Game chat: Phillies, Mets settle up in prime time

Kyle Kendrick (7-5, 4.60) and Mike Pelfrey (11-6, 3.95) occupy ESPN's prime time slot tonight when the Phillies and Mets play the rubber game of their three-game tilt. First pitch is 8:05. Lineups are posted: Rollins SS, Victorino CF, Polanco 3B, Ibanez LF, Werth RF Dobbs IB, Ruiz C, Valdez 2B. The Phils are hoping for a better outing from Kendrick than his last start, a 3 1-3 inning terd Tuesday against the Dodgers. The Phils and Mets have done nothing but exchange shutouts this season at Citi Field. [Jump to the newest comments]

Comments

[EastFallowfield]

Joe Morgan tosses out the first blooper, calling our injured first baseman "Heyward" on BB Tonight.

[MPNPhilly]

Jerry Manuel is throwing 7 lefties against KK tonight. Not good.

[Zudok]

Uh, that's turd. But no matter how you spell it, it stunk. Kendrick can't afford to drop another deuce tonight.

[clout]

Miguel Cairo beat the Marlins today with a 2-run HR. He's got an .801 OPS in 155 ABs.
Baseball is a funny game.

[juat sayr]

why is dobbs even w/ this team let alone starting on it?

i thought dobbs would be dfa-ed once Mr utley comes to town on Tuesday

[Alex]

I think it's more likely Brown is sent down when Utley comes back or Gload is DLed.

[Malcolm]

It has been raining all day up north of Citi Field. Anyone know if it's raining there?

[AFish]

I agree that when the first of Utley/Howard comes back, Brown will go down. Dobbs will have to be DFA'd when the second of the pair comes back, unless Gload lands on the dl or someone else is injured.

[juat sayr]

PER High Cheese

"Chase Utley was 0-for-3 in this second rehab start for Clearwater in a 6-0 loss to Lakeland Sunday afternoon.

He grounded into a doubleplay in the first inning, grounded out in the third and flew out in the fifth before leaving the game — as scheduled — after seven innings.

He also committed a fielding error in the first inning. "

That does not sound like he's ready... Thoughts?

[Malcolm]

Wilson Valdez does exactly that in a regular season game in the majors.

So Chase is ready.

[MPNPhilly]

juat sayr: He also hit a triple yesterday. He's supposed to play in two games tomorrow. Perhaps he's just scraping the rust off.

[CJ]

Alex: It's never too early to look at your path to the playoffs. The Phils will be tied in the loss column with the Cardinals and Giants after tonight if they win. That just means they need to avoid losing more games than either of those teams and they'll be in at least a one-game playoff when the season ends.

The wild card is there to provide a safety net for the Phils should the Braves get really hot.

[juat sayr]

Chase is a much higher caliber player than Valdez. We may expect that from Exxon but not Utley

[CJ]

just sayr:

Well, last night he was 1 for 3 with a triple. Does that mean he was ready last night, but not tonight?

Performance in rehab games is irrelevant. Is he game ready? If yes, he returns. If no, he rehabs. It doesn't matter if he goes hitless.

[Sophist]

"juat sayr" - what did Utley hit in Clearwater before coming back in 2007 and hitting .300?

[Sophist]

or really, what did he hit in his whole rehab stint in 07?

[CJ]

Chase Utley Minor League Rehab in 2007

1 for 10, 100/182/100

[vegas]

Dobbs is at first base tonight because he has that hot hitting streak going of one game.

[Sophist]

CJ - what did he hit after he got back? .321/.397/.519 or something? Not ready.

[Alex]

The question for the wild card is whether Phils can keep pace with the Cards/Reds loser while they beat up on some bad NL central teams.

[juat sayr]

MPNPhilly - maybe you're right, maybe it's just rust,

He is very competitive, etc + should know when he's ready

I'm anxious for his return too, but just don't want to see him re-injuring anything by coming back TOO soon

[AFish]

Dobbs is batting over .500 lifetime against Pelfrey.

[Fatalotti]

Chase has come back successfully from two major surgeries, and has proven that he knows when to come back and has proven that he can be very potent shortly after coming back. Also, the doctor cleared him to resume baseball activities, so if his thumb gets injured by something, it would've been injured even if he had never hurt it before. The only thing stopping him from coming back now is knowing when he feel sready to contribute. I think it would behoove us to trust the doctors, the training staff and Utley, since their knowledge of the siutation is much greater than our speculations and trepidations.

[Jack]

Well, the lefties in the Dodgers' lineup weren't an issue for Kendrick according to Clout and others, so he should be fine tonight against the Mets' 7 lefties.

Oh, wait.

[CJ]

Jack: I'm curious, who were the others?

[timr]

This is Dobbs' last chance to save himself a spot on this roster once Uts and Howard return.

[Andy]

vegas - We should start Halladay at 3rd then. He's tall and has a 5 game hitting streak going.

[gobaystars!]

"Roy Hobbs in the lineup in place of injured Ironhead Heyward"
Wow morgan is on tonight.

[bay_area_phan]

This feels like a loss.

[tutpsu]

Morgan said it's a good thing Charlie Manuel hasn't been on the DL this season. He said this out loud. On television.

[dlhunter]

Those Mets fans really hang around in a drizzle.

[brother]

Go Phils. Nice conditions for baseball.

[Alex]

I'm surprised this wasn't delayed.

[Fatalotti]

Promising start.

[gobaystars!]

I'm not liking the conditions to start the game. This is a fairly important game. I'd rather get it played right then push through in puddles.
Shame on you ESPN. Shame on you MLB.

[Andy]

Excellent start for those overly patient line-up leaders. We should get Pelfrey over 100 pitches by the 13th inning.

[Fatalotti]

What the hell is that crap that Reyes and the 1b coach just did? Don't they know they're 9.5 back in the division on August 15th, and haven't made the playoffs since 2006? Seriously?

[Fatalotti]

Nice throw.

[brother]

Chooch baby.

[NEPP]

Great field conditions.

[seattlephan]

@Fatalotti, maybe the baeball gods taketh away for hot-dogging a bloop single :)

[NEPP]

Joe Morgan is already killing me.

[Fatalotti]

seattle, definitely. That was ridiculous with that kind of celebration on a bloop single in the first inning that is caught in normal conditions. What a jackass. Kendrick seems to be hitting his spots tonight. He keeps it up, he may still not shut down the Mets, but we should get a competitive outing.

[Andy]

For those making such a point over the ATL outburst tonight against the LAD, proving what a juggernaut of offensive capability the current Brave squad is, I'd like to help your point by posting today's Braves line-up's individual career OPS+. Be afraid! Be VERY afraid!!

Infante 88; Ankiel 96; Gonzalez 81; McCann 122; Glaus 119; Hinske 101; Conrad 90; Cabrera 88.

[NEPP]

KK wont last long tonight...maybe 5 if all goes well.

[Andy]

Senor Ruiz estan el hombre. Verdad.

[Jack]

I'll be honest. I think a lot of my criticism of Kendrick has to do with the irrational fact that I HATE watching him pitch. His pitching style is so aesthetically unpleasing it's ridiculous. He takes forever in between pitches, nibbles around the strike zone, and does literally nothing to make you want to watch, other than the fact you're a Phillies fan and you have to.

[Fatalotti]

I spoke far too soon.

[EastFallowfield]

Love that we're playing only because it's on ESPN, and ESPN's announcers can question why we're playing, as if they're the only ones who don't know why...

[Andy]

We're okay here. There's a RISP.

[Alex]

Gotta love the Mets. 3 hits and don't score a run.

[Andy]

See? All it takes is getting a guy on second or third and then KK is a Killer:

Stone. Cold. RISP. Killer.

It's because he um...well, because he...um...it's um, well, um, because, um...
because he's, like, a scrappy pitcher. That's it. He's scrappy. But a pitcher.

[MG]

Jack - Agreed. Especially when it is warm out. He does everything on the mound but work quickly.

[Fatalotti]

Hey Andy, what do they call the guy in the bullpen that is paid to be the last pitcher in a game? What does he usually do?

[Andy]

Ya know, as much as the Mets' bullpen likes giving up games, Chollie should really send these guys up there with no bats for the first four innings.

[just sayr]

looks like we got the bad raul back

[Andy]

C'mon Fatalotti, if I started on that shtick it would be just too gratuitous. Wait'll KK's getting hammered, then maybe I'll give the whole coffee thing a go.

[Jack]

No one takes a pitch until Werth, who takes two pitches right down the plate.

This lineup is baffling sometimes. The lack of patience and the inability to work ABs is the biggest difference between this team and past Phils' offenses.

[Andy]

Raul almost saw as many pitches as the entire first inning.

[NEPP]

Werth is unstoppable with the bases empty.

[Fatalotti]

Dobbs is up. We're in good shape.

[Andy]

Reasons why Werth should bat lead-off:

1) He sees a lot of pitches.
2) He hits better (this year) with the bases empty.
3) He's fast enough to run the bases.
4) When Werth smirks at the starting pitcher, the guy starts wondering about his wife/girfriend.

[phlipper]

looks like we got the bad raul back

If I'm not mistaken, just sayr, you posted the same comment last night.

Like about three times.

[Fatalotti]

It's hard to believe that Utley will probably have under 60 RBIs when the season ends and less than 20 HRs.

[Andy]

nuts

[just sayr]

phlipper-

how observant of you...

besides counting how many times how posted that comment...

do you agree?

[just sayr]

how posted that comment.
should read " that was posted"

[philwynk]

Fatalotti, a Cl... a Cu... a Clo...

Tim the Scout: A what?

Cl... Cu... Cu...

Tim: A CLOSER?????

[phlipper]

I'd say it's a bit early to say, just sayr. See, sometimes players go through streaks for a couple of games.

[Andy]

The perfect storm would be Kendrick pitching to Werth with runners on second and third. It is mathmatically impossible, in that situation, for Werth to EVER get a hit.

Because.

[phlipper]

Not a particularly pretty start for Kendrick. 14 strikes, 11 balls, four hits.

[fuzzycopper]

I think Kendrick's doing a little rope-a-dope with the Mets batters; by the fifth or sixth inning, they'll have swung themselves out.

[just sayr]

well - that might be a generalization. see,in ibanez's case, when he starts to slump, he looks totally fooled when he strikes out ( like his last at bat)

[Fatalotti]

Kendrick always gets squeezed on inside pitches.

[Jack]

Results aside, is there anyone who actually enjoys watching Kendrick pitch? This is painful.

[NEPP]

I think KK decided to crap the bed for a few weeks...that or its because teams finally realized to just stack lefties against him regardless of who the lefties are.

[philwynk]

14 strikes, 12 balls. Four hits for the first 6 batters. Ugly.

Looks like Bad Kyle showed up tonight. Or perhaps the Mets, like the Dodgers, have figured out how to stack the lineup with lefties to beat Kyle. If so, he'll need to make some pretty drastic adjustments in order to remain effective as a major league pitcher.

[fuzzycopper]

It could be worse -- we could be rooting for the Mets offense. 2.8 runs per game since the all-star break? Sheesh.

[Andy]

Jack: just keep a count of how many hits it takes for the Mets to score.

Besides, now he has them just where he wants them. An RISP, a righty and a pitcher.

[Andy]

Ooops. I forgot Castillo is a SH,

Oh well.

[phlipper]

Ok, just sayr. And most players look like they knew just what pitch was coming when they strike out?

[Andy]

"is there anyone who actually enjoys watching Kendrick pitch?"

His mom?

[MG]

Funny story:

Castillo mentioned earlier this week that he thought it would be a good idea if he had an opportunity to play elsewhere.

Guys on the WFAN had a field day with this and laughed because the Mets apparerently thought it was a good ideas years ago as they have been trying to trade him for almost 2 years.

[Malcolm]

"is there anyone who actually enjoys watching Kendrick pitch?"

His "Survivor" girlfriend. Cause he has that wicked changeup. Or is it cutter? I forget.

[Fatalotti]

Take Kendrick out back and shoot him. He's nibbiling with Pelfrey at the dish.

[NEPP]

I just love watching KK nibble to Pelfrey.

About damn time.

[gobaystars!]

it is amazing that a pitcher this bad has gotten to be part of a team this good for this long.

[Fatalotti]

Why the hell was there an advert for a Comedy Central program on ESPN? Why would ESPN actively try to encourage people to watch another channel? That's as baffling as Kyle Kendrick nibbling with Big Pelf in the batter's box.

[J.R. King]

For those listening to WPHT: The commercial where Hyundai covertly tapes couples test-driving their cars is so effing creepy. I really wish they would stop.

[Andy]

Two classic Kyle Kendrick shut-out innings. The opposing team is hitting .444 against him, but is 0/3 with RISP. He has a strike out, but it is the pitcher. Sit back and enjoy, people, he doesn't get any better than htis.

[bay_area_phan]

With the way the Phillies' lineup scores runs in Citi Field, the way KK has pitched the first 2 innings, and the 7 left-handers in the Mets' lineup, Cholly should have kendrick on the shortest leash imaginable. It is virtually inconceivable that he can keep holding the Mets scorless if his command remains this bad.

[Malcolm]

Fatalotti: Anyone can buy advertising on any network. Depends on the money.

[MG]

Nice play by Wright.

[Andy]

C'mon, bap; where's your sense of adventure?

[just sayr]

phlipper- " And most players look like they knew just what pitch was coming when they strike out?"

Guess that depends,

whether or not the BP coach uses binoculars

[NEPP]

Way to run that out, KK.

[MG]

Hysterical.

[Alex]

Wow Kendrick out and that wasn't even close.

[NEPP]

Nevermind, KK is just slow and it was hit just right.

[Fatalotti]

I don't think I can take seeing another pitcher thrown ou at first base on a shot to right field. Also Malcolm, I know anyone can buy advertising, but why would ESPN sell it to another network, unless the offer blew them away? Strange is all.