Baseball: Philadelphia Phillies

The Phils also get closer Billy Wagner back from the DL on Tuesday. This will return Tim Worrell to his role as a set-up man and hopefully the bullpen can regroup and get back to shutting teams down.

Move over Coors Field, US Cellular Field might be the new offensive field. I watched the Phillies lose to the White Sox last night 14-11 with 9 homeruns between the two teams.

Tonight I'm watching the Phils-ChiSox game and the Phils are winning 10-5 in the top of the 5th with 0 outs. There have already been 7 homers hit so far including 2 by Bobby Abreu(13,14) and a bomb by Jim Thome, his 17th. It's definitely entertaining to watch, the pitchers ERA's are taking an absolute beating though.

Well the Phils conclude their series with the ChiSox tonight, I wonder if this score will be double digits like the last 2.

Though currently 1 game out of first, it looks like things are coming together for the Phils, thome's leading in HR's, and Milton is en fuego.

story link

BOSTON (AP) - Jim Thome hit his major league-leading 26th home run and the Philadelphia Phillies took advantage of a season-high four Boston errors to score five unearned runs Saturday to beat the Red Sox 9-2.

A day after Boston broke out with an eight-run inning and 12 runs in all - Philadelphia's worst loss of the season - the Phillies responded with a big inning of their own. They scored five in the fourth to break open the game - four unearned, thanks to errors by pitcher Bronson Arroyo and first baseman Kevin Millar.

#26 for Thome!

That leads the majors, 6 more than anyone in baseball.

Yea Thome is off to a great start i would like to see him be bang in contention at the end of the season. The way he is hitting them the Phillies should make the playoffs. He just needs to stay fit!

David Bell just tripled to hit for the cycle, the last Phillie to do that was Gregg Jeffries against the Dodgers back in '95.

He's 4-4 with a walk, 2 runs scored, and 6 rbi's!

Looks like the Phillies offense has awaken.

They scored 31 runs in the past two games, thats alot of runs!

Bell hit a three run homer, he's en fuego!

They're tied for first place with the Marlins.

Well, the Phillies have a 2 game lead in the tight NL East and open up a four game series against the Mets tonight. They need to keep the bats hot and get a bit better pitching.

NL East Standings 7/5/04

Philadelphia 43 37 .538 1st place

N.Y. Mets 41 39 .512, 2 back

Florida 42 40 .512, 2 back

Atlanta 40 41 .494, 3 1/2 back

Montreal 28 52 .350, 15 back

Last night's win puts them ahead of the Mets and Fish 3 games.

go Phils!

Apparent foul-turned-home run gets Phillies manager the gate

PHILADELPHIA -- Phillies manager Larry Bowa was ejected in the third inning of Philadelphia's game against Atlanta on Friday night after a disputed home run by the Braves' Rafael Furcal.

With two runners on, Furcal hit a long fly off Eric Milton down the left-field line that was ruled fair by third-base umpire Gerry Davis. Left fielder Pat Burrell, holding his hat in his hand, immediately rushed toward the infield while Bowa came out to argue the call and fans chanted, "Foul ball!"

The umpires conferred, but the homer stood. Television replays showed the ball hooked foul. After a brief argument, Bowa returned to the dugout. He was ejected by plate umpire Bruce Dreckman after the next batter, Nick Green, lined out to third base.

Eyes bulging, Bowa ran onto the field and went nose-to-nose with Dreckman for a few minutes. He threw his hat down and gestured several times, before finally returning to the dugout. It was his fourth ejection this year, and 21st in his fourth season as Philadelphia's manager.

I don't watch much baseball, but IA saw that last night, man, I thought Bowa was gonna pop a blood bessel!

I bet he was well pissed.

How many times does the umpire get the call wrong? Does it happen often?

I think quite often, they quoted Bowa on sportscenter last night "It was so far foul it was frustrating". It looked to be a good 4-5 feet away from the foul post, don't understand how they got that wrong.

Eric Milton just struck out Sammy Sosa with 2 outs in the top of the 7th inning to keep his no-hitter alive.

He will face Moises Alou, Derek Lee, and Aramis Ramirez in the 8th!

6 more outs Milt!! :tum:

Milton is pitching against Mark Prior today, it's 2-0 Phils in the 7th, Chase Utley homered off Prior in the 6th.

1 more inning to go!!!

Alou fouled out, Lee struck out, and Ramirez popped out, 3 up 3 down.

9th inning for the Cubs will be Barrett, Martinez, and the pitcher's spot who Dusty Baker will pinch hit for.

Milton has only walked one and he has 10 strikeout's.

3 outs to go Milt !!!

Kevin Millwood's no-hitter last year was on a Sunday afternoon in Philly, I was at that game. This game has the same feel to it, I'd love to see Milton do it in the first year of the new ballpark, he has a great shot at it!

Well, first batter of the ninth Michael Barrett hits a texas-league single to shallow center breaking Milton's bid at a no-hitter.

Milton threw a no-hitter a few years back when he was with the Twins.

3 outs shy of his second, great pitching nonetheless.