Howard homers Phils past Braves, into NL East lead

Ryan Howard belted a go-ahead, two-run home run in the eighth inning to complete a 8-7 rally over the Braves, moving the Phillies back in front of the National League East following the Mets' shutout loss.

No hit has made more noise this season. No at bat has been better. If the Phillies can run with the lead they’ve just reclaimed, Howard will become more than just an emerging MVP candidate. In a game that featured Gregor Blanco batting in the 9th inning with the bases loaded and two outs against a dangerously erratic Brad Lidge, each team leaving 10 men on base, a three-for-four night from Jayson Werth, including his 23rd home run, an 0-for-5 night from Pat Burrell, with five, jack-squat strikeouts, and Ryan Madson mastering his most important assignment in ages, No. 6 transcended it all. Right now, Howard is the best.

In other hip-hip hurray finals, the Nationals blanked the Mets 1-0, the Cubs beat the Brewers 4-3 and it was the Marlins over the Astros 5-1.

Comments

[whiskey]

Let's platoon him.

[Sophist]

Right now, Howard is the best.

Unquestionable. Howard with Rollins second.

Check this out.

Phils have won 5 straight.

Brewers have lost 4 straight.
Mets have lost 3 straight.
Astros have lost 3 straight.
Cards have lost 6 straight.

Suddenly, do we have to worry about the Marlins (besides just playing them)? They've won 6 straight.

[EastFallowfield]

Reprise from game thread:

2008: 84-67, 1/2 game UP

2007: 82-69, 1 1/2 game back

1980: 83-68, 1/2 game back

[wp]

He's the mvp

[diggitydave]

What a night! Savor a night like tonight Phils fans - I don't want to be a downer but nights like these don't come around all too often..

[Jim J]

What an exciting game! Howard is making his run at MVP just like Chipper did a few years ago. Once again, the only total dud is Pat Burrell. Charlie has to sit him vs. RHP at the very least. Play Dobbs. Play Stairs. Play one of the call-ups. PLAY TAGUCHI, DAMN IT!

[Pops]

Playing in Florida is always a scary proposition. I will breathe a little easier when we return home. Rally towels and some passionate fans await.

[BobbyD]

If the season ended today it would be Phils vs. Dodgers. I like that. MLB would be happy with the way things are shaping up too. As of today in the playoffs you have two Chicago teams, two L.A. teams, Boston, Philly, New York, and then Tampa.

[Jack]

Sophist: I feel you on the Marlins. They're really hot right now. This 3-game series with them in Florida is most definitely the hardest part of our schedule left.

[phlipper]

Just wanted to say - when Burrell was at his peak and Howard was at his lowest, I predicted that by the end of the year everyone would be in agreement that Howard had a better year (not here at BL, however - I hadn't started posting here at that point).

That's not a dig at Burrell!!! Just a comment on how unbelievable it is that Howard gets knocked as badly as he does. My guess is that in no other city in the country would he be anything less than a demi-god.

[Mark B.]

How sweet it is! First place, but not without adventure.

Moyer was due for an off-night, but the offense didn't quite. Howard at 4-5 with the decisive homer. Maybe he'll miss getting 200 strikeouts.

But Burrell, 5 ABs, 5 SO -- perhaps its time to ride the bench for a game or 2.

[dkny]

has anyone not watched the first 150 games of the season? Sophist--that's absurd. You know this thing is going back and forth another 3 times. Next week it'll be the Phitins that can't hit.

[UD Hens]

Like Harry said tonight, the game was excruciating...but fun given the result! By the way, JW, please do not post the magic number. The folks at Metsblog did not want it at their site because they started losing as soon as they put it up.

[Bob]

Oy, Sophist. My stomach is just unknotting after tonight's W, and now the Fish are surging? Don't want to look ahead too far, but it's been very frustrating against them this season. Those scaly sumbee's would love nothing better than to play a role in this race.

[nyny86]

tied in the loss column, that's all you need to look at. i love how all of you are getting ahead of yourselves. just jinxing it. some of you questioned rooting for the Brewers tonight as if you had a 7 game lead and didn't want the Mets in the playoffs. Smart fans.

[gg allin]

Ya Gotta Believe?

[gg allin]

Season = .. wait what?

[Pops]

I enjoy the 08' - 07' - and 1980 standings, but please.... NO MAGIC NUMBER

[Matt Cerrone!]

I love to jinx my team!

[dkny]

and someone said it over there.."Seven wins should do it"...oh really. you can really determine that, when you're tied in the loss column. nice. week and a half left.

[Sophist]

dkny - what did I say that's absurd?

[diggitydave]

It's angering and frustrating when trolls come on this site to run their mouths when the Mets are hot.

It's flat-out comical when trolls come on this site to taunt when they're in second place...

[doubleh]

nyny86: no one here is getting ahead of anything. We're enjoying a heart-stopping win and being in first place for the first time in a while. What did you think we'd be doing? Crying about it?

We don't post magic numbers here; talk about your jinxes.

[Bob]

Hey nyny86. I think the fact that I'm a multi-decade Phillies fan says a lot about my intelligence.

[The_GodfatherSJP]

Metsblog comment of the night:
"Wright and Reyes are idiots who are probably out trying to get laid by those dirty.com girls again they don’t care. None of them do. The only person that really cared and gave a full effort was Tatis and he’s gone. Reyes and Wright are spoiled superstars. Delgado has his personal achivements to be satisfied about. And Castillo prob cares more about his job at this point. Screw this team. Heartless gutless pieces of crap"

Now I know we're well....fairly critical about the Phils (I'm trying to be nice) but we never get that bad do we? Guys?

[Pops]

Matt Cerone aren't you the guy who runs Metsblog?

[EastFallowfield]

Someone here told me just the other day not to worry about the Marlins because their run differential means they can't win anything this year, so we're all set.

[nyny86]

ok bob. go root for the brewers and miss the playoffs

[Klaus]

Winning tonight probably mattered less for the Phillies playoff chances than it did in preserving the collective Beerleaguer psyche. After the sweep, a loss would have been unbelievably jarring--akin to slamming the breaks of a tractor trailer at 90 Mph.

[phlipper]

"Now I know we're well....fairly critical about the Phils (I'm trying to be nice) but we never get that bad do we? Guys?"

No way. Occasionally I read a somewhat negative comment or two here at BL - but never anything like that.

[Pops]

Mitch Williams says that Ryan Howard has to be the front runner for MVP.... for what that's worth.

[phlipper]

It's been a while since I was looking down to see the Mutts in the standings. Feels kind of good. I could get used to this.

[doubleh]

phlipper: I'm pretty hard on Tom McCarthy...but I won't repost what I say about him now. I'm in too good of a mood.

[Sophist]

EFF - The Marlins are hot at the moment (of course, these things change) and I was mostly joking and simply noting how remarkable the streaks are among playoff teams in the NL.

However, it is clear that the Marlins RD is a bit misleading in that their pitching staff is completely different than it was for most of the year.

[Bob]

GodfatherSJP, I've only been here for a year, but I haven't heard anything that incisive or well thought out. Those guys sure know their baseball.

[EastFallowfield]

From Metsblog, the wisdom of David Wright:

“This is what makes it fun…This is what you work hard for. This is what you prepare for…This is a bump in the road. It doesn’t matter what Philadelphia does. It only matters what the guys in this clubhouse do and we plan on getting the job done. Like I said, we’re gonna see what we’re made of. This is a little bump in the road, and I’m excited moving forward because I think we’ve got a room full of guys who will not allow us to fail.”

[nick]

sooo when we lose tomorrow night and the Mets move back into first, are we still going to be talking about first round pitching matchups against the Dodgers? Let's calm down a little bit. We're tied in the 'L' Column.

[doubleh]

EFF: I respect David Wright. He was totally robbed tonight on a hit that would have probably meant the difference in the game. It's a game of inches, indeed.

He may be a little too much like Utley to be a true leader, however. Guys who try to lead by example.

I fully expect another lead change or two in the standings. We need the Brewers to keep losing, and with the Sabbathia loss tonight, I think their slide might continue.

[Klaus]

"Now I know we're well....fairly critical about the Phils (I'm trying to be nice) but we never get that bad do we? Guys?"

No, Beeleaguer hysteria isn't quite as crude and personalized (not to mention ill-written). Our insanity has a tactical flavor: trade Utley, platoon Howard, release JRoll, etc.

[WHY AM I IN HERE?]

Thought you guys would learn from last year still alot of baseball to go...and fyi its not sept. 28th yet...and i love the "metsblog quote of the night" priceless, you probably wrote it your dirty incestual philly fan.

[Sophist]

Klaus - I've only heard 1 of those 3.

Split up Utley and Howard! Platoon Feliz and Dobbs!

[Brian]

I was looking at the posts on metsblog and do you know what some dbag named Bogar said: "That ballpark is a joke. Frackin' bandbox." The frackin' game was being played in Atlanta yet somehow the fence moves in when a player in red is at the plate. Mutts fans are so clueless.

[Bob]

Klaus, very funny and so true.

[nyny86]

brian--just like you had 2 guys over on the other thread asking who to root for in the Cubs/Brewers game.

[doubleh]

Brian: I thought Turner Field was a neutral park?

Lots of sore loser Met fans on here tonight. Funny, they come here when they win to say they've locked it up and are now here to tell us not to calm down and not enjoy this win because we haven't won anything yet...

Like we didn't know that already.

[Pops]

WHY AM I IN HERE?

Good Question.... Is Mets Blog closed for business?

Incestual is not a word.... Philly fans might be incestuous - but incestual, I think not.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

A grreat season, like teh last one. Whatever happens, it's been fun. Personally, I will laugh my ass off if the Phils and Brewers outrun the Mets. Not predicting it, but hoping for it. F@ck you Jersey.

[WHY AM I IN HERE?]

And i love seeing the words "Front Runner" in any context in this blog that is pretty hillarious...its about 8 posts up

[jackman]

the mets still control their own destiny.

[JAHappless]

enjoy being tied in the loss column for one night before happless gets rocked tmmw night. if ya'll were this crazy about being tied for first, what were you like with a 6 game lead in May?

[WHY AM I IN HERE?]

I tip my hat for you knowing the different wordings for incest, i tip my hat good sir.

[doubleh]

jackman: True, and so do the Phillies.

[Klaus]

Sophist--I've read that we should trade Utley.

More than once.

For reals!

"and i love the "metsblog quote of the night" priceless, you probably wrote it your dirty incestual philly fan."

And this is what makes me wonder if all our Mets trolls aren't in fact a single person. I mean, how is it possible that not a single one (out of hundreds) is able to use proper pronouns, employ punctuation, match tenses, etc.? None of them do--literally not a single one. Indeed, I defy the readership to lift a quote from the whole of Beerleaguer's archives and prove me wrong. Can't do it.

[Pops]

WHY I AM IN HERE

I frown upon your bad grammar and poor choice of fandom.

[doubleh]

Klaus: I, for one, was thinking that, too--but only about tonight's posts. We've got a few other posters who post regularly who use much different prose, syntax, etc. Whoever this is tonight seems to be the same person (or maybe 2 people), because they are totally hung up on that tied in the loss column sh*t.

[not a regular]

mets fan - haven't posted on here in a while now. this race is absolutely killing and me while i'd like to blame cerrone or whatever else for our recent struggles, we all know that jinxes and the like are useless, unless they're coming from the clubhouse because david wright and chase utley have no idea what you or i are saying or doing when our teams lead. this is going to be a really absurd final stretch. i'd always rather be in first, but for now i'll take the tie in the loss column, and the solace of a brewers loss. and really, brad lidge has lit about 20 matches this year, played with the fire every time, and is still yet to be burned? when you're hot you're hot and i tip my cap to him. enjoy the final week and a half, i'm going to try to

[nyny86]

Klaus--Are you an English teacher? It's a comments section of a Philadelphia Phillies blog. Why can't a Mets fan make logical points on here without being called a troll? The bottomline is, still a long way to go. Both sides will have plenty of heartbreak and anguish to go through in the next 12 days. We all know that. (Is that better punctuation for you?)

[WHY AM I IN HERE?]

i think i proved my point with what i said, wrong wording or not.

[WHY AM I IN HERE?]

And i love when my speech is analyzed in a blog called "Beerleaguer", thats ironic.

[The Great Long Python]

Hamels vs. Lowe--at Philadelphia October 1st, 5pm ET

[Hugh Mulcahy]

I is all for enforcing standards of grammar and speling.

I am also firmly in favor of a scenario that leaves teh mets out of the playoffs, even if that means ffacing CC Sabathia. Actually, I"d like ot beat him.

[Klaus]

"Klaus--Are you an English teacher?"

God forbid. And a troll isn't a person making logical points--almost by definition. So if you can look in the mirror nyny86 and say "I'm arguing in good faith; I'm being logical; I'm expressing myself as well as I can" than you should be cool.

[doubleh]

Gavin Floyd got another win tonight. He's at 16.

Ugh. Expletive deleted.

[Pops]

WHY AM I IN HERE

I think you're a closet Phillies fan. It 2008 - it's okay to come out of the closet.

[Klaus]

In fact, to clarify, as though I should care if your grammar's bad. I'm merely noting the blanket tendencies of our out of town visitors.

[nyny86]

Klaus- I got on here to see what you guys had to say and make a logical point or two. Sorry didn't know the beerleaguer lingo for an irrational drunk Mets fan. Should be a wild 12 days. G'night.

[nyny86]

Blanket tendencies, wow. Very impressed by the IQ of this board. Enjoy.

[WHY AM I IN HERE?]

Yea, i guess it is ok to come out of the closet in the second gayest city in the country, aka the city of self proclaimed "Brotherly Love"? I think i proved my point its Sept. 17, 2008, eleven days to go, and you have the division. Good night

[timr]

The trolls have a point--it'd be silly to assume there won't be another hiccup or two down the stretch here. It sure would be great to win the next two, keeping the pressure on the Mets and giving the Phils maybe a little breathing room heading into the Marlins series, but its Philadelphia sports--nothing's ever easy.

[Klaus]

"Yea, i guess it is ok to come out of the closet in the second gayest city in the country"

And homophobia is also the norm. Goodnight.

[B-Mac]

Unbelievably,the Phillies playoff chances are at 86.0% right now, when six days ago they were at a season low 21.1%. The Phillies are on an unbelievable run right now, and hopefully Happ can help keep it going tomorrow.

[Cholly]

B-Mac: The Mutts were probably 99.3 percent coming down the stretch last year. Those numbers don't mean a thing.

[Sophist]

Cholly - False. They meant that the Mets collapse last year was highly unlikely and therefore an epic failure.

[B-Mac]

Cholly- I know, but it gives you an appreciation for the likelihood of the Phillies going on a run like they currently are on, which were unbelievably slim.

[doubleh]

Bad grammar and spelling in blogs is to be expected, but the misuse of the word irony makes me go crazier than when I watch Lidge pitch the 9th lately. Sorry. Gotta rant.

It's not ironic that someone is criticizing your grammar on a site named "Beerleaguer," it's coincidental. He wasn't being sarcastic or socratic...and it isn't situational irony, either. Alanis was mostly wrong.

[Cholly]

Sophist-The mere fact the Mets went from the high 80's to 65 percent in 2 days (when they are still tied for the WC and a half game behind us) shows you how stupid they are. Pay attention to the loss column, and we'll be just fine.

[paco]

Who is is first? TELL ME WHO IS IN FIRST PLACE??!! YEAH DAMN STRAIGHT!!!

[DanTheMan]

I am in DC on business this week and had a chance to stop by Nationals Park for the game sporting my Phillies garb proudly. A ton of Mets fans in attendance of course but they didn't have much to cheer about. The walk out of the stadium was an absolute joy. Grumbling and downtrodden faces as far as the eye could see after being stymied by Odalis Perez. One guy in particular was on a constant 5 minute rant from the time I hit the ramp until I was crossing the street to leave, talking to no one in particular about how the Mets overpaid for Santana and screwed themselves at the deadline. I love this moment, I want to have sex with this moment.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

amen, cholly.

good place to be tomorrow.

HH- please file this under hubris.

[BloodStripes]

See the Phillies fly up, up and raise the divison flag.

[paco]

Seems like someone has "stolen" my handle, although I make few posts, so I can't blame him.

I was sweating out the 9th and couldn't be more glad to be in 1st, but plenty of baseball is to be played, we're starting the poor-as-of-late Happ tomorrow, and the pesky Marlins will be next. One game at a time from here on out.

[doubleh]

Hugh: What hubris? Me?

Just trying to get rid of Met trolls...but the misuse of irony does make me nuts and I blame Alanis.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Hugh: What hubris? Me?

Just me, babe. Keep the faith.

[erich]

Correction: that's cubs 5 brewers 4.

It's stressful to have Mitch Williams pitching for the Phils again!

[doubleh]

Hugh: Cool, gotcha. What about these Met fans telling us to cool it and not enjoy the win? Crazy.

[vegas]

I just got in and missed all the excitment, time to lay the hammer down. Every game went our way. Nice!

[Hugh Mulcahy]

HH: "What about these Met fans telling us to cool it and not enjoy the win? Crazy."

I just pretend that each one is my former brother in law. They're nice guys, even if they're dumb as rocks. They can't help it.

[bay_area_phan]

hh: I totally agree with you about the habitual misuse of the word "irony." It drives me crazy. Irony is NOT a synonym for strange or unusual or coincidental. There is nothing ironic about Aaron Rowand hitting a homerun against the Phillies, or Shane Victorino hitting a walk-off homerun on his own Bobblehead day. Irony would be if, while rounding the bases after his walk-off homerun on his own Bobblehead day, Shane Victorino tripped over a Bobblehead doll that a fan had thrown onto the field, broke his leg, and was unable to cross home plate and score the run.

[mike cunningham]

Howard had a nice night. But MVP level? I mean come on... he fell a double short of the cycle.

The fact that Burrell (one short) and Howard (career high) each have as many triples as Jayson Werth is stunning. It's a shame Burrell struck out 5 times. Because it would have been nice to see Burrell get a triple tonight. It just doesn't feel right unless they each hit triples in the same game. Pedro Feliz has 2 triples. Feliz looks like he's running through mud on the beach.

If I had told you before the season that the Burrell-Howard-Feliz combo would have 1 less triple than JROLL and 1 more than Victorino, i think most people would think i was crazy.

Burrell-Howard-Feliz triple total: 8
Jimmy Rollins: 9
Shane Victorino: 7

I have a feeling JROLL is not going to take this lightly, and will be pushing for double digits tomorrow night.

[mike cunningham]

And to put the whole NL East race into perspective... Lets look at the starters for the "Loss Column Tied" Mets and Phillies.

The Phillies are starting a guy with a career ERA of 6.75 against a guy who is 13-9 3.62 era.

The Mets are starting a guy with a career ERA and who had 6 years between major league appearances of 9.75 ERA against a guy with 2 career starts both decent 2 ER/5IP in both. (Both of which were Losses because the Nats scored a grand total of 1 run in both starts)

National League East Baseball... CAN YOU FEEL IT!!!

in the WC chase match ups
Backe v. Nolasco in Florida (favors florida)
Sheets v. Marquis in chicago (favors Milwaukee)

Not a must win of course, but being forced to pitch Happ or Knight is real tough right now.

[p. Red]

I know there isn't much JW can do about these Mets trolls... but it sure is annoying to read Beerleaguer now. I don't remember there being this many last year? What happened?

[MG]

Mets' posters are dead right that a 1/2 game lead with 10+ games means squat. If I learned anything from this team last year (and again this past week), it is that you shouldn't right them off.

I will say that if the Mets continue their recent slide and get 2 1/2 by the end of the week, I do think their chances of winning the NL East are finished. Just too few games at that point to close the game and that the Mets would really begin to press with mixed results.

My bet is that it will be just like last year though and decided in the last weekend. Wonder if Tatis or Reyes will do something stupid again to piss off the Fish and fire them out.

[mike cunningham]

Well Tatis won't unless it's from the bench. He's done for the season, with a separated shoulder. I think it happened after a 12 move celebratory handshake with Reyes after successfully putting his helmet back in the rack following a 2nd inning strikeout.

[Bogar]

i was looking at the posts on metsblog and do you know what some dbag named Bogar said: "That ballpark is a joke. Frackin' bandbox."

That Bogar guy posts that 'ballpark is a joke' often after the Phils hit big HRs on the road. Maybe Bogar is spoofing your typical Mets fan.

[EastFallowfield]

In a silent clubhouse, Carlos Delgado called over a reporter to ask the score of the Phillies’ game and how they scored their go-ahead runs.

[GM-Carson]

We're starting Happ, it's the biggest start of his life. Yes, even bigger than that Little League championship game back in '92.

I can't believe the Mets are trotting out Knight, things are just shitty for them right now, and I'm entirely cool with that.

Pat Burrell needs to sit tonight. 0-5 with 5 k's last night, put in Stairs just for today.

Lidge scared me walking the bases full, but he came out unscathed and is still perfect in save situations 37-37.

Jayson Werth is turning out to be one of Gillick's best pick-ups.

Durbin is done. I'm thankful for him, but I'd be thankful if he didn't pitch again this season too.

Ryan Madson catches a lot of crap from me, but he's done very well lately.

Go Phils!!!

[NEPP]

On Durbin: IT was a hell of a ride till his arm fell off. Give him credit for anchoring the pen for 5 months.

Howard for MVP!?! Well he's probably got the Player of the Month award pretty locked up but not MVP...Pujols is still MVP in my mind.

Though for what its worth, Howard MVP talk was on all the sports networks last night and on XM radio this morning on my way to work...so its not Phillies fans blabbing it like that Delgado crap a couple weeks ago.

[EastFallowfield]

There were lots of calls to sit Burrell on Sunday too.

He went 3-7, a HR, 2 RBIs, 2 runs and a walk.

[Run Up The Score]

THE SEASON IS OVER. BLOW UP THIS TEAM!

[RPIazza31]

Actually Mike Cunningham it was on an all out dive for a short fly ball to the outfield.

Mike Cunningham's a funny guy!!!

Anyway I still wore my Mets jacket into work (live in Delco, not NY anymore) since I am not a front runner.