Game chat: Phillies' second act starts in South Florida

Jamie Moyer (8-6, 5.99) brings his unbeaten record into Land Shark Stadium against Chris Volstad (6-8, 4.44) and the second-place Marlins, as the season resumes tonight at 7:05.

Preview: Two things Phillies fans have been able to count on: a great second half and Moyer's dominance of the young Marlins. The press notes remind us how good the Phils have been the last four seasons after the All-Star break (173-115, .601). They also remind us of Moyer's perfection in Dolphin Stadium, now Land Shark Stadium, going 7-0 in 7 starts there. He lost his previous outing to the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. For Charlie Manuel, his boys are back together again inside the batting order. Jimmy Rollins, fresh off a fantastic homestand, hopes to build momentum for the homestretch. He's followed by all five All-Stars tonight: Shane Victorino, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez and Jayson Werth. During the last homestand, Manuel said he'd look to preserve Ibanez as much as possible, so look for plenty of John Mayberry Jr. in blowout situations. The Phils may be hard pressed to give Ibanez a breather tonight against the tough right-hander Volstad.

Comments

[J.R. King]

Either Jamie Moyer needs to turn it around in the second half or the Phillies need to find someone to fill his spot on the playoff roster.

Here's hoping things start to click for the elder statesman of the Phils rotation.

[thephaithful]

Landshark stadium, after the beer?

[Phillies Red]

No, I think it's named after that weird thing ultimate frisbee teams do when they get drunk: one guy get's naked, sticks a disk in his butt, and his teammates carry him around, disk-side up. I could be wrong, though.

[AWH]

Pitching, pitching, pitching. Jamie needs to step up in the second half.

[J. Weitzel]

Yeah. It's news to me. All of a sudden, the Land Shark brand is everywhere.

[bay_area_phan]

Not sure I really grasp the logic of lining up your second half rotation so that your worst starter pitches first. It's kind of like the logic of batting Rollins leadoff during all that time he was struggling. Do you really want your least effective starter to be the guy that pitches the most games?

[AWH]

From MLBTR:

"5:19pm: Citing a major league source, Rosenthal says that the Red Sox "have informed teams that they are willing to assume virtually all of shortstop Julio Lugo's remaining salary in a trade." He also says that that Boston realizes Lugo is a sunk cost at this point, and would accept a fringe prospect in return for him."

Do the Phillies trade that "fringe prospect" for Lugo and release Bruntlett?

[thephaithful]

Coors, Miller, Busch... and now Land Shark, odd.

Says Dolphin's owner Stephen Ross is buds with Jimmy Buffet and led to change of name.

[CJ]

If the Phils have a .600 winning percentage after the break this year, we'll finish with 93 or 94 wins, which should enable us to coast into the playoffs with the 2nd best record in the league and a 1st round playoff matchup with the San Francisco Giants.

[bay_area_phan]

AWH: If they're willing to pay his entire salary & take a fringe prospect, they might as well just waive him or at least designate him for assignment. I suspect that info. is probably not entirely true.

[Jack]

Volstad is good. Moyer is not.

I'd be happy with a win tonight, but am not expecting one, honestly.

[Jack]

Shane was clearly safe. How does the ump call him out when the tag was on his back? That's just unbelievable.

[ZT]

I love when the cameras catch a stray f-bomb.

[dlhunter]

Shane just dropped a couple of F-bombs on TV. Love it.

[CJ]

Jeee-zus... how bad have the umpires been this year. It really wasn't that close at 2nd.

[bullit]

there was one of those infield hits that someone said vic doesn't get, in arguing about the value of speed in his game.

[bay_area_phan]

Volstad is becoming the new Tim Redding. The Phillies just can't hit him. Unfortunately, the same is also true of a few other starters in the Marlins' rotation.

[dlhunter]

@ZT

Get out of head.

[jennyc]

He's pissed and he should be. Terrible call.

[thephaithful]

yeah that was me, and he followed it up by getting thrown at 2B. (although he looked pretty damn safe)

[jennyc]

How many people are at this game? 100? Probably 95 of them are Phils fans.

[tg082]

Fortunately, b_a_p, if Volstad is Tim Redding, Jamie Moyer is Sandy Koufax.

[tg082]

... and I think there are more than 95 Phillies game, although the estimation that there are about five Marlin fans seems about right.

[tg082]

"It was kind of like a Brett Favre pass. Just throw it up and hope someone catches it." Ah, the radio; how I love you.

[kart racer]

I love Raul Ibanez

[bullit]

rauuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!

[ZT]

RAUUUUUUUUUUULLLLLL

[bay_area_phan]

tg: Good point.

And I think my negative post just caused that homerun.

[thephaithful]

aaaahhhhh yeaaa, ibanez pack in early season form baby!! very veyr good sign. Offense will be UNSTOPPABLE this year if jimmy merely does half of what he is capable.

[CJ]

Rauuuuuuuul

Didn't someone say he was struggling in the 2nd half?

[TK]

Seriously, that was such a ball on Werth it was ridiculous. The umpiring this year is so friggin' bad. Unreal!

[dlhunter]

To: Raul

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf3O6Y90uqY#t=00m38s

Love,
dlhunter

[CJ]

If Moyer gets the strike zone that Volstad has had so far... he'll probably throw a no-hitter.

These umps are something else.

[Doohickey]

Yup, somebody was saying just yesterday that Raul wasn't right.

[Doohickey]

Apparently, Raul has never heard of Tim Redding.

[AWH]

bap, you're missing the point: Anything, even a fringe prospect, is better than getting nothing.

My point is that Lugo is hitting .284 - and .265b lifetime as a PH, and would be a big upgrade over Bruntlett at the plate. If he wants to start somewhere - too bad. Besides, coming here might give him the opportunity to get back at the Bosox.

If the Phillies aren't willing to consider it, especially the upgrade it would be over Bruntlett, then I'm not sure what goes into their talent evaluation.

Also, with Boston picking up all the salary, they could easily trade him for a "fringe prospect" during the offseason.

The only downside is he doesn't have any power.

[CarlosBeltransexual]

May these umpires be sent to the same Hell as Bruce Froemming and his infinite chins.

[bay_area_phan]

Playing in Florida is almost surreal. When you watch a normal baseball game, there is a constant background hum from the fans in the stands. The background hum is such a normal part of the game that you don't even notice it except when it's absent. When the game is in Florida, it's absent.

[tg082]

Trevor Hoffman, David Weathers, Gary Sheffield

[bullit]

what kinds of crowds is halliday used to playing in front of at home? i have a feeling that pitching in cbp would be a real rush for a professional like him.

[dlhunter]

Wheels about Shane: "He enjoys himself. He's....uh hyper."

Translation: "Shane's really dumb, but we all think he's adorabel."

[bay_area_phan]

AWH: I define "fringe prospect" to mean the likes of Brad Harman, Johan Flande, and Quentin Berry. I suppose getting a guy like this is better than getting nothing, since there's always a slim chance that even a fringe prospect can improve. My point is that, while Brad Harman may be better than nothing, he's not sufficiently better than nothing as to justify the RedSox in continuing to hold a roster spot for a guy they don't want. This is what leads me to believe they either want something better than a fringe prospect, or they want some salary relief.

To answer your question directly, though, yes, I would be interested in Julio Lugo if the Sox would pick up his entire salary & he could truly be gotten for nothing more than a fringe prospect.

[Spitz]

Did Jamie Moyer have a body transplant with Roy Halladay? 30 strikes, 6 balls through 3? Yikes!

[tg082]

RAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUL

[kart racer]

I love Raul Ibanez

[jennyc]

RAAAAUUUUUULLLL!!!!!

[dlhunter]

Re:

To: Raul

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf3O6Y90uqY#t=00m38s

Love,
dlhunter

[colton]

RAuuuuuuuulllll!

[ZT]

I curse myself for ever saying anything bad about his signing.

[bullit]

rauuuuuul redux!!!!

[G-Town Dave]

RAAAAAAAAAAAAÚÚÚÚÚÚÚÚÚÚÚÚÚÚÚÚLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:-D :-D

[AWH]

I think this means Raul is back and healthy.

bap, according to Rosenthal the Bosox NEED to move him and consider him a sunk cost.

[drake]

i believe raul had a balanced breakfast this morning.

[kart racer]

Basically they want to get something before they have to release him for a roster spot.

[tg082]

Darn. That's tough luck for Jimmy.

[mm]

well as long as that run they should have scored doesn't come back to bite them, it's ok.

[G-Town Dave]

I would like to know how many times this season the Phillies have (a) had a leadoff double & failed to score & (b) how many times this season the Phillies have had a runner on 3rd w/ less than 2 outs & failed to score. What a waste.

[bay_area_phan]

Carroll makes an absolutely routine catch, made to look difficult only because he's so damn slow. He then throws a low, off-line one-hopper to home plate from shallow right field. And the Marlins' announcers act like they just witnessed Willie Mays' catch and throw against Vic Wertz.

[tg082]

Aww, there goes the perfect game. Darn, I was really hoping Jamie could do it tonight. :)

[Mike]

There goes the no-no.

[CarlosBeltransexual]

bap, I haven't heard them, but I'd take the Marlins announcers over the Special Olympians in our booth any day of the week.

[Doohickey]

By the way, MLB has the most ignorant blackout policy of any sport. I don't think I've been able to watch a single game this year on MLBtv.

Fortunately, I can get Marlins broadcast on FSFL. Why do I get Florida sports when I live in Virginia? No idea.

[mm]

BAP: They have to get excited everyonce in a while to wake up the audience, who are obviously elderly, stuck in a nursing home, and too weak to get up and change the channel.

[mm]

doohickey: Sucks, I live in Chicago and only get cubs/white sox blacked out. Thought I would get brewers/cardinals games blacked out as well, but nope. So basically, the only phils games i miss are the cubs, who i can watch on cable.

[bigmyc]

Many posters have missed the fact that Moyer turned it on late last year down the stretch just like the Phillies in general. I'm concerned but not swayed by his six ERA in the first half.

Has anyone thought about Vic's phuture with this club now that Taylor is rising so quickly? Keep in mind, Shane's contract is up.

[Doohickey]

Jeff Conine is playing with some sort of musical instrument in the booth.

[tg082]

Is Mr. Marlin a FL announcer?

[Spitz]

Nice job by Moyer to get out of that and still have the pitcher spot come up next.

[Brian G]

bigmyc: Vic is under team control for at least another 2 years after this one.

[Doohickey]

RYNO!

[tg082]

Fewest games in MLB history to reach 200 homers! Nice job, Ryno!

[Mike]

Congrats Ryno on 200!

[G-Town Dave]

That career #200 for the Big Man -- Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!! :-D :-D :-D

[Doohickey]

Really?

[bigmyc]

OK..but what does that mean, really?

He resigned for one more year last year...I assume as a "trial" contract to see that he would actually be worth bigger money..well, now he certainly is as an All Star hitting at the highest clip of his career...but there's Taylor coming on fast...and more afordably.

[G-Town Dave]

bigmyc: Money shouldn't be the issue. Shane is an All-Star & Gold Glover, & he really stepped up to the pressure of the playoffs last season. Taylor is a good prospect, but he's still just a prospect.

[bananagrabbers]

This is, like, the 5th start Moyer has had against the Marlins where I go into the game thinking, "Well, tonight must be the night when he loses one..."

[yosoysean]

Shane still has two more years of arbitration.

[bay_area_phan]

76 pitches, 54 strikes. Usually Moyer's a 6-inning pitcher, but I guess this is the rare game where you let him hit and bring him back out for the 7th.

[bigmyc]

Gtown..money is always an issue at some point.

Thome was moved simply for Howard's sake..and rightly so. Where then does Taylor fit in the Phillies' near phuture? And what if the kid hits .320 with 15 ding dongs in Lehigh?

[Doohickey]

Jamie must be exhausted now.

[G-Town Dave]

bigmyc: Of course there are always unknowns (injuries, etc.), but the way this team is built I think you'd have a better chance of seeing Taylor traded for pitching than replacing Vic in the next year or two. Besides which, there is no way Shane ever commands the kind of money that Thome was making when Howard came up ... & keep in mind, the Phils continued to pay a portion of that money for several years afterward.

[Brian G]

bigmyc: Taylor can play CF? And even if he can, if he hits .320 with 15 homers in LV then that'll mean he's maybe Shane's equivalent offensively. I'll take the sure thing.

[Doohickey]

Not sure about this non-move.

[tg082]

Werth could play center, conceivably.

Awesome catch, Ryno!

[G-Town Dave]

Ha! Howard drinks your milkshake, Marlins "fan"! :-D

[G-Town Dave]

From Murphy (via Twitter): "Upon further review, Jamie Moyer wasn't yelling "Two hands!" at Carlos Ruiz. He was yelling "Get off my lawn!""

:-D

[jennyc]

Way to go Grandpa, 7 innings..

[bigmyc]

Don't know if he can, but if not, they'd just put Jay there especially since Taylor has a decent arm supposedly.

I just think that Victorino is a crucial piece to this club as far as clubhouse dynamics go and on field production. The really queer situation here is that Ibanez is gonna be 38 next year yet his is the best hitter on the team this year...and signed for a couple more.

Plus, what Phillie phan really wants to wave g'bye to the Fly'n Hawaiian?

[Not in Virginia]

@doohickey & mm:

Witopia.net offers a way to make your IP address appear to be from Virginia for just $40/year.

Just sayin'.

[G-Town Dave]

Moyer: 7 IN, 94 Pitches (67 Strikes; 27 Balls), 1 H, 1 BB, 0 R.

[mm]

Holy S***, a IBB for howard!

[bigmyc]

Even crazier is that they walked Howard to get to Ibanez....(let's thought resonate)

Only thing they have goin' is the DP possibility.

[Doohickey]

So how many times can Werth get ahead and in the count then go down swinging?

[clout]

Not bad for a guy that Beerleaguers have declared "washed up."

[Doohickey]

This is the first time I've seen Mayberry play. Dude is huge!

[drake]

looks like mr. moyer has heard mr. martinez might want his spot

[tg082]

Eagles chants? Really?

[Phils Fan in MD]

LOL at the Eagles chants!!

[joe]

They're doing Eagles chants in Landshark stadium?