3 tonight in St. Louis. Two tough lefties are on the hill in Cole Hamels and Jamie Garcia.
Over the past 2 seasons, Garcia has made 4 starts against the Phillies and allowed on 3 ER in 28 IP (0.96 ERA). My first inclination is to say that “we didn’t have Pence and Mayberry for all those” but then you look at his splits and see that he is actually TOUGHER against righties, so I don’t know what to think.
Let’s get to it. Simply refresh this page to see any updates.
5:00pm: During/after the Eagles Sunday I developed bronchitis and have been coughing up some blood the past couple days. I fully blame Andy Reid, and don’t want to know what will happen to me if the Phils lose this series…
5:01pm: Hopefully the Phillies get off to a better start than the TBS/TNT production crew.
5:05pm: For the record, I don’t think this is a MUST win game. We’ve won 2 straight like 40 times this season…
5:07pm: Great, funny shadows. Add it to the list of reasons why the post-season is completely different from the regular season.
5:10pm: Awesome game to watch too when you can’t see the ball…
5:11pm: Who had a 6-pitch first inning?
5:13pm: My expectations for Hamels tonight: 7 IP, 2 ER
5:14pm: Updated prediction after first pitch: 1 IP, 11 ER
5:15pm: Hamels ramping it up to 94mph
5:17pm: If the sun is as bad as they are saying, probably a good idea to go with mostly fastballs early and mix in the secondary stuff the 2nd and 3rd time around
5:18pm: And then Pujols makes me look stupid
5:19pm: Please stop talking about how injured and horrible the Cardinals are. It doesn’t make things better for us.
5:20pm: Would be a good time for a killer change-up here.
5:21pm: Like that. Or a fastball. Whatever.
5:24pm: Ryan Howard’s plan today: SWING AT EVERYTHING NO MATTER WHAT
5:28pm: It is impossible for me to express in words how much I hate Jaime Garcia.
5:31pm: How you know that Ray Romano commercial is staged… not a single person turns and looks at him when he comes out.
5:34pm: Apparently the Cardinals are seeing just fine… of course they are
5:35pm: This Molina AB is confusing. Why is he taking pitches and fighting balls off?
5:36pm: The balls and strikes have been particularly poorly called this postseason. Not just in this series (referring to 0-1 pitch to Theriot).
5:38pm: So far, Cardinals batters are having real good AB’s against Hamels. Phillies’ batters aren’t against Garcia.
5:40pm: Hamels is not locating his change-up thus far.
5:42pm: OK – goal for 3rd inning. A baserunner!
5:43pm: Do you think they told Deion Sanders they were going to put fairy wings on him before he shot those commercials, or they just did it afterwards?
5:45pm: Jimmie Foxx played 4 more seasons with the Philadelphia A’s than the Red Sox. Yet, TBS uses the Red Sox logo on that graphic.
5:46pm: Placido Polanco is hurt? I don’t believe it.
5:47pm: Baserunner! Baserunner! Next step – have an AB that is more than 3 pitches.
5:48pm: Seriously – how do you play an effing post-season game when you know the fielders can’t even SEE the ball.
5:56pm: Hamels looking like he’s throwing more cutters in the 2nd time through
5:58pm: Hamels just doesn’t have control right now. Going to have to really get it together to go more than 6 IP.
6:01pm: How about some runs this inning to wake me up?
6:07pm: Great. Jaime Garcia on pace for an 88-pitch shutout.
6:13pm: Cole Hamels on pace for a 417-pitch shutout.
6:13pm: One-pitch AB – thanks Yadier!!
6:16pm: Kill yourself, Ryan Theriot
6:17pm: If they score after that B.S. hit, I’m going to be ticked
6:28pm: Just a pathetic offensive effort from the Phils so far.
6:34pm: Hamels keeps it at 0-0. Not at his sharpest, but keeping the game 0-0 even when it doesn’t feel like it.
6:35pm: BMW tells us to stop thinking “what if” and then shows us a car that is unavailable for purchase
6:39pm: Of course that Hamels hit is caught.
6:41pm: Of course Rollins can’t draw the walk.
6:41pm: Of course Utley grounds out (wrote this one before his AB)
6:42pm: Of course Pence doesn’t hit a HR (if it worked for Utley….)
6:43pm: Of course Ryan Howard won’t step up to the challenge
6:45pm: Damn it.
6:52pm: 3-0 change-up to Molina. Ha.
6:55pm: Squirrel
6:56pm: Seriously Theriot, die.
6:56pm: Do you walk Jay here and force LaRussa to make a decision on Garcia?
6:58pm: Hamels pitching his way out of the 7th inning here.
7:00pm: “Garcia is known as one of the best hitting pitchers in the league” – Things that aren’t true, by Craig Sager
7:05pm: Good outing by Hamels. Credit the Cardinals for having good ABs and getting his pitch count up. Credit Hamels for not giving up any runs.
7:05pm: 3-0 count to Shane. Can something good happen?
7:06pm: Victorino swings at Ball 4, as he often does, but makes up for it with a single.
7:13pm: Man this game sucks, there is no way we are…..BENNY FRESH! BENNY FRESH! YOU KNEW IT! BENNY! BENNY! YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
7:18pm: Well, can the bullpen shut it down? Worley, Bastardo, Madson? Is that the plan?
7:21pm: A little nervous about Worley. But I’m going to be nervous about everything from here on out.
7:23pm: Let’s get Pujols up with no one on and then never see him again.
7:24pm: Really, really bad walk by Worley.
7:26pm: The Cardinals have to have the record for B.S. hits in this series.
7:27pm: Nervous.
7:28pm: Damnit. Gotta keep this at 2.
7:28pm: Worley getting all sorts of the plate this inning.
7:30pm: SIITTTTING IN THE STAARRS A MILLIOONNN MILESSS AWAYY MESSAGEEE TO THE MAAAYYY OOHHAHHAH
7:36pm: C’mon – let’s see lights out Bastardo – also, why can’t we hit this Cardinals bullpen, I thought they were supposed to suck?
7:39pm: Worley back in… hmmm….
7:40pm: Worley has not been good…
7:43pm: How about a nice GIDP – pretty sure Cards are due for one
7:45pm: Gotta throw strikes Antonio
7:46pm: I don’t get that J-Lo commercial. Did she murder all those men?
7:47pm: Lidge vs. Holiday. Nervous.
7:48pm: For the record, I would have kept AB in
7:49pm: Wow, so I guess our bullpen problems weren’t exaggerated
7:53pm: This Furcal AB is excrutiating
7:54pm: I can’t take this…
7:54pm: I disagreed (at the time) with everything Charlie did in that inning. Should have been Bastardo to start and to finish. Worley and Lidge should never have been involved.
7:59pm: MADSON! UTLEY!
8:03pm: From Twitter: “That double play reduced the Cardinals win expectancy by 29.4%”
8:05pm: Thought he caught it – and he did…
8:06pm: What happened to the Cardinals sucking at defense.
8:08pm: Alright Madson, time to make your $$$ next year
8:09pm: Gonna probably be too nervous to type anything this half inning…
8:19pm: Seriously? This is going to come down to freakin’ Ryan “Cody Ross” Theriot?
8:20pm: This has been as nerve-racking as any playoff game in this entire run
8:21pm: Wow – I think I lost 5 pounds of sweat during that game….
What a great win. We know that at the very least, we will get to Halladay at home in Game 5.
these shadows are bogus
it’s extremely annoying that they would play a playoff game in conditions they wouldn’t play a regular season game in
you can clearly tell hitters cant see the ball. what time does the sun go down in mizzoura?
Listening to the game on the radio…
Hope I’m right about this: this might have the makings of a vintage Cole Hamels start when he was our ace – starts out with a rough 1st inning and then settles in and throws a great 7 innings afterwards, gives up 1 to 2 runs.
i miss tim mccarvers nonsense comments already
I’m not a big what-if guy, but if only Hamels had gotten that bunt down…
Not sure chooch is fast enough to score.
It sounds like Cardinals are pressing a little bit.
interesting game…..shadows have gone away i think
If the Cardinals end up scoring on that dink hit this isn’t our game.
I like the pitch tracker they use…It’s great to see the location of all the pitches that at bat…and the total pitch count
Pretty sure that’s Cole’s 81st pitch. Got your message, Pete. Hope you got my tweet acknowledging it.
I havent seen the whole game…but seems like hamels is struggling more than garcia…..although its still a double shutout…….I didnt see the actual number for hamels…..
Hmales has been great. We are just making Garcia look like Koufax
12 straight innnings without getting a player to 3rd base, against a very average bullpen and a starter that only the phils think is special.
Hamels pitching his guts out.
Best hit ball of the day for the phils by hamels
Hamels pitching his guts out. >>
Hamels is THE man. Baseball gods, please don’t let that jinx him.
Come on Hunter, you’ve face the Cardinals tons of times in the NL central, you can hit them, come on come on come on!!!
I heard on the radio that the cardinals missed a HR by a foot…..and have seen him give up a few hits including at least 1 double…garcia seems to be moving along pretty efficiently…..whatever the case, its a shutout so hats off to both pitchers
what a big spot for howard, out of nowhere…..2 out single….wild pitch, and intentional walk.
cant belive how long both pitchers have made it a shutout…..who do you guys think comes in first…since hamels isnt staying in much longer
I mean…..pitcher to replace hamels
It really bears repeating:
HAMELS IS THE MAN!!!
nice hit……come on mayberry
bunt him over……ahh but mayberry doesnt bunt much
Come on!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Score you talent-less twits, effing score!!!!!!!!
wow…….maybe garcia was reaching that point……
yaaaa!!!!
#$%#$%#$%#$%#$#$@
fucking francisco@$@#$@#$@#$@#
ya ya ay ay ay
fuck you mr. squirrel!!!
I just have no faith in Bennie here. I think I’d have chanced Valdez in this spot. Not a great choice.>>>
CONTRARIAN INDICATOR at his best.
You guys are welcome!!!!
yayayay
open the flood gates!!!
choke on that nut mr. squirrel, choke on that NUT!!!
La Russa, I know you put that squirrel out there, guess what Cholly just out-managed you, you should’ve taken out Garcia, yeah, you pissed of Benny-Fran, he was like, “What? You’re not gonna bring in that righty to face me? Really? Well, then sir, prepare to be Matt Stairs’ed…”
ok ok ok…
come on guys, come on Worley, focus…
Shoot, this is so TENSE…
just 3-1, it’s ok, you got a 2-run cushion, 7 more outs, 7 more outs, 7 more outs, come on come on….
6 more outs
insurance would untense this sucker.
It’s always interesting when the new pitchers start trickling in
hopefully worley can hand it off to madsen
We’ll know out of commercial, but I doubt Gelb’s reminder that madson hasn’t done > 1 inning all year, but he is THE MAN if there’s trouble.
More so than that stupid game when Cholly saved his closer on the road that garcia pitched that pissed me off so much. Course this is a lead now. I’m quite sure Charlie does the right thing, no matter what it winds up being. I mean he sent up Ben Fransisco, for crying out loud.
Ken, I’m already beat…
The Game 2 loss happened so fast, this one is torture. Phillies, please un-tense this one, please.
man….another looping hit
get him lidge….
oh god, brad lidge, jeez, coming in to face matt holliday, so much potential to be kirk gibson part 2, i can’t take this
another looper…..wow…they never made it home even with the awkward grab in LF
Hamels gave us a throwback 2008 performance, I guess it was Lidge’s turn.
I can’t think – we could bring in Halladay if we needed to, right?
Has Halladay ever saved a game?
I can’t believe Madson got that double play. Wow. WOW! 3 more outs.
The non-offense part of this game has been excellent, from the sound of it.
The radio guy asked a good question – what should Madson do when he gets up there?
i dont see them bringing in halladay…….but i dont follow sports like I used too
hes only had 2 days rest….and is picthing game 5 on 4 days rest?
when is game 4 and 5
nice 1 out…..and the back end of the lineup is almost here
1 out, 2 to go… I can barely feel my fingers.
Wow, freakin’ Theriot, still out left, it comes down to this guy…
Madson, don’t let this guy punk us, come on Ryan!!!
2 strikes
I’ve lost feeling in my legs now…
Just one more out, PLEASE!
Did everyone survive last night? I think my pulse still has not returned to normal.
So Pete…
Not to put you on the spot, but you’re expectations so far have been carried out by a lot of truth.
Split at home, offense struggling in the loss, and Cole winning a close one.
Granted, this was put out before TLR’s rotation change, but the bottom line is the bottom line.
You had the Cards winning the now upon us Oswalt start, so I’m curious if you have any better defined anticipations now that we’re here.
I’m a little more confident now that we will win tonight.
Night and Day…the 2008 Milwaukee Brewers 2008 pitching staff
31 Dave Bush ………………………………….RHP
38 Eric Gagne………………………………….RHP
49 Yovani Gallardo……………………………RHP
73 Seth McClung ……………………………..RHP
58 Guillermo Mota…………………………….RHP
43 Manny Parra………………………………..LHP
52 CC Sabathia ………………………………..LHP
51 Brian Shouse……………………………….LHP
57 Mitch Stetter…………………………………LHP
37 Jeff Suppan…………………………………RHP
16 Salomon Torres……………………………RHP
12 Carlos Villanueva …………………………RHP
You were on a roll last night, Pete. I wasn’t live with ya but you had me laughing this morning. Deep breaths tonight everyone. These are getting tough to watch.
Franzke/LA at their enthusiastic best 2 clips http://tindeck.com/listen/efomand this one http://tindeck.com/listen/ueme