Comments on: Ross takes a Gload off of everyone’s mind

By: DaMannse

DaMannse — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 22:59:32 +0000

If Bob Gibson, Don drysdale or Nolan Ryan had been the Phillies pitcher that evening, the next Brave that came to bat would have been carried off the field on a stretcher.

By: DaMannse

DaMannse — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 22:54:02 +0000

I think Utley was hit on purpose. Hit in the head. Beaned. On purpose. This is a pitcher who has hit TWO guys all year, and he was just trying to come inside, like “Oops?”? What? THREE feet high? Nah. I do not believe it. I’m with Ricky Bo; that there was no retaliation is inexcusable.

By: egrissom

egrissom — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 19:49:28 +0000

If Oswalt is healthy and the Phillies need a #4 starter in the playoffs and the choices are Oswalt and Worley, I’m going to be surprised if Manuel gives the start to Worley. I think Manuel is a lock to pick the veteran. I don’t think the question of who he would pick is hard. The question of who he should pick is harder — but if Oswalt keeps throwing the way he did last night it gets easier.

The other thing to remember is that the bullpen is not good. It’s especially not good if Bastardo is going to pitch like he has in his last two outings. The Phils need all the help they can get out there, whether it’s from Oswalt or Worley.

I really don’t think Utley was hit on purpose. Even if they were going to hit him on purpose they almost surely wouldn’t have hit him in the head. Totally agree that it was a good decision not to put him on the plane to Milwaukee. Not excited about the middle infield combo of Valdez, Martinez and Orr against the Brewers, though.

By: Greg

Greg — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 19:18:25 +0000

I just don’t know if our game 4 pitcher can go 9 no-hit innings any more.

By: Leighton

Leighton — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 19:18:09 +0000

I was thinking…with all this talk about Oswalt vs Worley in the playoffs. In the past when we put our #5 guy in the Pen it was guys like Kendrick or Blanton…guys that don’t really have electric stuff. But if Worley goes into the pen in my opinion its like an instant shot of adrenaline as his ball has more movement and he gets a lot of strike outs. I am in firm belief that Oswalt is the guy for the pen…BUT no need to make that decision for now and let that play out. See how his stuff is doing. I heard someone say…all Oswalt wants to do is win the WS and then retire and go huntin’ in Alabama, cracked me up.

Re Utley…yea very concerned there too…his head did not move at all and luckily it grazed off…it could have been a lot worse if it hit the back square. I could read his lips to the ump ‘What happend?’ right after it hit him. Fingers crossed…glad he did not get on a plane last night. And you know…if Utley was a hot head like Nyjer Morgan the story would be completely different…also seems odd he hit him in the head with a fast ball how do you lose that fastball that much?? In that spot seems unlikely to hit him on purpose, but the fastball thing gets me.

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 17:43:21 +0000

Of course if our guys would like to throw 11 no-hitters in the playoffs, it won’t matter much who’s playing second.

By: egrissom

egrissom — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 17:40:02 +0000

10 1/2 is a lot of games to be up with less than three weeks left to play.

Worried about Utley too. Not as sure that he’s going to suffer from missing the at-bats, but hopefully his head is okay. Martinez starting a playoff game would be an absolute atrocious disaster. Valdez started game one of the NLDS with the Reds when Polanco couldn’t play with a sore back. That was bad enough for me.
http://www.philliesflow.com/2010/10/07/halladay-cleverly-walks-one-so-nobody-will-suspect-hes-figured-out-how-to-see-through-the-matrix-and-everything-looks-like-3-d-black-and-green-graph-paper-to-him-now/

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 17:33:44 +0000

All this winning is very hard to get used to.. Braves are effectively buried in the division now.

Now very concerned about Utley. Charlie had said the #1 thing Utley needs is a lot of consecutive playing time, and now he’s being interrupted again. There’s even the remote possibility of Martinez starting in the playoffs. Color me unexcited.