A win, but not very impressive for the Phillies. Overwhelming advantage in the starting pitching matchup (and an amazing performance by Hamels), and they still have to scratch out a win. If anything, this game makes me feel less confident about winning the series.

I was able to pick up 1210 AM during the ninth inning here in northern Virginia, but was surprised to find Harry Kalas was not on. Was the game locally televised other than TBS?

BTW, the longtime broadcaster at the other end of Pennsylvania, the Pirates' Lanny Frattare, announced his retirement today.

I hope he gave his shirt due credit for this fine performance.

BTW, the longtime broadcaster at the other end of Pennsylvania, the Pirates' Lanny Frattare, announced his retirement today.

Is he the one who walked back to Pittsburgh after the Jeltz game?

That was Jim Rooker.

Kalas broadcasted part of the game. He does not work nine innings anymore, I believe.

He does not work nine innings anymore, I believe.

C.C. Sabathia is not impressed.

Hamels was outstanding. Just a clinic.

Hall and hart are killing the lineup. Just dreadful approaches at the plate.

My luck. I get out of work and tune to the local broadcast and hear Scott Franske and Larry Anderson. The definition of meh, although Anderson almost is below meh. I tune to ESPN Radio, low and behold, Michael Kay and Steve Phillips. Why does ESPN hate the Phillies and Brewers so much?

Hamels was outstanding. Just a clinic.

Hall and hart are killing the lineup. Just dreadful approaches at the plate.

Hart looked good today I thought. First three at-bats were good, good approach at the last at-bat. That last pitch looked hittable to me and was a strike, he just missed it. That's execution, not approach. Really there were only a couple of bad swings today - Fielder swung at ball four in the ninth.

Bill Hall is barely a major league player at this point in his career. Maybe he parties too much.

The headline on this article is quite misleading; the Phillies only had 4 hits as well and scored three unearned runs. For that matter all of the runs were unearned.

watched the game AFK today.

Comments:
Hamels looked crazy good. I was at a bar, and hence not tracking pitches, so I'm not sure how many he had, but I thought it was a mistake to pull him after 8. I also was hoping for a Dobbs for Feliz PH in the bottom of the 8th against Mota, but I realize that would've lead to an IBB and pitch to Ruiz, and pulling defensive specialist out of the game.... oh well.

I though Gallardo got squeezed a little today. K zone wasn't equivalent between pitchers. I don't think Hamels was given anything special, but Gallardo wasn't given anything at all.

I also think Lidge has started tipping pitches again. People aren't flailing at his slider like they used to. Just speculation here.

Kalas does PBP in the 4th-6th innings on the radio I think. Scott Franzke and Larry Anderson do the rest. I don't think they're a good combo...too buddy/buddy. Franzke calls *every* ground ball a 'chopper'. Anderson goes Billy Packer once in a while. Once in a while they just start blabbing and forget there's a game going on.

Big game for Phils to win, considering with CC going tomorrow, a loss here meant likely going to Milwaukee, down 0-2. Instead, now the Brewers have to go 3-1 the rest of the series. How's that for stating the obvious?

Anderson goes Billy Packer once in a while.

So will Duke be just the best team in the land, or the best ever this season?

Kalas broadcast innings 4 through 7 of the game. I guess they figured they had to get both him and Franzke a significant portion; perhaps they'll alternate beginning and end vs. middle, as some announcing teams do during the regular season (Braves used to, for example).

If I can go by the ESPN highlights, Kalas was in the radio booth during the ninth inning of the clincher Saturday, which of course was on FOX, so it had no local telecast. The call they played certainly sounded like a radio call, anyway.


I'm sad to hear that Frattare has retired. One suspects that if he were broadcasting games for a team that was interesting to cover, he might have stuck around, though many do anyway.

So will Duke be just the best team in the land, or the best ever this season?

Silly....That's going "Dick Vitale"

Going Billy Packer means to find something annoying and then harp on it until it is no longer relevant to the game situation, then to harp on it even longer. ie....complaining about the way a middle reliever pitched in a scoreless inning four innings ago.

Larry Andersen is the Milton Berle of announcers. He has a million funny lines and he stole them all.

Harris, You're right. Billy Packer was really good. . . back before any of the ballplayers he covers were born.

I thought it idiotic not to let Hamels pitch the ninth considering his pitch count and effectiveness. Save Lidge for when you really need him instead of burning his arm for a toy save.

You don't know how many times you might go into the ninth up by one in the series and to use Lidge in that instance was unnecessary and potentially costly.

It was like watching B.J. Ryan out here--he got the job done but not before he made it interesting.

Best Regards

John

Agreed 100%, John. Hamels was cruising and at 101 pitches, this being the postseason, don't fix it if it's not broken. We'll never know for sure, but I reckon Hamels would have gotten out of the 9th with under 120 pitches. Frying Lidge is a recipe for disaster - it's why he started to suck in the first place.

Larry Andersen is the Milton Berle of announcers. He has a million funny lines and he stole them all.
No, he has 1 funny line and has used it a million times.

Save Lidge for when you really need him instead of burning his arm for a toy save.
According to Lidge, he will be better today. If he has too many days off, he is not as effective but he's much better on the 2nd day. That's what he said, FWIW. Lidge did have 3 days off, so I don't know if this counts towards burning out his arm.

I think I would have sent Hamels out there in the 9th. In the post-game, Chollie said he's got a closer so let him lock it up.

When did it become standard to keep playing in the rain? Has it always been thus and I just didn't notice?

According to Lidge, he will be better today. If he has too many days off, he is not as effective but he's much better on the 2nd day.

He's right. Career:

No rest: 147 IP, 182 K, 99 H, 57 BB, 14 HR
>3 rest: 112 IP, 153 K, 98 H, 52 BB, 12 HR

Agreed 100%, John. Hamels was cruising and at 101 pitches, this being the postseason, don't fix it if it's not broken. We'll never know for sure, but I reckon Hamels would have gotten out of the 9th with under 120 pitches. Frying Lidge is a recipe for disaster - it's why he started to suck in the first place.

You can compare to Jon Lester, who came out for the 7th with his pitch count at 100 even, and struck out the side.

Unless the Phils have thoughts of pitching games 4 and 5 on short rest, it was a bad decision.

Unless the Phils have thoughts of pitching games 4 and 5 on short rest, it was a bad decision.


Even if they do, it's a bad decision. You have to play every game in the playoffs to win. Sure, if it's a ten run game, and you want to save Hamels and get Lidge some work, it makes sense, but it was three runs with the heart of the Brewers order coming up.

Any potential payoff from Hamels pitching game 4, or Lidge getting work, is completely trumped by the risk of losing that game.

Still don't understand letting Rickie Weeks start. Hello, Dale, did you not notice the team has been winning with Rickie OUT of the lineup and NOT wearing a glove?

And really, in clutch situations it's time to start thinking about pinch-hitting for Hart. He's getting as bad as Geoff Jenkins was.

Why aren't there any game chatter threads for today?

Journal-Sentinel says Durham and Counsell will start today.