Game chat: Phillies counterpunch with Cole Hamels

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Comments

[J. Weitzel]

I'm still working out the kinks with a different chat feature for games. For now, proceed here.

[Andy]

I'm psyched about tonight's game. Cole's on the mound and the hitters ought to be motivated.

Redding gave up 10 HRs in less than 90 IP last year, did not have a good k/9, and benefitted from a BABIP that was .020 below his career norm.

Any Karnak predictions, Jason?

[Skeeter]

I'm predicting a huge game from Geoff Jenkins including his first Phils HR.

[sdphillie]

Any predictions?

I've got some strange feeling that Cholly tosses an unprepared Rudy in, blowing the game so that Flush can have the night off.

[Tray]

Why do they black out Nats games in North Carolina? Do they really think North Carolinans follow the Nats? I don't think their games are even on tv here.

[Andy]

Guzman was sitting on the change.

[Andy]

Okay, chooch needs to go out and smack Hamels. There's no reason to walk Milledge on 4 pitches.

[Tray]

The new mlb.com Gameday is amazing.

[bay_area_phan]

Cole looks like crap. This is another certain loss.

[curt]

Nice to see Ryan making the throw to 2nd.

[bay_area_phan]

Ok, make that a "probable" loss, not a certain one. I was just trying to do my bruceg imitation.

[kkreider13]

Wow, we got lucky to get out of that one. Cole seems to be a little off so far. Hopefully he'll get on track or it could be another long night.

[clout]

Since RSB returned I'd been waiting for him to post something totally idiotic and I was just about to give up until he posted this: "[Phillies fans]'ll probably tend to be on [Feliz's] side because of the defense he'll provide, cheering once a twice a game for plays that he'll make - and I don't doubt that he'll also contribute significantly with the bat and drive in a lot of important runs."

Breathtakingly, awesomely, mind-bogglingly wrong.

[kentucky phils phan]

no idea why we're swinging so early in the count, this guy is a chump we just have to work him some

[NCPhilly81]

Tray: yeah that bugs me too. Are the Nats even the closest team to NC? We've got the Braves and the Orioles in the same distant vicinity... seems like the Braves are the closest thing to a local team here. How much revenue or interest does MLB think that the state of NC generates for the Nats?

[kentucky phils phan]

there we go, leave it up to chase to bail us out with a walk, he's such a smart player

[Tray]

Clout, nice of you to wait in eager anticipation for someone to post something totally idiotic so you can pounce on it. Also, do you not think that Feliz will drive in a lot of important runs? I mean, it all depends on the meaning of 'a lot of.' Feliz usually drives in 80 or so runs, and that was on a team with no offense. Here you could easily see a hundred RBI's, some of them will be important, I'm sure... so what are you arguing with?

[MG]

clout - I don't know about the general fans feelings about Feliz. God knows they didn't boo Nunez that much. If Feliz can consistently flash good leather and hits a couple of homers in April and May (with a .250 AVG or so), the Phils' fans won't boo him.

However, if Feliz has one of his spells where he starts out in a real funk, then the fans may get on him. For whatever reason, once a player acquires a rep in Philly it is very hard for him to shake.

[CJ]

Can we please keep pitchers off base? Please? That was the beginning of the end for Myers last night.

[NCPhilly81]

No damage here, plus a low pitch count for the inning and two groundballs with a strikeout make for a positive.

[MG]

Tray - Agreed. MLB has screwed up some things big time in recent years but MLB.com isn't one of them. Very well designed site and with some slick apps. Really improved from just 2 years ago.

[bay_area_phan]

Let's look at process, not results. How the hell can Feliz be swinging on a 3-0 pitch with no one on base?

[The Theory]

Oh lord, Feliz gets a hit. I was hoping for a hitless season!

[MG]

Don't understand all the "this spring is just like the past couple of previous springs" articles that have appeared the past 2 days. It was one freaking game. Talk about beating a dead horse.

If the Phils leave NY next week and are 3-7 or worse, then I will jump on the "doom and gloom in April" bandwagon.

[GM-Carson]

The offense needs to wake the F' up against a subpar pitcher.

[AWH the RBP]

Cole does not seem to hae his best command tonight. I wonder if the cold is bothering him. Let's hope he toughs out seven innings and the O knocks a few across the plate.

[MG]

Carson - My thoughts exactly although Redding's stuff has looked pretty decent so far.

[Malcolm]

Looks like the kid is getting going now (I say kid, but he's a year older than me. Awww.)

[AWH the RBP]

Carson, my thoughts exactly. Redding is nothing special.

Hey, Cole made him throw 4 pitches. I wonder if Feliz can learn from that.

[Malcolm]

Redding isn't looking great - he's throwing strikes and the Phils are rushing and getting underneath.

[AWH the RBP]

MG is my clone.

[joe]

i dunnop... jimmy was on that one.

no way redding gets through the lineup 3x. he'll take damage the second time through.

[MG]

But Redding has had good command tonight and is throwing strikes (which can be a real challenge for him).

[Malcolm]

Yeah, his control has been good. Nice second strike to Vic there. But I'm with joe here, the Phils are too good to let him stick around too much longer.

[king myno]

Let's hope Sarge never has to do play-by-play ever again.

[Jack]

Offensive struggles don't surprise me at all. This team tends to be streaky and the cold weather certainly doesn't help. We're going to score a lot of runs, but I doubt we'll have a great April offensively.

[NCPhilly81]

Nice short inning for Cole there. Stave off that bullpen, Cole! Give us 8 innings! Er, make that 9.

[MG]

Its funny. Hamels isn't that crisp tonight (basically a 2-trick pony since his curveball is useless tonight) but still is cruising. Think more an indication though that the Nats' lineup though is filled with a bunch of marginal hitters. Just don't want to see either Zimmerman or Johnson beat the Phils tonight.

[Malcolm]

Cole is really settling in now.

Also, Tom McCarthy is like liquid gold. Love that voice.

[joe]

right... work this guy.

[lekh tizdayen]

Is there a way to watch the games online that is not mlb.tv? I have mlb.tv and it doesn't work and their tech assistance is an absolute joke.

[MG]

lekh - Did you download the new Microsoft app for mlb.tv? I cleaned out some stuff and it has worked fine on both Firefox and Explorer.

[Andy]

Impressive showing thus far from the best offense in the National League.

[AWH the RBP]

Listening to Dave Montgomery is enough to make someone puke.

[lekh tizdayen]

MG: I tried everything. I downloaded Silverlight (though I can't really access it for some reason). My problem is that when I click on the multimedia links from the mlb website they don't respond. I cleaned out internet files, turned off pop blocker and firewall, nothing worked.

[Andy]

I'm just guessing here, but I'm thinking not so much on the change-ups out over the plate to Guzman.

[attytood will]

Well, this is yet another deja vu all over again experience from last year -- the offense not showing up against a mediocre starting pitcher.

If it's a "battle of the bullpens," we're screwed.

[clout]

Tray: How much would you like to bet on your prediction that Feliz will drive in 100 RBIs?

[Andy]

Where is the pop on Cole's fastball? 87 mph is not gonna cut it.

[MuguFriend']

OMG i've listened to 3 innings of interviews totally unrelated to the friggin game. I like McCarthy but it seems like they're trying to make him the gimmicky announcer running around interviewing people in the stands etc.

[MG]

lekh - Is the browser from mlb.tv popping up and are you even getting a login prompt? I would try clicking on a few different places on the MLB.com and seeing what happens.

Please tell me you aren't using Vista. If you are, that is probably the issue and good luck there.

[Malcolm]

Andy: Pretty sure the cold is what's making the fastball slower. He's not able to get that perfect grip on it.

Yeah, the Monty crap was crap. Stadiums and Aramark? And bullshit about the offseason? Feliz? Why is everybody talking him up so much? It's like "1984."

[Andy]

Why was Feliz swinging at those pitches? They were no more than 8 inches out of the strike zone?

[NCPhilly81]

Knock it out of the park, Chooch, knock it out.

[Andy]

Nice 7 pitch inning. Economical. The best way to keep those position players fresh over the course of a long season.

[p. Red]

Guys, we are being 1-hit through 5 by Tim Redding.

[Jeltz for the Hall]

Petey is out 4 to 6 weeks with a "mild" hammy? Methinks the Phils aren't the only team that's dishonest when they give out their injury reports.

[MG]

This game has the making of a Phils' bullpen stinker all over it. My candidate to blow it tonight - Madson.

[Andy]

That was good. Now, after he pitches the sixth, Hamels can come out for Bruntlett pinch-hitting.

[Malcolm]

I'll take Romero in the spoiler. He's got, what, 27:1 odds?

[Jeltz for the Hall]

I liked Pete Happy's approach during his first plate appearance...until he swung at a 3-0 pitch. Well, at least he got a hit out of it.

PS Anybody else cringe when they saw Cole taking "advice" from Eaton?

[Tray]

Didn't predict that, clout, I said it could 'easily' happen. Since he drove in 98 RBI's 2 years ago for the Giants hitting in a weak lineup in a pitcher's park, it certainly doesn't seem impossible. Last year Rowand topped his career high by 20. Feliz would have to top his career high by 2.

[lekh tizdayen]

Matt Chico, Tim Redding? If the rest of the league hit bad pitching as poorly as we do our pitching staff would be the best in the league!

[Andy]

Well, that might shorten the game. At least we won't go into extras tied 0-0.

[Jeltz for the Hall]

Ryan Zimmerman only has two hits this year and they're both homers...ugh.

[MG]

Crap. Bad pitch and got burnt. One of the 2 guys in this lineup that can actually hurt you.

[The Theory]

His first home run was great. This one... I really wish it didn't happen.

[Jeltz for the Hall]

Two nice defensive plays from Pete Happy right in a row.

[Tray]

Lekh, that assumes that our pitching is merely 'bad'. Probably too kind.

[lekh tizdayen]

I propose a bet: Cole Hamels averages more homers pitches per at bat as a hitter than Feliz (sac bunts and attempts not included).

[NCPhilly81]

Nice debut so far for Jurrjens of ATL against Pittsburgh.

[lekh tizdayen]

don't know where the word 'homers' from my last post came from, just ignore it

[lekh tizdayen]

If we don't score next inning we are not going to win.

[Zach Morris]

re lekh tizdayen:
I have the same problem. I ran through simple solutions and insanely complicated stuff, all to no avail. Still waiting to hear from mlb.tv (after having contacted them Monday morning. Now they've stopped answering e-requests and all they do on the phone line is take down your info, promising to call sometime.
I used sopcast to watch game 1 from links at myp2p.eu, but it seems the MLB has majorly cracked down on sopcast. There was supposed to be a tvants stream, but it never went up.
Let me know if you figure it out. Right now, I pay for comcast internet and mlb.tv, and because both suck, am having to leech internet from non-comcast neighbors to try to connect to secret internet streams.

[Parker]

If Tim Redding pitched every game against the Phillies, they would rename the Cy Young award, the "Tim Redding" award.

[Parker]

Wait, maybe Tim Redding really is this good? No that is stupid. I am now going to miss my fingers with a hammer.

[lekh tizdayen]

ZachM: Amen. Its incredibly frustrating. Their customer support is awful. You wait on hold for an hour only to be told that you'll get a call back that never happens. Their tech support consists of an automated email that sends you a link to the FAQ page and even that email got my name wrong. It's a joke and I don't know what to do. I don't want to cancel but why pay if I get nothing out of it.

[MG]

Need a bomb from someone. C'mon Howard.

[clout]

Tray: Well why aren't you predicting it then if it's going to be so easy? Do you also agree with RSB's statement that feliz will make 2 plays a night that will cause fans to cheer?

[NCPhilly81]

We have someone on base!!!

[lekh tizdayen]

BASERUNNER!

[clout]

Parker: Does that make this team the Redding Phillies?

[Parker]

Possibly the most annoying tandem in baseball: Tim Redding and Paul LoDuca. Closely followed by George W. Bush and Manny Acta.

[Mugufriend]

game over....this team is destined to underachieve this year...i wouldn't be surprised with an under .500 season.

[curt]

Redding last won an April game in 2003. Ouch.

[lekh tizdayen]

I'm almost glad I am unable to watch...this is truly pathetic.

[Parker]

Indeed clout, indeed. He does seem to own this team.

[Tray]

Two plays per night seems a little excessive. I don't know how much Dobbs will play, but if Feliz starts pretty regularly I'll predict a minimum of 93 RBI's. Happy?

[lekh tizdayen]

At least we have Moyer, Kendrick, Eaton to save the week. I have a feeling that we get crushed by the reds next series. Lefty power hitters are gonna kill us.

[curt]

Kinda early in the season to try to get 100 pitches out of Hamels.

[Parker]

Excuse me it is the "Zimmerman" Redding Phillies.

[GM-Carson]

This is the same ol' Aprilshit, just a different April. I'm so f'n tired of this trademark lackluster Phillies baseball. Score 6, surrender 11. Give up only 1, score none. This is bullshit!

[diggitydave]

This team is absolutely killing me

[GM-Carson]

1 hit all night, 1 f'n hit. That kind stuff wouldn't fly in my dugout if I were manager. Thankfully I'm not the manager, because I don't nearly know enough, but this is sickening.

[Parker]

Can Tim Redding go complete game shutout on the Phillies? That is the question. The Horror, the Horror.

[MG]

Excellent outing from the Ace tonight. This is exactly the situation where the Phils will miss Bourn this year. Would be nice to have someone on the bench who would be a real basestealing threat.

[Zach Morris]

tvants://list.tvants.com/tvants/?k=8e7485c1dbbb2831d9ad237ed375c370

[GM-Carson]

I don't care that it's only 2 games into the season, this is the kind of crap I expect to see all season from this club.

[MG]

Oh good. Flash is up.

[diggitydave]

hahaha MG i love the enthusiasm