Morning Roundup: “This is the greatest match I’ve ever seen” - John McEnroe, on the Rafael Nadal Roger Federer Wimbledon final.

maybe one day we can put a Philly flag here

Three lines on their world: Amidst too much hype C.C. Sabathia is a Milwaukee Brewer, the All-Star teams were announced, and as always the story was who didn’t make it, and oh yeah, Nadal and Federer played one of the greatest matches in the history of tennis. 

I hope this doesn’t make the Spanish unbearable ninnies.  I like Spain.

Three lines on ours: The biggest local story may well be a trade between Cleveland and Milwaukee (which really doesn’t make me feel relevant), but it should be the outrage that is the all-star teams (plenty more on this later) or the fact that the Phils have their closer of 2011.

(bonus forth line!) - Phils lost.

Phillies, Birds, Sixers, Flyers and more from inside the royal box, after the jump

PHILLIES

It was a game that took over seven hours to complete, was marked by miscues and big hits, and won by some rando who picked up his first win ever.  I hate to say it, but it was the type of game that the 93 team would never lose.  This team did, 4-2 in twelve.  Who knows though, maybe this team will go onto a series and we’ll be saying the same thing about the 2023 Phils every time they drop a game to the Braves.

I know the local headlines all called this game long and miserable, but I’m always kind of partial to rain delays and confusing finishes.  I love it when the benches clear (can this be the straw that keeps Burrell in during late innings?) and Joe Smith, he of no career wins, has to go two and a third in relief.  Eventually the Mets just couldn’t keep leaving guys on base.  Fernando Tatis was the hero for the Mets, as he provided the difference with a two-run shot off Chad Durbin in the twelfth.  Ryan Howard was the goat for the Phils as he picked up another golden sombrero and left five guys on base.  Not that anybody was hitting, the teams combined to leave 27 men on base throughout the 12 innings.

Tonight Adam Eaton (3-6, 4.79) and the Phils try to even the series against Pedro Martinez (2-2, 7.39) and those Metropolitans.  Historically Eaton has owned the Mets (5-0, 3.29 lifetime).  The Mets haven’t won three in a row or been over .500 in over a month, so look for the Phils to tee off on the former ace. 

Other Notes …

• Chase Utley and Brad Lidge are the Phils’ two all-stars
• Jayson Werth’s two-run, game-tying homerun with two outs and a 1-2 count marked Billy Wagner’s 6^th blown save of the season. 
• Wagner is the Mets lone all-star
• Pedro hasn’t defeated the Phils since June 2005
• The Phils were just 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position
• The Home Team has lost seven of their last eight at the Bank, and have scored just 18 runs in that stretch
• Chase Utley is hitting just .075 (3-40) in his last ten games at home
• Kyle Kendrick went six innings and gave up just 1 run, despite a WHIP of over 1.8.  That is really hard to do.
• Tatis‘ homer was just the second allowed by Durbin in 50 innings this season.]
• Carlos Beltran, who had three hits and the Mets’ first two RBIs, had been just 4-for-37 over his last 11 games.
• Tatis is slowly becoming not-a-joke.  The Mets’ utilityman spent two years out of baseball from 2004-5
• Mets starter Oliver Perez struck out six in seven scoreless innings, lowering his ERA to 4.62 in the process.
• Mets right fielder Endy Chavez made leaping catch sprinting toward the right-field foul pole to rob Carlos Ruiz and save a run in the second.  I haven’t seen Sportscenter yet, but if that isn’t the top baseball play of the play (Nadal’s win in the play of the day, and it isn’t close) somebody did something crazy
• Flash Gordon was placed on the DL.
• R.J. Swindle was recalled from Lehigh Valley to take his spot.  Lets not forget that the Phils are undefeated with R.J. on the roster
• Jimmy Rollins stole two more bases and now has stolen 35 straight without being thrown out.
• The game was the Phils’ 25th sellout crowd (and 12th straight) of the season. 
  
• As Jim Salisbury pointed out, because the game was delayed after the middle of the 7^th inning those who braved the nearly three-hour rain delay did it without the benefit of the cheapest beer in the majors, all taps had been shut off (although McFaddens presumably stayed open).
• Jayson Werth had muddied his jersey in the 1^st inning, when he returned after the delay he had changed into a fresh new one.
• Brett Myers makes his second Triple A start tonight.  He will oppose Reds’ prospect Homer Bailey

Now, who said what …

Pat Hagen breaks down how Burrell and Hamels were left off the All-Star team. READ

Hagen then looks at Chase Utley’s All-Star weekend. (spoiler alert: he’s in the HR derby) SKIP

The Daily News’ notes report that Tom Gordon has returned to the DL (their link-to headline is “no place like home”) and that they have no idea what is going on with Pat Burrell’s ongoing negotiations. SKIP

Jim Salisbury: we signed Brad Lidge. READ

Rich Hofmann on what the Lidge signing means for Brett Myers (spoiler alert: it means you gotta stop whining, starter). READ

Bob Ford writes the same column. SKIP

Barnard Fernandez reports that HOF relief pitcher Goose Gossage is still sporting a pretty legitimate Fu Manchu; helping children. SKIP

Les Walrond, a 31 year old Triple A starter for our very own Lehigh Valley IronPigs, struck out 17 last night. READ

Phil Sheridan writes that Ryan Howard’s strange season could be a lot worse. READ

Frank Fitzpatrick looks at one man’s obsession with baseball board games.  You might want to check it out if you used to play them, if not SKIP

*if you can only read one This is an odd selection and I know this is going to come off as eastern-bias elitist, but a small Louisiana paper writing up the story of Chad Poe, their local boy who has made it to pro ball as the 27^th round pick of the Phillies, is really cute.  The article starts “When your last name is Poe and you live in Vernon Parish, most people would expect big things from you in the realm of athletics” which; from our perspective, seems honest and absurd at the same time. READ

*if you can only skip one Don McKee still has a column. SKIP

EAGLES

It sounds like the Mike Mamula classic is everything you imagine it to be.  Good for him, but seriously? READ

SIXERS

The young sixers are off to the Vegas summer league.  Their frontline is going to be Jason Smith, Marreese Speights and Thad Young, so try to catch a few of the games next week. SKIP

Jamont Gordon’s local paper breaks down the former Mississippi State Guard’s chances of making the Sixers. READ

Phil Jasner reports that with Josh Smith continuing his free agent tour the Sixers are bringing in their second and third choices. READ

When Smith left Philly, he did so without a formal contract offer.  I added this because it is apparently a story, but until they official salary cap number is releases the Sixers can’t offer him a contract.  They won’t know how much they can give him.  Not offering him a contract = offering him all they have, which is not the complicated subject that everyone is making it out to be. SKIP

FLYERS

In a move that could be kinda relevant to the entire NHL, Jaromir Jagr inked a deal in Russia.  Apparently that league is going to make some big moves at NHL players who, if signed, will not count against their salary cap. SKIP

Scott Cruickshank of the Calgary Herald reports that former Flyer Denis Gauthier is happy to get away from Philadelphia. READ

The Hockey News has named Flyers’ coach John Stevens its’ coach of the year. SKIP

TODAY and MORE

The Pat Burrell for All-Star push is on, plus we’ve got a bunch of quick hits to catch up on, so keep checking back.  As always, feel free to email me with any questions, suggestions, comments or complaints.  

This entry was posted on Monday, July 7th, 2008 at 8:49 am and is filed under Morning Rounds. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.