Buzz On Broad

Hamels Earns 17th Victory of Season; Phils Win, 4-1.

Final: Phillies 4, Marlins 1.

WP: Cole Hamels (17-6, 3.05 ERA) LP: Nathan Eovaldi (4-13, 4.30 ERA) SV: Jonathan Papelbon (38)

Most of the Phillies' scoring today came right in the top of the first inning.  After Jimmy Rollins walked and Juan Pierre singled to center field, Chase Utley hit a sacrifice fly- RBI for the first run of the game.  Carlos Ruiz followed with a RBI-double, which scored Juan Pierre.  A couple of batters later, Nate Schierholtz singled to left field, scoring Ruiz, giving the Phillies the early 3-0 lead.

Up 3-1 in the top of the 8th,  Domonic Brown provided an extra insurance run coming via a sacrifice fly RBI to center field.  Brown now has 26 RBIs this season in 175 at-bats.

Cole Hamels lasted seven innings today, allowing jusy one run on five hits and one walk.  He struck out eight Miami batters, and threw well enough for his career single-season high of 17 wins.  68 of his 99 total pitches were thrown for strikes.

Jonathan Papelbon recorded his 38th save of the season in the bottom of the ninth inning. The previous time he saved 38 games or more was back in 2009 with the Boston Red Sox. His career single-season high was set back in 2008, when he saved 41 games. 

Kyle Kendrick (10-12) starts the opener for the final series of the season tomorrow, Monday, evening away at Nationals Park.  The game will start at 7:05 pm EST, and can be seen on CSN and heard on 1210 WPHT AM & 94 WIP FM.  The Phillies must finish (2-1) in the final three games of the season against the Nats to finish over the (.500 mark).

Attendance: 28,317.

Starting Pitching Summary:

• Cole Hamels: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 SO, 0 HR, 3.05 ERA
• Nathan Eovaldi: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO, 0 HR, 4.30 ERA

In the 'Pen:

Philadelphia

• Antonio Bastardo (8th): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0 HR, 4.24 ERA
• Jonathan Papelbon (9th): 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0 HR, 2.20 ERA

Miami

• Dan Jennings (7th): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR, 1.96 ERA
• Mike Dunn (8th): 0.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0 HR, 4.70 ERA
• Ryan Webb (8th): 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0 HR, 4.17 ERA
• Heath Bell (9th): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR, 5.03 ERA

Scoring Summary:

• Top of the 1st (Phillies 1, Marlins 0): Chase Utley out on a sacrifice fly to left fielder Bryan Petersen. Jimmy Rollins scores.
• Top of the 1st (Phillies 2, Marlins 0): Carlos Ruiz doubles (31) on a sharp line drive to left fielder Bryan Petersen. Juan Pierre scores.
• Top of the 1st (Phillies 3, Marlins 0): Nate Schierholtz singles on a soft line drive to left fielder Bryan Petersen. Carlos Ruiz scores.
• Bottom of the 4th (Phillies 3, Marlins 1): Carlos Lee singles on a soft line drive to right fielder Domonic Brown. Jose Reyes scores.
• Top of the 8th (Phillies 4, Marlins 1): Domonic Brown out on a sacrifice fly to center fielder Gorkys Hernandez. Chase Utley scores.

What's Next:

• Monday, October 1, 2012; 7:05 pm EST
• Philadelphia Phillies (80-79) at Washington Nationals (96-62)
• Kyle Kendrick (10-12, 4.08 ERA) vs. TBA
• TV: CSN
• Radio: 1210 WPHT, 94 WIP

Matt Rappa is a contributor for Buzz on Broad. You can find him on Twitter at @mattrappa.

Matt Read Signs with Södertälje SK in Sweden

The latest Philadelphia Flyer to dart overseas is Matt Read, who will be joining Södertälje SK in Sweden. The team competes in Sweden's second tier league of hockey. 

Södertälje SK released a statement regarding the acquisition of Read on their website. An edited translation of this story reads this:

SK strengthens the squad further today. Today we are happy to anounce that Philadelphia player Matt Read will play for the CCF during the ongoing lockout.

This past season was Matt Read's first year in the NHL and he stood for a fine 47 (24 +23) points, which placed him seventh in the Philadelphia Flyers internal leaders and fourth best scorer overall amongst rookies in the NHL. 

Over the years, friends Matt Read and Emil Billberg played all four years in the same college. Read arrives in Södertälje in the coming week. 

Read, 26, in his rookie season with the Flyers, scored an impressive 24 goals and finished the regular season with 47 points. Amongst all rookies last season, he was the top goal scorer and was fourth in points.

Andrew Dintino is the Featured Writer covering the Philadelphia Flyers for Buzz on Broad.

You can follow him on twitter @AndrewD48 for the latest news regarding the Philadelphia Flyers.

With any questions, contact via email: adintino@buzzonbroad.com

 

Phillies Even Series, Overall Win-Loss Record With Four Left to Play.

Final: Phillies 9, Marlins 5.

WP: Roy Halladay (11-8, 4.49 ERA) LP: Ricky Nolasco (12-13, 4.48 ERA) 

Should Roy Halladay have started tonight? Probably not coming off of an injury.  But honestly, I'm not so such who would replace him.  Regardless, right in the bottom of the first inning tonight, Doc allowed a quick three runs to the opposing Miami offense on four hits.

The Phillies' offense really got opposing starter Ricky Nolasco to work in the first couple of frames. After two innings of work, he threw a total of 50 pitches.  Prior to finishing out the top of the second, on the eighth pitch of his at-bat, Phillies infielder Pete Orr drove in two-runs with two outs already recorded on a double to center field.  Nolasco ended up finishing the game with exactly 100 pitches thrown in five innings of work.

With runners on second & third and one out in the top of the fifth, Chase Utley brought both home and tied the game on a ground ball to center fielder Bryan Petersen.  After Ruiz grounded out, advancing Utley to second, Domonic Brown tripled for the second time this season to bring home Utley and give the Phillies a 5-4 lead.  

The Phillies tacked on insurances runs a couple of innings later in the top of the seventh, thanks to the contributions of catcher Carlos Ruiz.  He hit his 30th double of the season to center field, scoring Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley to increase the lead to 7-4.  Utley singled-in another run in the eighth to increase the lead to four runs.  

In the ninth, after Ruf hit his second double of the season, Kevin Frandsen followed with a RBI-single to give the Phillies a 9-5 lead.  Jonathan Papelbon threw a scoreless half-inning in the bottom half to close out the ball-game.

Halladay ended up going just five innings tonight on 90 pitches (55 thrown for strikes).   He gave up four runs on six hits and three walks.  Earning the win tonight, Doc now is (199-100) overall in his career.

Just four games remain.  That's 36 innings, 108 outs, and a whole lot of waiting for Spring Training 2013 to get underway.

Cole Hamels (16-6) takes the mound tomorrow afternoon for the final time in 2012 against Miami's Nathan Eovaldi (4-12) in the series finale.  Eovaldi has faced the Phillies numerous times this season, once as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers and the others as a Marlin.  The game, starting at 1:10 pm EST, will be seen on MyPHL17 and heard on 1210 WPHT AM & 94 WIP FM.

Attendance: 30,202.

Starting Pitching Summary:

• Roy Halladay: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 7 SO, 1 HR, 4.49 ERA
• Ricky Nolasco: 5.0 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO, 0 HR, 4.48 ERA

In the 'Pen:

Philadelphia

• Jeremy Horst (6th, 7th): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR, 1.20 ERA
• Justin De Fratus (7th): 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0 HR, 4.00 ERA
• Phillippe Aumont (8th): 0.0 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR, 3.95 ERA
• Antonio Bastardo (8th): 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR, 4.32 ERA
• Jonathan Papelbon (9th): 1.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0 HR, 2.23 ERA

Miami

• Dan Jennings (6th): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0 HR, 2.08 ERA
• Mike Dunn (7th): 0.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 SO, 0 HR, 4.53 ERA
• Tom Koehler (7th): 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR, 4.70 ERA
• A.J. Ramos (8th): 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR, 4.91 ERA
• Chad Gaudin (8th): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR, 4.61 ERA
• Chris Hatcher (9th): 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0 HR, 4.30 ERA

Scoring Summary:

• Bottom of the 1st (Phillies 0, Marlins 2): Giancarlo Stanton singles on a ground ball to center fielder Nate Schierholtz. Bryan Petersen, Donovan Solano score.
• Bottom of the 1st (Phillies 0, Marlins 3): Rob Brantly singles on a line drive to right fielder Domonic Brown. Jose Reyes scores.
• Top of the 2nd (Phillies 2, Marlins 3): Pete Orr doubles (5) on a line drive to center fielder Bryan Petersen. Domonic Brown, Nate Schierholtz score.
• Bottom of the 3rd (Phillies 2, Marlins 4): Giancarlo Stanton homers (36) on a fly ball to left field.
• Top of the 5th (Phillies 4, Marlins 4): Chase Utley singles on a ground ball to center fielder Bryan Petersen. Roy Halladay, Jimmy Rollins score.
• Top of the 5th (Phillies 5, Marlins 4): Domonic Brown triples (2) on a fly ball to center fielder Bryan Petersen. Chase Utley scores.
• Top of the 7th (Phillies 7, Marlins 4): Carlos Ruiz doubles (30) on a fly ball to center fielder Bryan Petersen. Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley score.
• Top of the 8th (Phillies 8, Marlins 4): Chase Utley singles on a ground ball to right fielder Giancarlo Stanton. Jimmy Rollins scores.
• Bottom of the 8th (Phillies 8, Marlins 5): Gil Velazquez singles on a line drive to left fielder Michael Martinez. Giancarlo Stanton scores.q
• Top of the 9th (Phillies 9, Marlins 5): Kevin Frandsen singles on a line drive to center fielder Bryan Petersen. Darin Ruf scores.

What's Next:

• Sunday, September 30, 2012; 1:10 pm EST
• Philadelphia Phillies (79-79) at Miami Marlins (67-91)
• Cole Hamels (16-6, 3.11 ERA) vs. Nathan Eovaldi (4-12, 4.29 ERA)
• TV: MyPHL17
• Radio: 1210 WPHT, 94 WIP

Matt Rappa is a contributor for Buzz on Broad. You can find him on Twitter at @mattrappa.

Phantoms' Couturier Happy to be Back on the Ice

Words can not describe how weird/awkward it was to type the words "Phantoms' Couturier".

Anyway, the Adirondack Phantoms opened their training camp today at the Virtua Center Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, NJ. 

Amongst the locked-out Flyers to be joining their AHL affiliate is 19-year-old sensation Sean Couturier.

Couturier, who was drafted 8th overall in 2011 by the Flyers, had a phenomenal rookie campaign having put up a combined 31 points on the season. Although he is not a player known for his flashy offensive ability, his two-way, defensive style of play made him one of the best of last year's rookie class.

Now the young Flyer has a chance to improve his skills during his time with the Phantoms. He was excited to be back on the ice at training camp this morning.

"I’m happy to be on the ice and to get some real practices going and get the tempo up. It feels good and im looking forward to starting the year", Couturier said in an interview for the Flyers website.

Over the summer, Sean has been playing a lot of hockey, trying to become a better player each day.

"I've been training hard this summer trying to gain some weight and gain some strength to get stronger and faster and I'm coming into camp ready and hopefully I can show what I've improved on", he stated.

Last year, Sean Couturier played a special role for the Flyers. He saw time centering the third and fourth lines, was used on the penalty kill, and was given the role of covering the superstars of other teams. 

Like many fans, Couturier thinks that along with his strong defensive play, he has a lot to offer offensively, and hopes to do so this season.

"I think I can show my offensive side of the game coming into my second year of pro hockey. Last year was a lot of adaption for me and this year I want to show more of my offensive side of the game"

You can see Sean Couturier and the rest of the locked-out Flyers throughout the week at Phantoms Training Camp. The training camp schedule and roster is provided below.

Training Camp Schedule

Training Camp Roster 

Andrew Dintino is the Featured Writer covering the Philadelphia Flyers for Buzz on Broad.

You can follow him on twitter @AndrewD48 for the latest news regarding the Philadelphia Flyers.

With any questions, contact via email: adintino@buzzonbroad.com

 

With Five Games Remaining, Phillies Eliminated From Postseason Play.

The Phillies were officially eliminated from October playoff baseball last night, as they arrived to their tragic number of 0.  Here's how the rest of the season will pan out:

Remaining Schedule:

Phillies at Marlins

 

1. Saturday, September 29: Roy Halladay (10-8, 4.40 ERA) vs. Ricky Nolasco (12-12, 4.35 ERA)
2. Sunday, September 30: Cole Hamels (16-6, 3.11 ERA) vs. Nathan Eovaldi (3-6, 4.42 ERA)

Phillies at Nationals

1. Monday, October 1: Kyle Kendrick (10-12, 4.08 ERA) vs. TBA
2. Tuesday, October 2: Tyler Cloyd (2-2, 4.91 ERA) vs. TBA
3. Wednesday, October 3: Cliff Lee (6-8, 3.12 ERA) vs. TBA

What to Watch For:

1. Darin Ruf: How well can he really fit into the role of outfielder? With more interleague games next season, could he potentially be the DH?
2. Juan Pierre: The Phillies have already expressed interest in signing the speedy outfielder, but will Juan want to return to Philadelphia in a platoon role once again?
3. Michael Martinez: Despite having some sort of role the past couple of seasons, his spot is not solidified just yet for 2013.
4. Domonic Brown: Fans and the front-office alike got a good glimpse of Domonic Brown in 2012 once Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence were sent their separate ways.  If there's ever going to be a time for Brown to play a role as a Phillie, it will have to be next season in 2013.
5. Roy Halladay: He makes his final start on Saturday, coming off of an injury.  An injury-plagued Doc next season will be extremely detrimental to the ball club.
6. Cliff Lee & Cole Hamels: Finish strong.  Yes, Cliff had a disappointing overall season, but the past couple of months we got a glimpse of what he was in 2009 for the team in the World Series.  As far as Cole Hamels, what can you say? He set a career-high in wins his last outing, 16, and will have a chance to raise that to 17 on Sunday.  
7. Chase Utley & Ryan Howard: Chase will not be moving to third base after-all in 2013. Like Halladay, Utley and Howard must stay healthy for the Phillies to be in contention next season.
8. Charlie Manuel and his coaching staff: Manuel's job is secure, without a doubt, but are Rich Dubee and Greg Gross on the chopping block? Finish the year strong.
9. The bullpen: Every pitch counts in the final 45 innings of 2012. Spots are being filled in the back of Manuel's mind for next year, even though he denies it.

Matt Rappa is a contributor for Buzz on Broad. You can find him on Twitter at @mattrappa.

Phils Drop Third Straight; Lose, 2-1.

Final: Phillies 1, Marlins 2.

WP: Steve Cishek (5-2, 2.77 ERA)  LP: Josh Lindblom (3-4, 3.34 ERA)

A September game consisting of two non-contending teams definitely will draw minimal interest from the media and the respective city's fans.  Both teams tonight, with nothing to play far, hardly brought anything to the table.

The Phillies were trailing 1-0 heading into the top of the eighth inning, before Jimmy Rollins tied it on a RBI-single to left field.  The one previous Marlins' run came from a moon-shot home run in the bottom of the fourth from Giancarlo Stanton.

Rollins' RBI prevented Cliff Lee from losing his ninth game of the season.  He threw very well yet again tonight, lowering his ERA to (3.12). In seven innings, Cliff gave up just one run on three hits and zero walks.  61 of his 86 total pitches were thrown for strikes.

Sadly, in the bottom of the ninth, Josh Lindblom allowed the walk-off single to Carlos Ruiz.  With tonight's loss, the Phillies have fallen under (.500) with just five games left to play in the season.

Roy Halladay (10-8), despite coming off of an injury, will start tomorrow evening against Ricky Nolasco (12-12).  The game will start at 7:10 pm EST, and can be seen on CSN and heard on 1210 WPHT AM & 94 WIP FM.

Attendance: 28,201.

Starting Pitching Summary:

• Cliff Lee: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO, 1 HR, 3.12 ERA
• Mark Buehrle: 8.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 SO, 0 HR, 3.74 ERA

In the 'Pen:

Philadelphia

• Phillippe Aumont (8th): 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR, 3.29 ERA 
• Josh Lindblom (9th): 0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 SO, 0 HR, 3.34 ERA

Miami

• Steve Cishek (9th): 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0 HR, 2.77 ERA

Scoring Summary:

• Bottom of the 4th (Phillies 0, Marlins 1): Giancarlo Stanton homers (35) on a fly ball to left field.
• Top of the 8th (Phillies 1, Marlins 1): Jimmy Rollins singles on a line drive to left fielder Bryan Petersen. John Mayberry scores.
• Bottom of the 9th (Phillies 1, Marlins 2): Carlos Ruiz singles on a line drive to left fielder Laynce Nix. Bryan Petersen scores.

What's Next:

• Saturday, September 29, 2012; 7:10 pm EST
• Philadelphia Phillies (78-79) at Miami Marlins (67-90)
• Roy Halladay (10-8, 4.40 ERA) vs. Ricky Nolasco (12-12, 4.35 ERA
• TV: CSN
• Radio: 1210 WPHT, 94 WIP

Matt Rappa is a contributor for Buzz on Broad. You can find him on Twitter at @mattrappa.

Philadelphia Eagles Run-Pass Ratio: The Proof is in the Pudding

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg was peppered with questions this week about the run-pass ratio and whether or not they should run the ball more in the first half.

After looking at his answers, and then going through the numbers myself, there is a little discrepancy there.

First, here is what he was asked, followed by his answers (courtesy of Eagles press releases):

On whether he feels that they should run the ball more in the first half:

“I’ve been back through that several times. We went 11 plays there in the first half in the two-minute. We only had nine plays in the first quarter. I think somewhere in there it was like eight passes to three runs, and that’s not unusual for us. I did want to go after them down the field and we did have some opportunities there.

All of the sudden, it’s 17 and 24 to nothing. We just didn’t have very many plays, and all of those passes were in the two-minute at the end of the quarter and that’s typical there. We just didn’t have many plays. Then, we got behind so much that we had to throw the football a little bit.”

On whether he anticipates any kind of changes coming:

“It’s not out of whack. I think it was eight to three, and then we had a run called that we didn’t get off because of a penalty. It was kind of a different game there. You do get into those if you don’t have many plays, that’s first.

Then, many of your plays were in a two-minute situation. The numbers get out of whack just a little bit. We’re right where we kind of like to be overall. We’re 62% pass overall and somewhere around 52 percent or 50 percent run-pass on first-down.

Overall, it’s pretty good. On paper, that’s the first thing I did was, ‘Holy smokes!’ On paper, it looks really odd, but if you go through the situational part of it, it balances out just a little bit. If I had that game to play over again, which you don’t, in hindsight I would’ve done it just a little bit differently.

We certainly thought that going in we had a heck of a game plan. I still think it was what we talked about with the communication part. We certainly could have slowed it down a little bit and made sure that we got the communication part down and run the ball a little more certainly, absolutely. I’m not trying not to get sensitive or anything like that.”

First of all, the question about running the ball more in the first half was an "in general" question, but Marty answered it based on only the Arizona game.  Then, he says they got behind 24-0 so they had to pass the ball a little bit.

Well, if we're talking just about the Arizona game, he actually ran the ball more in the 2nd half than he did in the first.  The Eagles had just 5 called run-plays in the first half against 12 in the second.

They threw the ball 25 times in the first versus 21 times in the second.  So, I'm not quite sure what he's talking about there.  They ran the ball more because the Arizona defense started playing to defend against the big play.

Stats after the jump...

Is Brian Dawkins The Real Wolverine?

This Sunday, the Eagles will honor their former Safety and fan favorite, Brian Dawkins. On Sunday night, the Eagles will retire the legendary #20 prior to the start of the game.  B-Dawk was remebered for his on, and off the field leadership.  Brian gave absolutely everything he had, night in and night out.  Besides his on field play, and his never give up attitude, Dawkins was remebered for his entrance.

Brian Dawkins would come crawling out of the tunnel, with the smoke around him.  He based his entrance, off his most beloved X-Men character, Wolverine. Today, the Philadelphia Eagles have anounced that they have teamed up with Marvel for Sunday night.  Marvel will design a special commerative poster including Brian Dawkins and his favorite character, Wolverine.  

The poster will be revealed today at 5:00pm on Daily News Live, on Comcast Sportsnet. Both the Eagles, and Marvel are very excited about creating this epic poster.  Here is what the Eagles, and Marvel had to say:

“Every week, Eagles fans witnessed Brian transform himself from a humble, mild-mannered man to the fearless competitor that he was on Sundays,” said Eagles President Don Smolenski. “He was a special player – ferocious, intense, fearless, intelligent – and on top of that, he was an incredible leader. His connection with our fans was one-of-a-kind, which is why we are excited to be working with Marvel and AAA to provide those fans with a souvenir that captures Brian in his element as ‘Weapon X.’”

 

"One is the ferocious leader of the legendary X-Men and world-famous star of comic books, cartoons, video games and movies...the other is a nine-time Pro Bowl selection, a six-time All-Pro and a member of the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team...both are the best they are at what they do." said Bill Rosemann, Editor, Marvel Custom Solutions. "A peaceful family man while off the field, once he donned his #20 jersey, Brian Dawkins -- inspired by and embodying the best traits of the tenacious and unstoppable Wolverine -- was one of the most intense, hard-hitting, resilient and respected players in the history of the game. Marvel is excited and honored to partner with the Eagles and AAA in honoring one of Philly's finest."

Give this video a look, it's well worth it:

A Toast From Yuengling to America's Greatest City

I'd like to prelude this article by explaining the purpose in the simplest way possible. This is a piece dedicated to Philadelphia, the greatest city, home to the hardest working and most passionate individuals in this country.

For those of you that may or may not know, September 28th has been deemed "National Drink Beer Day". You may or may not be a beer drinker. You may or may not even drink any type of alcoholic substances. No judment is being passed here. Whatever your lifestyle choice, we all do share something in common; the passion for the city we live in.

I'm not here to make a statement to the rest of the country defending Philly or trying to patch up our reputation. That would be counterproductive. Because let's face it, no matter what happens in the realm of sports or amongst our community, we'll still be looked at as "the ones who snowed Santa" and the "fans who beat up other fans because their team beat our team".

What I'm getting at (and this is an upaid plug here) is that a Pennsylvania based company, with the richest history out of any competitor in its industry, is attributing its success to the people of Philadelphia. The generations of blue collar workers, who demand just as much out of their athletes as the effort they put forth in their every day jobs. The ones who appreciate the "hustle plays" more than the showboat celebrations.

Today at precisely 6:30pm, Pottsville, PA based brewery Yuengling will be providing over 10,000 FREE bottles of their signature lager to more than 250 participating bars across the five county Greater Philadelphia area.

Why you may ask?

Here's a message and personal "thank you" from the company's 5th generation owner, Dick Yuengling, to the city of Philadelphia:

“Ever since my great-great grandfather brewed our first bottle of beer in 1829, Philadelphians have been supporting us and pushing us to grow,” said Yuengling. “The truth is, without Philadelphia, we simply would not be where we are today. The city has truly shown our family business brotherly love, and we’d like to raise a glass to that. Now that we’re the largest American-owned brewery, it’s time we say thanks in the most appropriate way – with a Lager on us.”

Yuengling now holds a coveted new distinction: America’s largest and oldest American-owned brewery. To celebrate, Yuengling wants to thank the city that has played the most significant role in supporting the brewery -- generation after generation -- with a free lager and a sincere thank-you.

Could you say that Yuengling is more American than Budweiser? Considering it's the oldest and largest in our great nation, I'd say so.

And isn't it something that the largest American beer brewery, with the richest history, in such a competitive industry, is contributing its success to the past 5 generations of Philadelphians?

I don't think it's a coincidence. The tradition and success of Yuengling is deeply rooted in the area and culture of it's location. The passion, hard work, and history of Philadelphia and its people can be seen from our every day jobs, to the stands of every stadium in South Philly, and right down to the tradition of the beer we drink.

So whether or not you are a beer drinker, take a moment to enjoy the recognition your city is getting. It will most likely fly under the radar in the national media, but that shoudn't matter.

And if you do enjoy your lagers, I strongly encourage you to find yourself a bar, buy yourself a six pack, or even a case for your family and friends (21 years or older, of course). So at 6:30pm tomorrow, whether you're in the confines of south eastern Pennsylvania or in your extended Philadelphia rooted city, you can crack open an ice cold "Lager" and toast to the greatest city in the world.

You can find out exactly which locations are participating in the toast here. (while supplies last)

You should also follow Yuengling on Twitter if you haven't done so already.

Yuengling has always been my year-round beer of choice, even before I knew about this toast. There is nothing like an ice-cold Yueng after a long day of work.

As a Philadelphian, what more could you ask for in a company? High quality, great taste, and someone who appreciates your city as much as you do.

Cloyd Struggles as Harper, Morse Spoil Final Home Game of Season.

Final: Nationals 7, Phillies 3.

WP: Gio Gonzalez (21- 8, 2.89 ERA) LP: Tyler Cloyd (2-2, 4.91 ERA)

Darin "Babe" Ruf hasn't disappointed so far, being a part of the Phillies' major-league roster for the final few weeks of the season.  Tonight, he proved why.  He smacked a bases-clearing, three run double in the bottom of the first inning off of Nationals' lefty ace Gio Gonzalez.  

Unfortunately, rookie Tyler Cloyd was shaky in his outing, allowing six runs in just five innings of work. 56 of his 90 total pitches were thrown for strikes, as he allowed two home runs to Michael Morse (15, 16) and one to Nats' phenom outfielder Bryce Harper (21).   Gio Gonzalez threw well enough to pick up his major-league leading 21st victory.

You have to give it up for the fans.  They sold out tonight's game, with 44,070 in attendance. The total attendance for the year racked up to 3,565,718, the most in all of Major League Baseball despite the team struggling the majority of the season.

With tonight's loss at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies have finished worse than (.500) at home for the first time in 12 years:

Very weird not seeing the sea of white rally towels in South Philadelphia at all this year.

The team now heads to Miami and then Washington to close out 2012 for the remaining six games left on the schedule.  The Phils need to finish (4-2) to finish above (.500) on the year.  Cliff Lee (6-8) will start in the series opener tomorrow evening, with the first pitch set for 7:10 pm EST, against Marlins' top of the rotation starter, Mark Buehrle (13-13).

Attendance: 44,070 (Sell-out).

Starting Pitching Summary:

• Gio Gonzalez: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO, 0 HR, 2.89 ERA
• Tyler Cloyd: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO, 3 HR, 4.91 ERA

In the 'Pen:

Washington

• Sean Burnett (7th): 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R ,0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0 HR, 2.44 ERA
• Tyler Clippard (8th): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0 HR, 3.69 ERA
• Drew Storen (9th): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0 HR, 2.30 ERA

Philadelphia

• Jeremy Horst (6th, 7th): 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO, 0 HR, 1.26 ERA
• Phillippe Aumont (7th, 8th): 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR, 3.55 ERA
• Jake Diekman (9th): 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR, 4.10 ERA

Scoring Summary:

• Top of the 1st (Nationals 1, Phillies 0): Bryce Harper homers (21) on a fly ball to right center field. 
• Bottom of the 1st (Nationals 1, Phillies 3): Darin Ruf doubles (1) on a fly ball to center fielder Bryce Harper. Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, John Mayberry score.
• Top of the 2nd (Nationals 2, Phillies 3): Michael Morse homers (15) on a fly ball to left center field.
• Top of the 4th (Nationals 3, Phillies 3): Michael Morse grounds out. Ryan Zimmerman scores.
• Top of the 5th (Nationals 4, Phillies 3): Bryce Harper singles on a line drive to left fielder Darin Ruf. Danny Espinosa scores.
• Top of the 6th (Nationals 6, Phillies 3): Michael Morse homers (16) on a fly ball to center field. Adam LaRoche scores.
• Top of the 7th (Nationals 7, Phillies 3): Ryan Zimmerman strikes out swinging. Wild pitch by pitcher Jeremy Horst. Eury Perez scores.

What's Next:

• Friday, September 28, 2012; 7:10 pm EST
• Philadelphia Phillies (78-78) at Miami Marlins (66-90)
• Cliff Lee (6-8, 3.18 ERA) vs. Mark Buehrle (13-13, 3.84 ERA)
• TV: MyPHL17
• Radio: 1210 WPHT, 94 WIP

Matt Rappa is a contributor for Buzz on Broad. You can find him on Twitter at @mattrappa.