Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Thoughts on Opening Day & Tom Gordon's ERA
Opening Day ends in bitter defeat once more for the Phillies, who drop a 11-6 decision to the Washington Nationals after Tom Gordon surrenders five runs in the top of the ninth to get the loss (fun Opening Day factoid: Tom Gordon allowed five earned runs in one-third of an inning of work, leaving his ERA at 135.0) after the Phillies managed to tie the game thanks to a two-run home run by Jimmy Rollins in the seventh inning.
Before anyone goes leaping off bridges and ceding the N.L. East and control of the known universe to the Mets, remember that Opening Day is ONE game. There are another 161 games left to play. The Phillies won the N.L. East last season despite losing 5-3 on Opening Day and opening the 2007 season with a 4-11 record. The Phillies and Nats cross swords Wednesday and Thursday, plenty of time for the Phillies to emerge from the series 2-1.
The game does serve notice that the old punchless Nationals are long gone. The lineup that faced the Phillies yesterday was strong: it pounded out seven extra-base hits, including a sixth inning home run from the bat of Lastings Milledge. Maybe the Nationals will factor in the playoff race beyond being the doormats the Phillies and Mets are crushing in September.
Meanwhile we got a good look at the Phillies new alignment and new players. Pedro Feliz was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. Jayson Werth got the start in rightfield and doubled in three at-bats, scoring a run. Chad Durbin tossed a shutout inning.
The returning stars were a mixed bag: Jimmy Rollins was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI largely thanks to a seventh inning home run the 2007 MVP hit. Unfortunately Rollins also committed a costly error which allowed a Nationals run to score in the fifth inning. Chase Utley was 2-for-3 with two runs and RBIs likewise, but Shane Victorino was 0-for-3 and Ryan Howard was 1-for-4. Brett Myers struggled and Tom Gordon's role as setup man might go to Ryan Madson sooner rather than later.
So calm down Phillies fans. Take a deep breath! Got a long ways to go ...
On a personal note: I just completed my trial yesterday and I am busy catching up on lost blogging time. Expect my notes on Phillies pitching tomorrow or Thursday at the latest.
Before anyone goes leaping off bridges and ceding the N.L. East and control of the known universe to the Mets, remember that Opening Day is ONE game. There are another 161 games left to play. The Phillies won the N.L. East last season despite losing 5-3 on Opening Day and opening the 2007 season with a 4-11 record. The Phillies and Nats cross swords Wednesday and Thursday, plenty of time for the Phillies to emerge from the series 2-1.
The game does serve notice that the old punchless Nationals are long gone. The lineup that faced the Phillies yesterday was strong: it pounded out seven extra-base hits, including a sixth inning home run from the bat of Lastings Milledge. Maybe the Nationals will factor in the playoff race beyond being the doormats the Phillies and Mets are crushing in September.
Meanwhile we got a good look at the Phillies new alignment and new players. Pedro Feliz was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. Jayson Werth got the start in rightfield and doubled in three at-bats, scoring a run. Chad Durbin tossed a shutout inning.
The returning stars were a mixed bag: Jimmy Rollins was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI largely thanks to a seventh inning home run the 2007 MVP hit. Unfortunately Rollins also committed a costly error which allowed a Nationals run to score in the fifth inning. Chase Utley was 2-for-3 with two runs and RBIs likewise, but Shane Victorino was 0-for-3 and Ryan Howard was 1-for-4. Brett Myers struggled and Tom Gordon's role as setup man might go to Ryan Madson sooner rather than later.
So calm down Phillies fans. Take a deep breath! Got a long ways to go ...
On a personal note: I just completed my trial yesterday and I am busy catching up on lost blogging time. Expect my notes on Phillies pitching tomorrow or Thursday at the latest.
Labels: Myers, Nationals, Rollins
Comments:
I did a little research and believe it or not, the number 135 is a few other things besides Tom Gordon's ERA. 135 is:
- a highway that goes through Topeka, Kansas.
- an astrological aspect called a "sesquiquadrate," meaning when two planets are 135 degrees apart.
- the name of standard 35mm film.
- the number of prime numbers between the number 1,000 and the number 2,000.
- the year King Espander took the thrown from Menander I in the Indo-Greek Kingdom. Thats 135 BC.
- high enough that there is not a corresponding element on the periodic table.
- 200 less than the 335 years war, which lasted 335 years.
- 35 years longer than the hundred years war, which lasted 116 years.
- the number of different kinds of PCDFs (no, I have no idea what a PCDF is).
- the number of thousands of dollars which will be required to buy a flying saucer house in Tennessee. Seriously: http://www.therealestatebloggers.com/2008/03/21/tennessee-flying-saucer-house-sells-for-135k/
- is CXXXV in roman numerals.
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- a highway that goes through Topeka, Kansas.
- an astrological aspect called a "sesquiquadrate," meaning when two planets are 135 degrees apart.
- the name of standard 35mm film.
- the number of prime numbers between the number 1,000 and the number 2,000.
- the year King Espander took the thrown from Menander I in the Indo-Greek Kingdom. Thats 135 BC.
- high enough that there is not a corresponding element on the periodic table.
- 200 less than the 335 years war, which lasted 335 years.
- 35 years longer than the hundred years war, which lasted 116 years.
- the number of different kinds of PCDFs (no, I have no idea what a PCDF is).
- the number of thousands of dollars which will be required to buy a flying saucer house in Tennessee. Seriously: http://www.therealestatebloggers.com/2008/03/21/tennessee-flying-saucer-house-sells-for-135k/
- is CXXXV in roman numerals.
