The Citizens Report

What a game!  Eric Milton walks the first batter, and my comment was this: Oh geez, here we go....  And away we went indeed, thru 8 innings of hitless ball. It goes without saying that Milton pitched a tremendous game tonight, and I was surprised to find out he had already thrown a no-hitter already in his career.  When he's on he's on. When the 8th began, and Glanville was in the game I was relieved because Ledee has had a bad week in the field.  Obviously, at this point, Bowa went for the no-hitter, but I was left wondering why he didn't put Michaels in left, it's not like they were needing a strong arm at that point just someone to run a ball down.  Like the movie "Signs", there's a reason for everything.

Glanville, like he needed any more blogger venom, misread the play, then stumbled in his attempt to run up to it.  But he was moving with a quickness once he was on the run, it dropped..and I think I speak for everyone when I say I was devestated.  And then on the ball to the warning track it seems as if he lost his place, and ended up short arming it.   Glanville covered alot of ground on that play, and Burrell may have (I'd have to look at it again a few more times) been able to make it.

Now putting Glanville in CF was a no-brainer, and he screwed up.  I wouldn't expect Glanville to make the same misread that Ledee did earlier in the week, has anyone else noticed opposing OF's make the same mistake?  Maybe it's hard to read the ball off the bat in center, or maybe they are just used to every ball leaving the park who knows.  But it certainly was classic when Glanville was booed for his foul bunt.  But he got it down regardless, the next pitch.

Burrell had a good game, and came up big with his hit in bottom of the ninth.  I spent alot of the game thinking that he really needs to learn how to clear his head, I mean something in his head just clicks over that makes him so screwy at the plate.  Maybe he needs a psychologist or something, I dunno.  But he was more than excited after that hit, and so was I, I didn't need to sit through an extra inning game that was once a no-hitter in the 9th.

Madson probably got the easiest win of his short career I figure, regardless the guy is simply money.

For a team that is in the pennant race, the Phillies are really on the verge of alot of transition.  They need pitching help, all around, although if Millwood and Milton keep pitching well, and Wolf comes around again, starting pitching doesn't become that big of a concern as it has been.  So they need bullpen help, you can't hide Hernandez and Geary all year, especially when Powell is apparently not an option.  It reminds me of last year when it was Cormier, Cormier, Cormier all the time.  'Cept this year it's Madson (use him more liberally, he's got a starters arm he probably can be utilized alot more than he is), Cormier, and Worrell (Wagner withstanding).

Also, the team is looking for a CF through a trade.  As well as increasingly playing Utley to the point that maybe, just maybe, he will take over for Polanco.  Also, Burrell had a good game tonight, but he needs to come with his head on straight more often or there could be a possible change there.