Author: tommyjoyce7

^nice.

Okay, full disclosure: I was working during the first game of this double header so I didn’t get to watch and, from the looks of it, I shouldn’t be too upset about missing that one. The Phillies lost 24-4 against a straight-up putrid Mets offense. They gave up 11 (!!!!) unearned runs, becoming the first team since the 2008 Angels to give up more than 10 unearned runs in a game. Poor Mark Leiter Jr. gave up 7 runs, and exactly 0 of them were earned. They became the first team ever to hit four home runs in a game (all solo) and still lose by 20 runs. The Mets became the first team since 1894 to score 24+ runs and allow 24+ runs in the same season (The Phillies were one of four teams to accomplish that feat that year, along with the Boston Beaneaters, Chicago Colts, and Pittsburgh Pirates). The Phillies were Actually Bad™ during the first game of this double header.

Now, onto tonight’s game that I actually got a chance to watch. This one was a lot easier to stomach as a Phillies fan. The Phillies donned their powder blue throwback uniforms, got a good enough start out of Zac Eflin, the offense woke up, and the team took care of business. Here’s what I liked and what I didn’t from tonight’s win.

What I Liked

Rhys Hoskins. After the Phillies went down 2-0 in the first inning, Rhys responded by hitting a 3-run home run off the foul pole netting that gave the Phillies a lead they would never give up. It was his 25th of the year, as he finished 2-3 with 3 RBIs.

Scott Kingery. Kingery’s role has been reduced a lot since the Phillies traded for Asdrubal Cabrera. He took advantage of his start tonight, going 2-4 with a home run, his 6th of the season. He also became the first player since 1968 to pitch in Game 1 of a double header and homer in Game 2.

Cesar Hernandez. One night after I questioned his spot at the top of the lineup, Cesar shut me up by going 2-4 with a walk, an RBI double, and 3 runs. Credit where credit is due, Cesar did a great job tonight.

Wilson Ramos. The new guy had another good night, this time going 3-5 with a double and an RBI.

What I Didn’t

Yacksel Rios. Rios made things a little too interesting for my liking in the ninth inning, allowing two runs before Seranthony Dominguez cleaned up his mess.

Honestly, there wasn’t a lot for me to dislike in this game. Eflin had a solid starting performance, allowing 4 runs in 6.2 innings. Every starter besides Eflin had at least one hit. The defense only allowed one error after allowing four in the first game (baby steps).

What I Like the Most

Phillies win. With the Braves’ loss to the Rockies earlier in the night, the Phillies pull to within 1.5 games of the division lead. They’re tied with the Brewers for the wild card lead. Tomorrow night’s matchup between Aaron Nola and Noah Syndergaard should be a lot of fun. Be Bold kids, I’ll talk to you all then.

 

The 2017 Phillies took the whole season to win 66 games. Tonight, this year’s Phillies reached that win total by defeating the Boston Red Sox, the best team in baseball, by a score of 7-4. With the win, the Phillies split their season series with the Red Sox at two games apiece. Here’s what I liked and didn’t like from tonight’s win:

What I Liked

Wilson Ramos. Ramos had himself one hell of a Phillies debut. He ended the Red Sox half of the first inning by throwing out Brock Holt, who was trying to steal second base. He added on an RBI double off the top of the right field wall to open scoring for the Phillies, and then hit his first triple since 2011 with the score tied in the bottom of the sixth. THEN, he hit ANOTHER RBI double in the seventh inning. He finished the game 3-4 with 2 doubles, a triple, 3 runs, and 3 RBIs. Could Ramos end up being the offensive shot in the arm that these Phillies need? Only time will tell, I suppose.

Justin Bour. Bour, another mid-season acquisition, had a big game in his first start at first base for the Phillies. He went 2-5 at the plate and made an athletic play at first base that saved a run for the Phillies. Overall, it was a very strong night for the players the Phillies acquired via trade this year:

Nick Williams. Williams went 2-4 tonight and scored a run. His batting average bumps up to .263.

The Bullpen. Hector Neris, Austin Davis, Adam Morgan, Tommy Hunter, Aaron Loup, Pat Neshek, and Seranthony Dominguez combined for 6.2 innings of one-run ball. On a night where their starter was not at his best, the bullpen was.

What I Didn’t

Vince Velasquez. It’s often obvious early on every time Velasquez doesn’t have it, and tonight was one of those instances. Vinny V lasted only 2.1 innings, allowing 4 hits, 4 walks, and 3 runs. He’s the first Phillie since Ethan Martin in 2013 to throw more balls than strikes in a non-injured start. Just a real clunker tonight.

Cesar Hernandez. Cesar was the only starter besides Velasquez not to get a hit tonight. Gabe Kapler has shaken up the lineup a lot recently, but the only constant has been Hernandez from the leadoff spot. I would like to see Kapler give Hernandez a day off sometime or drop him in the lineup if he doesn’t start producing very soon.

What I Liked the Most

PHILS WIN!! After Velasquez left the Phillies down three runs early, I thought all hope was lost for this game. I was happy to be wrong on this one, as Ramos sparked the team to a big win. The Phillies remain two games behind the Braves in the division as the Braves finished off their sweep of the Marlins tonight. The last month and a half of this season are going to be a lot of fun. Until then, Be Bold.

Hello again, friends. After taking a few days off from writing one (1) Phillies blog a day, I am back, rested and rejuvenated to bring you that fresh Phillies #content. After a disappointing series in San Diego over the weekend, the Phillies bats stayed flat as they dropped this one to the Red Sox. Here’s what I liked and what I didn’t from the Phils’ loss tonight against the Sox.

What I Liked

Nick Pivetta. Pivetta continued his recent hot streak. He went six strong innings, allowing only one run against the most prolific offense in baseball. He deserved better from his offense in this game.

Rhys Hoskins. Rhys provided the Phillies’ only run in the game with a solo home run, his 23rd of the season, in the fifth inning off of Red Sox starter Rick Porcello (who put on a great performance tonight, FWIW). He was 1 for his last 27 before his homer. Hopefully this jump starts Hoskins back up after his cold streak.

Pat Neshek. Neshek carried the momentum that Pivetta had going into the seventh inning and kept the game tied. It would have been a 1-2-3 inning if a borderline strike three call hadn’t been called a ball. His ERA on the season drops to 0.68

What I Didn’t

Tommy Hunter. In Hunter’s one inning of work, he gave up two hits, including a pinch-hit home run to Brock Holt that gave the Red Sox the lead that they would never relinquish. His ERA on the season climbs to an even 4.00.

The Whole Phillies Offense, Really. Good God this was a painful offensive effort from the Phillies. They mustered only two hits on the game. As a team, they struck out 12 times. They didn’t walk even once. Odubel Herrera struck out swinging on a pitch that hit him. ODUBEL HERRERA STRUCK OUT SWINGING ON A PITCH THAT HIT HIM. Gabe Kapler tinkered with the lineup a lot tonight, and it did not help. If this team wants to even sniff the playoffs, they need to figure things out and figure them out fast.

What I Liked The Most

The Phillies pitching staff continued to be the mighty Red Sox offense’s kryptonite. In three games against Boston this year, the Phils have allowed only five runs. That’s great, especially when considering that the Red Sox average more runs and hits per game than any other team in the Major Leagues. The problem, however, is that the Phillies have been offensively inept recently, and both the Braves and the Nationals are heating up big time. The Phillies fall to 1.5 games back (the first place Braves are currently leading 10-6 after 7 innings vs. the Marlins) in the NL East. Let’s hope they can salvage a split tomorrow and really get things going later on in the week. Be Bold.

I’mma be real witchu chief! This game sucked. I know they’re not going to win every game, but clunkers like this are just a pain to watch. Nothing went right for the Phils today: the pitching wasn’t there, and the offense never got going to offset that. Here’s what I liked and disliked from today’s stinker:

What I Liked

Cesar Hernandez. For the second consecutive night, Hernandez did his job as leadoff hitter. He went 2-3 with a walk, although the rest of the offense couldn’t add on to Hernandez’s spark in the leadoff spot.

Carlos Santana. Santana went 1-3 today. He was the only person other than Hernandez to show consistent life offensively.

Roman Quinn. I’m reaching here, but there wasn’t much to like from this game. Quinn hit a pinch-hit double, his third of the season, in his only at-bat.

What I Disliked

Vince Velasquez. The beauty of Vinny V is that when he’s on, he’s ON. The downside of Vinny V is that when he’s off, it’s immediately apparent and the bleeding is difficult to stop. Today was an example of the latter case, as Velasquez went only four innings and allowed four runs. These Phillies usually only go as far as their pitching takes them, and when they get a less-than-stellar performance from the starter, they do a poor job of recovering.

Adam Morgan. Morgan gave up 3 hits and 2 earned runs over 1.2 innings. His ERA went up to 4.88 on the season.

Everyone on offense not listed above. The offense was pitiful tonight. After Hernandez’s first hit, he was caught stealing second base. After his second, Rhys Hoskins hit into a double play that killed any momentum that leadoff hitter Hernandez generated. Nick Williams took a trip to his local haberdashery and picked himself up a golden sombrero, going 0-4 with 4 strikeouts. Just an atrocious effort all around.

What I Liked The Most

Uhhhhh..nothing? Velasquez was off, the offense fell flat on their face, and the Braves beat the Nationals and are now tied with the Phillies for the division lead. Let’s hope the Phils can beat up on the Padres this weekend.

P.S. I’ll be out of town this weekend so I in all likelihood won’t be writing these. Try not to miss me too much.

The Phillies bounced back from a tough loss last night to beat the Diamondbacks 5-2, in one of the sloppiest games I’ve seen recently. *Stefon from SNL voice* This game had everything: walks, errors, a guy hitting a Little League home run on a bunt. Here’s what I liked and what I didn’t from this mess of a game:

What I Liked

Nick Pivetta. Pivetta went toe-to-toe with Zack Greinke and stuck right with him. He went 6 scoreless innings, settling into a groove after the third inning. As I said in last night’s wrap-up, starting pitching has been the key to the Phillies’ recent success. Pivetta kept that streak up tonight.

Nick Williams. Williams was the only Phillie able to get to Greinke, hitting a solo homer in the third inning that was the only run of the game until Cesar Hernandez’s bunt home run (kind of) in the 8th inning. Williams finished the game 2-5 overall from the third spot in the lineup.

Asdrubal Cabrera. Cabrera busted the game wide open with a bases-loaded double in the 8th inning that put the Phillies up 4-0. He finished the game 2-3 with a walk and two RBIs from his double.

Cesar Hernandez. Hernandez did his job as leadoff hitter, going 1-4 with a walk and his Yakety Sax-worthy bunt homer.

What I Didn’t

Aaron Loup. Loup gave up the Phillies’ only two runs of the game in the bottom of the 8th. He was pulled after 1/3 of an inning, and his ERA on the season reached an even 5.00.

Odubel Herrera. Dubes went 0-4 and left six men on base throughout the course of the game. Tough night for El Torito.

Maikel Franco. Franco went 0-4 at the plate and went full-on Bill Buckner in the 8th inning, letting a routine ground ball skip through his legs that allowed a run to score.

What I Liked The Most

Phils win. Division lead goes back up to 1.5 games. Break out the coconut oil. #BeBold

The Phillies went into this one with a five-game win streak and a 1.5 game lead over the Braves in the NL East. After 14 innings, they go home with a 3-2 loss. Here’s what I liked and what I didn’t from last night/this morning’s game:

What I Liked

Jake Arrieta. Arrieta absolutely stymied the Diamondbacks tonight. He went 8 scoreless innings, striking out 4 batters on 110 pitches. Starting pitching has been the key to the Phillies’ recent success, and Arrieta’s performance tonight was as good as you can ask for.

Odubel Herrera. Odubel had a second straight good game, this time going 2-6 with a triple and an infield single. The triple scored Asdrubal Cabrera to open up scoring, and Herrera scored on the next play to put the Phillies up two.

Jorge Alfaro. Herrera was able to score on Alfaro’s sacrifice fly after his triple. Alfaro also made an impressive play on an early sacrifice bunt attempt by Diamondbacks pitcher Zack Godley. With a man on first, Alfaro fielded the bunt and gunned it to Cesar Hernandez at second base to get the lead runner.

Asdrubal Cabrera. The AssMan went 1-3 and scored the game’s first run before being lifted for Scott Kingery. He also made a nice defensive play right after Alfaro’s, knocking down a hard-hit ball at shortstop and calmly slapping it with his glove to Hernandez, who touched second to retire Godley.

What I Didn’t

Seranthony Dominguez. Seranthony was brought in to close out Jake’s gem and promptly blew his third save of the season, his second blown lead in as many days. He has been worked a lot recently, and I think he may need a few games off to rest his arm and get himself together.

Rhys Hoskins. For the second straight game, Hoskins was 0-4 before being pulled for Roman Quinn. After a serious hot streak post-All Star Break, I’m worried Rhys is leveling off a bit going into a pretty crucial stretch of the season.

Nick Williams. Williams was 0-5 with two strikeouts batting in the third spot in the lineup. The Phillies just can’t seem to figure out a good fit from the third spot in the lineup. Luckily for them, they’ve been getting production from the latter half of the lineup (Cabrera, Herrera, Maikel Franco, Alfaro) since Herrera was dropped to the sixth spot.

What I Liked the Most

Arrieta’s performance tonight was a sight to behold, even though the bullpen came in and decided to take a big dump all over it. The Phillies’ division lead drops to one game over the Braves.

The Phillies wrapped up 2008 Alumni Weekend with a 5-3 victory over the Miami Marlins. The win was the team’s fifth straight and completed a four-game sweep of Miami. There was a lot to dig into with this one, so here’s what I liked and what I didn’t from today’s game:

What I Liked

Aaron Nola. Nola is a bona fide ace. He allowed two runs over six innings, and was in line for the win before Seranthony Dominguez allowed the Marlins to tie it up. If Nola had better bullpen support, he would almost definitely be on his way to a 20-win season.

Asdrubal Cabrera. The AssMan homered for the second consecutive game, this time hitting a two-run shot that gave the Phillies the lead that they would never relinquish.

Pat Neshek. Neshek ended up getting the win in this game, his first of the season. His scoreless inning dropped his ERA this year to 0.79 (he’s only been back from injury for a few weeks, but still impressive nonetheless).

Odubel Herrera. Herrera was 1-2 with 2 RBIs and worked a walk. He was dropped from third to sixth in the lineup, and that may have been the shot in the arm that he needed.

Maikel Franco. Maik continued his recent tear, following up Herrera’s two-run RBI single with an RBI single of his own. Franco’s recent production makes me very happy. He started off the year slow, and through all of the Manny Machado-to-Phillies rumors, he put his head down and got his job done. I’m almost happy that the Phils didn’t give up the farm in exchange for Machado since Franco has been crushing it lately.

What I Didn’t Like

Rhys Hoskins. Rhys had an off night, going 0-4 and leaving two men on base. Rhys had been on a serious hot streak, and I was kind of wondering when he would come back down to Earth a bit.

Seranthony Dominguez. Seranthony gave up a run in his one inning of action, allowing the Marlins to tie it up. Nola was stuck with a no-decision. It’s a shame that Nola keeps having these awesome performances and either the offense or the bullpen can’t help him out a little.

Jorge Alfaro. Alfaro went 1-3 at the plate, but was picked off at first base by Marlins catcher Bryan Holaday. Baserunning errors have plagued the Phillies for the past few years, so this one was frustrating.

What I Liked the Most

Phils win. Their lead in the NL East stays at 1.5 games over the Braves. Be Bold.

After Thursday night’s thrilling walkoff win in South Philadelphia, the Fightin’ Phils took another one from the Miami Marlins, this time by a score of 5-1. Here’s what I liked and what I didn’t from the Phillies’ series-winning victory over Miami:

What I Liked

Vince Velasquez. Velasquez is known for having some very high highs and some very low lows, and tonight he was on. He went 6 and 1/3 innings, allowing no runs and only two hits. For the second consecutive night, the Phillies started slow offensively, and Vinny V made sure they were right in the game.

Jorge Alfaro. Alfaro is not the Phillies’ best bat by any means, but here and there he has a very strong game at the plate. Tonight was one of those nights, as El Oso went 2-3 with an RBI, a run, and a walk.

Seranthony Dominguez. Seranthony cleaned up the mess that Pat Neshek made in the top of the 8th inning and then slammed the door shut in the ninth inning. He also had a rare at-bat in which he threw his bat down the third base line after a swing, which gave me a nice chuckle.

Rhys Hoskins. My sweet baby Rhys was again a rare early bright spot offensively for the Phillies, going 2-4 with the Phillies’ first RBI of the game.

Nick Williams. Nicky Dubs had a nice night offensively, going 2-4 and scoring a run in the eighth inning.

What I Didn’t Like

Odubel Herrera. Dubes went 0-4 with 2 strikeouts tonight. After a torrid start to the season, Herrera has cooled off significantly. Could it be time to drop him from the third spot in the order in favor of a hotter hitter like Maikel Franco?

Scott Kingery. Kingery has been colder than a yeti eating frozen spaghetti at the plate recently. He went 0-4 tonight, dropping him to 0 for his last 18 and a .156 average since the All-Star Break. Hopefully Asdrubal Carrera can pick up some the slack from Kingery’s  slump.

Pat Neshek. Neshek was off in his appearance tonight. In 2/3 of an inning he allowed the Marlins’ only run and left runners on first and second for Dominguez, who turned around and struck the next batter out on three pitches.

What I Like the Most:

Phils win. Be Bold.

After a day off on Wednesday, the Phillies took on the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday. Offensively, the Phils were off to a slow start, but after a Rhys Hoskins home run in the sixth inning and a big ninth inning, they ended the night with a 5-2 walkoff victory. Here’s my breakdown of the game:

What I Liked:

Rhys Hoskins. Hoskins continued his nationwide assault on America’s baseballs by hitting a solo home run in the 6th inning, his 22nd on the season. His homer was a rare bright spot for the Phillies in this game before the ninth inning,

Carlos Santana. Santana had a solid night, going 2-4 including a dribbler in the ninth inning that gave the Phillies men on first and second with one out. He was on third base when Maikel Franco hit the home run that ended the game. Speaking of Franco…

Maikel Franco. Franco had a tough night before the ninth inning, going 0 for his first 3 at-bats with a strikeout. But when it mattered, Maik stepped it up, hitting a three-run homer to send the Phillies home with a victory. When he first hit the ball, I thought he hit a lazy pop out to left field, but the ball had just enough behind it to land in the bleachers. Also, he had an incredibly cocky bat flip:

Nick Pivetta. Pivetta has had his ups and downs this season (mostly downs recently), but he kept the Phillies in this game by allowing only two earned runs in six innings. Hopefully we see more performances like this one from Pivetta moving forward. Also, the Phillies bullpen held the Marlins to one hit over three innings. I always appreciate a tidy game from the bullpen.

What I Didn’t:

Asdrubal Cabrera. Cabrera has not produced much during his short time with the Phillies. He walked in the ninth inning to load the bases and scored a run on the walkoff, but I would like to see more offensive production from The AssMan moving forward. (BTW, I wish my nickname was The AssMan. Some guys have all the luck)

The Phillies offense other than the ninth inning, really. The Phillies bats came out of this game flat. Hoskins’ solo shot was the only offense other than some scattered hits for the first eight innings. Luckily, they redeemed themselves in the ninth.

What I Like the Most:

ttyl

Shea Serrano is a staff writer at The Ringer and a two-time New York Times bestselling author of The Rap Yearbook and Basketball (And Other Things). His Twitter followers (aka the FOH Army) also know about his love for The Office, NBC’s beloved sitcom about the exploits of the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. I was a huge fan of Basketball (And Other Things), and when Serrano announced he was working on a “secret Office project,” my interest was piqued. One of my favorite writers covering my favorite TV show? What more could I ask for?

Serrano did not disappoint. Here’s a screenshot of the ten essays, each covering its own topic or hypothetical scenario:

Each essay is unique in its own way. In some, you know exactly what you’re getting from the title (The Basketball Scouting Report, Is Jim Halpert Hot?), while some catch you somewhat off-guard (Dwight Club, in which Serrano places Dwight Schrute’s many different battles into four separate tiers, each tier more daunting than the last).

For me, the pinnacle of the project was “Meeting 8”: Pam Has an Art Show. Here, Serrano goes in-depth about Business School, episode sixteen in the series’ third season. He discusses the different emotions being felt by both Pam, who feels hopeless after almost no one in the office shows up for her art show, and Michael, who was deeply hurt by his protégé Ryan trashing Dunder Mifflin and the company’s inability and unwillingness to adapt to the changing business climate of the 21st century. Serrano talks about how Michael comes in and saves the day for Pam, while also finding a way to save the day for himself by finally becoming the man with profound words of wisdom that he always tried to be.

I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about Arturo Torres’ excellent illustrations throughout the project. Torres also made the art in The Rap Yearbook and Basketball (And Other Things). I mean, just take a look at some of these:

There are dozens of these illustrations throughout the project. Torres does a great job of keeping the characters realistic while imagining them in situations not seen on camera throughout the show.

Overall, I thought this project was excellent. It shows off Serrano’s knack for asking interesting hypothetical questions and coming to interesting, logical conclusions, as well as Torres’ ability to bring Serrano’s words to life. Although Serrano has said he’s taking time off from writing books for a while, let’s hope he and Torres link up for another project sometime in the future.

If you’re interested in buying Conference Room, Five Minutes, it can be purchased here for $20. Hurry, though: it’s only available to be purchased for twelve more days!