Results tagged ‘ Washington Nationals ’
PHILLIES JOURNAL 2010
PHILLIES JOURNAL 2010
by Max Blue
OPENING DAY, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010. It’s a bright sunny and warm day in the Nations’ Capitol,
and the honorable Barack Obama, sports fan, and incidentally, President of the United States, toes the rubber with his left foot and rocks into a herky-jerkey motion. The pres wears a red satin Washington Nationals jacket and on his head, a wrinkled Chicago White Sox cap to show the crowd where his baseball allegiance rests. The good natured crowd handed him the first Bronx cheer of the day when he whipped out the cap on his way to the mound. The TV announcers note that Obama’s pitch marks the 100th anniversary of the day in 1910 when William Howard Taft became the first U.S. President to throw out the first pitch of the baseball season (never mind that made-for-TV Yankees-Red Sox game last night).
The pitch is high and away, nowhere near the strike zone, a fitting reminder of where the 2010 Washington Nationals are likely to end the season. The star-spangled Phillies’ lineup takes a couple of innings to get the kinks out, then goes to work on John Lannan, the hapless Nats’ lefty to the tune of a five-run fourth inning keyed by Ryan Howard’s two-run blast over the right field bullpen. Placido Polanco ices the cake with the first Grand Slam of the season in the 7th inning. Meanwhile, Doc Halladay fans nine Nats in seven innings on the way to an 11-1 win. Phillies’ fans are pleased by the near-perfect outcome, but nervous at the thought that the successful 2006, 07, 08, and 09 seasons all began with an opening day loss. Whatever. We will do what we have to do.
DOC HALLADAY’S FIRST DAY
Welcome to Philly, new friend,
let’s hope that this win starts a trend
to a big winning season
we’ll all find most pleasin’
with a World’s Series crown at the end.
Monday, April 5, 2010. Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.
Philadelphia – 11, Washington – 1.
WP – Halladay (1-0), LP – Lannan (0-1)
HR – Howard (1), 4th, 1 on; Polanco (1), GRAND SLAM, 7th.
.
LEE MASTERS NATS
LEE MASTERS NATS
by Max Blue
Cliff Lee to C-Man: “No relief needed.”
Charlie nodded his head and conceded.
The slim lefty then went out
and pitched team’s second straight shutout,
a joy to see pleading fans heeded.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009. Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Philadelphia – 5, Washington – 0.
WP – C. Lee (7-2), LP – Mock (3-8)
CHAMPS MOUNT BOMB ATTACK
CHAMPS MOUNT BOMB ATTACK
by Max Blue
Champs hit five over the fence
and did not have to dodge Hunter Pence.
Pedro was fine,
Dog saved Lidge line;
is it possible that Charlie’s not dense?
Tuesday, September 8, 2009. Nationals Stadium, Washington, D.C.
Philadelphia – 5, Washington – 3.
WP – Pedro Martinez (4-0), LP – Lannan (8-11).
H – Myers (2), Lidge (1)
S – Madson (5)
HR – Harris (7), 7th.
Ibañez – 2 (30), 5th, 7th; Werth (32), 7th; Ruiz (9), 7th; Utley (30), 8th.
Five bombs! Six if you count Lidge in the ninth. With a two-run lead, Charlie sends Lidge out one more time as a few hundred thousand viewers shrink in disbelief. Charlie! What are you doing, Charlie? You keep telling us how important each game is – you blast your team for not doing the job in Houston, then you yield to cheap sentiment and pale loyalty, and send Lidge out to face the music again. And we are told he’s pitching with a blister on the index finger of his pitching hand. In the words you used to describe the Houston debacle: What the Hell?
So there he is, Lights Out Lidge, the 2008 number one hero, game face in place, toeing the rubber in Washington against the team with the worst record in all of baseball. He’s in to save Pedro Martinez’ game, he’s got a two-run lead and he’s up against the bottom of the order. So what do we see? Whack! Single to center. Ground out to third. Hit batter. Wild pitch – tying run to second. Base on balls to load the bases and bring up Ryan Zimmerman, Nats’ best hitter. Charlie frets and fumes, starts up the dugout steps, turns around, goes back, frets, finally heads for the mound. He hates to do it, but he must – he takes the ball from his beleaguered closer and calls for Mad Dog Madson. The Dog is sensational – he throws six pitches, all strikes to Zimmerman, and Adam Dunn, and it’s over – Zimmerman fans on three pitches and Dunn grounds to Rollins. Phillies end four-game losing streak and unknown thousands take a deep breath and go back to worrying about the Eagles.
MOYER STANDS TALL FOR 250
MOYER STANDS TALL FOR 250
by Max Blue
http://maxblue3.tripod.com
On the last day of May in two thousand nine,
the classy lefty announced, “Me and my arm are just fine.”
He then stuffed the Nats for two fifty,
an inspiration to all, heroic and nifty.
More polish for Champs’ trophy shine.
Sunday, May 31, 2009. Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Philadelphia – 4, Washington – 2.
WP – Moyer (4-5), Lannan (2-5).
H – Condrey (5), Madson (12).
S – Lidge (12).
HR – Willingham – 2 (8,9), 4th, 7th.
Coste (2), 2nd.
HOWARD MEASURES MOON
HOWARD MEASURES MOON
by Max Blue
Keep this up and it will be soon,
Ryan Howard hits one to the moon,
Two this night, one a GRAND SLAM,
needed ’cause Hamels pitched like bad ham.
Team dancing to sweet first-place tune.
Saturday, May 30, 2009. Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Philadelphia – 9, Washington – 6.
WP – Hamels (3-2), LP – Martis (5-1).
H – Eyre (9), Condrey (4), Madson (11).
S – Lidge (11).
HR – Belliard (2), 6th, 1 on.
Howard – 2 (14), 2nd; 3rd GRAND SLAM.
HAPPy TO BE HERE
HAPPy TO BE HERE
by Max Blue
On a day when Brett Myers went down,
a new starting face came to town.
True, we’ve seen him before,
but now that Brett’s sore,
Happ’s got a chance to take crown.
Friday, May 29, 2009. Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Philadelphia – 5, Washington – 4.
WP – Happ (3-0), LP – Detwiler (0-1).
HR – Willingham (7), 2nd.
H- Durbin (4), Eyre (8), Madson (10)
S- Lidge (10).
SWEEP IN D.C.
by Max Blue
http://maxblue3.tripod.com
SERGIO ESCALONA KEYS NATSLAND SWEEP
The young lefty called up from Reading,
showed where the Phillies are heading:
to the top of the heap,
though the climb may be steep,
and no doubt include some tough sledding.
Sunday, May 17, 2009. Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.
Philadelphia – 8, Washington – 6
WP – Escalona (1-0), LP – Taverez (0-3).
H- Eyre (6). BS – Colome (1). S – Lidge (7).
IBANEZ SMOKES NATS TWICE
IBAÑEZ SMOKES NATS TWICE
by Max Blue
http://maxblue3.tripod.com
In a short time respect has grown
as the guy from Seattle has shown
with his legs, glove, and bat
we can win without Pat;
what he wants is a ring of his own.
Saturday, May 16, 2009. Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.
Game one,
Philadelphia – 8, Washington – 5.
WP – Myers (3-2), LP – Olsen (1-4).
S – Lidge (6).
HR – Zimmerman (9), 1st; Willingham (6), 4th.
Ibañez – 2(12), 1st, 3rd, 2 on; Werth (7), 2nd.
Game two,
Philadelphia – 7, Washington – 5 (5 innings, rain)
WP – Condrey (4-0), LP – Cabrera (0-5).
HR – Howard (8), 3rd; Ibañez (13), 5th, 2 on.
STRUGGLING, STUMBLING WIN
by Max Blue
Phillies left 17 on base,
but won despite 0-18 from Chase.
Brad Lidge was bad once again,
his ERA almost at ten.
Ibañez, Feliz, Ruiz 11 hits save Phils’ face.
Friday, May 15, 2009. Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.
Philadelphia – 10, Washington – 6 (12 innings).
WP – Happ (2-0), LP – Wells (0-1).
H – Villone (2). Eyre (5), Madson (6).
BS – Beimel (2). Lidge (2).
HR – Howard (7), 7th, 2 on.
END OF AN ERA – HARRY KALAS DIES IN BOOTH
END OF AN ERA – HARRY KALAS DIES IN THE BOOTH
They called him Harry the K. For 38 years we have watched Harry Kalas call the Phillies’ games on television and listened to him on the radio. His voice became part of the fabric of our lives—we’re talking over 6,000 games, fans, and close to that many homeruns – the last one yesterday at Coors Field when Matt Stairs unloaded another game-winner — “LONG DRIVE ! WATCH THAT BABY – - – OUTTA HERE! HOME RUN, MATT STAIRS, AND THE PHILLIES TAKE A SEVEN TO FIVE LEAD.”
Yesterday afternoon, in the broadcast booth at Nationals Field in Washington, D.C., an hour and a half before first pitch, Harry, at the tender age of 73, died. The game was played and the Phillies won.
THIS ONE’S FOR YOU . . . HARRY
Harry the K would have loved this game;
Phils up to their ears in more of the same.
Moyer, the Ancient, got through six with a lead,
Thanks to H-bomb’s laser: a three-run seed.
Without Harry all calls will be tame.
Monday, April 13, 2009. Nationals Field, Washington, D.C.
Philadelphia – 9, Washington – 8.
WP – Moyer (1-1), LP – Rivera (0-1).
H – Eyre (1); Madson (3).
S – Lidge (3).
HR – Dukes (1), 5th; Dunn (2), 7th, 1 on; Zimmerman (2), 9th, 1 on.
Victorino (1), 3rd; Howard (1), 7th, 2 on; Ibanez (3), 7th.
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