[PregNut]

The Rays visit Seattle Aug. 7 (my b-day) thru 10.

Also, the AL-leading Rays host the NL-leading Cubs June 17-20.

[beachboy]

Quote:
PregNut said:
Also, the AL-leading Rays host the NL-leading Cubs June 17-20.

Kinda reminds you of that scene in Back to the Future, Part III, don't it?  

[AZWolf]

Actually haven't the last 3 games carried on ESPN involved the Dodgers?  

Anyway, Phils fan here.....Phils are now 1.5 up in the NL East.....Chase Utley has tied 3 others and...himself in April in Phillies history by homering in 5 straight games, and 7 of the last 8.  Phils' starting pitching has been haphazard since Cole Hamels has been weak his last two starts, but the bullpen is still rock solid and the rest of the Phils will beat the other over a few innings' time.

Speaking about Chase....This season he has 21 homers in 59 games.  Last year he had 22 homers in 132 games.  ML record for homers by a 2nd baseman is 42.  Both seem...highly attainable.  

[AZWolf]

Jamie Moyer pitched well enough, but we won later due to Atlanta ineptitude, Utley driving in 2 runs, and more.  So we're 11 over for a season high....The rest of the NL East lost today and the Skankees also lost.  Quite nearly a perfect baseball day.

[BarnacleBill]

I don't see the new wunderkind for Cincinnati has been mentioned on this thread.

Jay Bruce... you heard it here first...

  In his first six days up from the minors he hit 3 homers, 12 RBIs, six stolen bases and some more great stuff too.

GO REDLEGS!  Almost at .500 after being 10 games under earlier this season... Dusty Baker DOES know what he is doing!

[pedonbio]

Good guy to keep an eye on, Bill.

Did anyone see the all-star performance by the Mariner's coach a few days ago? That fellow used many fine words. Unfortunately, the FCC required that they all be bleeped.

[beachboy]

Apparently they were the right words, though.  The M's trounced the BoSox the very next night.

[AZWolf]

Have you seen the YouTube clip when Bert Blyleven let it fly and wasn't bleeped?  

Anyway, Phils swept the Braves -- first time they were swept at home this year.  Didn't play today, but the Fish lost, so the Phils are 4 up.  Also in losing, the Fish gave up Griffey's 600th at last, in the 1st inning (Hendrickson).  I only hope he has enough in the tank to at least hit 10 more so he can surpass Sammy So-So all-time.

[beachboy]

I remember reading a Ken Rosen article following Griffey's 600th, theorizing what his stats would have been had he not spent so much time on the DL.  The "Super Griffey" as Ken called him would have been close to surpassing our beloved Barry Bonds in the all-time HR category, as well as 5000+ career hits and 3000+ runs scored (I think).

Atlanta doesn't seem to be faring any better against the Cubs than they did against the Phils.  The only thing going for them right now is Chipper Jones' quest to become the next Ted Williams.

[AZWolf]

Chipper has his own injury issues to deal with, but so far he's handling them extremely well.

So, two days ago Phils needed to avert a sweep by the Fish.  Jamie "older than dirt" Moyer proceeds to throw 8 innings of 2 hit ball -- something he's done only two times before in 565 career starts.  So Phils win 3-0.

Then Phils move to St. Louis, to meet a ballclub with the same record as they, in their own park, and facing a hot pitcher with a slopballer of their own.

And...they lowered the boom.

Utley, Howard and Burrell went back to back to back in the 1st and never looked back.  Phils win 20-2, racking up a season-high 21 hits, setting the 3 year record at the new Busch Stadium for runs scored, and also scored 20 for the 2nd time this year -- something the Phils haven't done since 1900.  Oh, and Kendrick gave up 2 runs (1 earned) in 7 innings amidst the bloodshed.

Next?  

[beachboy]

Just keep beating the Cardinals and I'll be satified.

[AZWolf]

They nickel and dimed us the rest of the way.  Your team is?  

Today we beat the BoSox....I got to see it all on ESPN, the first time in about 6 games they televised one that didn't involve the Cubs.  We started at once again -- Jimmy Rollins hit his 28th career leadoff homer, Shane Victorino doubled, then Ryan Howard went opposite field to set the tone 3-0 after 1.

Cole Hamels gave up back-to-back jack, but that was it in 7 innings, and he racked up the win.  Howard also hit his 2nd homer of the night and then a triple, plus the slowest non-catcher in MLB, Pat Burrell, legged out a triple.  So we won 8-2.  Nice.  

Also, Willie Randolph was fired in the worst-kept secret in baseball.  Will it matter?  Doubt it.  But it won't hurt.

[pedonbio]

I'm sorry the Ms fired the GM. He was doing what we like him to do: Keeping the Ms in the spotlight. How bad can a team get? Well, we're trailing the Texas Rangers!

[rtpoe]

Hey, no fair dumping on the Rangers! They've got the best offense in the game, with a good Triple Crown candidate in Josh Hamilton. If they only had some pitching...

And the Mets finally got around to showing Willie Randolph the door. Kinda slimy of Management to keep him twisting in the wind for so long. And with the slapdash lot of players he had to work with, you really couldn't expect much better. A little better, perhaps. But really not a lot.

[AZWolf]

The Rangers always have O.  Why do you think Pay-Rod first wanted to go there?

But after him and since then we realize they need to pitch, too.  And...just don't see that happening as often as necessary.