Now That's More Like It
Joe Blanton pitched exactly how the Phillies hoped he would pitch in last night's 2-1 victory over the Cardinals.
Now That's More Like It
Todd Zolecki
Today is a big day for the Phillies.
First, they can win their third consecutive series with a victory tonight over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Second, Brett Myers can show everybody that last week's performance against the Nationals wasn't a fluke.
Last night's 2-1 victory put them in this position, and that shouldn't be lost. Joe Blanton finally pitched like the guy the Phillies hoped he would be when they traded for him July 17. He allowed just four hits and one run in seven innings to pick up the win.
"He was super," Charlie Manuel said. "That's kind of what our guys said he could do for us when we picked him up."
"It was nice to throw a good game, not only for me personally, but more importantly for the team," Blanton said. "We have two months left, and we have to get wins."
Blanton definitely needed a good start. J.A. Happ's presence on the roster -- Pat Gillick and Manuel continue to say Happ is a starter and not a reliever, despite the fact he's in the bullpen -- strongly indicated that Myers and Blanton were on short leashes. If either of them continued to struggle and failed to give the Phillies chances to win, Happ seemed poised to step in and take a spot in the rotation.
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In the Phillies Notebook: the Phillies promoted Carlos Carrasco to triple-A Lehigh Valley.
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In The Inquirer's Sunday baseball column, Jim Salisbury takes a look at some of the July wheeling and dealings. Also check out Extra Bases.
Big game tonight for Myers personally and this vaunted (imposter) offense.......— Mark1npt- Big game tonight for Myers personally and this vaunted (imposter) offense.......— Mark1npt
- Anyone else having problems *posting*? For some reason, mine keep being "filtered". The powers-that-be are working on it. On to baseball........The Fish and Mutts both lost today!— Norma
- Carrasco in AAA? Somthing tells me he won't be there long.— B Dub
- Missed his spot by a foot and a half in the 4th to Ludwick....gone! 2-0....seems to lose his focus/concentration and just chuck the ball, then bares down and throws good strikes to get guys out....is he missing his ADHD meds or something?— Mark1npt
- Missed his spot by a foot and a half in the 4th to Ludwick....gone! 2-0....seems to lose his focus/concentration and just chuck the ball, then bares down and throws good strikes to get guys out....is he missing his ADHD meds or something?— Mark1npt
- So is this a great offense or what? Wellemyer hasn't been very good the past month but they're making him look like Don Drysdale tonight...where is this vaunted offense? On vacation?— Mark1npt
- So is this a great offense or what? Wellemyer hasn't been very good the past month but they're making him look like Don Drysdale tonight...where is this vaunted offense? On vacation?— Mark1npt
- Mark1npt, this offense still stinks! Well Utley still rulz!— Clinton, NJ
- Myers is doing a fine job 2nite! Now if only Hamels can pick up the slack!!— Clinton, NJ
- And Todd, can you tell your boy Farve to just go away!! Im sooooooo sick of hearing about him every day! He choked soooo badly in the game against the Giants it wasnt even funny. The Packers highly overachieved last year, and they will stink this year. He will be complaining that the team stinks and he wishes he stayed retired by week 10. They have resorted to showing his freaking plane landing at the airport for gods sake!!! How pathetic the sports world has become!— Clinton, NJ
- Woo hoo!!! Shane Vic-tor-eeen-OOOOO!!!— ChutleyHustle
- Mr. Clutch (Burrell) does it again.....along with Shane.....again we just may beat another team's BP......— Mark1npt
- Myers did a decent job tonight, just missed his spots a few times....he deserves another start, but this time make sure he takes his ADHA meds earlier in the day......— Mark1npt
- I missed my meds today, it's ADHD— Mark1npt
