Gameday Thread for Sunday, July 09, 2006

[Witlon]

Figured I'd get this up early to get people ready for it. Good young pitching matchup with Duke v. Hamels.

[Witlon]

Link: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/preview;...?gid=260709122

The Philadelphia Phillies and the Pittsburgh Pirates, both trying to win a series for the first time in quite a while, send struggling youngsters to the mound Sunday as the teams close a three-game set at Citizens Bank Park.

Philadelphia starts rookie Cole Hamels (1-4, 5.45 ERA) against Pittsburgh's Zach Duke (5-7, 5.01) as these in-state rivals try to go into the All-Star break on a positive note after playing very poorly over the past month.

While the Phillies (39-47) have dropped eight consecutive series since sweeping the Arizona Diamondbacks from June 5-7, the Pirates (30-59) have lost all seven of their series since winning three of four against the San Francisco Giants from June 8-11.

"I expect us to win tomorrow," manager Charlie Manuel said after his Phillies beat Pittsburgh 6-2 on Saturday. "We need to go into the break winning a series."

While Hamels is 0-4 with a 7.57 ERA in his last five starts, Duke has given up at least four runs and failed to pitch past the sixth inning in four straight outings.

The 22-year-old Hamels, who will make his first appearance against the Pirates, recorded his only win on June 6 before losing his next four starts.

The left-hander pitched only two innings, allowing one run, before being lifted after a long rain delay in Tuesday's 6-5 win over the San Diego Padres.

Duke (5-7, 5.01), who has not won since June 14, also did not get a decision in his last start as he gave up four runs and eight hits in 5 1-3 innings of Tuesday's 7-6 loss to the New York Mets.

The 23-year-old Duke was dominant in winning his only start against the Phillies last season, striking out eight in seven scoreless innings in a 2-1 victory.

With Saturday's loss, the Pirates missed a chance to win back-to-back games for the first time since last month's series against the Giants.

"Consistency. That's obviously what we're still searching for," Pirates manager Jim Tracy said.

Pittsburgh, which will be hosting Tuesday's All-Star game, is 4-19 since June 14.

The Pirates' lone All-Star starter, outfielder Jason Bay, hit his team-high 21st home run on Saturday. He has eight RBIs in his last six games.

Philadelphia's only starter in the All-Star game, second baseman Chase Utley, takes a 14-game hitting streak into this contest after going 3-for-5 on Saturday. He's batting .410 (25-for-61) with 12 runs and 11 RBIs during the streak.

[Witlon]

J. Bautista cf
N. McLouth rf
F. Sanchez ss
J. Bay lf
J. Randa 3b
C. Wilson 1b
J. Castillo 2b
H. Cota ca
Z. Duke p


J. Rollins ss
C. Utley 1b
B. Abreu rf
P. Burrell lf
A. Rowand cf
C. Coste ca
D. Bell 3b
A. Nunez 2b
C. Hamels p

First pitch in roughly 15 minutes.

[Witlon]

Top 1- Pirates batting facing Cole Hamels(L)
J. Bautista walked. (First walk for C. Hamels, 3-2 count walk)
N. McLouth singled to left, Bautista to third.
F. Sanchez struck out swinging. (First strikeout for C. Hamels), McLouth stole second.
J. Bay hit a sac fly to left, Bautista scored. (P. Burrell) Pirates 1, Phillies 0
J. Randa singled to left, McLouth scored. Pirates 2, Phillies 0
C. Wilson struck out swinging. (Second strikeout for C. Hamels).

[Witlon]

Bottom 1- Phillies batting facing Zach Duke(L)
J. Rollins reached on third baseman Joe Randa's fielding error, Rollins to second.
C. Utley doubled to right, Rollins scored. Pirates 2, Phillies 1
B. Abreu singled to left, Utley to third.
P. Burrell flied to shallow right. (N. McLouth)
A. Rowand grounded into a fielder's choice to third, Abreu out at second, Utley scores. Pirates 2, Phillies 2 (J. Randa - J. Castillo)
C. Coste grounded to short. (F. Sanchez - J. Castillo)

[Witlon]

Top 2- Pirates batting facing Cole Hamels(L)
J. Castillo flied to center. (A. Rowand)
H. Cota walked. (2nd walk for C. Hamels, 3-2 count walk)
Z. Duke flied to left. (P. Burrell)
J. Bautista struck out swinging. (Third strikeout by C. Hamels) (C. Coste - C. Utley)

[Witlon]

Bottom 2- Phillies batting facing Zach Duke(L)
D. Bell singled to right.
A. Nunez grounded to third, Bell to second. (J. Randa - C. Wilson)
C. Hamels walked. (First walk for Z. Duke, 3-0 count walk)
J. Rollins struck out looking. (First strikeout for Z. Duke)
C. Utley flied to center. (J. Bautista)

[Witlon]

Top 3- Pirates batting facing Cole Hamels(L)
N. McLouth struck out looking. (Fourth strikeout by C. Hamels)
F. Sanchez singled to center.
J. Bay doubled to left, Sanchez to third.
J. Randa grounded to short, Sanchez scored. (J. Rollins - C. Utley) Pirates 3, Phillies 2
C. Wilson struck out swinging. (Fifth strikeout by C. Hamels)

[Witlon]

Bottom 3- Phillies batting facing Zach Duke(L)
B. Abreu singled to right.
P. Burrell flied to center. (J. Bautista)
B. Abreu stole second.
A. Rowand doubled to left, Abreu scored. Pirates 3, Phllies 3
C. Coste fouled out to first. (C. Wilson)
A. Rowand to third on passed ball.
D. Bell grounded to the pitcher. (Z. Duke - C. Wilson)

[Witlon]

Top 4- Pirates batting facing Cole Hamels(L)
J. Castillo singled to right.
H. Cota flied to left. (P. Burrell)
Z. Duke struck out looking. (Sixth strikeout by Cole Hamels)
J. Bautista singled to right, Castillo to third.
N. McLouth grounded to the pitcher. (C. Hamels - C. Utley)

[Witlon]

Bottom 4- Phillies batting facing Zach Duke(L)
A. Nunez grounded to second. (J. Castillo - C. Wilson)
C. Hamels grounded to second. (J. Castillo - C. Wilson)
J. Rollins walked. (Second walk by Z. Duke, 3-0 count walk)
C. Utley singled to right, Rollins to second.
B. Abreu lined to second. (J. Castillo)

[Witlon]

Top 5- Pirates batting facing Cole Hamels(L)
F. Sanchez grounded to short. (J. Rollins - C. Utley)
J. Bay struck out swinging. (Seventh strikeout by C. Hamels)
J. Randa popped to short. (J. Rollins)

[Witlon]

Bottom 5- Phillies batting facing Zach Duke(L)
P. Burrell singled to left.
A. Rowand walked, Burrell to second. (Third walk for Z. Duke, 3-0 walk)
C. Coste singled to left, Burrell scored, Rowand to third. Phillies 4, Pirates 3
D. Bell sac flied to left, Rowand scored. (J. Bay) Phillies 5, Pirates 3
A. Nunez grounded into a fielder's choice to second, Coste out at second. (J. Castillo - F. Sanchez).
C. Roberson hit for C. Hamels
C. Roberson struck out swinging. (2nd strikeout by Z. Duke)

[Witlon]

Top 6- Pirates batting facing Cole Hamels(L)
R. Franklin relieved C. Hamels
C. Wilson flied to center. (A. Rowand)
J. Castillo grounded to short. (J. Rollins - C. Utley)
H. Cota struck out swinging. (First strikeout by R. Franklin)

[Witlon]

Bottom 6- Phillies batting facing Zach Duke(L)
J. Rollins doubled to left.
C. Utley fouled to third. (J. Randa)
B. Abreu singled to right, Rollins to third.
Matt Capps relieved Zach Duke
P. Burrell doubled to left, Rollins scored, Abreu to third. Phillies 6, Pirates 3
A. Rowand grounded to short. (F. Sanchez - C. Wilson)
C. Coste singled to the pitcher, Abreu scored. Coste to third, Burrell scored on pitcher Matt Capps' throwing error. Phillies 8, Pirates 3
D. Bell lined to third. (J. Randa)