When the Circus Comes to Town (Again): Phils-Mets Game 1

The date many Phillies fans have had circled on their calendars has arrived—the Mets and their jorted masses are here to invade Citizens Bank Park once again. We all know the epic fiasco that is the current Mets team, but as much as it pains me to say this... they're still within striking distance and nowhere near ready to call it a season at the halfway point. However, although this will be a tough series for the Phillies, they showed us last year that they have what it takes to dominate the turds from Flushing.

Tonight will obviously be the most difficult test of the series for the Phils, at least on paper. They face Johan Santana, one of the finest illustrations that a pitcher's W-L record is a weak indicator or his talent. Johan is, for my money, still the best pitcher in baseball, and his current 3.01 ERA is pretty damn good. He's a powerful lefty, a combination that is always tough on the Phils' lineup, but his 7-7 record on the season shows that his starts do not often translate into Mets wins. New York has lost his last five starts, and he's pretty frustrated with the run support the Mets lineup is giving him. Despite going 1-4 in June, Santana put up a 2.27 ERA for the month. But enough about Johan... We all know he's a beast—the good news is he hasn't been a winner lately.

The Phils hope J.A. Happ's second career start is strong enough to keep the Mets quiet early. Aside from an unlikely pummeling of Santana, the next-best-case-scenario for the Phillies is to keep it close until the Mets need to call on their shitty bullpen. Despite being green, Happ has the stuff to make some noise, and he could put up a nice K total today. But if the kid needs to get pulled early, Cole's 8.2-inning start last night gave the lights-out bullpen plenty of rest.

We're done for the night, off to see some fireworks, have a few beers, and caveman-cook some dead animals. Happy 4th, and go Phils.

Comments

[GreggyD]

Now that all of my plans for the 4th of July have crapped out on me or fallen to pieces because of the shitty weather, I will try my best to sit on my ass and watch Happ's start. How he performs will have a big impact on the rotation in terms of will he get another start or do the Phils need to take a look at someone else? I'd much rather have him succeed and leave Benson in the minors and not rush Carrasco up here.

[Fish]

We need to start hitting here. Can't let Johan get comfortable.

[Phils Phan]

This Santana guy... he looks like the real deal.

[ricky]

haha I love when the better city wins

go Phils

[Paul]

Yes Shane! Nice to take the first one

[will]

victory-no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Johnny G]

MAUI-WOW-E!

[Phils Phan]

@ Justin:

[WE R COMIN TO THE BANK BABY!!! AND WE R BRINGIN THE BATS!! HAPP KENDRICK MOYER EATON WILL BE THROWIN BATTIN PRACTICE!! GLAD TO SEE YOU WASTED COLE!! 4 GAME SWEEP!!]

Want to bet on three out of four instead?

[will]

i love metsblog. some fans are blaming santana.

[Steve]

You guys hear that? Silence. No Mutts fans trolls. Not yet at least.

[TheCoz]

The firing of Willie Randolph was obviously just what the Mets needed to get rolling again.

[MSM]

Enjoyable win tonight. I'd love to sweep this train wreck of a Mets team and finish their season early. Total "Shea-den-freude". Santana is still a good pitcher though, too bad the Mets offense is totally poor with situational hitting. This include Johan swinging at 2-0 and 2-1 horrid pitches when Happ was all over the place in the 5th.

However, upon watching Comcast Sports Nite the game, they had a feature with a Brooklyn comedian "Brooklyn Sal" (tongue in cheek of course) about why Shea is better than CBP. Just the guy's accent makes me want to vomit, but the general gist was that having some big concerts, Mr. Met, and orange foul poles (I shit you not, this was mentioned) make Shea better. I've been to Shea and it makes me want to get a tetanus shot just walking in.

[Benjamin]

The energy at the park tonight in the 9th had walk-off win written all over it. As soon as Feliz got on, and Victorino came up, I thought of the last time I was at a game it rained at, and Victorino hit a walk-off on Victorino bobblehead day. I kept it to myself, and the prevent-jinx worked :)

And it's amazing how fair-weather the mets fans are. They were all over this site last night defining belligerence and arrogance.

Happy 4th of July!!

[Benjamin]

Oh, and let's all tip the cap to J.A. Happ, who performed admirably in a tough matchup against one of the leagues best. Then raise your glasses in toast to the bullpen. Bravo.

[Phils Phan]

FYI: If anyone hasn't noticed, there's a pitchers-duel in Colorado.

[steve]

i couldn't go to the game so i went to a concert down around market and third.. the harassment mets fans received brought pure joy to waiting in line.

[Benjamin]

The Best of MetsBlog

Thoughts of a forsaken fanbase: Part I

1st post in postgame blog-

1. 6/5/07- utley hits a 2 run home run off feliciano in the top of the 10th. mets lose 4-2
2. 6/6/07- mets up 2-0. rollins hits a 3 run dinger off heilman in the 7th inning. mets lose 4-2
3. 6/7/07- mets up 3-2 in the 9th. burrell ties the game with a home run off wagner. phils score 3 in 10th. mets lose 6-3
4. 8/28/07- mets up 2-0 in the 8th. feliciano gives up a home run to rollins in the 8th. howard hits a walk off in the 10th off MOTA
5. 8/29/07- down 1 in the 9th, marlon anderson gets called for interference trying to break up a double play. if he doesnt get called for interference, the mets tie the game. instead, the mets lose 3-2.
6. 8/30/07- mets come back from down 5 runs. up 10-8, burrell hits a homer in the 8th. utley hits the walk off single in the 9th off wagner. mets lose 11-10
7. 9/14/07- mets up 2-0.. utley hits a game tying home run in the 6th. dobbs drives in the game winning run on a sac fly in the 10th. mets lose 3-2
8. 9/15/07- mets up 3-1 in the 7th. jimmy rollins puts the phils up 5-3 with a triple (beltran misplays the ball). mets lose 5-3
9. 9/16/07- mets tied 5-5 in the 6th inning. give up a run, followed by a greg dobbs grand slam. mets lose 10-6.
10. tonights game

[Benjamin]

The Best of MetsBlog

Thoughts of a forsaken fanbase: Part II

From: TheEmpireStrikesOut -

Season’s over. Tonight was the final nail.

2008 record: 80-82 14 games back, third place

Way to go Omar.

[Benjamin]

The Best of MetsBlog

Final Thought of a Forsaken Fanbase: Part III

Comment by Mookie1986
2008-07-04 22:37:48
“Could have really used alou tonight”

Correction.

Could really have used a B-52 to fly overhead while the Phils were on defense, carpet bomb the field, and have the game called in the Mets favor because the entire starting line-up of the Phillies had been decimated.

Apparently that’s the only way the Mets will beat this club when it counts most.

Comment by X-Man
2008-07-04 22:39:05
I don’t think they could even beat the Phillies ASHES.

[Benjamin]

Oh man, am I in a hearty rolling chortle over here just reading the metsblog posts...it defines being in a teams head.

Hope you all enjoyed a little well earned schadenfruede...

[Benjamin]

And I wish I could watch the Marlins game, that is 17-16 in 8th, after Marlins were winning 13-4.

[theKrisheim]

big two out hits, big.

i love how ryan church is the mets savior, they talk about him like he is albert pujols.

[Bryan]

So proud of this team after the AL debacle, keep it up boys.

[Michael H]

Great game, thoughts on giving J.A. another start? ANDDDDD we got to hear Wheels in the ninth! "Oh they got that no doubles defense on here."

[Bryan]

MARLINS LOSE 18-17

3.5 lead

[jdawg]

huge win by colorado.. that was a great game to watch... love seeing the Marlins lose and Hanley "the best shortstop in the NL" Ramirez commit a huge error in the ninth

[Benjamin]

Well, Bob, if you would listen to your fellow mets fans, you would hear that it is in fact your fanbase that is swearing off your own team in early July, after 1 game. We are merely enjoying our win, which you obviously are not.

[themajor]

I dunno after reading bobs comments the last two nights I swear he has to be doing that as a joke because I am almost certain nobody is that retarded to talk like that. but then again I have seen jager bombs video on youtube and that is a pretty accurate showing of how guidos are. oh yeah defiantely nice win by the phils tonight. it is always good to add some room between us and the rest of the division

[themajor]

yeah I am pretty sure the one word you can use to describe philly fans is passionate. also bob you should really go back to third grade and learn that or tell your mom she shouldnt have slept with her brother inbreeding really messes people up.

[Sponge-Worthy]

this is bob, bob has bitch-tits

[Johnny G]

Strangers with this kind of honestly make me grow a big rubbery one...

go ahead mets fans... now you cry

babies don't sleep this good

[Matt P]

A few comments have been removed.

[Loqiel]

The comments on Metsblog right now are just a trainwreck of despair and surrender. I haven't read anything more satisfying in a while.

[BadMotherFutley]

Awesome job by the pen. 14 batters faced, 6 K, 5 ground-outs, 2 pop-outs, 1 infield hit, 0 balls out of the infield.

[The Polish Punch]

This was the first Phillies game I've ever been to, despite being an avid fan my whole life. I was sitting in the front row of seats in right-center field with my father, and to say we got our money's worth was an understatement. It was such an amazing first game to see. GO PHILS!!!!

[Benjamin]

Excellent job managing the blog MattP.