The AP game story says that Brad Lidge “erased a season of frustration” when he “stranded runners at first and second” to get the save in the ninth inning.

This is funny.  I was watching the game last night, fell asleep on the couch, and woke up in the ninth.  As a phillies fan, I thought I was having a bad dream when I saw lidge on the mound.

Yesterday morning, a philly newscaster (thankfully not a sportscaster) said “the Saturday game between the Phillies and Rockies was postponed, so now the Phillies can start THEIR ACE J. Happ.”

Ryan Howard drove in the game winning run once again, I’m still waiting for the national media to give him some credit for being a clutch player, A-rod notwithstanding.

Finally, Chase Utley.  He just may be the smartest player in the game.  Teammates have commented that he moves players into fielding position because he studies hitters so much.  Last night, he ran out a ball and put himself in a position where it was nearly impossible to throw him out at first.  And if he was somehow thrown out?  “Ump, that ball clearly hit me in the box.”  Love the guy.

APBA Guy - Doubt the Red Sox make a play for Figgins as his strengths as a player do not necessarily align with the needs.  I am suspecting that the Sox make a push to sign Martinez long-term and slot him in as the primary first basemen with Youklis moving over to third.  The team need to bolster its offense but I think they prefer to do it with a bigger bat than Figgins and will make a push for Holliday with Bay as plan B. Of course, Holliday is a Boras FA and he loves to push negotiations to the very last minute and Boston will need to be careful not to lose both Bay and Holliday.  I

My thinking is that with Ellsbury, Lowrie/Gonzalez at SS and potentially a good defensive catcher with an okay average in the lineup combined with a diminishing Ortiz and JD Drew being JD Drew that they will seek a .300 BA, .375 OBP, 30 HR, 100 RBI potential bat (i.e. Holliday more than Bay - lower career BA).  Figgins just does not seem to meet their needs, however I am sure they will love to see another team sign him away from the Angels. 

I can see Theo et al liking this lineup next year.

Ellsbury CF
Pedroia 2nd
Martinez 1st
Youklis 3rd
Ortiz DH
Holliday LF
Drew RF
Catcher TBD
Lowrie SS

Something meaningless but sort of cool that I realized last night: Andy Pettitte has now won the final game played in three different MLB stadiums (Fulton County, Old Yankee, and now the Metrodome).

Moose-

You are certainly closer to the Red Sox than I am, so I’ll defer to you on the Figgins questions thanks for the insight.

With respect to Holliday, however, I think it was telling that the Dodgers pitched him very much like the AL had pitched him during his stay at Oakland. While he was doing better with each month that passed, he looked like a liability in left (though certainly better than Manny was towards the end of his career), and offensively he was nothing like his Colorado incarnation.

Should Theo go after him he may get less than Bay production for a contract that would rather quickly become unmoveable.

I understand the impulse to chase him. But I’d urge caution. He wasn’t that good here.