Thursday, July 24, 2008

Moyer Faces the Mets - Live Blog

We pick up our live blog in the bottom of the second. No score and Jamie Moyer has been looking good. Jimmy Rollins is out of the lineup with no explanation. Presumably he's getting a rest day after slumping a bit. Bruntlett made a good play in the first to prove his worth. 

12:39 - Tatis breaks up the no-hitter. Like all out-of-town announcers, the Mets team is stunned that Moyer is both old and competent. Odd that the Mets and Phillies seem to be fielding some B players -- even in a day game -- considering its importance.

12:45 - We see Rollins' name literally scratched out of the line-up card. That's for not running out grounders in batting practise. 

12:47 - Bruntlett singles. There is now no justification for criticising Charlie Manuel's decision to bat him lead-off. Now, why DID he bat him lead-off?

1:02: Burrell makes history's worst throw from the outfield. An attempt to throw the runner out at home by getting Ryan Howard to tag him out at first. A run scores and Burrell gets the error for letting a  runner reach third. 

1:20 - Moyer throws his bat at Carlos Delgado. Is this a strategy for getting a brushback in without giving him first? Delgado tosses the bat back. We are told this is impolite. 

1:21 - Oliver Perez has a season-high nine strike outs. This means that, somewhat unusually, he has thrown at least 27 strikes. 

1:29 - Bruntlett doubles. Jimmy who?

1:31 - Burrell's fly is not deep enough to score Bruntlett. He's can't afford to remind people of throws from left. 

1:34 - Ryan Howard gets help from the third base umpire to find new ways to strike out. He may have held up, but a man needs help when he is going for a record. 

1:39 - Hostilities build between Moyer and Delgado - seriously. It is also apparantly impolite to... bunt? Delgado courteously ends the at-bat by flying out to left. 

1:42 - Werth homers to deep centre! Tie game. Only the home run hitters are not hitting the home runs now. 

1:58 - Bruntlett doubles again. Shot of the dugout: Howard shouts and punches the air, Rollins grimaces. 

2:00 - Utley strikes out looking terrible. Can we have only the bench guys playing tomorrow?

2:01 - Burrell walked to get to Howard. That's the trouble with hitting in front of the RBI leader. You get no protection. 

2:04 - Howard is hit on a 3-2 count to load the bases. Just our luck he is taken out of the game just when he turns back into Oliver Perez. 

2:17 -Intentionally walking Wright to get to Delgado. J. C. Romero has not been looking at the "who's hot" lists lately. 

2:23 - Delgado puts the Mets ahead 3-1. Yeah, he was the one you wanted to pitch to. 

2:28 - As Ruiz comes in to pinch run (the perfect role for your catcher) Rollins pinch hits to make the final out. No injury then. 

The Phillies lose first place and waste a great start from Jamie Moyer. They can certainly climb back, but they'll need to bring their big bats back to life consistently - for the first time in about a month. 

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