ST. LOUIS -- Sitting here in the press box at new Busch Stadium, looking out at the Gateway Arch and watching the rain fall. One forecast I saw indicates the weather will clear by gametime. We'll see.A few notes before the clubhouse opens:
* Phillies won't have to contend with Albert Pujols this weekend. Pujols went on the disabled list the other day with a strained left calf, and the talk here is whether the Cards can stay close in the NL Central while Pujols and staff ace Adam Wainwright are out. Closer Jason Isringhausen (lacerated hand) is getting closer to returning from the disabled list, but there's no guarantee he'll be ready for this weekend.
* Today is a special day in Kyle Kendrick's life. It marks the one-year anniversary of his first major-league start. Nobody expected Kendrick to stay in the majors for very long, but here he is, getting set to open a three-game series in St. Louis.
* The Phillies got their 40th win last night in their 68th game. That's the fewest games to 40 wins since 1993 when, well, you know how far the Phillies got that year.
* Brad Lidge is 18-for-18 in save chances. That's a club record for consecutive saves to start a season since the present saves rule was instituted in 1975. Al Holland (15-for-15) set the previous mark in 1984.
* The Phils have signed two more draft picks -- right-hander Eryk McConnell (20th round from NC State) and outfielder Ruddy Rio-Nunez (35th round from Edouard Montpetit High in Montreal).
* We try to keep things Phillies-related here, but I just heard the terribly sad, terribly stunning news of Tim Russert's death. Russert was a big baseball fan (he was on the Hall of Fame's Board of Directors), and as a journalist, I've always thought his work on "Meet The Press" and other NBC/MSNBC programs was exemplary. "We are shocked and deeply saddened to learn of Tim's sudden passing," National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Chairman Jane Forbes Clark said in a statement. "He was an integral member of our Board of Directors and its executive committee, and he cared about the Hall of Fame and its mission so much. We'll miss Tim's critical thinking and his unsurpassed passion for the game tremendously."
(Updated, 6:47 p.m.): Tonight's lineup against Cardinals right-hander Todd Wellemeyer (7-1, 2.93 ERA): SS Jimmy Rollins (.284/5/22), CF Shane Victorino (.276/2/17), 2B Chase Utley (.313/21/58), 1B Ryan Howard (.204/15/49), LF Pat Burrell (.281/16/42), RF Geoff Jenkins (.277/6/18), 3B Pedro Feliz (.254/8/30), C Carlos Ruiz (.217/2/16), RHP Kyle Kendrick (5-2, 4.87).
1 comment:
Hey Scott, I think Russert was a big NBA fan, too. Everytime the Sixers played in Washington, I would look over and see him in the stands. He had good seats, too. Midcourt, about 8-10 rows up. Sad news, for sure.
Post a Comment