Baseball Vacation 2006

Phillies vs Diamondbacks: July 27, 2006

      We got up and faced a ~250 mile drive to Philadelphia for another day game so off we went. We arrived in the 2nd inning (I hate being late!) and it was hot again! But we loved Citizen's Bank Park and we enjoyed getting to see Ryan Howard and Chase Utley play.
      The Phillies pitcher that day was Corey Lidle, who was making his last start for the Phillies before being traded to the Yankees. He died right after the season in a well publicized plane crash in New York. He was 34 years old.
      Lidle got the win as the Phillies beat the Dbacks 5-2. There were 3 home runs in the game including one by former Astro Luis Gonzales. Chase Ultey extended his hitting streak to 27 games and we found ourselves wishing he was an Astro.
      After the game we drove back to Somerset since that kept us from having to change hotels and since we were seeing a game in Pittsburgh the next evening. It was a lot of travel (500 miles) for the day but we had a great time in Citizen's Bank Park. Philadelphia can be proud of that stadium as it is a winner.

1
Corey Lidle was the starter for the Phillies and this was his last start as a Phillie. He was traded to the Yankees and then killed in a plane crash in October, only 10 weeks after making this start.
2
Lidle went 8 innings and gave up only 2 runs.
3
It was Lidle's 8th win of the season.
4
A view from up high at Citizen's Bank Park. I shot this from the photography booth on an upper level.
5
Another shot from the photography booth. The crowd is pretty thin behind home plate I would say.
6
A final shot from up high. This was a great stadium and we were pleasantly surprised at the stadium quality. But it was hot that day.
7
Ryan Howard won the home run hitting contest at the All Star game across the state in Pittsburgh a couple of weeks before this.
8
Shawn Green bats for the Diamondbacks.
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Shawn Green is an excellent hitter.
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Green finishes his swing.
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Green waves and misses against Lidle.
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Ryan Howard, a future face of the game.
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Howard is an imposing presence at the plate.
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Howard hits a ground ball to the 2nd baseman.
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Howard is out 4-3.
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David Bell was 0 for 4.
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Claudio Vargas has good stuff and gave up only 2 earned runs in 6 innings in this game.
18
Rowand takes off as Vargas delivers a pitch.
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David Dellucci bats for the Phils.
20
Dellucci grounded out to the pitcher, which happens often when you try to pull an outside pitch.
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Dellucci finishes his swing.
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Chase Utley is a budding superstar.
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Utley came into the game with a 26 game hitting streak.
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Now it is 27 games long, after this single off of Vargas in the 5th inning.
25
Bobby Abreu is a former Astro with power and speed. He misses this pitch.
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