The Philadelphia Phillies won their second straight game on Sunday afternoon, taking down the White Sox 4-3 in extra innings. Their record improves to 48-48.
- Cole Hamels turned in another solid start, allowing just two runs over eight innings. The lefty scattered eight hits and struck out seven.
- Hamels wore down a little bit late in the game, allowing a run in both the seventh and eighth innings.
- Hamels also had a nice game at the plate, picking up two hits and driving in a run in the third inning.
- A two-run double from Domonic Brown gave the Phillies the lead in the first inning.
- Jonathan Papelbon allowed a run in the ninth inning, giving him his fifth blown save of the year. Papelbon allowed his run after recording two outs.
- Antonio Bastardo pitched a scoreless 10th inning to get the win.
- Chase Utley led off the 10th inning with a double, and eventually came around to score the winning run.
- John Mayberry came through with a two-out single in the 10th to give the team their second straight walk-off win.
Final Thoughts
This 10-game homestand has been the high point for the Phillies this year. They fought hard over the last week and a half to to go 7-3, and get their record back to .500 before the All-Star break. This series with the White Sox proved to be the most mentally grinding to date, with all three games going to extra innings.
Even though the homestand was a success, its far from decided whether or not this team will be buyers or sellers in a couple of weeks. The Phillies still have a lot of work ahead of them. They’re probably going to be without Ben Revere for some time, Ruben Amaro spoke to the media after Sunday’s game and said that the initial prognosis was “not good”.
The good news is that, for the time being at least, the Phillies are finding more ways to win than to lose. There are reasons to be optimistic about this team. Cole Hamels looks like he’s finally gotten himself back on track, and he’s giving the team a great chance to win every fifth day once again. Darin Ruf has had a handful of strong showings during his first week in the big leagues. If some of the other veterans on this team (namely Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Carlos Ruiz) can heat up a little bit and start making strong contributions of their own, it would be a major boost for this group.
Phil’s are “Byers” no doubt over the Deadline..
With all their warts and deficiencies, the reality is that the Phils are only 5 Games out of the Wildcard Race and 6.5 out of 1st Place Braves who have Injuries and have been below .500 since late April after their hot 12-1 Start to the Season..Bats have been up & down all Season too, so why would the Phils become Selkars at this point.. If they were 10-12 Fames out with 7-8 Teans ahead of them then sure, but the reality is that only 4 other Teams are ahead of them in the Wildcard Race right now and they are breathing die the Nats/Braves necks and have won 5 of the 6 last series they have played..
The time for Reuben to go all in is now for this may be there last chance
So go for it..
“Buyers” with what, & what difference makers are you buying, that’s going to get this team to compete for a WS?!? The minor leagues are at a bare minimum, & we can not afford to lose our legit top prospects, in Asche, Franco, Biddle, Joseph, & Martin, unless we are getting a player of Stanton’s caliber back & are then going to trade our assets for top prospects in return. We have too many holes to fill, & wasting whatever prospects we do have left, for band-aids & chewing gum, on a sinking ship, that needs to be rebuilt, to make a fraudulent playoff run, is plain STUPID & utterly IDIOTIC! If Amaro had any sort of brain & balls, which he doesn’t, he has to add & subtract to this roster. With, or without Reveres good hitting as of late, they still needed 2 outfielders, because he can still be upgraded. We need a Catcher, 3/4 of the BP, & a Closer too, if Crapelbon is traded (Detroit-Castellanos, Borbon), a 3B until/ if Franco is ever ready to be a for real MLB 3B. Asche needs to be converted back to 2B, to replace Utley next year, but that can’t happen now, until he plays some Minor league games back at 2B, to make the conversion. We have to think of replacing Rollins. Howard is an Albatross, in all of, contract, eroding talent, health, age, worth on the field, & isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon, unless an American league team loses it’s marbles. Ruin 2morrow is foolishly not going to trade, his ultimate asset in Lee, so we only have to replace our 3-5 starters, unless anyone thinks Kendrick should be re-signed for more than his already bloated $4.5M contract, after this year. We better pray, all of Pettibone, Morgan, Martin, Biddle, Asche, Franco, Joseph, Altherr, Dugan, are the real deals, with-in the next 1-2 seasons, because it’s going to be a long time, before this team, LEGITIMATELY contends the next few years, with the bare cupboard in the minors, & the FA market being very weak the next 2 years, & the brainless Architect who making the blueprint. His deluded mind-frame of thinking, his lack of proactive, creative & smart decision making, his recent everyday comments, & his past performance, has me very, very concerned, that this team will be able make any run anytime soon, unless the decisions at the top, are changed without omission. All that the recent wins are doing, are further deluding the flawed minds of it’s front office, & delaying the inevitable, to properly rebuilding this team, for its next hopeful nucleus! Period! Just saying!
To try to make the playoffs is idiotic? Huh? You have a losing mentality. Or I should say a LOSER attitude. In a market like Philly it is possible to transform your nucleus while staying in the race you continue to show your loser attitude
No, making the playoffs isn’t idiotic! Delusional thinking you can, with a severely flawed, old, in decline team, that desperately needs to be rebuilt, that has a ZEROs chance to win a WS, IS IDIOTIC! LOSER mentality? Wanting to be good, consistent, & have a realistic chance to win a WS, gives me a LOSER mentality? NO, you just happy with being 2nd best, & making an unrealistic run at winning, & holding onto the past with your heart, instead of your brain, is a LOSERS mentality! No, it IS NOT possible, to transform, & better your nucleus, while staying in a race, because people like your HERO, won’t change a nucleus, if they were legitimately in it! He can’t continue to delude himself Something you aren’t rational, realistic, nor smart enough to understand!That’s “Par for the course fou YOU”! STFU fool!
5.5 games out of a playoff spot and you want to pack it in…quitter. they are in the race and are building a new nucleus at the same time…. what the hell are you even talking about… keep yelling in all caps, you are a quitter and a loser.
the road for us to make the playoffs will be extremely tough and in my opinion very unlikely with the deficiencies that exist on this team. ill watch and root every game but i dont think we get there.
i think i saw for us to win the division the braves would have to play .500 ball the rest of the way and we would have to go 40-26, both the braves only playing 500 ball and us going 40-26 would be very unlikely imo especially the braves part when they play the marlins and mets a bunch of times…
Yes it will be a very tough road. No one is saying they are a favorite. But you have to play to win the game. It is professional sports for Christs sake, you don’t scrap it when you are still in the fight. If you get in and catch lightning in the bottle….if you dont catchlight ing and play a round or two you still gave it a run.
agreed hac and im not one to think you mail it in. but if you can get a nice haul for utley or pappelbon you do it for the future imo… lee is untradeable also imo if you trade lee i think you say we are quitting this year and next year. i dont think you are saying that if you trade chase or paps or both
Upgrade Revere? You said they have a lot of holes, but you want to replace a guy who in about 1 1/2 years since he has been up has hit close to .300 and stole over 60 bases because he can’t throw? Or because he can’t hit HRs?
Par for the course with him.
NO…. a powerless, punching Judy singles hitting, bad outfielder, can’t be upgraded, or replaced?!? What the hell was I thinking???? Keep drinking the Kool-aid boys.
Missed the point again. Yes you can upgrade him, but why would you when there are so many other wholes to fill on this team? They traded for him because they thought that they were getting a Juan Pierre which is what he is turning out to be this season.
*holes*
White Sox OF Alex Rios is on the Market
Probably a Pitching Prospect and Cather Prospect could land him
If Phils are to replace Revere in CF as an example
Yeah, OK. Only in your trade scenarios, that works. Ain’t happening Hoss!
Rios is the best bat on the market, so a lot of contenders are going to be checking him out as well. Not sure that the Phils want to give up what it will take to get him or if it makes sense past this season.
Rios makes $13 Million Per Season so not as many Teams can afford him..
I believe there is still 3 Years left on his Deal and he is 32 Years old with a pretty good track record health wise and is in good shape to be able to play another 3-4 Years at a consistent Level.. He could Play CF since Revere will most likely be out for the remainder of the Season and then Shift over to RF next Season to repace Delmon Young who really is a Defensive Liability and belongs in the AL as a DH when Revere Returns and the Phils have and OF of Brown,Revere & Rios for 2014 which is pretty good
phils got a tough road stretch after the break which will take us to the trade deadline. phils will face mets (harvey and wheeler…), then cardinals then tigers.
A tough 9-Game Road Trip after the All_Start Break (3 versus the Mets, Cardinals & Tigers) and then comes a 9-Game Homestand versus the GIants,Braves & Cubs (who have ben playing better ball since their slow start) to close out July…
That stretch will determine their trade status. Go 3-6 by bye young, papplebon etc.
I think we should go after Andre Ethier….
*****Couple of Trade Alerts
Phils Trade Chase Utley and Catcher Carlos Ruiz to the
Dodgers for OF Andre Ethier and 2B Nick Punto
Phils also Trade 3B M Young and OF/1B John Mayberry Jr to the Yankees
for Relief Pitcher Joba Chamberlin and 2 AA Prospects
Phils Trade J Papelbon to the Boston Red Sox for CF Jacoby Ellsbury
and a AAA Pitching Prospect
For the Playoff Run, the Phils will have the following
IF Ruf, Punto, Rollins & Fransden (Ashe gets called up)
And OF of D Brown, J Ellsbury & A Ethier
Catcher Kratz & Quintero
Batting Line-up
CF – J Ellsbury
SS – J Rollins
RF – A Eithier
LF – D Brown
1B – D Ruf
3B – K Fransden (Ashe)
2B – N Punto
C – E Kratz
Pitcher
Bullpen will have Bastrado, Chamberlin, Stutes & Adams
With Closer Role rotate between Bastardo & Chamberlin
In the Off-Season,
Phils get a Closer, A Starter and middle IF
I would kidnap Reuben amaro and drive to New England and break Arron Hernandez out of jail and let him go to the bar with Reuben if he made that trade with the dodgers. That would be one of the worst trades in Phils history.
Boston isn’t moving ellsbury.
Clown trade alerts bro
I still think Trading Hunter Pence the SF GIants for OF Nick Sherholtz was a Terrible Trade that Amaro made last Year
All Pence does in Hit 25 HR, Knock in 85 Runs and Hit about .280 Every Season and plays a pretty good RF
My logic with Utley/Ruiz going to Dodgers is that they need a 2B/Catcher and both Players are very unlikely to re-sign and remain with the Phils beyond this 2013 Season .. Getting OF Either and a Prospect plus a Serviceable Veteran IF in Punto would be better than zippo
fuck hunter pence and his bobby abreau type hollow numbers. dudes a fool, strikes out too much, cant sacrifice guys and really gives you some awful at bats. he dominated in houston and just gets worse every day since he was traded to the phillies then giants.
now regarding the trade. phillies didnt trade him for Sherholtz, they traded him for joseph and rosen and the giants threw in sherholtz. rosen is getting better and joseph is valued by a lot of scouts (i think he blows)…
now to your alert you said eithier and punto (no mention of a prospect) punto blows is old and cant hit, phillies would never take him with galvis and hernandez ready to play. not to mention chase utley will get you top tier prospects in any deal, most teams in the hunt could use a guy like utley and if he goes on the block offers will be huge not some scrubs like punto and ethier. if you think reub is moving utley or chooch for some scrubs to wind down the 2013 campaign your clueless
The Deal to Dodgers should have stated a Top PItching Prospect, no douby about it.. Punto is a 1 Year Glove/Bat/Leader & Winner, so the Key is Either and the Pitching Prospect from the Dodgers for essentially 2 players in Utley/Chooch who are most likley gone after 2013.
No thanks on Ethier. About 15 million per until 2017 for a guy who had one really good season in 2009 and then ok seasons sense. He also misses about 20 games or so a season. Not the answer.
Paulman, pence was a bad trade to the giants, especially considering what they gave up to the Astros to get him
Looking to the future, you gm guys want to build a perfect roster, well it ain’t happening and the best roster doesn’t usually, normally win, check out the giants, they had two good starting pitchers, a catcher, a closer, and timely hitting from roster guys
Phillies need to catch the braves by adding a bullpen arm or two, another outfielder, that’s it…
If phillies make the playoffs I like their chances over anybody with lee and Hamels
imo cant compare our pence trade to the giants pence trade.
when we traded for him he was playing like one of the best rf’s in the game and was young with shit loads of promise and the phils team had virtually no holes and pence was the most sought after trade deadline guy so we traded 3 single a/low a prospects to win now, thats what you have to do. not to mention howard was blocking singleton for the next ten years so he was virtually useless to us.
we traded pence when we were out of it, he was exposed and demand was down
shame on you for using logic, common sense and supply/demand in your arguments on here. don’t you know the negative nitwits don’t like that!
First time for everything
ahhhhh the little cuntboy is home from summer school early
“we traded pence when we were out of it, he was exposed and demand was down”
Which is exactly the time when you don’t trade someone.
Anyone who says that they didn’t like the trade to get Pence is ridiculous and a revisionist.
well i disagree with thats when you dont trade him, getting his money off the books was good imo and his value was never gonna get higher it would be stable or get worse. we got a valued catching prospect and a solid pitching prospect for him. wasnt a bad deal but wasnt singleton, cosart and santana either