Success? Not A Success?
The Phillies split a doubleheader yesterday with the Mets at Shea Stadium to remain two games behind the Mets in the National League East with 19 games to play.
Success? Not A Success?
Todd Zolecki
The Phillies last night at Shea Stadium had an excellent opportunity to crawl inside the minds of the Mets and mess with them the rest of the season.
But the Mets' mental health today is pretty good.
The Mets won Game 2 of yesterday's doubleheader, 6-3, to avoid a sweep and take a two-game lead in the National League East with 19 games to play. Baseball Prospectus reports that the Mets have a 77.3 percent chance to win the East, a 2.9 percent chance to win the wild card and an 80.2 percent chance to make the postseason overall. The Phillies meanwhile have a 22.5 percent chance to win the East, a 5.3 percent chance to win the wild card and a 27.8 percent chance to make the playoffs overall.
"It is a successful series, but it did get away," Jimmy Rollins said. "Unfortunately, we don't play them anymore going down the stretch. The [deficit] is always a lot when you're not playing them. But we're sitting on the door to two ways in [to the playoffs]: one team that we just played, and the other team that's ahead of us in the wild card we're playing [this weekend]. We have quite an opportunity, definitely."
The Phillies open a three-game series tonight against the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. Then the Milwaukee Brewers are here for a four-game series. The Phillies are four games behind the Brewers in the wild-card race, but the Brewers seem to be wound tighter than a drum and could be ready to make things interesting. The Phillies are sitting on the door to two ways into the postseason, but a victory last night would have improved their chances in both ways tremendously. The Mets would have started to really feel the heat and conjure images of 2007. The Brewers would have looked in their rearview mirror and seen the Phillies a little closer as the weekend series approaches.
Instead the Phillies are two back with 19 to play.
"It's very doable," Chris Coste said.
It is, but now the Phillies must rely on the Nationals, Braves, Cubs and Marlins to beat up on the Mets. The Mets play their next 12 games against the Nationals and Braves, two of the worst teams in the National League. They are a combined 13-11 against them this season, going 8-4 against the Nationals and 5-7 against the Braves. The Phillies meanwhile have their next seven games and nine of their next 13 games against the Marlins and Brewers.
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Jim Salisbury writes how the Phillies needed Cole Hamels to pitch like the star he wants to be.
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Billy Wagner needs Tommy John surgery, and is likely to miss the entire 2009 season.
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In the Phillies Notebook: Jamie Moyer made some baseball history in his Game 1 victory and more.
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Ryan Howard's 40 homers and 120 RBIs puts him in a special place in Phillies history.
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Good riddance, Shea Stadium.
Haven't read all of the comments but I think this should get thrown out there...maybe Hamels isn't out number 1 pitcher. A true Ace wouldn't complain about getting the ball on NORMAL rest. A true ace wouldn't not like to face the Division leaders in a game that leave you tied for the division lead in September. A true ace wants to complete the game to give his bullpen a break. He's beaten 2 good teams on 2 decent teams, the others have mostly been bottom feeders. Right now Brett Myers and Jamie Moyer are our 1-2 starters since the break. This is the Myers the Phillies knew they had and Moyer is solid. Hamels needs to toughen up, PERIOD!!— cg- Well, the Mets have lost Wagner for the rest of this season and next. Don't be surprised to see F-Rod in Flushing next year. They certainly have the money, and are not afraid to spend it like some other team we know. New state of the art ballpark, their own TV network, and the bucks just keep on rolling in. The Wilpons are loaded. Whatever the Mets need, Omar will get. It's great to be a Met fan! The Fillies had better win this year. It's only going to get tougher next year. Much tougher.— The Wizard
- I think 13-6 gets us to a playoff game with the Mets. Let's win tonight and make it 12-6. Some good news that Sabathia pitches on Wednesday night so he misses the Phils series. On the pitching rotation, hold off throwing pitchers on 3 days rest until the last weekend of the season, if we need to then, so be it. GO PHILS!!!!— KMG
- bski: I saw that, too... but now seeing that the Phils may be blessed by God himself and miss CC, I would like to see them use Happ and Kendrick the next two days, and hold Myers back a day for the first game against the Brewers, which should be Ben Sheets starting. Then use Moyer Friday, because he just had two extra days of rest, let Hamels get an extra day of rest, then pitch him Saturday and Blanton Sunday. That would allow the Phils their best possible chance of taking 3 of 4 from the Brewers this weekend.— acerulli
- Uh... Wizard, the Mets may get K-Rod, but they won't have unlimited money. If they sign him, and pick up the $16M option on Delgado, they will still need 2 SP, a nearly entire bullpen, and a real LF. They won't have a ton of money left to address all of those needs in one off-season, so unlike deluded moronic Mets fans, I realize they aren't going to blow away the division in talent in one free-spending off season, especially when you consider Minaya's track record for bad contracts when he has money to spend.— acerulli
- Acerulli: Delgado's contract option is $12, not $16 million. And the bottom line is they have more money to spend than any other NL team. And will continue to have more for the years to come. It's the advantage of playing in the Big Apple, TV Station, etc. The Yankees have been operating this way forever, it seems. I do know the Mets are targeting K-Rod. I'm sure others are too. Minaya has made some great pickups (like trade "throw ins" Maine and Perez) as well as overspending for older players (Castillo, Alou).— The Wizard
Geez, Lizard has already bailed on his Mutts this year and is looking ahead to what they can buy for next year? Whew, I used to disagree with you, but at least I respected you. But now... well, that's just sad.— bobby- Well, it's great to see the offense bail out a starter and give a cushion to the bullpen all on the same night. We needed it tonight. Sometimes you've got to win by out hitting the other team. Blanton is a concern. Is it something about us? He wasn't this bad for the A's. Plus. Lidge teetered on the edge a bit again. Anyway, a win is a win. 1 down and 18 to go...........aceruli, listening on the radio and earlier they confirmed that Kendrick will start tomorrow but that the starters for every game against the Brewers is TBA.— bski
- Actually bski, the other Eaton,(Blanton) was this bad for the A's...his ERA was around 5.00......the difference with us is he ain't the innings eater he was billed as....he's another Lidle, Eaton clone who rarely gets past 5 which is exactly what we don't need......— Mark1npt
- Hamels choked the other night, what a bummer! Although D. Wright was out at 3rd, and if called correctly, the game could have turned out differently...oh well— Clinton, NJ
- O, Wizard, $12M instead of 16. So they are going to pay Delgado $12M, Beltran $16 or 17?, Wagner $11M or $12M not to play, K-Rpd $14M or 15 to be Wagner, Castillo $6.5 to ride the bench, Santana $20M, and still have money to overspend on all the other positions of obvious need? Even the Yankees don't have unlimited funds...and the Mets are no Yankees, no matter how hard they try or pretend.— acerulli
- MY STREAK OF ATTENDING WINNING GAMES CONTINUES!!! It wasn't easy, but at least we got the *W*! Blanton's lucky he got the Win. He's lucky he had decent offense AND defense behind him. Except for that bone-headed play by Howard! We were all like....."What the ****!" (fill in expletive) Maybe he forgot there was only one out. Great play by Chase to break up that double play! Might have saved us the Win. And great double play by Howard, Jimmy and Durbin! That was definitely fun! As much as I love big hits, I love great fielding even more!— Norma
