Philly sports fans scored an unexpected trifecta Sunday. All three pro teams posted thrilling wins. It could be fairly said that all three of them were a surprise in their own way.
It started early, with the Phils trailing the Padres almost all afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. Are you aware that the Phillies have not had a starting pitcher who has not surrendered a home run yet this year? Not a good sign. Yesterday it was Chan Ho Park’s turn, as the Phils fell behind San Diego, 4-0.
Slowly the Phils chipped away at the lead. Chase Utley homered. Then Jimmy Rollins, getting a rare day off, came off the bench and supplied a pinch-hit dinger.
That set the table for the ninth inning and a walk-off two-run home run from Raul Ibanzez, who is quickly making people forget Pat Burrell.
Ibanez is now hitting .386 with five home runs.
If there’s a cloud on this team, it is the continuing problems of the starting pitchers, who insist on burying the Phils in deep holes every night.
Looks like home ice was just the tonic the Flyers needed. After getting blown out in Game 1 in Pittsburgh, then losing a heartbreaker in OT, the Flyers came home desperately needing a win. This one was never in doubt. The Flyers scored on their first two shots and went on to beat Pittsburgh, 6-3. Rookie Claude Giroux is beginning to look like one of the most exciting players the franchise has had in years. His short-handed setup of Simon Gagne was a thing of beauty.
Then there was the most improbable of all yesterday’s big wins. If you gave up on the Sixers when they fell behind the Magic by 18, you’re in for a surprise this morning.
The Sixers outscored – and outplayed - the Magic in the 4th quarter to post a most improbable win thanks for Andre Iguodala’s 22-foot jumper with 2 seconds left in the game.
It means the lowly Sixers, who most believed would be lucky to avoid being swept in this series, are now up 1-0 and have usurped home-court advantage.
I guess just to cap things off, the Eagles rolled out their prize off-season catch, massive offensive tackle Jason Peters. The Birds got him from the Bills for a first- and fifth-round pick in Saturday’s draft. Peters will fill the void left by Tra Thomas, who signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
It’s not often your teams go 4-for-4, especially when they do it in the fashion we witnessed yesterday. A Sunday to remember.
It started early, with the Phils trailing the Padres almost all afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. Are you aware that the Phillies have not had a starting pitcher who has not surrendered a home run yet this year? Not a good sign. Yesterday it was Chan Ho Park’s turn, as the Phils fell behind San Diego, 4-0.
Slowly the Phils chipped away at the lead. Chase Utley homered. Then Jimmy Rollins, getting a rare day off, came off the bench and supplied a pinch-hit dinger.
That set the table for the ninth inning and a walk-off two-run home run from Raul Ibanzez, who is quickly making people forget Pat Burrell.
Ibanez is now hitting .386 with five home runs.
If there’s a cloud on this team, it is the continuing problems of the starting pitchers, who insist on burying the Phils in deep holes every night.
Looks like home ice was just the tonic the Flyers needed. After getting blown out in Game 1 in Pittsburgh, then losing a heartbreaker in OT, the Flyers came home desperately needing a win. This one was never in doubt. The Flyers scored on their first two shots and went on to beat Pittsburgh, 6-3. Rookie Claude Giroux is beginning to look like one of the most exciting players the franchise has had in years. His short-handed setup of Simon Gagne was a thing of beauty.
Then there was the most improbable of all yesterday’s big wins. If you gave up on the Sixers when they fell behind the Magic by 18, you’re in for a surprise this morning.
The Sixers outscored – and outplayed - the Magic in the 4th quarter to post a most improbable win thanks for Andre Iguodala’s 22-foot jumper with 2 seconds left in the game.
It means the lowly Sixers, who most believed would be lucky to avoid being swept in this series, are now up 1-0 and have usurped home-court advantage.
I guess just to cap things off, the Eagles rolled out their prize off-season catch, massive offensive tackle Jason Peters. The Birds got him from the Bills for a first- and fifth-round pick in Saturday’s draft. Peters will fill the void left by Tra Thomas, who signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
It’s not often your teams go 4-for-4, especially when they do it in the fashion we witnessed yesterday. A Sunday to remember.
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