6:02 Pat Burrell flies to right. Phils lose, 4-2. It took them less than three hours to do it. The heart of the Phils offense, their Nos. 3-4-5 guys in the lineup did nothing against the Rockies. They need to change that, starting tomorrow, or they will be looking at a quick exit.
5:57: Howard called out on strikes to start the ninth. He's not a happy camper and lets the home plate umpire know about it. Rowand taps out weakly to second. Down to their last out.
5:53 Myers strikes out the side in ninth, along with infield hit and another single to center. Those are the Rockies' first hits since the 2nd inning. It's now or never as Phils bat in the 9th.
5:45 Brett Myers on to pitch the ninth and strikes out Hawpe to start the inning.
5:42 Very tough day for Chase Utley. He strikes out for fourth time, looking, to end the eighth and strand a runner on first. Phils down to final three outs.
5:38 Bad at-bat for Jimmy Rollins, who goes after questionable pitch on 3-1 count and pops out meekly to short.
5:35 Get the rally caps out. Tadahito Iguchi leads off the bottom of the eighth with a walk.
5:30 J.C. Romero retires the Rockies in the 8th without any more damage, thanks in large part to huge play by Jimmy Rollins to end the inning. Phils need offense.
5:25 Not good. Matt Holliday just crushed a Tom Gordon pitch into the seats in left-center. That will end Gordon's day. And it leaves the Phils now staring at a 4-2 deficit.
5:20 Nothing for Phils in 7th. Carlos Ruiz ends inning by hitting into double-play. Gordon still in to open the eighth. It's getting late.
5:10 Pitching change for the Rockies, Jeff Francis' day is over.
5:06 Gordon strikes out Rockie to end the top of the 7th.
5:01 That's the end of the day for Hamels. He's lifted with two out in the 7th, with runner on second. It's now in Tom Gordon's hands. Hamels was solid except for the 2nd inning, when he gave up all three runs.
4:53 Nothing for Phils in the 6th. Utley strikes out, Howard flies to right, Rowand flies to left. 3-2 after six.
4:46 Hamels is really rolling now, putting Colorado down in order in 6th. He's now retired 13 in a row with 7 strikeouts.
4:39 No more for Phils in 5th, although they did get a man to second. 3-2 after 5.
4:30 Make that a one-run game. Pat Burrell hits a high fly ball to left that barely clears the left-field wall. Back-to-back home runs. I'm not complaining, even though the talking heads on TV are saying it's the only park in the league it would have gone out of. Yeah, like Coors Field is a real pitchers' paradise.
4:28 The Phils are on the board, as Aaron Rowand take Francis out to right field.
4:24 Big-time play from Wes Helms diving to his left to take a hit away from the Rockies. Nothing from Colorado in the 5th. Hamels has settled down and is now cruising. Phils need some offense.
4:21 Ryan Howard fans to end the fourth. That's 7 K's for the Phils, who haven't managed an ounce of offense yet.
4:12 Rockies go meekly 1-2-3 against Hamels in the 4th.
4:07 Nothing in the third. Rollins hits into inning-ending double-play. This is typically Philly. Is this the offensive machine that battered Franics a couple of times this year? This has all the makings of Eagles vs. Tampa Bay. Letdown city.
4:05 Hamels delivers the first hit off Francis with a liner to left. One out in the bottom of third.
4:00: Hamels handles the Rockies in the 3rd. Phils still looking for first hit. Hell, they haven't hit anything out of the infield yet.
3:54: Put away the rally caps. Wes Helms popped out to short right. Inning over.
3:51 Hey, the Phils put one in play. Aaron Rowand grounded out to short. And they finally have a base-runner as Pat Burrell works a walk.
3:29 Hamels seriously struggling. Walks in a run. Phils down 3-0. Next batter crushes ball out of the joint but foul. That exhale you just heard is 45,000 fans rejoicing over what could have been a killer grand slam. Hamels strikes out guy to finally get out of inning.
3:30: Hamels is struggling. Phils now trail 2-0 after a walk and a single. Hamels needs to settle down.
3:25: Garrett Atkins smokes a ball down the left-field line and the Rockies take a 1-0 lead. Those two balls were both scorched.
3:23: Todd Helton blast first pitch of second inning to dead center. Off the wall. Helton easily into third with a triple.
3:21 Ruh-Roh. Rockies starter Jeff Francis strikes out the side. And Ryan Howard wasn’t even one of them. Sorry about that, Ryan.
3:19: MVP candidate Jimmy Rollins fans to start the bottom of the first.
3:14: So far, so good. Three up, three down for the Rockies. Hamels looks strong.
3:08: First pitch from Cole Hamels, fouled off by Kaz Matsui. Rally towels in full effect.
2:57: Here's the starting lineup for Rockies:
Kaz Matsui 2B
Troy Tulowitzki SS
Matt Holliday LF
Todd Helton 1B
Garrett Atkins 3B
Brad Hawpe RF
Ryan Spilborghs CF
Yorvit Torrealba C
Jeff Francis P
2:50: There is a great Delco angle to this playoff series, albeit one that likely has mixed emotions. Taylor Buchholz was the Daily Times Baseball Player of the Year in 2000.
Grew up in Springfield. Starred at Springfield High. Was a lifelong Phillies fan. And is now toiling in the bullpen for the Colorado Rockies.
Make sure you catch Tim Logue’s interview with Buchholz’s family in tomorrow’s Daily Times.
2:40: The wait is almost over. Not for the game. Fourteen long years of waiting to get back into the playoffs. Feels pretty damn good.
1:30 p.m.: Here's the starting lineup for the Phils for today's opener against the Rockies:
* Jimmy Rollins, shortstop
* Shane Victorino, right field
* Chase Utley, second base
* Ryan Howard, first base
* Aaron Rowand, centerfield
* Pat Burrell, left field
* Wes Helms, third base
* Carlos Ruiz, catcher
* Cole Hamels, pitcher.
*
Noon: Three hours before game time and, as suspected, no one is working today. Aside from us, I guess.
It looks like everyone else is already down at the stadium, taking part in the October-Phest.
We’ll try not to cheer too much with this thing this afternoon, unlike our counterparts on TV.
Keep the pom-poms in the closet, folks.
*
5:57: Howard called out on strikes to start the ninth. He's not a happy camper and lets the home plate umpire know about it. Rowand taps out weakly to second. Down to their last out.
5:53 Myers strikes out the side in ninth, along with infield hit and another single to center. Those are the Rockies' first hits since the 2nd inning. It's now or never as Phils bat in the 9th.
5:45 Brett Myers on to pitch the ninth and strikes out Hawpe to start the inning.
5:42 Very tough day for Chase Utley. He strikes out for fourth time, looking, to end the eighth and strand a runner on first. Phils down to final three outs.
5:38 Bad at-bat for Jimmy Rollins, who goes after questionable pitch on 3-1 count and pops out meekly to short.
5:35 Get the rally caps out. Tadahito Iguchi leads off the bottom of the eighth with a walk.
5:30 J.C. Romero retires the Rockies in the 8th without any more damage, thanks in large part to huge play by Jimmy Rollins to end the inning. Phils need offense.
5:25 Not good. Matt Holliday just crushed a Tom Gordon pitch into the seats in left-center. That will end Gordon's day. And it leaves the Phils now staring at a 4-2 deficit.
5:20 Nothing for Phils in 7th. Carlos Ruiz ends inning by hitting into double-play. Gordon still in to open the eighth. It's getting late.
5:10 Pitching change for the Rockies, Jeff Francis' day is over.
5:06 Gordon strikes out Rockie to end the top of the 7th.
5:01 That's the end of the day for Hamels. He's lifted with two out in the 7th, with runner on second. It's now in Tom Gordon's hands. Hamels was solid except for the 2nd inning, when he gave up all three runs.
4:53 Nothing for Phils in the 6th. Utley strikes out, Howard flies to right, Rowand flies to left. 3-2 after six.
4:46 Hamels is really rolling now, putting Colorado down in order in 6th. He's now retired 13 in a row with 7 strikeouts.
4:39 No more for Phils in 5th, although they did get a man to second. 3-2 after 5.
4:30 Make that a one-run game. Pat Burrell hits a high fly ball to left that barely clears the left-field wall. Back-to-back home runs. I'm not complaining, even though the talking heads on TV are saying it's the only park in the league it would have gone out of. Yeah, like Coors Field is a real pitchers' paradise.
4:28 The Phils are on the board, as Aaron Rowand take Francis out to right field.
4:24 Big-time play from Wes Helms diving to his left to take a hit away from the Rockies. Nothing from Colorado in the 5th. Hamels has settled down and is now cruising. Phils need some offense.
4:21 Ryan Howard fans to end the fourth. That's 7 K's for the Phils, who haven't managed an ounce of offense yet.
4:12 Rockies go meekly 1-2-3 against Hamels in the 4th.
4:07 Nothing in the third. Rollins hits into inning-ending double-play. This is typically Philly. Is this the offensive machine that battered Franics a couple of times this year? This has all the makings of Eagles vs. Tampa Bay. Letdown city.
4:05 Hamels delivers the first hit off Francis with a liner to left. One out in the bottom of third.
4:00: Hamels handles the Rockies in the 3rd. Phils still looking for first hit. Hell, they haven't hit anything out of the infield yet.
3:54: Put away the rally caps. Wes Helms popped out to short right. Inning over.
3:51 Hey, the Phils put one in play. Aaron Rowand grounded out to short. And they finally have a base-runner as Pat Burrell works a walk.
3:29 Hamels seriously struggling. Walks in a run. Phils down 3-0. Next batter crushes ball out of the joint but foul. That exhale you just heard is 45,000 fans rejoicing over what could have been a killer grand slam. Hamels strikes out guy to finally get out of inning.
3:30: Hamels is struggling. Phils now trail 2-0 after a walk and a single. Hamels needs to settle down.
3:25: Garrett Atkins smokes a ball down the left-field line and the Rockies take a 1-0 lead. Those two balls were both scorched.
3:23: Todd Helton blast first pitch of second inning to dead center. Off the wall. Helton easily into third with a triple.
3:21 Ruh-Roh. Rockies starter Jeff Francis strikes out the side. And Ryan Howard wasn’t even one of them. Sorry about that, Ryan.
3:19: MVP candidate Jimmy Rollins fans to start the bottom of the first.
3:14: So far, so good. Three up, three down for the Rockies. Hamels looks strong.
3:08: First pitch from Cole Hamels, fouled off by Kaz Matsui. Rally towels in full effect.
2:57: Here's the starting lineup for Rockies:
Kaz Matsui 2B
Troy Tulowitzki SS
Matt Holliday LF
Todd Helton 1B
Garrett Atkins 3B
Brad Hawpe RF
Ryan Spilborghs CF
Yorvit Torrealba C
Jeff Francis P
2:50: There is a great Delco angle to this playoff series, albeit one that likely has mixed emotions. Taylor Buchholz was the Daily Times Baseball Player of the Year in 2000.
Grew up in Springfield. Starred at Springfield High. Was a lifelong Phillies fan. And is now toiling in the bullpen for the Colorado Rockies.
Make sure you catch Tim Logue’s interview with Buchholz’s family in tomorrow’s Daily Times.
2:40: The wait is almost over. Not for the game. Fourteen long years of waiting to get back into the playoffs. Feels pretty damn good.
1:30 p.m.: Here's the starting lineup for the Phils for today's opener against the Rockies:
* Jimmy Rollins, shortstop
* Shane Victorino, right field
* Chase Utley, second base
* Ryan Howard, first base
* Aaron Rowand, centerfield
* Pat Burrell, left field
* Wes Helms, third base
* Carlos Ruiz, catcher
* Cole Hamels, pitcher.
*
Noon: Three hours before game time and, as suspected, no one is working today. Aside from us, I guess.
It looks like everyone else is already down at the stadium, taking part in the October-Phest.
We’ll try not to cheer too much with this thing this afternoon, unlike our counterparts on TV.
Keep the pom-poms in the closet, folks.
*
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