October 16, 2007
October 14, 2007
Eagles Fly Past the Jets 16-9
Ugly win, but the Birds will take it
Westbrook is Invaluable:
What a nice return for 36. He had 120 yards on 20 carries, and also chipped in with 36 receiving yards. He was consistently very good all game, and completely changed the Eagles offense. Even though the Eagles only managed to score one touchdown, they moved the ball very effectively.
With Westbrook, L.J. Smith, and Tra Thomas all returning, the offense seemed to be more normal, than it has been in the three losses. Brian's presence on the field, opens things up for the receivers, as defenses always have to account for him. He is such a threat to break a big play at any time in the game.
I was very worried about his abdominal injury, but it seemed to be ok today. It must not be as bad, as previously reported.
Lightning Strikes Again:
Kevin Curtis made the play of the game, when he took a quick slant 77 yards for a touchdown on the Eagles opening possession. It was 3rd down, and McNabb had a perfect strike to Curtis, who broke through 2 tackles, and sprinted to the end zone.
Give a lot of credit to Donovan to, for making the audible after reading the Jets defense.
It was a great play, and Curtis is showing that he is a quality starting NFL receiver.
What Can Brown Do For You?:
Not much so far this season, but Reggie Brown finally had a good game. He did not do anything spectacular, but he did play solid. He managed six catches for 89 yards. Many of those were third down catches, including his last big catch when the Jets desperately needed a stop. Hopefully as the offense gets healthy, Brown can continue to get involved more.
Bend Don't Break:
Overall the Eagles defense did a great job. They did give up some yards on the ground, but locked up the Jets in the red zone holding them to four FGs(1 missed). In the first half Thomas Jones was killing the Birds with cutback runs, but in the second half they fixed that.
Sheldon Brown was huge, as he was able to get a big interception off QB Chad Pennington, and Brown also batted down the crucial 4th, and 1 pass. WR Laverneous Coles was pretty much shut down, and give credit to Brown for his big game.
The defensive line is starting to get a nice rotation going, and they now added Lajaun Ramsey to the mix. I really think Ramsey was a great find by the front office, and he should be used more often. Trent Cole notched his team leading 6th sack of the year, and Jevon Kearse was also able to get a sack.
A few minor things that bugged me, are some missed tackles by Considine, Gocong, and James. Those three guys at times play well, and sometimes just look foolish.
The Eagles defense is not great, but they are playing very well. There is clearly a huge difference from last year to now. I think you have to credit the excellent play of the young DTs, and the linebacker overhaul. Many people ripped the Eagles for releasing Jeremiah Trotter, but now it is clear it was the right move. Omar Gaither has been playing very well, and deserves a lot of credit.
Akers Sucks In The Meadowlands:
The numbers don't lie. He has missed more FGs at Giants Stadium, than any where else in the NFL. He hooked two 41 yarders wide today(one might have been tipped).
I don't know if it is the wind, or the ugly New Yorkers, but Akers is not money there.
Normally I have complete confidence with Akers, but not today. Not in that windy stadium. I remember when he missed a chip shot FG there, that could have clinched home field in the playoffs years back. Maybe it is in his head?
I just hope that the Eagles season never comes down to a big kick up there.
Ugly Jets/Titans throwbacks:
Looks like the Rams uniforms a little. These are not as bad as the blue/yellow Eagles throwbacks, but these throwbacks make me wanna throw up.
Season Back On Track?:
Not yet. It is always important to gets Ws, but this is a bad Jets team the Eagles beat. They also did not do it very convincingly. The offense moved the ball well, but settled for too many FGs. The defense played very well, but there are still some mistakes being made.
Realistically the Eagles need to win about 3-4 in a row, before the ship is righted. With only 3 losses, they are clearly not out of it, but now they can't afford to lose many games from here on.
I was almost ready to give up on the team after the Giants loss, because I did not think Brian Westbrook would be able to come back from this injury. Well BWest is definitely back, and looking great, so now I still have some hope. They need to build off this win, and improve in some areas for next weeks match up with the Bears.
October 12, 2007
Dawkins Out; Lito Questionable
Brian Dawkins has been ruled out for Sunday's game with the Jets, and head coach Andy Reid said Friday that his Pro Bowl safety is out of town getting treatment from doctors who specialize in dealing with neck stingers. Meanwhile, cornerback Lito Sheppard is listed as questionable and receiver Greg Lewis is doubtful because of an ankle injury.
But the day also brought some good news: the expected return of running back Brian Westbrook, tight end L.J. Smith and left tackle William Thomas, all of whom sat out the team's last game -- a 16-3 loss to the Giants at the Meadowlands. Even left guard Todd Herremans, who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery during the bye week, is expected to start. However, Reid noted that the four players will be monitored closely during the course of the game.
Dawkins, meanwhile, will miss a third straight game with an injury sustained as a result of a hit he put on Redskins tight end Todd Yoder in the fourth quarter of the week 2 loss to Washington. His situation also bears watching, although Reid insists the injury is not career threatening.
"It's not that kind of a thing. It's not one where he's worried about that," Reid said. "Nerves are crazy, and you start dealing with those stingers and you're dealing with nerves. Everybody is different. It's still bothering him, so we're looking at different ways; people that we know and trust."
The head coach did not reveal any specifics regarding Dawkins' visit -- a doctor's name or even a location. He did say that Dawkins would be back in Philadelphia by the middle of next week when the team begins preparations for the Oct. 21 game against the Bears.
"We're just going to get him taken care of and see how he does here as we get into next week," Reid said.
As anxious as Dawkins is to return to the field, he does not want to put on the uniform until he knows he can perform at a high level. He said in the week leading up to the Giants game that if there was any hesitation in his mind about making a tackle, that he wasn't ready to return.
"That's what I don't want, and that's what I'm trying to make sure doesn't happen," Dawkins said. "When I do get in, I want to play. I don't want to think about anything when I play. When you are thinking about something, you're going to be a step behind, or something else could happen.
"When I get in there, I want to be able to concentrate on the opponent, the play formation, down and distance, and trying to wreak havoc."
Dawkins must also walk the fine line of knowing when he is physically ready to return. In recent weeks he said that he will not return until both he and his doctors feel the time is right.
"I'd say it's the doctor's choice, but I definitely have say in it also," Dawkins said. "When we are both on the same page, when it's time to make that decision, and hopefully that decision will be made a lot sooner this week, then it will be time to roll."
That was Dawkins' answer to a question posed more than two weeks ago, and that decision has been pushed back a number of times.
More On Sheppard & Co.
Although Sheppard participated in practice this week, Reid said that if his Pro Bowl cornerback does play, it will be in a limited capacity. He has been out since the season opener with a knee injury.
"He can't quite open today all the way, but he's getting there. He's close," Reid said. "That's a positive."
Like Sheppard, Smith too may be limited somewhat in his first game action since week 2.
"I'm not going to ask him to play the whole game," Reid said. "He'll get in. We'll see how he feels, and try to be smart with this."
Up front, Reid expects the left side of the line to be intact. Left tackle William Thomas practiced the last two days after missing Wednesday's workout, while left guard Todd Herremans practiced fully Friday after being limited on Thursday.
>>Home Page
But the day also brought some good news: the expected return of running back Brian Westbrook, tight end L.J. Smith and left tackle William Thomas, all of whom sat out the team's last game -- a 16-3 loss to the Giants at the Meadowlands. Even left guard Todd Herremans, who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery during the bye week, is expected to start. However, Reid noted that the four players will be monitored closely during the course of the game.
Dawkins, meanwhile, will miss a third straight game with an injury sustained as a result of a hit he put on Redskins tight end Todd Yoder in the fourth quarter of the week 2 loss to Washington. His situation also bears watching, although Reid insists the injury is not career threatening.
"It's not that kind of a thing. It's not one where he's worried about that," Reid said. "Nerves are crazy, and you start dealing with those stingers and you're dealing with nerves. Everybody is different. It's still bothering him, so we're looking at different ways; people that we know and trust."
The head coach did not reveal any specifics regarding Dawkins' visit -- a doctor's name or even a location. He did say that Dawkins would be back in Philadelphia by the middle of next week when the team begins preparations for the Oct. 21 game against the Bears.
"We're just going to get him taken care of and see how he does here as we get into next week," Reid said.
As anxious as Dawkins is to return to the field, he does not want to put on the uniform until he knows he can perform at a high level. He said in the week leading up to the Giants game that if there was any hesitation in his mind about making a tackle, that he wasn't ready to return.
"That's what I don't want, and that's what I'm trying to make sure doesn't happen," Dawkins said. "When I do get in, I want to play. I don't want to think about anything when I play. When you are thinking about something, you're going to be a step behind, or something else could happen.
"When I get in there, I want to be able to concentrate on the opponent, the play formation, down and distance, and trying to wreak havoc."
Dawkins must also walk the fine line of knowing when he is physically ready to return. In recent weeks he said that he will not return until both he and his doctors feel the time is right.
"I'd say it's the doctor's choice, but I definitely have say in it also," Dawkins said. "When we are both on the same page, when it's time to make that decision, and hopefully that decision will be made a lot sooner this week, then it will be time to roll."
That was Dawkins' answer to a question posed more than two weeks ago, and that decision has been pushed back a number of times.
More On Sheppard & Co.
Although Sheppard participated in practice this week, Reid said that if his Pro Bowl cornerback does play, it will be in a limited capacity. He has been out since the season opener with a knee injury.
"He can't quite open today all the way, but he's getting there. He's close," Reid said. "That's a positive."
Like Sheppard, Smith too may be limited somewhat in his first game action since week 2.
"I'm not going to ask him to play the whole game," Reid said. "He'll get in. We'll see how he feels, and try to be smart with this."
Up front, Reid expects the left side of the line to be intact. Left tackle William Thomas practiced the last two days after missing Wednesday's workout, while left guard Todd Herremans practiced fully Friday after being limited on Thursday.
>>Home Page
October 11, 2007
Why Hockey Players Have No Teeth
What a nasty hit. He'll probably get 20 games for this, but he really messed dude up.
O-Line Reunites
Injured left tackle William Thomas has full participation in practice Thursday while left guard Todd Herremans was limited in his participation, but both said that they hope to play Sunday against the Jets.
"I should (play)," Thomas said. "I'll see how my body responds tomorrow and we'll just take it from there."
Thomas sprained his MCL in the third quarter of the Eagles' Week 3 win over Detroit, and sat out the loss to the Giants. Herremans has not missed any game action yet, but underwent arthroscopic knee surgery during the bye week. Herremans only participated in about five snaps during the course of Thursday's practice, but still likes his chances of being ready for Sunday.
"I think there's a pretty good chance but we'll see on Sunday," Herremans said. "I felt good out there today. I wanted to hold off a little bit so it didn't swell up and see how it feels tomorrow, but I feel pretty good."
The Eagles started the same five players on the line for all 16 games last season, but have had to deal with injuries to Thomas, Herremans and guard Shawn Andrews since training camp began.
Thomas said it was nice to have all five starters practice for the first time in weeks.
"It was very good to get everybody out there at one time," he said. "It is definitely giving us something to build on."
Continue reading from the Home Page>>
"I should (play)," Thomas said. "I'll see how my body responds tomorrow and we'll just take it from there."
Thomas sprained his MCL in the third quarter of the Eagles' Week 3 win over Detroit, and sat out the loss to the Giants. Herremans has not missed any game action yet, but underwent arthroscopic knee surgery during the bye week. Herremans only participated in about five snaps during the course of Thursday's practice, but still likes his chances of being ready for Sunday.
"I think there's a pretty good chance but we'll see on Sunday," Herremans said. "I felt good out there today. I wanted to hold off a little bit so it didn't swell up and see how it feels tomorrow, but I feel pretty good."
The Eagles started the same five players on the line for all 16 games last season, but have had to deal with injuries to Thomas, Herremans and guard Shawn Andrews since training camp began.
Thomas said it was nice to have all five starters practice for the first time in weeks.
"It was very good to get everybody out there at one time," he said. "It is definitely giving us something to build on."
Continue reading from the Home Page>>
October 10, 2007
Westbrook, Smith and Sheppard Practice
Three up and three down.
Eagles running back Brian Westbrook, tight end L.J. Smith and cornerback Lito Sheppard practiced on Wednesday. Safety Brian Dawkins, left tackle William Thomas and left guard Todd Herremans did not.
Westbrook missed the Giants game after hurting his ribs a week earlier against Detroit. Wednesday’s practice was his first since the injury.
"I really haven’t had an opportunity to test it out fully so I’ll get out there and see how things go,” Westbrook said. "I’ve been making gradual progress since I’ve had the injury, so hopefully that will continue.”
Smith has been out since undergoing surgery on Sept. 21 to expedite the healing of his groin injury. He practiced on a limited basis.
"I didn’t do a complete practice, but I did some things,” Smith said.
Smith played the season’s first two games, making four receptions for 26 yards, but clearly was hindered by the injury. He will not play Sunday against the Jets unless he feels close to 100 percent.
"I’m not going to put myself in the situation I was in the first two games,” Smith said. "I was out there hobbling around and didn’t look good. So if I go out there, I’m definitely going to be able to contribute in a major way. I’m not going to go out there 50 percent, 65 percent – I’m going to go out there and play at a high level.”
Coach Andy Reid announced Wednesday morning that Thomas would attempt to practice and Sheppard would not. It turned out to be the other way around. Both are suffering from sprained MCLs.
Sheppard has been out since suffering his in the season opener against Green Bay. He participated in individual drills on Wednesday.
"I wanted to get out there and gauge it but just not overdo it,” Sheppard said. "We don’t want to have any setbacks. It was kind of the minimum, but I was definitely going through some stuff.”
It seems as though it will at least be another week before Sheppard plays. He said he didn’t work out at game speed.
"There’s always a chance [I could play],” Sheppard said. "I got out there and practiced today, but that’s too early to say right now. We’re just going to see how the rest of this week goes and go from there.”
Like Smith, Sheppard doesn’t want to play at half speed.
"Like I tell everybody, I can’t get out there and be half Lito,” Sheppard said. "When I’m out there, I want to be out there to help my team. That’s what we’re working on right now.”
Thomas injured his knee against the Lions and did not play against the Giants.
"I’m very disappointed,” Thomas said about being unable to practice. "We’ll see how it goes. We’re taking it day to day right now. It’s getting better. It’s definitely getting better.”
Reid said he will not hesitate to start Winston Justice again at left tackle if Thomas can’t play. Justice struggled mightily against the Giants in his first career start.
"I have no problem with that,” Reid said. "I told him to keep his head up and keep firing. He’ll be fine. He’s a good, young football player.”
The Eagles are being cautious with Dawkins, who hasn’t played since suffering a stinger Week 2 against Washington.
"When you’re dealing with nerves, you just don’t know how long those are going to take,” Reid said. "You literally take them day by day. They could take a long time. We’re just playing it by ear. We know he wants to be out there – it’s killing him not to be out there. We want to make sure that thing is right.”
Dawkins went through an intense warm-up before the Giants game but was inactive.
"It's frustrating, very frustrating," Dawkins said Tuesday night during a scheduled appearance at Manny Brown’s in Langhorne, Pa. "All I can do is do what the doctors tell me and hope I'm able to play soon. It's a slow process, and I don't know how long it will take. Hopefully, not too long. It kills you to not be out there with your teammates, especially when things aren't going well.”
Herremans, who has yet to miss a game, underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on Oct. 2 but is expected to play. If Herremans is unable to play, then second-year pro Max Jean-Gilles will start at left tackle.
"I’m presuming that Herremans is going to play in the game,” Reid said.
"His knee was bothering him, so we checked it. He had a cartilage tear in there, so they went in there and cleaned it out. He was back up on his feet that day. The main thing is to keep the swelling down. He feels pretty good right now.”
>>ComcastSportsnet
Eagles running back Brian Westbrook, tight end L.J. Smith and cornerback Lito Sheppard practiced on Wednesday. Safety Brian Dawkins, left tackle William Thomas and left guard Todd Herremans did not.
Westbrook missed the Giants game after hurting his ribs a week earlier against Detroit. Wednesday’s practice was his first since the injury.
"I really haven’t had an opportunity to test it out fully so I’ll get out there and see how things go,” Westbrook said. "I’ve been making gradual progress since I’ve had the injury, so hopefully that will continue.”
Smith has been out since undergoing surgery on Sept. 21 to expedite the healing of his groin injury. He practiced on a limited basis.
"I didn’t do a complete practice, but I did some things,” Smith said.
Smith played the season’s first two games, making four receptions for 26 yards, but clearly was hindered by the injury. He will not play Sunday against the Jets unless he feels close to 100 percent.
"I’m not going to put myself in the situation I was in the first two games,” Smith said. "I was out there hobbling around and didn’t look good. So if I go out there, I’m definitely going to be able to contribute in a major way. I’m not going to go out there 50 percent, 65 percent – I’m going to go out there and play at a high level.”
Coach Andy Reid announced Wednesday morning that Thomas would attempt to practice and Sheppard would not. It turned out to be the other way around. Both are suffering from sprained MCLs.
Sheppard has been out since suffering his in the season opener against Green Bay. He participated in individual drills on Wednesday.
"I wanted to get out there and gauge it but just not overdo it,” Sheppard said. "We don’t want to have any setbacks. It was kind of the minimum, but I was definitely going through some stuff.”
It seems as though it will at least be another week before Sheppard plays. He said he didn’t work out at game speed.
"There’s always a chance [I could play],” Sheppard said. "I got out there and practiced today, but that’s too early to say right now. We’re just going to see how the rest of this week goes and go from there.”
Like Smith, Sheppard doesn’t want to play at half speed.
"Like I tell everybody, I can’t get out there and be half Lito,” Sheppard said. "When I’m out there, I want to be out there to help my team. That’s what we’re working on right now.”
Thomas injured his knee against the Lions and did not play against the Giants.
"I’m very disappointed,” Thomas said about being unable to practice. "We’ll see how it goes. We’re taking it day to day right now. It’s getting better. It’s definitely getting better.”
Reid said he will not hesitate to start Winston Justice again at left tackle if Thomas can’t play. Justice struggled mightily against the Giants in his first career start.
"I have no problem with that,” Reid said. "I told him to keep his head up and keep firing. He’ll be fine. He’s a good, young football player.”
The Eagles are being cautious with Dawkins, who hasn’t played since suffering a stinger Week 2 against Washington.
"When you’re dealing with nerves, you just don’t know how long those are going to take,” Reid said. "You literally take them day by day. They could take a long time. We’re just playing it by ear. We know he wants to be out there – it’s killing him not to be out there. We want to make sure that thing is right.”
Dawkins went through an intense warm-up before the Giants game but was inactive.
"It's frustrating, very frustrating," Dawkins said Tuesday night during a scheduled appearance at Manny Brown’s in Langhorne, Pa. "All I can do is do what the doctors tell me and hope I'm able to play soon. It's a slow process, and I don't know how long it will take. Hopefully, not too long. It kills you to not be out there with your teammates, especially when things aren't going well.”
Herremans, who has yet to miss a game, underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on Oct. 2 but is expected to play. If Herremans is unable to play, then second-year pro Max Jean-Gilles will start at left tackle.
"I’m presuming that Herremans is going to play in the game,” Reid said.
"His knee was bothering him, so we checked it. He had a cartilage tear in there, so they went in there and cleaned it out. He was back up on his feet that day. The main thing is to keep the swelling down. He feels pretty good right now.”
>>ComcastSportsnet
October 08, 2007
Reid Going Nowhere
After the Eagles got thrashed by the Giants last Sunday night, rumors quickly arose and ran rampant that Philly head coach Andy Reid would step down prior to the end of this season. Speculation was that due to legal trouble brought on by two of Reid's sons, the coach would step down because he couldn't keep his focus in the right place.
Stories and rumors spread but all without ever having Reid's position on the matter...until now.
"The only way I don't finish up coaching this year is if I die," an emphatic Reid told FOX Sports. "Are you kidding me? I don't know where this story came from, how it started, but it couldn't be any further from the truth. I am definitely not stepping away!
"It's amazing how this story came up and then got legs, but there's no way."
Reid took a day during his bye week to step out to Atlantic City for a much-needed respite in order to recharge his batteries. Batteries that he says are far from dying.
"The one thing I've learned throughout this whole thing is that I'm not alone in dealing with family issues," said Reid. "There are people who own businesses, run corporations, and they have problems too but don't walk away. Everyone has family or personal issues, but they don't quit their jobs."
>>FOXSports
October 04, 2007
Phils Get Rocked
Lose 10-5 to Colorado, and drop to 0-2 in the best of 5
Home or away, these Colorado Rockies are on quite a roll.
Kaz Matsui hit his first career grand slam and drove in five runs, leading the Rockies over the Philadelphia Phillies 10-5 Thursday for a 2-0 lead in their NL playoff series.
Matsui connected off scheduled Game 4 starter Kyle Lohse, rushed in to relieve struggling rookie Kyle Kendrick in the fourth inning.
At this rate, the best-of-five series may not get that far. Rookie Ubaldo Jimenez will try to pitch Colorado to a sweep Saturday night at Coors Field against veteran Jamie Moyer.
Making just the second postseason appearance in the franchise's 15-year history, Colorado is on the verge of going to its first NL championship series. The wild-card Rockies posted their eighth straight road victory, and have won 16 of 17 overall.
Matsui fell a single short of the cycle, and Troy Tulowitzki and Matt Holliday homered on consecutive pitches in the first inning off Kendrick, who got a quick hook from manager Charlie Manuel.
The Phillies had a chance to make it interesting in the eighth, loading the bases with two outs. But closer Manny Corpas came in and retired Carlos Ruiz on a bouncer to third. Corpas worked around a pair of two-out singles in a scoreless ninth for his second save in as many days.
Before the game, Corpas came under scrutiny because he was caught by TBS cameras on Wednesday taking a sip of a liquid out of a cup in the bullpen, then pouring some down the back of his neck and all over the front of his jersey. He was seen patting his chest and rubbing his fingers before throwing a pitch, but didn't appear to do anything shady in this appearance.
Jimmy Rollins homered and drove in four runs and Ryan Howard also connected for Philadelphia, which ended a 14-year playoff drought by capturing the NL East title on the final day of the season.
But it's been downhill for the Phillies since they followed a wild celebration Sunday with a pep rally at City Hall the next day.
The heavily criticized Manuel gave his critics plenty of ammunition with two questionable moves.
With the Phillies leading 3-2 in the fourth, Manuel pulled Kendrick after pinch-hitter Seth Smith's infield single loaded the bases with two outs.
Manuel called on Lohse, who made two relief appearances on side days down the stretch. Lohse got ahead 1-2 on Matsui, before grooving a fastball. Matsui drove it into the right-field seats to give the Rockies a 6-3 lead and silence the largest crowd ever at four-year-old Citizens Bank Park.
A total of 45,991 came out, waved their rally towels and cheered wildly despite the score -- somewhat out of character for the notoriously tough Philly boobirds. But they sure gave Jose Mesa an earful when the reliever struggled in the sixth.
Manuel inexplicably used Mesa, who had a 5.54 ERA in 40 games with the Phillies, instead of Clay Condrey to start the inning. Mesa walked the first two batters he faced and allowed a two-run double to Yorvit Torrealba that put the Rockies ahead 8-3. Mesa stayed in and retired pitcher Josh Fogg, before Manuel finally came out and got him.
Condrey gave up an RBI triple to Matsui and RBI single to Holliday to give the Rockies a 10-3 lead.
Matsui, Colorado's leadoff hitter, had just four homers in 410 at-bats this season. He flied out to center in his last at-bat, finishing 3-for-5.
Rookie Franklin Morales lasted just three innings, allowing three runs and three hits in his ninth career start. The 21-year-old Venezuelan played in the All-Star Futures game in July, made his big league debut a month later and earned his first win in Philly on Sept. 11.
Fogg relieved the hard-throwing lefty, and pitched two scoreless innings to earn the win. Fogg started Monday when Colorado beat San Diego in 13 innings in the wild-card tiebreaker.
On an unseasonably warm fall afternoon in Philly -- it was 82 degrees at game time -- the balls were flying out early.
Tulowitzki, the Rookie of the Year candidate, gave the Rockies a 1-0 on a towering drive that landed in the flower bed just beyond the left-center field wall and bounced onto the field. Thinking the ball was in play, Tulowitzki slid into third base, got up and jogged home.
There was no doubt about Holliday's shot. He ripped one deep onto the left-field seats for his second homer in two games and his sixth in six games in Philadelphia this season.
Rollins, who had a career-best 30 homers, connected on Morales' first pitch in the bottom of the first to slice Colorado's lead to 2-1.
Morales ran into trouble in the second. Ruiz doubled to right-center to put runners at second and third with one out. After Kendrick grounded out, Rollins came through.
With the crowd chanting "M-V-P!" he lined a two-run triple to left-center to give the Phillies their first lead of the series, 3-2.
The Rockies elected to pitch to Rollins with a base open and Chase Utley up next. Though he hit .332 during the season, Utley struck out his first five at-bats in this series.
Kendrick, who led NL rookies with 10 wins, allowed five runs and five hits in 3 2-3 innings.
Notes
Rollins hit the first leadoff homer in the Phillies' postseason history. ... The Phillies haven't won a postseason game since Curt Schilling shut out Toronto in Game 5 of the 1993 World Series. That series ended with Joe Carter's homer clinching the championship for the Blue Jays. ... Colorado's bullpen has allowed one earned run in nine innings.
Home or away, these Colorado Rockies are on quite a roll.
Kaz Matsui hit his first career grand slam and drove in five runs, leading the Rockies over the Philadelphia Phillies 10-5 Thursday for a 2-0 lead in their NL playoff series.Matsui connected off scheduled Game 4 starter Kyle Lohse, rushed in to relieve struggling rookie Kyle Kendrick in the fourth inning.
At this rate, the best-of-five series may not get that far. Rookie Ubaldo Jimenez will try to pitch Colorado to a sweep Saturday night at Coors Field against veteran Jamie Moyer.
Making just the second postseason appearance in the franchise's 15-year history, Colorado is on the verge of going to its first NL championship series. The wild-card Rockies posted their eighth straight road victory, and have won 16 of 17 overall.
Matsui fell a single short of the cycle, and Troy Tulowitzki and Matt Holliday homered on consecutive pitches in the first inning off Kendrick, who got a quick hook from manager Charlie Manuel.
The Phillies had a chance to make it interesting in the eighth, loading the bases with two outs. But closer Manny Corpas came in and retired Carlos Ruiz on a bouncer to third. Corpas worked around a pair of two-out singles in a scoreless ninth for his second save in as many days.
Before the game, Corpas came under scrutiny because he was caught by TBS cameras on Wednesday taking a sip of a liquid out of a cup in the bullpen, then pouring some down the back of his neck and all over the front of his jersey. He was seen patting his chest and rubbing his fingers before throwing a pitch, but didn't appear to do anything shady in this appearance.
Jimmy Rollins homered and drove in four runs and Ryan Howard also connected for Philadelphia, which ended a 14-year playoff drought by capturing the NL East title on the final day of the season.
But it's been downhill for the Phillies since they followed a wild celebration Sunday with a pep rally at City Hall the next day.
The heavily criticized Manuel gave his critics plenty of ammunition with two questionable moves.
With the Phillies leading 3-2 in the fourth, Manuel pulled Kendrick after pinch-hitter Seth Smith's infield single loaded the bases with two outs.
Manuel called on Lohse, who made two relief appearances on side days down the stretch. Lohse got ahead 1-2 on Matsui, before grooving a fastball. Matsui drove it into the right-field seats to give the Rockies a 6-3 lead and silence the largest crowd ever at four-year-old Citizens Bank Park.
A total of 45,991 came out, waved their rally towels and cheered wildly despite the score -- somewhat out of character for the notoriously tough Philly boobirds. But they sure gave Jose Mesa an earful when the reliever struggled in the sixth.
Manuel inexplicably used Mesa, who had a 5.54 ERA in 40 games with the Phillies, instead of Clay Condrey to start the inning. Mesa walked the first two batters he faced and allowed a two-run double to Yorvit Torrealba that put the Rockies ahead 8-3. Mesa stayed in and retired pitcher Josh Fogg, before Manuel finally came out and got him.
Condrey gave up an RBI triple to Matsui and RBI single to Holliday to give the Rockies a 10-3 lead.
Matsui, Colorado's leadoff hitter, had just four homers in 410 at-bats this season. He flied out to center in his last at-bat, finishing 3-for-5.
Rookie Franklin Morales lasted just three innings, allowing three runs and three hits in his ninth career start. The 21-year-old Venezuelan played in the All-Star Futures game in July, made his big league debut a month later and earned his first win in Philly on Sept. 11.
Fogg relieved the hard-throwing lefty, and pitched two scoreless innings to earn the win. Fogg started Monday when Colorado beat San Diego in 13 innings in the wild-card tiebreaker.
On an unseasonably warm fall afternoon in Philly -- it was 82 degrees at game time -- the balls were flying out early.
Tulowitzki, the Rookie of the Year candidate, gave the Rockies a 1-0 on a towering drive that landed in the flower bed just beyond the left-center field wall and bounced onto the field. Thinking the ball was in play, Tulowitzki slid into third base, got up and jogged home.
There was no doubt about Holliday's shot. He ripped one deep onto the left-field seats for his second homer in two games and his sixth in six games in Philadelphia this season.Rollins, who had a career-best 30 homers, connected on Morales' first pitch in the bottom of the first to slice Colorado's lead to 2-1.
Morales ran into trouble in the second. Ruiz doubled to right-center to put runners at second and third with one out. After Kendrick grounded out, Rollins came through.
With the crowd chanting "M-V-P!" he lined a two-run triple to left-center to give the Phillies their first lead of the series, 3-2.
The Rockies elected to pitch to Rollins with a base open and Chase Utley up next. Though he hit .332 during the season, Utley struck out his first five at-bats in this series.
Kendrick, who led NL rookies with 10 wins, allowed five runs and five hits in 3 2-3 innings.
Notes
Rollins hit the first leadoff homer in the Phillies' postseason history. ... The Phillies haven't won a postseason game since Curt Schilling shut out Toronto in Game 5 of the 1993 World Series. That series ended with Joe Carter's homer clinching the championship for the Blue Jays. ... Colorado's bullpen has allowed one earned run in nine innings.
>>YahooSports
October 03, 2007
HMan Gets Scoped
The Eagles announced Tuesday that starting left guard Todd Herremans had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Tuesday. The surgery was performed by Dr. Peter DeLuca, and was successful.
Herremans, a fourth-round draft pick out of Saginaw Valley State in 2005, has started 22 consecutive games at left tackle. A timetable for his return to action will be determined next week.
After playing tackle in college and in his first year with the Eagles, the team moved him inside to left guard last season. Herremans quickly entrenched himself at the position, joining right guard Shawn Andrews to form one of the best young guard pairings in the league. In fact, the Eagles' streak of starting the same five players along the offensive line ended at 19 regular season games Sunday when tackle William Thomas was sidelined with a knee injury.
Third-year reserve guard Scott Young is listed as Herremans' backup on the depth chart if he is not able to return in time for the Eagles next game against the New York Jets. Also in the mix could be second-year guard Max Jean-Gilles and Nick Cole.
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October 02, 2007
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