There’s really not much drama left in the NL East these days now that the Phils have clinched and the Braves have sort of exploded after teasing us for a couple of weeks there with an improbable late run toward the Rockies and the NL Wild Card. Ironically, there is still some juice flowing from the most unlikely of sources—the Nats.

After sweeping the Mets earlier in the week (not that you need much juice for that), the Nats opened a 4 game set against the recently resurgent Bravos at Turner Field last night and promptly dumped them by the score of 2-1. The story in this one, to me, was Garrett Mock–he of the 5.62ERA and 1.73WHIP–who matched his counterpart, Atlanta’s wunderkind Tommy Hanson, all night long. This is especially sickening to me because, being the astute fantasy baseball man that I am, I had Escobar, Prado and Diaz in my lineup last night to take advantage of the aforementioned Mr. Mock’s anticipated ineffectiveness. No dice. Nice game, Garrett, I’ll have to make hay against Livan tonight instead.

The only other NL East game last night saw the Astros cut down Cliff Lee and the Phillies 5-3 at Citizens Bank Park. I know it’s garbage time for the Phils, but you’d think they’d have found a way to get Mr. Lee a victory at home to cap off a pretty amazing run he’s had in Philadelphia since his trade from the Indians at the deadline. Heading into the postseason, Phillie fans have to feel pretty confident seeing Lee and Hamels out there at the top of the Phillie staff. Bullpen? Not so much. Lee didn’t have it last night, however, as Felipe Paulino pulled a Garrett Mock laid a hurting on the home team. And just who is Felipe Paulino? Good question. Let me know if you find out.

Finally, in one last bit of Mets-related news (because I know everyone’s just dying for a last bit of Mets-related news), last night I sprung for tickets to tonight’s game at CitiField against the Astros (thank God we missed Felipe Paulino!). The Mrs. and I will be there tonight while my parents watch the boy. The masochist in me loves these types of meaningless, end-of-season games, when the stadium is empty the bathroom lines are short. As a Met fan, I’ve had many opportunites to acquire a taste for this type of experience, and the truth is, I’m sort of looking forward to it. I’m especially excited now because I scored some prime Caesar’s Club tickets ($120 face value apiece) off StubHub.com for the measley price of $35 a pop. I’ve never sat down there, so it should be special. Has anyone scanned the offerings on StubHub recently? If your team is out of it like mine is, you’ll find a cornucopia of fantastic seats at fractions of face value. No reason EVER to get your tix through the MLB websites. Their best seats are already sold (to the people reselling now on StubHub!) and they’re charging face value to see (what by now is) a severely overvalued event. Anyway, there’s a nickel’s worth of free advice for y’all.

Enjoy tonight’s games.

Forty years ago – in August of 1969 – the New York “Miracle” Mets were on their way to one of the greatest runs in modern Major League Baseball history (and a world championship), and all because of the great play of pitchers like Tom Seaver and hitters like Cleon Jones. The Chicago Cubs helped: engineering one of the all-time memorable collapses of the twentieth century. That’s a fading memory now, but at least some of that era was on display at Wrigley Field on Sunday, as Mets pitcher Nelson Figueroa hurled like the Seaver of old against the Mets’ traditional N.L. rivals – the North Siders of Chicago – striking out ten Cubbies and leading New York’s entry in the senior circuit to a decisive 4-1 victory.

Figueroa pitched seven complete innings and struck out ten, one of his best outings of the year, and one of the best outings by a Mets starting pitcher in the last month. Relievers Brian Stokes and Frankie Rodriguez pitched the game’s last two innings nearly effortlessly, adding a nearly flawless coda to the victory. To add to the win, the team hit well: every Mets starter had a hit, led by Angel Pagan, who had three, victimizing Chicago ace Carlos Zambrano, who suffered through his second shaky outing. The victory salvaged an otherwise depressing Mets visit to Chicago, where the New Yorkers had been defeated in two of three previous outings. The Mets are in the air to face the Rockies, before returning home to once again face the Cubs. You can read all about it, and you oughta, at The Real Dirty Mets Blog, where there’s a wrap up of the game – and all the news about the New York Mets.

There’s nothing boring about pitcher’s duels – as the Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals proved today, in a knock-down-drag-out of curve ball finessers at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. This was supposed to be no contest: with a kid with no experience, Garrett Mock, going up against a wizened ace, Adam Wainwright. But Mock and Wainwright dueled for six nail biting innings, matching nearly pitch-for-pitch in a equalizer that left both teams with nearly the same number of hits and runs. But when the game was ended, Mock ended up on the short end of the scoreboard, a 2-1 loser.

The difference in the game was a high fastball to Albert Pujols on a 3-2 count that the closest player to Lou Gehrig in the modern era put up the middle for a single in the sixth inning that broke a one-to-one tie – the difference, as it turned out, in the game. It was clear from the way that the pitch was thrown that Mock hoped that Pujols would either lay off the pitch (and walk) or swing and miss (and take his place on the bench). But you don’t throw a 3-2 fastball to Albert Pujols on a hope: another lesson for Washington’s young pitching staff. The St. Louis and Washington hitters
attempted to change the outcome in the last innings (both Mock and Wainwright left after six) but in vain – and the game ended as Mock and Wainwright had left it. And so Washington was swept in three games in St. Louis, but with this slight caveat: in this last game at least, the Nats showed that one of their young pitchers can go toe-to-toe with the best and play the game the way it ought to be played. To read about the game and get all the latest news on the Nationals, be sure to check in on Centerfield Gate blog.

The long difficult slide that the Florida Marlins have had against the otherwise hapless San Diego Padres is finally over – and not a moment too soon. The Marlins broke their losing streak on Saturday with an impressive outing from one of their big, young pitchers. Sean West, one of the big arms of their future, showed that he can step into the big leagues, with an impressive six inning seven hit showing against the Padres in Miami, giving the Marlins a victory and putting them back in the win column. The Marlins bats showed up, after being nearly silent the last two games, putting six
well-earned runs on the board with well-timed fourth inning hit from rookie Chris Coghlan – his 46th of August (a Marlins’ record). But the story today was West. “It’s huge just to know I can contribute like I am right now,” said West, who’s only 23 said. “I’m just trying to get six-plus innings in every time I go out.” This was West’s fifteenth start.

The Marlins had only six hits in the game, but they made them count in the 6-4 victory. Marlins manager, Fredi Gonzalez, thinking of the schedule ahead and the games remaining before the end of the season, was relieved: “I don’t
know if it’s desperation, but we’ve got to win ballgames,” he said. “When we pitch well, we’re a good club. When that doesn’t happen, we don’t look very good. But that’s not only us, that’s the other 29 Major League teams. When
you don’t pitch, it doesn’t look so good.” On Monday, the Marlins face the real test: three games versus division rival Atlanta at home. They then face-off against the Washington Nationals in Washington before heading back home to face the Mets. Then it’s back home to once again face the Nats. That’s twelve games in a row against the N.L. East. It won’t be long now and the Marlins will know whether they’ll be playing in the post season or practicing their putting in Broward County. For all the news about the Marlins, and Sunday’s game, be sure to go to our friends over at Fish Guts blog.

The Atlanta Braves went into Philadelphia with high hopes, and they battled and battled and battled – but when it was all over, the Phillies increased their lead in the N.L. East, and the Braves faded. Nor did the Braves creep any closer to the top of the wild card standings. The Braves are now 8.5 games back in the N.L. East with just over one month left in the season. Time is short and getting shorter. For the Phillies, the news couldn’t be better: they took the last game of their match-up against the Braves at sold-out Citizens Bank Park on Sunday night 3-2. But it was oh-so-close. Up until the seventh inning, Jair Jurrjens was in command of the game, throwing his fastball by a tough Phillies line-up. But a throwing error by third baseman Chipper Jones proved costly, leading to two Phillies runs – and the game. The error put runners at second and third and one batter later, Phillies’ hitter Carlos Ruiz put a ball into the left field corner, scoring two: “One thing about playing against the Phillies is that you can’t make mistakes,” Jones said. “If you make mistakes against them, they’re going to take advantage of it, which is what good teams do. We ended up making a couple of mistakes tonight and it ended up burning us.”

If Atlanta rued the error, Philadelphia credited themselves with clutch hitting – and staying in the game. Joe Blanton, often overlooked as one of the Phillies most dependable arms, pitched seven innings of three hit ball and the Phillies bullpen shit down the Braves lumber when it counted. Brad Lidge looked particularly effective – coming up with his 27th save. Atlanta now heads to Florida where they must win, while Philadelphia has a day off on Monday, before welcoming the San Francisco Giants. Oddly, the Phillies can help the Braves a lot by winning against Frisco, but the Braves can only help themselves in Miami. All of this will be the subject of great interest to our N.L. East Chatter blogs. You can read about the Phillies road trip at Phillies Phandom and be sure to keep up with the Braves at Braves Baseball Blog.

Welcome to Chatter Up! here at NLEC. This edition will match up Rab Bethan of FishGuts for his first appearance, but Fishguts’ third, as the Marlins travel to Philly after a sweep at the hands of the Nats. Matt Smith of Phillies Phandom makes his first of many appearances after a Phillies series win against the Rockies. Enjoy!

Matt R(NLEC): How is Nick Johnson changing this team through his first week?

Rab B(FG): He’s been absolutely great since joining. In the 6 games with the Fish he’s gotten on base every time, hitting .400/.567/.600. It’s completely change the completion of the lineup, replacing a sub.-300 OBP with the 5th best OBP in the league in front of the NL batting leader in Hanley Ramirez. There was worry of a defensive problem with Cantu moving back across the diamond but after a couple miscues against the Cubs in his first game at 3rd base he’s been solid.

Matt R(NLEC): Did what just happened against the Nats make you rethink this season’s possibilities?

Rab B(FG):Well, obviously any time you lose three straight games going into the stretch, it makes you rethink your post-season aspirations. Now, when you consider to whom and how we lost these games, it really shakes you. But these are flaws that we already knew we had with the team, mainly inconsistent pitching and a problem getting “big hits”. This team still has a chance at making the playoffs though, being only 4 games out of the wild card. I think at this point I think that the division is probably out of the question but, after the 2007 Mets, you can’t ever count that out.

Matt R(NLEC): What happened this week? The pitching seemed to just falter.

Rab B(FG):Like I said, the Marlins for one just couldn’t get a big hit. In the first two games the team was only 4-18 with RISP and couldn’t add on runs at the end. In the third game they managed 8 runs but still had trouble adding on, only going 5-19. But really what killed that last game was a bad start from Volstad and bad choices of relievers. I don’t usually blame managing but in that game manager Fredi Gonzalez and bench coach Carlos Tosca only threw out the worst relievers we had, even when it was a 1 run game at the end.

Matt R(NLEC): What are the keys to this weekends set in Philly? Is this make or break the season time?

Rab B(FG):When playing in Citizens Bank Park it’s always important to try to add on as many runs as possible. No matter how good your pitching is no lead is safe there, especially not against a team with so many great hitters up and down the lineup. Obviously you want your pitching to do it’s work on that end but there’s only so much you can do in that sandbox. And yes, this is very much make or break. Every game left is do or die, especially considering how well put together the Phillies and the other teams in the Wild Card race are.

Matt R(NLEC): What Phils pitcher and Hitter scare you the most?

Rab B(FG): As far as pitchers go only one name in the probable pitchers section puts fear into the heart of Marlins fans like no one else’s, Jamie Moyer. He’s 13-2 with a 2.83 against us and gives our hitters absolute fits. And as far as hitters I don’t think there are many hitters more intimidating in baseball than Ryan Howard. You can argue that Chase Utley is the better overall hitter but every time you face Howard, especially in CBP, you know there’s a huge chance the ball could end up the in the next stratosphere.

Thanks Rab, great debut, we will move on to Matt Smith from Phillies Phandom now.

Matt R(NLEC): (via MrNorthJersey) How much buzz if any is there among Philly fans about all the injuries that the Mets have endured this year and do you think fans care either way that they did not get to play the Mets at their best in 2009?

Matt S(PP): The Mets are not a concern at all. The Phils’ sweep at Citizens Bank Park over 4th of July weekend was kind of the turning point for both teams. The Phillies got back on the winning track while the Mets headed in the wrong direction. At this point in the season, the Mets are so far off the radar, nobody cares (our biggest issues is the starting rotation and not any one team). I think fans simply do not care that the Mets aren’t at full strength. In my view, though, beating the Mets at their current state is nothing to brag about. It’s a shame because the rivalry has taken a step back, but at the same time, we worry about our business first and foremost and ignore what the Mets are doing as long as they aren’t winning

Matt R(NLEC):Looking back on the Cliff Lee trade, were you initially disappointed it wasn’t Halladay?

Matt S(PP):Yes. Who wouldn’t be? But I realized the Phillies traded for probably the best left-handed pitcher in the AL for a whole lot less. Halladay would have been great to have, but the way I see it, both pitchers are equal. They are true staff aces. The fans have welcomed Lee with open arms. The best way to answer is, “Roy Who?”

Matt R(NLEC): Did Cliff Lee make the Phils the NL favorites? What teams, in either league are the biggest threat to a Phils repeat?

Matt S(PP): I think the Phillies are favorites, yes. But, then again, I thought the Phillies were the best team in the NL long before the Cliff Lee trade. Honestly, the only team that worries me in the NL is the Giants. Who’d want to face that starting staff? They showed over the weekend that they could beat us. Moreover, the Phillies could not hit at all in that ballpark. Braves have take 7 of 9 against us, and they have great pitching, too. In the AL, the Red Sox and Angels worry me the most. I know the Yankees are probably the best team in the majors right now, but Boston and Los Angeles absolutely dominated the Phillies last season in interleague play. We were so overmatched. That’s still fresh in my mind.

Matt R(NLEC): How huge have Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth been this year? As an outsider it appears the Phils would not be nearly as successful without them.

Matt S(PP):Victorino and Werth have had career seasons. When Jimmy Rollins was struggling, Victorino was the offensive sparkplug. He kind of carried things when J-Roll wasn’t hitting. Victorino always had great potential, and so did Werth. I worry that Werth will crash and fall sooner than later, but right now he’s hitting for power, driving in runs and playing a hell of a right field. Werth and Victorino just needed a chance to play everyday and the Phillies gave them a chance. They have been big keys to the team’s success.

Matt R(NLEC): Which Marlins hitter AND pitcher scare you the most?

Matt S(PP):Hanley Ramirez and Josh Johnson. However, the biggest Phillies Killer is Wes Helms. It boggles my mind how good he hits against the Phillies. Helms and Rod Barajas were awful as members of the Phillies in 2007, but both have come back to haunt us on other teams.

Please feel free to email any recommend questions or comments about the segment to mrose@nleastchatter.com or go to this forum topic and post a reply.

Ibanez keeps the Phils goin

The Philadelphia Phillies welcomed in the Padres to CBP to complete a rain-shortened series from April.  The Phillies battered around the San Diego starter and ace Cole Hamels got the win.  Seven different Phillies had RBI’s, including a two run double by Ibanez and a solo home run from catcher Carlos Ruiz.  Jayson Werth also continued to be hot, going 3-5 with an RBI and two runs scored.  Cole Hamels(6-5) went seven innings allowing three runs, all in the fourth inning and struck out six to get the victory by a score of 9-4.  Check out Phillies Phandom for more Phillies info, also with a piece on the Phillies latest injury news.

The Padres could only muster four runs against Philly pitching, and two of those came on a Kyle Blanks home run, his second of the year.  Starter Kevin Correia(6-8) didn’t keep them in the game long though as he gave up eight runs in only 3.1 innings.

The Padres move on to Washington for the weekend, as the St. Louis Cardinals, a more formidable opponent come into Citizens Bank Park to face the Phillies.

Zito looks good

The Giants were finally able to slow down the surging Braves yesterday in the series finale in Atlanta.  Zito(6-10) went seven innings of three hit ball giving up only one run, but he did walk five against six strike outs.  It looked for a while that his efforts would be for nothing, until the Giants offense broke through in the top of the eighth.  The Giants scored four in the eighth inning, but none of the runs were earned because of Brave errors while winning 5-1.

The Braves offense went silent yesterday, which hasn’t happened often.  They managed only one run, on a Yunel Escobar home run in the second inning and that topped off their scoring for the game.  Mike Gonzalez(3-3) took the loss as he didn’t record an out in the eighth but also did not take an earned run because of errors.  The Braves travel to Milwaukee this weekend for a three game set, check out The Braves Baseball Blog for more.

Balester gets a tough loss

Last night the Nationals looked to build on a series win against the Mets with the suddenly struggling Cardinals coming in.  The St. Louis Cardinals though, had other plans, as they won a rain shortened game by a score of 4-1.  Rick Ankiel hit a home run in the second inning as three other Cards had RBI’s including Mark DeRosa and Skip Schumaker.  Adam Wainwright(11-6) technically pitched a complete game, going six innings only allowing a single run, but striking out seven against eight hits.

The Nationals sent Colin Balester to the mound since rookie Jordan Zimmermann went on the disabled list.  Balester(0-1) lasted only three innings and left during a rain delay after giving up three runs, two earned and a home run.  Alberto Gonzalez drove Adam Dunn in with a sixth inning double for the Nats only run.  Make sure to check out the CenterfieldGate for more Nats information and insight.

John Mayberry misses a one-run double hit by Aubrey Huff in the sixth inning

And it didn’t get any better from there. The Phillies were taking on the Baltimore Orioles Friday night in Philadelphia. Philly pitching has not stepped up for the defending World Series champs. Over the last 7 games, Philly pitching went 1-6 with a 6.49 ERA and have allowed 15 HRS!!! In the absence of Raul Ibanez, The Phillies managed only 2 runs off winning pitcher Rich Hill(3-1). Antonio Bastardo(2-2) gave the bullpen some needed rest by throwing a solid 7 innings with only 4 runs allowed. Jack Taschner of the Phillies put the final nail in the coffin with this game by giving up 3 runs in 2 innings of work. The Phillies lose 7-2. The Phillies are now 13-20 at home.

Fernando Nieve first pitch against Tampa Bay Rays

The New York Mets took on the defending AL champs the Tampa Bay Rays at Citi Field on Friday night. Fernando Nieve(2-0) turned in another good outing for the Mets by going 6 innings with only one earned run allowed. In a rare show of power, Mets catcher Brian Schneider hit a 3 run home run off losing pitcher Andy Sonnanstine(5-7). David Wright also hit a 2 out double to bring in Alex Cora and make the game 4-0. The game would stay like this for a few frames until Bobby Parnell came on in the 7th and gave up 2 runs on a 2-0 96mph fastball to B.J. Upton who doubled in Gabe Gross and Jason Bartlett. Pedro Feliciano came in and got Carl Crawford to hit one back to him to end the inning. Fransisco Rodriguez(1-2) came in for the 9th with a blown save the night before. Krod retired the side for his 18th save and the Mets won 5-3. For more Mets info and discussion, you can visit The Real Dirty Mets Blog.

Sean West Preparing to face $201 million dollars worth of hurt

The last meaningful game between these two clubs was 6 years ago when the Marlins won their 2nd World Series title. Tonight however is a different story as they took out their aggression from being shut out by the worst team in baseball on the young Sean West(2-2). Sean West only lasted 4 innings and gave up 10 hits and 5 earned runs again the Yankees on Friday night en route to a 5-1 loss. This was all done without the help of Alex Rodriguez who has been benched with “fatigue”. Andy Pettite(7-3) has been by far the Yankees most consistent hurler and threw a gem on Friday. Andy went 7 innings with only 1 earned run and fanning 7. Cody Ross accounted for the only run of the game by hitting his 11th HR off Andy in the 3rd inning. The Marlins came into Friday’s game with a .289 batting average in their first 17 games in June. Also if you didn’t know by now, the Marlins no longer play in Dolphins stadium but rather it has been renamed Land Shark Stadium.

Kenshin Kawakami first pitch against the AL east leading Boston Red Sox

In a testament to a new era in Major League Baseball, Two pitchers from Japan squared off in Fenway Park on Friday night. Japan who has won the last two World Baseball Classics’s in a row have begun to make their mark on Major League Baseball as this sport continues to diversify and showcase high class talent. Kenshin Kawakami(4-6) would be the last man standing in this duel versus his fellow country man Daisuke Matsuzaka(1-5). The Boston Red Sox are desperately needing Matsuzaka to come back to form and be the phenom he has been since coming to the states to play ball, unfortunately they will have to wait another game. Matsuzaka only lasted 4 innings but gave up 8 hits and 6 earned runs. Kawakami on the other hand, stole the show by going 6 innings and only allowing a 2 run shot by Jason Bay. Garret Anderson joined the party with his four-RBI performance as the Braves went on to win this one 8-2.For more Braves info and notes, be sure to check out The Braves Baseball Blog.

Jordan Zimmermann takes on the high flying Toronto Blue Jays

With all the talk about Ken Rosenthal’s report that Manny Acta’s job is on “watch”, the Nationals decided to make that decision difficult by turning in another good performance against the AL at Nationals Park. The Nationals were taking on a hot Toronto Blue Jay team that had just swept the defending World Champion Philadelphia Phillies. Jordan Zimmermann took the mound on this one and kept the Blue Jays at bay by going 5.2 innings with only 1 run allowed. Jordan also helped his own cause in the fourth by bringing in the Nationals first run of the contest on a ground out. The Jays would not go quietly and Rod Barajas made sure of it by bringing Scott Rolen in on a single up the middle. Then in a very uncharacteristic event, the Nationals bullpen combined for 5 and 1/3 innings of no run ball. In the top of the 11th, Adam Dunn hits what in baseball would be termed a “seeing eye single” that eludes 1st baseman Lyle Overbay for a walk off win in extras. That is the Nationals first extra inning win this season as they wrapped up their first 3 game winning streak since May by wining 2-1. Jesus Colome(1-0) picks up the win in this extra inning affair and Jason Frasor(0-1) picks up the loss. You can check out more Nationals baseball info and notes by visiting Centerfieldgate.

Special thanks to Mr North Jersey for design help. Again, if interested in helping the NLEC, please contact mrose@nleastchatter.com