Your NL East Leading Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies, 87-72, are tied with the New York Mets, 87-72, for the lead in the National League East with three games left to play.
The Phillies are good. Their line up can beat any pitcher in the bigs on any given day. We've kind of known this but tended to brush it aside because the pitching was so bad, so hot, and so cold. The Phillies are not only good but they have shown they have that certain something that can get win them games.
What is that special something? Can't say exactly. But if you look at Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Shane Victorino, Ryan Howard, Kyle Kendrick, J.C. Romero, etc., you see it. Heck, even Dobbs, Werth, and company off the bench give you a good feeling. On any given night it's been a different guy. It's hard not to single out Jimmy, though. He's the face of this 2007 squad and what a lovely smile it is.
Pitching. Yeah. Pitching is still a concern, as always. If the Phillies are for real, the pitching is going to have play out of their mind for the next three days. And over the next few weeks, baseball gods permitting.
Three games left in the regular season. The Phillies are tied atop the division and one back from the wildcard. In come the Nationals. This is about as meaningful a set of games this town has seen in September in ages. Get you're rally towels out.
Is this team for real? As always, we're cautiously optimistic. Fuck it, we're excited as can be.
See you at the ball park.
Can you tell I'm towel obsessed? Wheels! Rally starter!
That's a nice quick post...game is just over, I come here and it's up.
Great game and it got started early. Those Atlanta homeruns were alittle scary but...we prevails.
Hey Smoltz...go trim your beard, old man.
Posted by: Mark K_NJ | Thursday, September 27, 2007 at 09:48 PM
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAh
Posted by: Charlie | Thursday, September 27, 2007 at 09:53 PM
First place feels good. I could get used to this.
Posted by: V | Thursday, September 27, 2007 at 09:57 PM
Good win for the Phils tonight!
They got great pitching by Kyle Kendrick, who I thought was the story of the game than what happened in the first inning with the four-run lread.
Romero was clutch again and Myers did the rest.
Talk about the hitting all you want, but you win with pitching and the starters stepped up tonight.
As for what is that special, well you got hitters that have grit and resilliency, which is something you can't teach. You got hitters who are very smart and that to me is a credit to what Charlie Manuel has done with the hitters since he became the team's manager.
Maybe this is the Phils time. We will see.
Phillies fans should be excited. I hope it works out. I enjoy watching them as a baseball fan.
Anyone but the Mets.
Posted by: Leslie Monteiro | Thursday, September 27, 2007 at 10:05 PM
Awesome win for the Phils tonight! Keep it up fellas. NY Mets have laid out a red carpet to the playoffs, all you need to do is play like you have been and everything will fall into place.
BTW, doesn't it suck having to track scores of Rockies and Padres on the west coast? Either stay up or get suprised tomorrow with the scores I guess.
Posted by: CosCramer | Thursday, September 27, 2007 at 10:16 PM
This is incredible. I'm enjoying the ride!!! LET'S GO PHILLIES!!!
Posted by: Mike | Thursday, September 27, 2007 at 10:17 PM
I dont want to say this too much but if the phils win the division and mets dont I gotta think this is up there with the 64 phils maybe not as bad but just saying
Posted by: the_Major | Thursday, September 27, 2007 at 11:20 PM
Not as bad? It's certainly that bad.
The 1964 Phillies blew a 6.5-game lead in the final 12.
The 2007 Mets have blown a 7-game lead in just 14 games. That's pretty damn bad.
Posted by: V | Thursday, September 27, 2007 at 11:24 PM
yeah but we cant garuntee it after sunday but til then its only an almost
Posted by: the_Major | Thursday, September 27, 2007 at 11:28 PM
what a week to be away. back in the illadelph tomorrow to catch the last few...
Posted by: Matt P | Friday, September 28, 2007 at 01:23 AM
I don't visit this site — ever. But lacking friends to share this blessed moment, I just want to say go Phillies. I am so frickin' psyched, even if I'm in Wyoming. I just hope the guys can bring it home... Either way, it's been one helluva ride!!!
Posted by: Peter | Friday, September 28, 2007 at 03:04 AM
HELP!!! I'm headed for Cooperstown today for the weekend, and I need a place to watch the games!!! This trip has been planned for months, so there is no canceling it...anybody know of any sports bars that carries the MLB Extra Innings package? I know Saturday's game is on Fox, so that'll be good. HELP!!!
Posted by: Joe Jamison | Friday, September 28, 2007 at 07:44 AM
Was anyone down there last night and heard the song they played over the PA after the game? It was an old-school style song but it mentioned the Phanatic. I'm dying to track it down.
Posted by: Pat Burrell for Mayor | Friday, September 28, 2007 at 09:16 AM
Kyle Kendrick should be getting consideration for NL Rookie of the Year. The Phillies would be dead and buried without his contributions. Consider his stats.
10-4 with a 3.87 ERA in 121 innings pitched. The best move Pat Gillick has made as Phils GM was to bring him up, and that was only due to dire circumstances.
http://4phillyfans.com
Posted by: sixersshawn | Friday, September 28, 2007 at 09:17 AM
Don't forget where we live. Be prepared to have your hearts broken.
Posted by: K | Friday, September 28, 2007 at 09:28 AM
in cooperstown espn.com recommends cooleys bar and the doubleday cafe as sports bar up there. If I remember correctly though there isn't too much outside of Cooperstown though
Posted by: the_Major | Friday, September 28, 2007 at 09:34 AM
I needed oxygen watching the closing minutes of the game... especailly after the announcement of the Mets loss. I was having flashbacks to the Game 6 victory of the 1993 NLCS when the Phillies beat... the Braves!
This will be a great Philly-NY sports weekend with the Phillies and the Mets fighting for the division title and the Eagles and the Giants playing on Sunday Night.
Posted by: Wick | Friday, September 28, 2007 at 09:43 AM
(rocking back and forth)"Cautiously optimistic... cautiously optimistic... cautiously optimistic..."
Posted by: Chamomiles Davis | Friday, September 28, 2007 at 10:29 AM
you know that part in the blair witch project where the girl turns the camera on herself and says "I..am..so..scared..right...now"? That pretty much explains how I feel right now. I get so excited thinking about the possibilities, but so much needs to happen for it to work out.
i'm in chicago, and i will be glued to any tv, computer, or cell phone that can keep me posted. if youre at the game this weekedn, please go nuts for those of us who can't be there
Posted by: ross | Friday, September 28, 2007 at 11:20 AM
Someone pinch me...
I think winning the Division would be worthy of a Parade.
Posted by: Gaze | Friday, September 28, 2007 at 11:24 AM
Went to the game - the energy was AWESOME. Easily the best of any game I've been to at the new park, and probably better than any baseball game I went to at the Vet, at least since and possibly including '93.
It does not get better than this. Eliminating the braves to tie the Mets for the division - PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take it home. Just once. God knows we've suffered...can't we just at least make the playoffs?!?
Posted by: j13 | Friday, September 28, 2007 at 11:28 AM
Hopefully John Lannan will pitch for the Nats. Utley's other wrist could use some love.
Posted by: SC | Friday, September 28, 2007 at 01:41 PM
hey:Pat Burrell for Mayor. the name of that song they play after the phillies win is called "back to Philadelphia" from bobby burnet
Posted by: mike | Thursday, October 18, 2007 at 01:48 PM