statement game right here. by winning the first 2 games of the series, they've all but clinched a playoff spot, but a win tonight would put the phils 12 games up on the braves in the loss column.

and with the next 4 games being a showdown with milwaukee, there's a real chance to assert dominion over the rest of the playoff contenders.


should be fun.

roy oswalt...something something...5 innings.

placido polanco hasn't had an XBH since june.


that is not good.

Least exciting beanball ever.

mex, it may not have been "exciting" but it put Utley out of the game, at least for precautionary measures.

Heh, the fans were chanting "Let's go eat!"

Exciting may have been a poor choice of words, but it didn't look like Utley or anyone on either bench got at all upset at the time.

Heh, the fans were chanting "Let's go eat!"

turkey sandwich right here.


33 games in 31 days:
8-2

mex, agreed, although Ricky Bottalico was blabbering about retaliation in the post game show

The Fightins' recent win totals:

2006 85
2007 89
2008 92
2009 93
2010 97

Another seven wins in their final 23 in 2011, in other words, would mark five straight years of improvement. Some quick and dirty (and probably inaccurate) research led me to the Naps/Indians as the post-1900 champs in this category, which improved six consecutive seasons from a last place finish in 1914 to World Series winners in 1920.
For a team like the Phillies which was already over .500 to begin with, this is exceedingly uncommon, possibly unprecedented.

the midday show on 610 WIP here in philly, is calmly and rationally (really. i'm as surprised at that as you surely must be) discussing the need for braves players to get thrown at following chase utley's getting hit in the head.

also related to that, utley did not fly to milwaukee with the rest of the team following last night's game, and the team will likely activate jimmy rollins as a precaution, in case they need an extra body late in the game.


hopefully the pete orr era, and i really hope they use him, as opposed to all 3 of martinez, valdez, and polanco, is short and undistinguished.