The Phillies have acquired first baseman Mike Sweeney off waivers from the Seattle Mariners today in exchange for a player-to-be-named or cash. The deal was first reported by Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports. Sweeney will be able to help the Phillies off the bench or at first base while Ryan Howard is injured.
Sweeney is batting .263 with 6 home runs and 18 RBIs. Sweeney, a righty, is 37-years old and on the downside of his career. Sweeney made five all-star teams while with the Kansas City Royals in the early 2000s. He has struggled with injuries the last few years however.
Here's Charlie Manuel on Sweeney (all quotes from csnphilly.com): “He knows how to hit and he’s got some power. He can help us right now and off the bench later."
Ruben Amaro Jr.: “I don’t know if we had to do anything, but this will help. He can hit. He always could hit. “He’s a great makeup guy. He’s never played in the playoffs. He’s really excited about coming here. He views this as a pretty neat opportunity for himself.”
The Phillies sent down John Mayberry Jr. to make room for Sweeney. This is a solid move to help the bench. Sweeney is a better righty bat than both Ben Francisco and Cody Ransom. He has some power and he can hit lefties... sounds good to me
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Marlin Errors Lead To Phils Win
While only a single error will appear in the box score for the Marlins, defense mistakes all around the field for the Fish contributed greatly towards a Phillies win. The final score stood at 6-1, with the Phillies winning their second straight game. Couple this win with a loss from the Braves, and the Phillies are now only 2 games back of first place.
Carlos Ruiz was the offensive star for the Phils tonight, going 3-5 with a homer and 2 RBIs. Ben Francisco and Ruiz hit back-to-back homers in the second inning. After Carlos doubled in the 4th, "Chooooch" chants arose all around the ballpark, with so many Phillies fans in attendance in Florida.
Roy Halladay made his first start in Sun Life Stadium since his perfect game. He pitched wonderfully, pitching seven strong innings, giving up an earned run, and striking out nine. Halladay also hit a 2-run double in the 4th. After the Marlins decided to walk Wilson Valdez to get to Halladay, Roy hit a shot down the foul line.
The Marlins didn't do much to help their cause on the field. Cody Ross looked like he was lost when Ruiz hit a deep fly to center, and the ball wound up 25 feet from him. That lead to Halladay's 2-run single. Dan Uggla also made a series of defensive gaffes.
This win was the only bright spot on a gloomy day for the Phillies. They will be without the services of Ryan Howard for at least the next 15 days. The offense showed up tonight, but will the hole in the middle of the lineup rear it's ugly head in the next two weeks?
Howard Placed on DL
Ryan Howard has been placed on the 15-day disabled list, according to Jim Salsbury of csn.com. Howard injured his ankle on Sunday against the Nationals while trying to get back to the second base bag. Howard was in Philadelphia today seeing doctors and testing the ankle.
This is a major blow to an already depleted Phillies lineup. With Howard now on the DL, every starting infielder has spent some part of the season on the disabled list. Ryan has been the only consistent bat all season in the Phillies lineup. He is hitting .292, with 23 homers and 81 RBIs.
John Mayberry Jr. has been called up from triple-A to replace Howard on the roster. Righty Cody Ransom and lefty Ross Gload will likely platoon at first until Howard can return.
This is a major blow to an already depleted Phillies lineup. With Howard now on the DL, every starting infielder has spent some part of the season on the disabled list. Ryan has been the only consistent bat all season in the Phillies lineup. He is hitting .292, with 23 homers and 81 RBIs.
John Mayberry Jr. has been called up from triple-A to replace Howard on the roster. Righty Cody Ransom and lefty Ross Gload will likely platoon at first until Howard can return.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Flyers Fall in Game 1
Game one of the Stanley Cup Finals was a scoring slugfest. Both teams jockeying for the lead in the game. It went from 1-0 Flyers, to 1-1, to 2-1 Chicago, to 2-2, to 3-2 Flyers, and that was all in the first period. When the final horn sounded, the Flyers had lost 6-5 and are down 1-0 in the series. Michael Leighton was pulled in the second period after giving up five goals in a little over 35 minutes of play.
I'm not going to go into every goal in detail because there was so many. A positive for the Flyers was that they were getting secondary scoring from unlikely candidates. Blair Betts and Arron Asham each scored for the Flyers. Arron Asham is becoming a scoring threat because of he has a wicked and accurate slap shot.
The defense had several lapses, which resulted in turnovers, which often result in goals. Many of the goals Michael Leighton gave up weren't exactly his fault, but some he could have saved. The fact of the matter is you have to stop some of them. Five goals on twenty shots is no good for a goaltender. I think coach Peter Laviolette made the right decision to pull Leighton.
Brian Boucher, in his first game back from injury, relieved Leighton and played fairly well. He faced twelve shots and saved eleven, but that one goal was a big one. Tomas Kopecky scored the only goal of the third period, and that was the winner for the Blackhawks.
I don't think a goalie controversy should start up just yet. I think Michael Leighton deserves another start to show what he can do. If the Blackhawks have another great night against him, then maybe you switch to Boucher come game three.
Game two is critical for the Flyers. Falling down 2-0 in the series is not an option against the Blackhawks. They have a high powered offense and forced the Flyers to play to their style in game one. In game two, the Flyers need to slow the Blackhawks' offensive attack. They can do it by being physical against the Blackhawk forwards. Game two is Monday night.
I'm not going to go into every goal in detail because there was so many. A positive for the Flyers was that they were getting secondary scoring from unlikely candidates. Blair Betts and Arron Asham each scored for the Flyers. Arron Asham is becoming a scoring threat because of he has a wicked and accurate slap shot.
The defense had several lapses, which resulted in turnovers, which often result in goals. Many of the goals Michael Leighton gave up weren't exactly his fault, but some he could have saved. The fact of the matter is you have to stop some of them. Five goals on twenty shots is no good for a goaltender. I think coach Peter Laviolette made the right decision to pull Leighton.
Brian Boucher, in his first game back from injury, relieved Leighton and played fairly well. He faced twelve shots and saved eleven, but that one goal was a big one. Tomas Kopecky scored the only goal of the third period, and that was the winner for the Blackhawks.
I don't think a goalie controversy should start up just yet. I think Michael Leighton deserves another start to show what he can do. If the Blackhawks have another great night against him, then maybe you switch to Boucher come game three.
Game two is critical for the Flyers. Falling down 2-0 in the series is not an option against the Blackhawks. They have a high powered offense and forced the Flyers to play to their style in game one. In game two, the Flyers need to slow the Blackhawks' offensive attack. They can do it by being physical against the Blackhawk forwards. Game two is Monday night.
Halladay Tosses Perfect Game
Roy Halladay has thrown the 20th perfect game in Major League baseball history, the second in Phils history. Halladay dominated the Marlins to say the least, 27 up, 27 down. He struck out 11. The amazing thing is that Halladay went to three ball counts many times during the game, and every time he prevailed. Many Marlin hitters stood dumbfounded as the Halladay painted the corner with called third strikes.
The Phillies won the game 1-0, so Roy had no room for error. The run did the Phillies scored came on an error by Cameron Maybin. Maybe seeing the performance of a lifetime from Halladay will motivate the offense, which has been struggling mightily recently.
As with most perfect games, the defense did help out Halladay. Juan Castro made several nice plays at thrid, including the one that ended the game. Wilson Valdez made a great throw from short to nail a Marlin runner on a bang-bang play. Both Castro and Valdez have performed great in the field while filling in for the regulars.
Think of how great a moment this is for Roy. For the rest of his life, he will be able to say that he pitched a perfect game. A perfect game is the ultimate one-game achievement for a pitcher. So many times, a unknown pitcher throws a no-hitter, and you'll never hear about him again. But for Halladay, his perfecto will be a footnote on his amazing career, instead of his 15 minutes of fame.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Flyers Dominate Canadiens
The Philadelphia Flyers rebounded from their weak effort in game three to blank the Canadiens 3-0 in game four. Michael Leighton logged his third shutout in four games. Chris Pronger bounced back from a poor game three to being absolutely great in today's game. It's a great win for the Flyers. Now, the Flyers are one win away from going to the Stanley Cup Finals.
The first period saw two evenly matched teams battle it out. The momentum was swinging both ways and both teams had chances to score. Nobody did score though. It was a good period as far as the Flyers were concerned. The way they were dominated in the previous game, it was a good sign that they held their own against the Canadiens at home.
In the second period, the Flyers emerged as the better team. Claude Giroux cut into the Canadiens zone, easily splitting the dumbfounded Montreal defensemen. He then made a gorgeous shot over the shoulder of Jaroslav Halak, putting the Flyers up 1-0. Giroux's play has been great in the playoffs. He is only 22, but he is already one of the best players on the Flyers.
Ville Leino scored the second goal of the period for the Flyers. Chris Pronger zapped a laser-like pass across the ice to Leino. Ville was alone with the goalie. He stopped on the dime, and wheeled the puck around Halak. That goal was started on a beautiful pass by Pronger, and ended on a equally beautiful move by Leino.
The Flyers spent much of the third period dumping the puck into the Montreal zone. That seems to be their strategy when up by two or more in the third period. And it works. The Flyers kept Montreal frustrated all day. Claude Giroux scored an empty-net goal late in the game, to officially put the game away.
The Flyers got two players back from injury today. Jeff Carter and Ian Lapierriere both played in their first game in these Eastern Conference Finals. Jeff Carter looked good. Early in the game, Carter beat a defender and then unleashed a wicked wrist shot that was saved by Halak. Lapierriere played his usual game, albeit a little less physical because of the full mask protecting his face.
The teams will now travel back to Philly for game five on Monday. They Flyers need to win just one more game out of three, and two of those are at home. I'd like to avoid the drama of a game seven in this series. The Flyers cannot assume the series is won. The know quite well after last series that any team can come back from any deficit. With that said, let's wrap this one up on Monday.
The first period saw two evenly matched teams battle it out. The momentum was swinging both ways and both teams had chances to score. Nobody did score though. It was a good period as far as the Flyers were concerned. The way they were dominated in the previous game, it was a good sign that they held their own against the Canadiens at home.
In the second period, the Flyers emerged as the better team. Claude Giroux cut into the Canadiens zone, easily splitting the dumbfounded Montreal defensemen. He then made a gorgeous shot over the shoulder of Jaroslav Halak, putting the Flyers up 1-0. Giroux's play has been great in the playoffs. He is only 22, but he is already one of the best players on the Flyers.
Ville Leino scored the second goal of the period for the Flyers. Chris Pronger zapped a laser-like pass across the ice to Leino. Ville was alone with the goalie. He stopped on the dime, and wheeled the puck around Halak. That goal was started on a beautiful pass by Pronger, and ended on a equally beautiful move by Leino.
The Flyers spent much of the third period dumping the puck into the Montreal zone. That seems to be their strategy when up by two or more in the third period. And it works. The Flyers kept Montreal frustrated all day. Claude Giroux scored an empty-net goal late in the game, to officially put the game away.
The Flyers got two players back from injury today. Jeff Carter and Ian Lapierriere both played in their first game in these Eastern Conference Finals. Jeff Carter looked good. Early in the game, Carter beat a defender and then unleashed a wicked wrist shot that was saved by Halak. Lapierriere played his usual game, albeit a little less physical because of the full mask protecting his face.
The teams will now travel back to Philly for game five on Monday. They Flyers need to win just one more game out of three, and two of those are at home. I'd like to avoid the drama of a game seven in this series. The Flyers cannot assume the series is won. The know quite well after last series that any team can come back from any deficit. With that said, let's wrap this one up on Monday.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Flyers Blow Out Canadiens
The Flyers performed marvelously all around in game one of the Eastern Conference finals, shutting out the Montreal Canadiens 6-0. Yes, the Flyers dominated all game. Yes, Michael Leighton made some key saves. This game looked too good to be true. The Flyers have finally won a game handily for the first time in a long time.
This game started off on the right foot for the Flyers. About four minutes into the game, Braydon Coburn stuffed a puck home to open the scoring for the Flyers. That's all the Flyers would get in the opening period, but they were far from done.
The Flyers would erupt for three goals in the second period. James van Riemsdyk got the puck right off the faceoff and drove to the net, much to the dismay of the Montreal defensemen. He slotted the puck in the net like one would start a game of pinball. Danny Briere, again vying for playoff MVP, unleashed a slapshot right by goalie Jaroslav Halak. Simon Gagne netted a goal shortly thereafter, and that ended a nightmarish night for Halak.
Montreal coach Jacques Martin yelled "Next!" on the bench after that Gagne goal, and Carey Price emerged as the next victim for the Flyers. He managed to hold the Flyers for the rest of second period, much like a dam holds back a river. He would begin to show cracks in the third period.
The Flyers, with the game already put away, were hungry for more. Like a dog who just won't stop eating, the Flyers pounded home two goals in the third period. Scott Hartnell and Claude Giroux scored the last two goals, respectively. This game was such a demoralizing loss for the Canadiens.
The Flyers can't get caught up in the moment, though. It was just one game. The next game is a completely different animal. The Canadiens are likely to be chewed out by their coach, and will come out better next game. If not, they might be eaten alive when they get to Montreal for game three. The Flyers need to weather that early storm, and then dominate them like they did during this game.
This game started off on the right foot for the Flyers. About four minutes into the game, Braydon Coburn stuffed a puck home to open the scoring for the Flyers. That's all the Flyers would get in the opening period, but they were far from done.
The Flyers would erupt for three goals in the second period. James van Riemsdyk got the puck right off the faceoff and drove to the net, much to the dismay of the Montreal defensemen. He slotted the puck in the net like one would start a game of pinball. Danny Briere, again vying for playoff MVP, unleashed a slapshot right by goalie Jaroslav Halak. Simon Gagne netted a goal shortly thereafter, and that ended a nightmarish night for Halak.
Montreal coach Jacques Martin yelled "Next!" on the bench after that Gagne goal, and Carey Price emerged as the next victim for the Flyers. He managed to hold the Flyers for the rest of second period, much like a dam holds back a river. He would begin to show cracks in the third period.
The Flyers, with the game already put away, were hungry for more. Like a dog who just won't stop eating, the Flyers pounded home two goals in the third period. Scott Hartnell and Claude Giroux scored the last two goals, respectively. This game was such a demoralizing loss for the Canadiens.
The Flyers can't get caught up in the moment, though. It was just one game. The next game is a completely different animal. The Canadiens are likely to be chewed out by their coach, and will come out better next game. If not, they might be eaten alive when they get to Montreal for game three. The Flyers need to weather that early storm, and then dominate them like they did during this game.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Amazing Flyers
The Flyers have pulled off the unthinkable in Game 7 of their second round series against Boston. They have become the third team in the history of the NHL to comeback from a 3-0 series deficit and win the series. Not only that, but they came back from a three goals to win in the final game. This series will go down in history as one of the best comebacks in the history of sports.
The Bruins jumped on the Flyers early, completely dominating them throughout most of the first period. Less then fifteen minutes into the game, the Flyers were on the bad end of a 3-0 score. I thought that would discourage them, and I was disgusted with their play. Goalie Michael Leighton looked like he could have had stopped at least one of those goals. The Flyers were down but not out.
JVR (James van Riemsdyk) did get a goal back late in the first period, leaving some hope for the second period. Even still, it was a tall order to come back from two in a Game 7. The Flyers would do just that in the second period.
The Flyers came out on fire to begin the second, firing many shots on goalie Tukka Rask. Scott Hartnell, who had made some blunders in the first period, put the Flyers within one on a beautifully placed backhander over the shoulder of Rask. Then, Danny Briere showed us his one-man show, when he wrapped the puck around the net and then put it in the net.... tie game.
So it all came down to the third period. Whoever won the period would win the series. The Flyers got a power play about midway through the period, and they were not going to waste it. Simon Gagne scored the game-winner on the power play for the Flyers. Finally, the Flyers had taken a lead in the game. It was just up to them to hold it.
They did hold that score, 4-3, for the rest of the game, propelling the team into history. The only other teams in NHL history to come back from 3-0 deficit were the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and the 1975 New York Islanders. It is amazing when a team can when four straight games against the same team that it lost three straight to.... simply amazing.
The Flyers will now encounter the Montreal Canadiens, with the winner getting a spot in the Stanley Cup Finals. It should be a good series. The Flyers will get home ice advantage because Montreal is the #8 seed and the Flyers on the #7 seed. Imagine that. The lowest seeded teams in the conference make it to the conference finals. Expect the unexpected.
The Bruins jumped on the Flyers early, completely dominating them throughout most of the first period. Less then fifteen minutes into the game, the Flyers were on the bad end of a 3-0 score. I thought that would discourage them, and I was disgusted with their play. Goalie Michael Leighton looked like he could have had stopped at least one of those goals. The Flyers were down but not out.
JVR (James van Riemsdyk) did get a goal back late in the first period, leaving some hope for the second period. Even still, it was a tall order to come back from two in a Game 7. The Flyers would do just that in the second period.
The Flyers came out on fire to begin the second, firing many shots on goalie Tukka Rask. Scott Hartnell, who had made some blunders in the first period, put the Flyers within one on a beautifully placed backhander over the shoulder of Rask. Then, Danny Briere showed us his one-man show, when he wrapped the puck around the net and then put it in the net.... tie game.
So it all came down to the third period. Whoever won the period would win the series. The Flyers got a power play about midway through the period, and they were not going to waste it. Simon Gagne scored the game-winner on the power play for the Flyers. Finally, the Flyers had taken a lead in the game. It was just up to them to hold it.
They did hold that score, 4-3, for the rest of the game, propelling the team into history. The only other teams in NHL history to come back from 3-0 deficit were the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and the 1975 New York Islanders. It is amazing when a team can when four straight games against the same team that it lost three straight to.... simply amazing.
The Flyers will now encounter the Montreal Canadiens, with the winner getting a spot in the Stanley Cup Finals. It should be a good series. The Flyers will get home ice advantage because Montreal is the #8 seed and the Flyers on the #7 seed. Imagine that. The lowest seeded teams in the conference make it to the conference finals. Expect the unexpected.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
