We’ve never wanted for baked goods around here, or for great bread, for that matter — family bakeries that make old country recipes are an important part of Philly’s food story. But there’s a new chapter being written: Young talents who are obsessed with technique and ingredients (and having fun) are breaking rules and making…
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1. Italian Cookies Everyone has a favorite (ricotta for us), but it’s not about individual cookies; it’s about showing up with the giant plate of all the cookies. The bakeries of South Philly always have dozens to choose from, but come holiday time, get there early or leave with a sad face. Try them at: Isgro…
The post 5 Classic Eats from Philly Bakeries That Every Philadelphian Must Try At Least Once appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
1. Mini Bundt Cakes at Flying Monkey Bakery, Market East Cinnamon bourbon apple, Arnold Palmer, hot buttered rum, Dark and Stormy, $3 each. 2. Partially Naked Cake at Bredenbeck’s Bakery, Chestnut Hill Butter pound cake with salted caramel and espresso filling with chocolate buttercream icing, $5.70 a serving. 3. S’more’s Cake at Clara’s Groovy Deliciousness,…
The post 9 Gorgeous Philly-Made Cakes That Are Practically Works of Art appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
RAC is taking the stage at CODA with LPX (Lizzy from MS MR) on Saturday, October 7th at 8:00 pm (Doors: 7:00 pm) and Philly2Night has the hook up! We’re giving away 2 pairs of tickets to two lucky winners plus an open bar. Please note this event is all ages.
About RAC
RAC, is a Portuguese DJ and record producer. RAC has created more than 200 remixes in the rock, electronica, and dance music genres for various musical artists, with his work featured in ads from Citigroup and Hulu, among others.
About CODA
Coda is Philadelphia’s premier live performance venue, nightclub, and event space. Located within the busy Rittenhouse Square neighborhood of downtown Philadelphia, the venue regularly showcases live performances and DJ sets from some of the newest, most talented artists in music, and hosts acts that span many genres — from indie rock to electronic, tribute acts, jam bands, pop, and more.
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From South Philly cannoli experts to Northeast rye masters, these 25 bakeries have defined Philly’s sweet baking history — and show no signs of slowing their roll. Aux Petits Delices, Wayne There are Yule logs at Christmas, chocolate bunnies at Easter, and, well, deliciousness every other day of the year at this decades-old Wayne pâtisserie.…
The post The Ultimate Guide to Philadelphia’s Classic Bakeries appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
We know it can be tough. The weekend is here. But this city is so full of bars and restaurants that it can sometime be tough to make a choice. And we spend a lot of time here on Foobooz trying to tell you exactly that. We make lists of the 50 Best Restaurants and…
The post Where to Eat This Weekend: A Whole New Thing appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
I have been bitten by one snake in my life. It’s an embarrassing story, and not really germane to the discussion we’re about to have except to say that I have been bitten by one snake, did not die from it, harbor no particular resentment toward snakes today, and so, therefore, am qualified to both…
The post How Many Snakes Would It Take to Make You Leave Your Favorite Philly Restaurant? appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
Federal Donuts: The Partially True Spectacular Story — “a love letter to the donut people of America” — dropped this past week. And to celebrate the release of the cookbook that chronicles how Federal Donuts author-partners Michael Solomonov, Steve Cook, Tom Henneman, Bob Logue, and Felicia D’Ambrosio made it all happen, they’re throwing a blowout block…
The post Federal Donuts Is Throwing a Block Party on Sansom Street This Weekend appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
Travelling American Express Platinum and Centurion card members flying to and from PHL will soon have a chance to taste some of the city’s most sought-after cuisine without leaving the airport. The new Amex-built Centurion Lounge opening next month at the Philadelphia International Airport will feature an Israeli-inspired menu designed by star chef Michael Solomonov. Menu items…
The post Michael Solomonov Is Behind the Menu at PHL Airport’s Fancy, Exclusive Lounge appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
Sad news for gelato lovers west of the Schuylkill: Capogiro has made the decision to close its location at 3925 Walnut Street. According to the company, with its 15th anniversary coming up, management wants to refocus the brand and “streamline” the acclaimed gelateria to play to its strength — providing “a true Italian experience.” After…
The post Capogiro’s University City Outpost Is Closing appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
With flour-milling, natural fermentation and a lot of love, Philly’s new wave of bread makers insists on doing things the right way — the slow way. And because of these gluten geeks, our baguettes are now crustier than ever before and our sourdough loaves boast some of the biggest air pockets we’ve ever seen. It’s good eating. Here, all…
The post Here Are All the Philly Breads You’ve Gotta Get Your Hands On appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
What could possibly make the cheesesteak — Philly’s melty, messy unofficial foodstuff — even more indulgent? How about the addition of cheese curds and gravy? And you can taste for yourself starting at noon today, when the French fry wizards from Shoo Fry will be serving up a collaborative poutine cheesesteak at Pat’s King of…
The post Score a Poutine Cheesesteak at Pat’s Today Only appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
The Script is coming to Electric Factory on Wednesday, October 4th for a live performance and Philly2Night has the hook up! We’re giving away a pair of tickets to one lucky winner! Enter below for a chance to win.
About The Script
The Script are an Irish rock band formed in 2008 in Dublin, Ireland. It consists of lead vocalist and keyboardist Danny O’Donoghue, lead guitarist Mark Sheehan, and drummer Glen Power. The Script’s music has been featured in television programmes such as 90210, Ghost Whisperer, The Hills, Waterloo Road, EastEnders, Made in Chelsea and The Vampire Diaries. They have 5 studio albums, the last released in 2017.
About Electric Factory
Electric Factory, one of the nation’s leading indoor music venues, tops the charts in Philadelphia as the city’s most celebrated location for live music. For over 40 years Electric Factory has been a fan favorite for an array of musical tastes as it hosts the top names in entertainment from all musical genres.
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At this point, 80% of the adult population of the United States has their own cooking and/or house-flipping show. Whether it’s on one of the major networks, one of the high-range niche cable channels, Netflix, Hulu, YouTube or wherever, America is in a Golden Age of everybody and their neighbor having their own TV show.…
The post Here’s How You Can Become a Contestant on MasterChef appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
On the last Saturday of every month, Rooster Soup Company transforms into a karaoke bar with a killer late-night breakfast. And this Saturday, September 30th, Aldine chef-owner George Sabatino is hanging out in the kitchen to put his own twist on the breakfast menu. On Saturday, September 30th from 8 p.m. until 1 a.m., Sabatino…
The post George Sabatino Is Popping Up at Rooster Soup Company’s Late-Night Breakfast appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
Is there a Philly restaurant you loved that’s now long gone? Amis just might bring it back with their Legacy Series, a slate of one-night-only pop-ups featuring erstwhile stars of the city’s dining scene. And they’re kicking off the series with an homage to The Astral Plane on October 10th. Reed Apaghian and Tom Boyer,…
The post Amis Brings Back Hits from The Astral Plane’s Menu for One Night Only appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
Whether you call it West Passyunk or Newbold, the neighborhood west of Broad between Washington and Snyder Avenues — East Point Breeze, maybe? — has a strong, emerging, restaurant community. And they’re coming together with a slew of craft breweries to raise funds for a neighborhood cleaning program with the third annual South Philly SausageFest.…
The post South Philly SausageFest Returns to West Passyunk appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Philly’s baking scene — from pastries, to desserts, to breads — has really grown into something special in the last few years. Here, we celebrate eight chefs who helped turn it into what it is today: Pat O’Malley Co-owner, Hungry Pigeon in Queen Village CV: Spent eight years…
The post These 8 Chefs Are Changing the Baking Game in Philly appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
If something as iconic and awesome as a taco can ever have a boom cycle, Philly is definitely going through one right now. A whole slew of new taquerias have opened since we last updated this list in 2015, and many kitchens in the city have added two or three (or 10) tacos to their…
The post All the Tacos You Should Be Eating in Philly Right Now appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
It’s no secret that the restaurant industry runs on thin margins, and operating with a certain level of debt to suppliers isn’t unheard of, even for successful restaurants. But it seems that Jose Garces hasn’t been keeping up with the bills at several of his properties — and now, one produce purveyor is suing for…
The post Garces Restaurants Are Being Sued for $86K in Unpaid Bills appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
It’s news to exactly no one in Philadelphia that our city makes some great pizza. But it’s nice that Vice’s The Pizza Show decided to spread the word with a Philly-centric episode that dropped yesterday. So which pizzerias did host Frank Pinello, the show’s host and owner of Best Pizza in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, see fit…
The post Vice’s Pizza Show Spotlights Philly, Doesn’t Embarrass Itself appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
It’s time for a daily news report.
In what was apparently the last of the season for Aaron Nola, the right-hander put in a solid finish.
The 24-year-old went six, struck out nine and gave up two runs in the Nationals’ 3-1 win over the Phillies. (The team still needs one win to avoid 100 losses this year, but now they’re tied again with the Giants for the worst record in baseball.)
Nola finishes the year 12-11 with a 3.54 ERA, 184 strikeouts and 49 walks. He finished with 9.9 strikeouts per nine, which is the third-best mark in Phillies history, behind Curt Schilling’s two 300-strikeout seasons.
After the game Pete Mackanin said this:
“Nola has really established himself. To me, he’s a solid No. 3 starter.”
That’s a weird quote. Does that mean his floor is No. 3? His ceiling is a No. 3? He’s a No. 3 right now? Is Mackanin sending signals to the front office that the Phils need another two top-line starting pitchers?
Here is where Nola stands among all major league starting pitchers (qualified IP):
I see it like this: there’s a top tier of obvious aces in this league, which includes Clayton Kershaw, Chris Sale, Corey Kluber, Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Zack Greinke, Jacob deGrom and Dallas Keuchel. Add in a healthy Noah Syndergaard, and there you go – somewhere around eight to 10 guys.
After that is a tier of near-aces. These guys can be No. 2s on a great staff or No. 1s on a more average staff. Think Carlos Carrasco and Gio Gonzalez. Nola has made his case for this group.
By the way, imagine a rotation of Carrasco, Gonzalez and Nola today. That actually could’ve happened.
Anyway, if Mackanin is saying Nola has a No. 3 floor, I’d agree with that, but the truth is he’s probably one of the top 15 starting pitchers in baseball. That’s a No. 2 and fringe No. 1 right now.
If I’m the Phils I get a guy in the same general area to pair with Nola next year. We’ll talk about that later.
Rhys Hoskins hasn’t hit a home run since Sept. 14 against Miami. It feels like a skid. And it is.
Since that game he’s .135/.256/.216 with just five hits in 37 at bats. He has walked six times, but he’s also struck out 12 times. This is that dreaded adjustment period, and he recognizes it – he knows pitchers are throwing him more stuff low and away. Last night he swung early in counts to get balls over the plate; that may be overcompensating a bit. Either way, he’s working it out. Plenty of confidence in him here.
Meanwhile, here’s a long read by Marcos Breton of the Sacramento Bee about Hoskins’ road to stardom.
Mackanin told reporters that winning has to be a priority for his team next year; also, he doesn’t yet know it’s his team next year.
Yes, despite a contract extension through 2018, Mackanin hasn’t been assured he’ll be back. That will probably come when the season closes, but it’s still interesting to note.
I think Mackanin has afforded an opportunity to see this group into the next level. If that group can’t make strides next year, then maybe it’s time to move on.
A$AP Mob is coming to The Skyline Stage at The Mann with Playboi Carti, Key!, and Cozy Boys tonight and Philly2Night has the hookup! Were giving away three pairs of tickets to the show! Doors: 5:30 PM, Showtime: 6:30 PM. Please note this event is all ages. Enter Below!
About A$AP Mob
A$AP Mob is an American hip hop collective formed in 2006, in Harlem, New York and includes artists A$AP Rocky, A$AP Ferg, A$AP Twelvyy, A$AP Nast, and A$AP Ant. The Mob is a collective of rappers, record producers, music video directors and fashion designers, who share similar interests in music, fashion, style and art.
About Skyline Stage at The Mann
The Mann theater has the capacity of 14,000 patrons, including 4,500 under cover. The Mann serves more than 200,000 patrons annually, presenting diverse musical genres including classical, pops, jazz, rhythm & blues, rock & roll, indie, and country. The Mann has always focused on bringing world-class artists and touring companies to the community.
If you are 21 years of age or older and plan to consume alcohol at the concert, please be prepared to present proper I.D. There is no re-entry once exiting the facility. No outside food or beverage are permitted for this performance.
The post Win Tickets to See A$AP Mob at The Mann Tonight appeared first on philly2night.
Back in the beginning of the summer, we updated our 50 Best Restaurants list. And in doing so, we flipped the script on the way we do things around here. Instead of a biennial update (like we used to do), instead of an annual update (like we did between 2014 and 2016), and instead of…
The post 50 Best Restaurants in Philadelphia: Fall 2017 appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
Happy Monday, everyone. We know that everyone had a busy weekend trying to milk the last of summer out of the first days of fall. But while you were out enjoying the sun, news was happening all over the world. And not the infuriating, depressing, regular kind of news, but the good kind. Food news.…
The post Your Cheeseburgers Are Ruining the Planet appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
THE TACOS ARE COMING! And this time they’re coming to Baltimore! Join Upcomingevents.com and a Taste of Your Town for Baltimore’s 1st Annual Taco Festival on Saturday, October 7th at the action packed Power Plant LIVE. Located just minutes’ walk from the famous Inner Harbor it’s the perfect place to take on some tasty tacos, refreshing margaritas, and all the Mexican food your heart desires.
During this six hour taco fest be prepared to enjoy 20+ Taco & Food Vendors dishing out some delicious tacos and other Mexican food. Wash it all down at the Margarita Bar or during the Tequila Sampling Expo. Stick around for the extensive line of entertainment throughout the day, featuring a Chili Pepper Eating Contest, Giant Nacho Bar, tons of Live Entertainment and a Best Dressed Contest.
TICKET DETAILS
General Admission 1PM – 7PM
Entry + First Drink Free
Premium Ticket 1PM – 7PM
Entry + First Drink Free
5 Taco Vouchers
Commemorative gift bag with bottle of hot sauce, giveaways
VIP Admission 12PM – 7PM
1 hour express early access (12pm)
Exclusive VIP Area
5 Taco vouchers
5 Drink Tickets in VIP area (excludes tequila flights & shots)
Commemorative gift bag with bottle of hot sauce, giveaways, and bragging rights
To make the event easily enjoyed all items will work on a voucher system – there will be various voucher stations throughout the festival & all vouchers will be used as cash. Additional vendors will be on hand to sell other food (cotton candy, cakes, desserts etc) as well. Multiple ATMs will be on site & strongly encourage cash sales at voucher stations. Don’t forget this event is extremely kid friendly and children six years and young receive free entry.
Looking to attend this incredible event? Purchase your tickets HERE – you won’t be sorry!
The post Well-Known Taco Festival Coming to Power Plant Live in Baltimore appeared first on philly2night.
It’s time for a daily news report.
Would’ve been nice for the Phillies to win the series against the Braves in Atlanta, but that didn’t happen. Three relatively ho-hum games, one win and two losses, and let’s go home for the final six.
Rhys Hoskins is human, his average down to .278. That said, his on-base mark is still a superb .409, thanks to 32 walks to 39 strikeouts. He’s still really, really good.
Maikel Franco has improved himself in the last few weeks. Sure he’s still at .231/.283/.400, but that’s better than the .223/.278/.389 he was at on Sept. 1. Look, not good at all, but it’s hard for the Phils to let him go for nothing. He’s still young, has power (21 home runs, even in this era of juiced balldom, is still good) and right now has very, very little value. It behooves the Phils to stick with him, at least to see if there’s value yet to earn back. If so, then you move him for *something*.
Also the Phils won’t be great next year. Start the year with Franco, let Crawford bounce around the infield, and the truth will finally surface.
Plus it’s Cesar Hernandez (.296/.370/.422) who has the value to move in the offseason. That’s who you move.
Oh, Nick Pivetta pitched well Sunday, striking out four and walking one in six frames. There’s potential there, yet.
Finally, Hector Neris should be dealt in the offseason. His value is as good as it’s ever been. Do it, Phils.
With the win Sunday the Phillies are 62-94. First, one more win and the team avoids 100 losses. That’s good. This team was destined for more than 100 losses just 40 days ago; it’s great to see tremendous improvement late this season.
Second, the Phils are now one game ahead of the Giants (61-95) in the standings. If you care about the first pick in the 2018 First Year Player Draft, this is what you’re following for the next six games.
Ken Rosenthal, in a video for FOX Sports, says the Phillies will be a team to watch this offseason. He mentions pitcher Alex Cobb as a potential target, along with usual suspects Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich. Finally, he says J.P. Crawford’s emergence (.232/.362/.339 with great defense at three positions) may make Freddy Galvis available.
We’ll see what happens, but again, Hernandez is the right chip to move. Walk into next year with Crawford-Galvis-Franco-(Veteran) and keep an eye on how Franco responds. Scott Kingery is in the wings. That’s me, though.
More on that when the season closes.
Two Door Cinema Club is coming to Electric Factory on Saturday, September 30th for a live performance and Philly2Night has the hook up! We’re giving away a pair of tickets to one lucky winner! Enter below for a chance to win. Please note this event is all ages.
About Two Door Cinema Club
Mixing electronic polish with guitar-driven hooks à la Phoenix and the Postal Service, Bangor and Donaghadee, Northern Ireland’s Two Door Cinema Club features singer/guitarist/programmer Alex Trimble, guitarist/singer Sam Halliday, and bassist/singer Kevin Baird. The trio began playing as Two Door Cinema Club in 2007 and skipped going to university to focus on the band. The band’s debut EP, Four Words to Stand On, was released in January 2009. In 2012, Two Door Cinema Club returned with its sophomore album, the Jacknife Lee-produced Beacon. Generally well-received, the album hit the number one spot on the Irish album charts, and number two in the United Kingdom. It featured the two singles “Sleep Alone” and “Sun.” (Source: Here)
About Electric Factory
Electric Factory, one of the nation’s leading indoor music venues, tops the charts in Philadelphia as the city’s most celebrated location for live music. For over 40 years Electric Factory has been a fan favorite for an array of musical tastes as it hosts the top names in entertainment from all musical genres.
The post Win Tickets to See Two Door Cinema Club at Electric Factory appeared first on philly2night.
Have you seen them? Those cafés with stellar baking programs? Those bakeries with fantastic coffee drinks? They’re always full, and there’s a reason why. Philly’s caffeinated, sugar-toothed diners are living their best lives these days, hanging out in shops that do it right on both fronts: pastry and coffee. So, now that the days of bad biscotti and cheap java are…
The post 8 Bakeries in Philly That Will Replace Your Coffee Shop Hang appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
It’s Friday, and you know what that means? It means we all deserve a drink. Or two. Or seven. This weekend, it’s all about the booze. From excellent parties to drinking in the sun to a Sunday jazz brunch with Adele’s piano player, we have everything you need to know to give yourself the kind…
The post Where To Eat This Weekend: Who Needs A Drink? appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
The Phillies just won three out of four games against baseball’s best to finish off the homestand at 7-3. It was probably the three best games this team has played in the last four seasons. They beat one of the best pitchers to play the game in Clayton Kershaw, held their own against Yu Darvish and quieted the Dodgers’ powerful lineup.
Even in the series finale where the Phils lost 5-4, there was still things to get excited about. Nick Williams hit a homer and Rhys Hoskins continued to dominate, becoming the fastest player in history to reach 45 RBIs. The only disappointment with the Phillies’ recent play is that there’s only nine games left to enjoy it.
Unless they completely collapse, the Phils will avoid their first 100-loss season since 1936. Even better, they have a shot at jumping the Mets in the standings. It all starts in Atlanta.
What to Expect
Even at their lowest point, the Phillies have absolutely dominated the Braves this season. In 16 games, the Phils are 12-4, including a four-game sweep back in July. The Braves just lost two of three from the Nationals and lost two of three from the Mets. Still, the Phillies need to keep their foot on the gas. The last thing we want is for them to get overconfident and reverse back to old habits.
Probable Starters
Friday, 7:35 p.m., Ben Lively (3-6, 3.94 ERA) vs. Sean Newcomb (3-8, 4.32 ERA)
This pair of rookies will look to sharpen their resume as the season comes to a close. Lively has shown he deserves a spot in this rotation next year, giving up more than three runs in just two of his 13 starts. Lively’s last outing was shortened to three innings due to the rain so he should be ready to go.
Newcomb has also impressed, most recently by striking out eight batters against the Mets last week. He’s faced the Phils twice already in his short career, giving up just three runs on seven hits over 11 innings. But that was before the alien that is Rhys Hoskins and the rest of the youngins’ showed up.
Saturday, 7:10 p.m., Henderson Alvarez (0-1, 7.20 ERA) vs. Julio Teheran (11-12, 4.52 ERA)
Alvarez’s outing against Oakland last week went as well as expected for someone who hasn’t pitched in more than two seasons. He allowed four runs on four hits, including two homers, over five innings while striking our four. With Teheran on the mound, the Phils should have a chance to win if Alvarez throws up a similar line.
In his first two starts against Philadelphia this season, Teheran gave up 13 runs over 9 2/3 innings. On August 30, he limited the Phils to just one run on five hits and struck out eight over 6 2/3 innings. He has a 6.23 ERA in 16 starts at home this season but has settled as of late.
Sunday, 1:35 p.m., Nick Pivetta (6-10, 6.57 ERA) vs. Luiz Gohara (1-2, 6.06 ERA)
Who knows which Nick Pivetta is going to show up on Sunday? Will it be the Pivetta who let up back-to-back homers to start the game against the Dodgers? Or the Pivetta who then went on to shutdown those same Dodgers, striking out eight over six innings? We shall see.
Despite a high ERA, the Braves’ rookie can be a tough test for the Phils’ young lineup. In his second of just three starts this season, he limited the potent Nationals’ lineup to just one run over six innings. He didn’t have the same success just a week later when he faced the Nats at home but still held them to four runs, striking out four. When he’s on, his slider can make batters look silly.
The weather is going to be beautiful this weekend. As a matter of fact, it might not get this beautiful again for a long time. There’ll be sun. It’ll be hot. It will almost feel like a couple extra perfect days of summer. So you should get out there and take advantage of it while…
The post How to Eat and Drink Like Summer Is Eternal in Philly appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
Then Ruben Amaro Jr. was named general manager.
The Phillies didn’t win another world championship.
Tim Malcolm and Dan Walsh wonder if they can do better. So, we continue “Playing the Rube,” a weekly series with accompanying podcast in which Tim and Dan attempt to steer the Phillies to more victories, starting in 2009, through the deep simulation game OOTP Baseball ’18.
***
Our 2009 Phillies experiment is going deep into the darkest places of the soulless Earth.
So it’s time to change it up.
First, you’ll hear a totally new format for the podcast. It’s more narrative and, hopefully, interesting!
Second, we make some major organizational changes thanks to a big trade.
But that’s not all …
No photos or summary this week; just listen!
And subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts!
We all loved Hot Diggity. It was one of those shops that seemed to effortlessly fit right in on South Street, in the neighborhood, in the city. And when owner Keith Garabedian closed it in 2015, it was a heartbreaking loss to our scene. Not because it’s hard to find a hot dog in Philly…
The post One of Philly’s All-Time Hot Dog Greats Is Resurfacing at Stockyard Sandwich Co. appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
This is a picture of Andre Ethier from a long time ago. Can you believe he’s been a Dodger since 2006?!
FINE, Dodgers, you can win ONE GAME.
It’s time for a daily news report.
The Dodgers got one back from the Phillies in the Thursday getaway game, but the good guys didn’t make it easy. Los Angeles jumped out to a 2-0 lead but Nick Williams (it’s a new hero every day!) slammed a game-tying homer. Then – who else – Rhys Hoskins drilled a two-run double to give the Phils the lead in the sixth.
That didn’t last. While the Phils bullpen has been much better in recent weeks, they struggled at times against the Dodgers. With a 4-3 lead, Ricardo Pinto immediately surrendered a game-tying home run to Andre Ethier and a triple to Pain In The Butt Chris Taylor. He scored two batters later, the Dodgers had the lead, and they wouldn’t give it up.
Mark Leiter Jr. chugged through six innings, giving up three runs and striking out three. Freddy Galvis added two hits but also hit the most obvious double play ball in history in the ninth inning.
Oh well. Phils take on the Braves starting tonight in Atlanta.
In the wake of Thursday’s game, Gordie Jones with CSNPhilly.com wrote a piece about how the Phillies are excited about playing well against really good teams.
The money quote:
“I think it’s a good lesson. It showed us, or showed me, we can compete with the best teams in the league. Just can’t wait to see what next year has in store for us.”
Good quote, right? Must be from one of the veterans like Andres Blanco or Cameron Rupp …
Nope. That’s J.P. Crawford.
Crawford – who’s now hitting .255/.379/.383 with 10 walks and 14 strikeouts in 58 plate appearances since being promoted from Lehigh Valley – has long been advertised as a potential leader, quick to transition to a major role in a clubhouse despite being one of the younger players in every clubhouse he’s been part of since being drafted.
We talked about how well Crawford is playing before Thursday’s game; in that game he walked three times and made some nice plays at third base.
Now he’s talking about the team getting a good lesson. A team he’s been on for a couple weeks.
I love this stuff. Bring on 2018.
Jon Heyman is – as they say these days – back on his bulls**t.
The FanRag writer, in his National League notes, says a few things:
We didn’t have this problem during the preseason, but during the Eagles regular-season opener, we got hungry. Last Sunday, too. Specifically, we got hungry for Thai food. More specifically, curry. Especially when the Eagles’ defense was on the field. We finally figured out: Defensive end Vinny Curry was signaling our taste buds to crave chicken bathed in…
The post Here’s the Real Reason Why We Get Hungry Watching Football appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
Mac Demarco is coming to the Skyline Stage at The Mann for a live performance featuring special guest The Garden on Sunday, September 24th and Philly2Night has the hook up! We’re giving away three pairs of tickets to the show. Enter below for a chance to win.
Please note This is a rain or shine event . Doors at 6:00 PM. Show starts at 7:00 PM. If you are 21 years of age or older and plan to consume alcohol at the concert, please be prepared to present proper I.D. There is no re-entry once exiting the facility. No outside food or beverages are permitted for this performance.
About Skyline Stage at The Mann
The Mann theater has the capacity of 14,000 patrons, including 4,500 under cover. The Mann serves more than 200,000 patrons annually, presenting diverse musical genres including classical, pops, jazz, rhythm & blues, rock & roll, indie, and country. The Mann has always focused on bringing world-class artists and touring companies to the community.
The post Win Tickets to See Mac Demarco With The Garden at Skyline Stage at the Mann appeared first on philly2night.
At that point, mostly everyone started to worry – and if you didn’t, you’re kidding yourself. But since May 26, Crawford was exactly the player as advertised, hitting .275/.380/.494 (triple-A numbers). If his season started then, he probably would’ve been called up much sooner.
Since his promotion to the big leagues, the 22-year-old has picked up right where he left off, slashing .261/.352/.391 in 14 games. He’s added four doubles, a triple and six RBI primarily batting in the bottom third of the lineup. And in the small sample size, Rhys Hoskins and Crawford rank one and two on the team in pitches per plate appearance at 4.55 and 4.46, respectively. And over the last four games, Crawford has stepped it up a notch, proving he’s comfortable at this level by seeing five pitches per plate appearance. He’s drawn five walks as a result.
It remains to be seen where the former first round pick will consistently hit in the lineup. Decisions need to be made on a cast of infielders: Maikel Franco, Cesar Hernandez and Freddy Galvis. One thing we know for sure, Crawford is as smooth an infielder as anyone at any position.
J.P. Crawford, smooooooth as butter regardless of position pic.twitter.com/e51vvH8kUG
— Ben Harris (@byBenHarris) September 12, 2017
Maybe the finest defensive play we've seen J.P. Crawford make in the bigs? And he's made a bunch. pic.twitter.com/Q5IClfn9vM
— Ben Harris (@byBenHarris) September 19, 2017
Regardless of where Crawford hits, his type of approach does wonders anywhere in the lineup. If the Phillies decide to trade Hernandez, the infielder will likely slide into the top of the order, taking pitches so the rest of the lineup can time the pitcher. And once he gets on base, the meat of the order should get fastballs to hit. If the Phillies part ways with Galvis, then there’s a possibility Crawford hits seventh or eighth, and in case, he’ll be able to turn the lineup over more times than not for Hernandez and eventually Kingery.
Combine this offensive flexibility with the obvious defensive flexibility he’s showing, and Crawford is already close to proving himself worthy at the top level.
Walnut Street Cafe has been doing weekend brunches since it opened. And they’re nice long ones, too — 10am to 4pm, Saturdays and Sundays. It’s the perfect place for pastry chef (and Per Se alum) Melissa Weller to show off her fantastic pastries, and the only time she serves her khachapuri — which is kind of like…
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Ladies and gentlemen: the absolute best series of 2017.
It’s time for a daily news report.
There’s a great nickname for Aaron Altherr: the Rhineland Rocket, given because he was born in Germany and because “rocket” is a good way to explain how he runs (he’s fast), how he fields (he’s fast to the ball) and how the ball zooms off his bat like said rocket.
Well the ball Wednesday night didn’t necessarily zoom as much as blast off high into the stratosphere before landing in the back of the first row in left field.
Altherr’s home run helped the Phils overcome a late deficit against the Dodgers (this isn’t getting old), and his actual zooming rocket of a single an inning later put ’em ahead for good. The Phillies beat the Dodgers 7-5. The Phils have taken three straight from baseball’s best team. Every game has been thrilling, with late scores, awesome plays (that Odubel catch to end it!), crazy things happening (Chase Utley’s triple hit a weird spot on the big wall) and hero moments.
Altherr went 3-for-4 and is now hitting .281/.351/.539 on the year with 19 home runs and 21 doubles. Among players with at least 350 plate appearances, Altherr is 35th in baseball in OPS. He’s proving the Phils can put him in their future plans.
The bullpen pulled off a decent job after Jake Thompson left (5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 K, 3 BB).
The Phils will try for the four-game sweep of the Dodgers this afternoon. Tune in, everyone.
The Phillies won MLB.com’s Bullpen of the week last week.
There’s an actual scoring system for this, so it’s not just one writer’s discretion. And we’ve told you about how good this group is now. So congrats to Hector, Luis, Hoby, Victor, Ricardo, Kevin, Adam, Edubray, Yacksel … are we forgetting anyone?
One of you fans named your kid after Rhys Hoskins.
Well, the middle name is Rhys.
That’s a bold move; you never know how the future is gonna go here. But I applaud the Schival family for getting out in front of the trend. Break that mold. I just hope you don’t feel like that family that named their kid Domonic. That one still hurts.
(By the way, this probably will NOT end up like that.)
We told you about this event back in July — pretty much as soon as we heard about it. After five years of taking their culinary show on the road and touring some of the best food cities in America, the James Beard Foundation’s “Taste America Culinary Tour” is coming to Philly. The event (which is…
The post James Beard Foundation’s “Taste America” Tour Is Hitting Philly and the Menu Is Insane appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
Their mere presence seems to have invigorated the team and fanbase to believe the next generation of the Phillies is here and promising.
But behind them in fanfare is the rookie that beat them both to the big leagues, and whose success is just as much an integral piece to the future success of the franchise: Nick Williams.
A recent slide notwithstanding, Williams has more than held his own in the big leagues. Of rookies with at least as many as his 276 at bats, Williams ranks sixth of all the rookies in baseball this year with his .812 OPS. His numbers since his call-up don’t rank with Aaron Judge or even Hoskins, but you’ll find him in the top-five or 10 rookie ranks in most offensive categories.
It’s the kind of performance the team hoped for when they made him one of the centerpieces of the Cole Hamels trade in 2015, but one that by the end of the 2016 season we wondered if we’d ever see. An ugly 136 strikeouts against just 19 walks (.287 OBP) last year in Allentown will do that kind of thing to your perception.
By all accounts, this was a player that did not believe he belonged in the minor leagues last year. So he pouted. And got sat down. And he was sent back to Allentown to start the year, which likely carried the directive, “Grow up.”
And he did. We didn’t hear any reports of him getting into any trouble, causing any trouble or doing anything other than playing baseball the way the Phillies wanted it played. In 306 plate appearances in Lehigh Valley this year, he had 16 walks, nearly matching his total from all of 2016.
When the Michael Saunders experiment – the one that likely kept Williams out of the big leagues to start the year – crossed the line from abject failure to unmitigated catastrophe, and Aaron Altherr suffered a second injury, a spot opened in the outfield for Williams. Before Hoskins came up and hit bomb after bomb, before Crawford came up and showed prowess all over the infield, Williams was up in the bigs injecting a needed shot of youth and excitement to a team that was teetering on the edge of “completely unwatchable.”
If anything, his play for the first month of his call-up added a small level of trust to the process, that perhaps the Phillies front office knew what it was doing in keeping the young guys in Allentown for an extended period of time. If Williams is the result of that grooming, then maybe it wasn’t the worst idea.
Williams is far from a complete player – part of which makes his quick ascent this year so exciting because there is clearly room to improve. He’s got one steal in three tries, a crime for someone with his pure athleticism. But he’s never been a basestealer in the minor leagues, so it’s probably asking too much of him to turn into one now.
And while he makes some flashy plays, his defensive metrics show a poor outfielder. He doesn’t have enough playing time to qualify, but if he did, his minus-2.4 URZ would rank 46th of 58 current qualifying outfielders. You can chalk part of that up to playing all over the outfield in his time in Philly so far (48 games in right, 16 in center, 12 in left, with no clear indication of where he’ll be next season). At the same time, it’s an obvious area of improvement he needs to work on in the offseason if he’s going to be one of the anchors of this team for a decade.
Part of his exciting debut is probably a little lucky, with a BABIP of .376 helping his average reach .287. He’s always had a high BABIP in the minors, but sticking around at .376 for a full major league season is tough to expect from anyone.
But of all the rookie debuts we’ve seen this season in Philadelphia, when you factor in where he’s come from, what he’s coming into and what’s been asked of him, Williams’ debut could be the best we’ve seen.
OK, OK. But it’s definitely second-best and the one that makes you feel just a little bit better about the future.
After a successful Philly run at Pentridge Station beer garden in West Philly, Baltimore-based roving BYOB pop-up restaurant Haenyo is returning to Philly — this time to Fishtown, at Girard Bruncherie — for another night of Korean farm food goodies. Strangely enough, Girard doesn’t have pancakes on its menu. But come the evening of Saturday, September 23rd, Haeyno will serve up…
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Rhys Hoskins / Photo by: Lauren McLaughlin
Rhys Hoskins stands in with a 3-1 count. Pedro Baez fixes himself and readies what could be a decisive pitch for him, for Hoskins, for the Dodgers, the Phillies and, 200 miles away from Citizens Bank Park, my sanity.
“My heart’s really pumping …” I say with a tinge of surprise while holding my tablet. My wife chuckles.
A strike taken. I exhale. My heart continues to throb.
It’s September 19. The Phillies are in baseball’s basement, currently the second-worst team in the game, and they’re playing a team with 96 wins, the best in baseball. This game, for all intents and purposes, doesn’t matter at all. Sure a loss could help the Phils get closer to the first pick in the 2018 First-Year Player Draft, and sure a win could help the Dodgers get closer to clinching the National League West division, but no, this doesn’t matter. From a distance, there’s no reason for my heart to be pumping any harder than usual. But I’m a Philadelphia sports fan. I’m a Phillies fan. This was totally different.
***
If there’s anything you can say about Phillies fans these days, it’s that we’re patient. And if there’s anything you can say about Philadelphia sports fans, it’s that we’re so patient that it borders on miraculous. We’re told every year that the Eagles are this close to being a real contender; meanwhile, the Patriots continue to wipe up the league from a million miles away, and we watch the Cowboys become instant darlings right down the block. It’s slightly worse than being told every year that the Flyers are a Class-A hockey organization, when – show of hands – how many of you were alive when that organization last won a championship? Then there’s the other half of me, the pure-blooded Sixers fanatic who jumped on the Hinkie train early and never looked back. We’re so close we can … well, look, building a champion in the National Basketball Association does take time. And so we trust.
The Phillies are about as far as the Sixers from winning the ultimate game. Though there’s nothing in sports quite like the Process and everything it birthed, the Phillies are playing a long game that’s nearly as taxing to endure. We watched in 2012 as a veteran team with injury problems limped to .500. We sighed deeply in 2013 as Charlie Manuel walked away from us with his Wawa bag and Delmon Young, Kevin Fransden and John Lannan filled our summer days. In 2014 we saw hope dash with Domonic Brown’s poor play, Cody Asche’s steady nothingness and Sean O’Sullivan’s penchant for giving up all the home runs. We hit rock bottom in 2015, found new life with Pete Mackanin, Andy MacPhail and Matt Klentak, and began putting all our hopes and dreams on names like Maikel, Aaron, Jerad, Jorge, Jake, Nick, J.P. and Vince.
Last year was a slog. It had moments, and sure we unearthed some gems in Cesar Hernandez and Odubel Herrera, but nothing really happened. Maikel faltered. Aaron broke. Jerad was just Jerad. Jorge barely showed. Jake, too. Nick never came. J.P. never came. And Vince never grew. We had to wait another year, but what the heck was another year going to do?
***
It’s September 19. Jorge is on third base, a victim of a far-too-inside fastball. Cesar walked – he does that a lot – so he stands on first. And Odubel is on first because he took an extremely and beautifully long time, drawing out Baez into a four-pitch walk. Odubel clapped and celebrated after the fourth ball. It was peak Odubel. That walk brought home J.P., who hit his first career triple and started this whole thing. All of this was happening, and there at the plate was the unexpected star we weren’t pinning our hopes on two years before: Rhys. Taking walks and clouting balls into the seats, Rhys had taken the city by storm, and here he was, standing in the spotlight in the seventh inning of a 2-2 tie. He had a full count, a pitcher doing everything to ensure each new pitch was the last he would throw, and he was probably the most comfortable person in the ballpark.
“Oh man, come on Rhys, come on.” My wife watches the tablet with me and mutes the television. He fouls off pitch after pitch, wasting Baez’s attempts at finally putting this to bed, but also getting closer and ever closer to striking that ball head on. I’m waiting for something. I know something will happen.
That’s something I haven’t felt in years.
***
Remember Ryan Howard? No, not the guy who limped in the 2011 NLDS. And not the guy who struck out far too much after that heartbreaking moment. I’m talking about the guy who swept us away with every blast he struck. I’m talking about the guy that had us in hysterics because once he connected with a pitch, that ball would sail farther and higher than any ball we could dream of hitting. I’m talking about Game 4 of the 2009 NLDS: “Get me to the plate, boys,” and the certainty of that entire plate appearance. I knew, you knew, he knew and we all knew he’d deliver. For years, Ryan Howard was certainty. For years, Ryan Howard seized our bottle of anticipation – all shaken up by Jimmy Rollins’ singles through the hole, Shane Victorino’s swift slides, Chase Utley’s perfectly placed liners and Jayson Werth’s marathon walks – and in one clout, opened that bottle and created an explosion unlike anything we ever experienced. That’s what brought everyone to the park. That’s what made them king. That’s what we hope to get one day again.
Well, it happened again.
Another 3-2 pitch. I wait for the one just low enough, the one he can drive, maybe out of the park but at least into the outfield. And he gets it, a fastball down in the zone, perfectly placed for his bat head. The ball screams into left-center and bounces to the wall. A game-breaking double. Everyone scores. I pump my fist, jump up and down and scream like it was 2009 all over again. Or 2008. Or 2007 or 2006. We’re close. We’re not there yet, but we’re close, closer than we thought. We need pitching. We need reinforcements. We need to see them develop. But we’re close.
I have to stay patient, and we should, because 2018 shouldn’t be a time for high expectations. Let’s be real, let’s focus, and let’s remember trust. But on September 19, in a game that really didn’t matter, everything seemed to matter for the past, present and future.
I’m getting my heart ready.
Now in its fourth year running, The Twisted Tail’s Whiskey Bonanza is back again tomorrow night, September 21st, from 7 – 10 p.m. So if you’re a fan of the brown liquors, this is your time to shine. Ticket holders will have access to over 70 different whiskeys — domestic, local, imported, all available to try side by side.…
The post Drink All of the Whiskey at Twisted Tail’s Whiskey Bonanza appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
Rhys Hoskins / Photo by: Lauren McLaughlin
This. Is. Fun.
It’s time for a daily news report.
More on this later, but Rhys Hoskins did something few Phillies have done in the last few years: make my heart jump with anticipation. And boy did he deliver. A bases-clearing double in the seventh inning beat the Dodgers, 6-2, on Tuesday night. This awesome at bat came after a ridiculously fun Odubel Herrera four-pitch walk, and after the Phils squandered a bases-loaded rally in the sixth (thanks Maikel Franco …).
Anyway, my goodness. This is great. So great.
Aaron Nola got the good-luck win, going seven strong and giving up two runs. He struck out eight and walked two. Luis Garcia got out of trouble (thanks, awesome Matrix style Freddy Galvis double play turn), and Hector Neris finished it off. Aaron Altherr knocked his 18th home run (please play a full season next year).
Great. So great. The Phils apparently waited until mid-September against the Dodgers to play the best games of the year.
Damon Miller Jr. lived up to his promise. After tweeting last week that he’d buy everyone at Citizens Bank Park chicken nuggets if Rhys Hoskins hit a home run (which of course happened), Miller was at the park Tuesday night, giving out free chicken nuggets to fans.
Miller said McDonald’s helped him own up. Whatever the case, it’s awesome, and Miller is a really cool fan.
Pitcher Tom Eshelman and second baseman Scott Kingery were awarded Tuesday in Philadelphia with the Paul Owens awards, given annually to highest-performing hitter and pitcher in the Phils’ farm system.
Of course, both are in triple-A, which begs the question WHEN ARE THEY COMING TO PHILADELPHIA?
Matt Breen writes about that. Nobody’s sure yet what’s going to happen, and a lot will depend on what the Phils do in the offseason (move an infielder or two, make any pitching moves …). But my guess is both will be in Philly by next trade deadline, at the latest. That’s me playing it really safe.
Root, the Fishtown wine bar, and Jason Wilson, author of Boozehound, are teaming up like some kind of drunken Voltron to present “Planet of the Grapes” — a series of wine classes which will teach you all you ever wanted to know about orange wine, bubbly, pairing with Thanksgiving dinner and more. The classes happen every…
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Back in May, we told you about Founding Farmers, the restaurant group owned and operated by the North Dakota Farmers Union, opening a huge, 14,000 square foot restaurant at the King of Prussia Town Center. We knew a lot about the group behind the concept: that it was owned by the 40,000 member strong NDFU…
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Three years ago. That was the last time anybody was really talking about anything restaurant-related at the new Comcast Innovation and Technology Center, the sky-scraping giant currently getting built out at 18th and Arch Streets. The last we heard, two restaurants were planned for the building — one at the top, attached to the new Four Seasons Hotel, and the…
The post Two Big-Deal Chefs Will Open Restaurants at the New Comcast Tower appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
Last week, we told you about the folks from Philly Craft Spirits Week, who were throwing a party out in the suburbs (at Bluebird Distilling) for anyone who likes local booze and the people who make local booze. As it stood, it looked like it was going to be a pretty good time: a bunch…
The post The Philly Craft Spirits Week Party Just Got A Lot Bigger appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
Lotus takes the stage for a live performance at The Mann on Saturday, September 23rd at 6:00 pm and Philly2Night has the hook up! We’re giving away a pair of tickets and you can enter below for your chance to win them! Please note this event is all ages.
About Lotus
Lotus is an instrumental electronic jam band formed in Indiana in 1999 now based in Philadelphia, PA and Denver, CO. Members include Mike Rempel – guitar, Jesse Miller – bass and sampler, Mike Greenfield – Drums, Luke Miller – guitar/keyboards, and Chuck Morris – percussion.
About The Mann
The Mann theater has the capacity of 14,000 patrons, including 4,500 under cover. The Mann serves more than 200,000 patrons annually, presenting diverse musical genres including classical, pops, jazz, rhythm & blues, rock & roll, indie, and country. The Mann has always focused on bringing world-class artists and touring companies to the community.
The post Win Tickets to See Lotus at The Mann appeared first on philly2night.
It’s time for a daily news report.
I’ve been trying to get someone, anyone to laugh at that headline (if you don’t get the reference, you clearly weren’t alive in the 1970s … though I wasn’t either … moving on …), and man, today was the day to use it. With one sweeping, gorgeous swing, Aaron Altherr handed in his first big career moment, a go-ahead grand slam off Clayton Kershaw to completely turn Monday’s game around for the Phillies. They held that lead and won 4-3. It was glorious. Absolutely glorious.
That grand slam doesn’t happen without, you know, guys getting on base ahead of him. And in that inning the Phils finally put a rally together off the best pitcher in baseball since Roy Halladay left us. It started with a pinch-hit walk by Mr. Shows Up In Big Moments Ty Kelly, then continued with a Freddy Galvis single. Then, finally breaking out of his recent slump, Rhys Hoskins drew a big walk. That set the stage.
Hoskins also singled off Kershaw. The amazing thing is the Phils had six baserunners the entire game; four of them scored on one play. That’s called maximizing your opportunities.
For his part Nick Pivetta pitched well, striking out eight in six innings of two-run ball. Good job, Nick.
Before Altherr got his curtain call Monday night, Chase Utley received another standing ovation in coming back to Philly. The possible future hall of famer went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts in this one, but after the game acknowledged his return. “It’s still a little awkward,” he told Jim Salisbury about being back in Philly, but in the opposing clubhouse.
Ryan Lawrence of the Philly Voice recently wrote about the possibility that Cesar Hernandez is traded during the offseason. It’s certainly out there, considering the Phillies have a working logjam in the infield with him, Galvis, J.P. Crawford, Maikel Franco and the soon-to-arrive Scott Kingery.
But Hernandez has been really good for two years now. His defense is average at worst at second (though he can’t really play any other position), but offensively he’s been quite stout with an on-base percentage near .370 since the start of last year.
That said, where does he fit? It’s a good question, and now that Crawford is showing defensive prowess at basically anywhere you put him, it makes that question even more vital.
Welcome back, Chase.
In the time leading up to tonight’s game, and during the game itself, you’re going to see dozens of Chase Utley highlights of his Phillie career, so let’s not pile on that bandwagon.
Instead, here are three of my favorite Chase Utley moments that didn’t necessarily have to do with baseball:
Here’s to hoping our relationship with Chase this week is a real hoooooome run.
WHAT TO EXPECT
The Dodgers are one of the best teams in baseball, and a month ago, there was talk about them setting the all-time wins record. A 1-17 (???) stretch ended that, but let’s just say they’re still a touch better than the Phils. If the Dodgers sweep the series, they’d notch their 100th win of the year and force the Phillies to go 5-4 over their last nine to avoid losing 100 games. Yikes. Let’s just sit back and enjoy Chase for a week, shall we?
PROBABLE STARTERS
Monday, 7:05 p.m., Clayton Kershaw (17-3, 2.12 ERA) vs. Nick Pivetta (5-10, 6.75 ERA)
Oh, no big deal Nick. Just hold your own against perhaps the best pitcher of the last decade. Cripes. Let’s just move on.
Tuesday, 7:05 p.m., Yu Darvish (9-12, 4.08 ERA) vs. Aaron Nola (11-10, 3.60)
When did statistics for guys who changed leagues in the middle of the year not reset? I totally missed that. Was it with the advent of interleague play? I feel like I should have known this happened. Anyway, the Aaron Nola train keeps chugging, coming off what was probably his best start of 2017. You had to be a little bit worried he was hitting that wall he keeps hitting at the end of seasons, but his last start hopefully proved he isn’t. Of all the good things that can happen for the Phils in these last couple weeks, Nola finishing strong might be the most important for 2018 momentum.
Wednesday, 7:05 p.m., Alex Wood (15-3, 2.69 ERA) vs. Jake Thompson (2-2, 4.46 ERA)
Biggest surprise to me in writing this story: Thompson’s ERA is only 4.46. I would have guessed in the 6 range. His FIP is 5.91, so that makes a little more sense, but still, it feels like he gets shelled every time out. He went 5.1 scoreless last Thursday, but with six hits and four walks, so I guess it just seemed like he was getting knocked around. There will have to be some serious talks about Thompson in the offseason.
Thursday, 1:05, Kenta Maeda (12-6, 4.21 ERA) vs. Mark Leiter Jr. (3-6, 4.93)
Maeda is sneaky valuable, striking out more than a batter an inning and holding on to a 1.13 WHIP. He’s not a world-beater, but he doesn’t have to be. He’ll probably come out of the bullpen in the playoffs, losing out to Rich Hill for the fourth starter spot if the Dodgers even choose to go with four starters. So to recap, the Dodgers fifth starter has a WHIP of 1.13 and has struck out 134 batters in 128.1 innings. The Phillies’ current fifth starter played most of the year in the Atlantic League, and Mark Leiter Jr. is the No. 4 starter. I … I just can’t.
Scott Cannariato wasn’t planning on taking any vacations anytime soon, but that all changed as he watched the Hurricane Irma coverage on TV two weeks ago. Read more »
The post Man Escapes Hurricane Irma, Winds Up at Ray’s Happy Birthday Bar appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
He did it a couple months ago at Amis — a one-night-only pop-up dinner featuring tastes reminiscent of his glory days at Pif. And now David Ansill is doing it again, this time bringing his French peasant cuisine to Noord. It’s happening October 9th, from 5:30pm to 10pm. A seat at the table will run you…
The post David Ansill’s Legendary French Restaurant Is Popping Up at Noord appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
Took long enough. Foobooz has finally released 2017’s 50 Best Bars in Philadelphia — our oft-debated, never stagnant, always useful list of crowd-favorite watering holes, cocktail bars, and dives. We’ve compiled this list the same way we’ve always compiled this list: We turned to our most in-the-know friends — food writers, editors and critics, distillers, brewers and industry pros, whiskey…
The post The 50 Best Bars in Philadelphia: 2017 Edition appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
When Stephen Starr began building his empire, he did so with concept restaurants: martini bars, Asian-fusion buddha shrines, soul food diners, and conveyor belt sushi restaurants. (That was then — decades ago. Now, he’s a James Beard award-winning restaurateur, teaming up with some of the most talented culinary stars in the world, opening chef-driven restaurants across the globe.) But Aimee Olexy, his business…
The post Stephen Starr and Aimee Olexy Are Bringing The Love to Rittenhouse This Fall appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
Graham Womack, a writer with the Sporting News, joins Tim Malcolm to talk about Chase Utley’s hall of fame chances. Plus it’s an exciting Phillies team – Tim talks with Kirsten Swanson about Rhys Hoskins’ historic start and an improved bullpen. Music by bensound.com.
The podcast is available on Soundcloud, iTunes, Stitcher, Spreaker and YouTube!
Welcome back to the world, everyone. It’s Monday, and that means we need to pay attention to the important things again. Important things like accidental penis bread, Pizza Hut evacuation procedures and post-disaster cooking techniques. Oh, and also? California’s foie gras ban is back on. So let’s start off with that. Because when you think…
The post The Decade-Long Fight Over Foie Gras Heats Back Up appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
Voted one of the top-10 Oktoberfest parties in the country by Draft Magazine, the 6th Annual Oktoberfest Live! Craft Beer Festival celebration held at the incredible XFINITY Live! Philadelphia is coming to Philly on Saturday, September 30th.
This awesome event includes all you can drink beer throughout the 7 bars located inside XFINITY Live!, as well as, the expanded beer gardens & party areas providing room for over 15,000 people. This festival comes complete with indoor, outdoor, and covered beer gardens, German Oktoberfest-style beer tents, 7 spectacular areas, food trucks, multiple musical acts, and so much more!
Grab your friends and come on out for a beautiful fall day of amazing beer-drinking fun, live bands all day, and unlimited sampling of 250+ great craft beers from 125+ breweries in your own custom stein. Entertainment will include live DJs inside, multiple bands, including authentic German music, super-fun contests, tons of bartenders & serving spots, games, activities, prizes, and giveaways.
Tickets:
General Admission Tickets (3pm – 7pm)
Includes access to 6 different event areas (no access to VIP area) with unlimited beer samples in a custom beer stein, live music, multiple DJs, tournaments, games, and access to the after party with more late night live music! Unlimited beer samples start at 3pm for Gen Admission.
X-treme VIP Tickets (2pm – 7pm)
BEST VALUE! Includes everything listed in General Admission plus exclusive access to multiple private VIP areas, private inside bathrooms, multiple VIP-only beers to taste all day long, complimentary bottled water & soft pretzels, and 1-hour early entry (VIP area opens at 2pm with unlimited samples). NOTE: VIPs can mingle with General Admission guests outside of the VIP area. Yeah, it’s awesome being an X-treme VIP!!!
This Oktoberfest will definitely be another one for the books and you can’t miss it! Get your tickets HERE before they sell out – which they will!
The post Oktoberfest Live! 2017 | Philadelphia’s Best Craft Beer & Music Festival appeared first on philly2night.
It’s time for a daily news report.
Henderson Alvarez’ Phillies debut went “meh,” as the 27-year-old right-hander who spent much of the season playing for the independent Long Island Ducks gave up four runs in five innings, striking out four and walking two. I don’t think you could’ve expected any more, and at least we didn’t get any less. I’d imagine he gets at least one more start, which is fine – just hold up the frame of the house, Henderson.
“Mr.” Joey Wendle (a local kid!) hit a grand slam for the A’s off Edubray Ramos, the only blemish for a bullpen that continues to be pretty good. Maikel Franco had the lone good game for the Phils, going 3-for-4 with singles and attempting to keep his name on the roster in 2018.
Meanwhile Rhys Hoskins is *gasp* slumping – he went 0-for-11 in the Oakland series with six strikeouts and one walk. Maybe the whole “Rhys Lightning” (it’s a bad nickname, folks) thing got to him. Meanwhile, I bet you Pete Mackanin sits Hoskins in one of these Los Angeles games. (Maybe that’s a good idea?)
And yes, the Dodgers are coming to town – a four-game series starting tonight at the Bank. They went 1-16 over an atrocious 17-game stretch to start the month, but since are 4-1, winning series against the Giants and Nationals. And lest you think the losing made them vulnerable, they’re now 96-53. Uh, they’re not vulnerable.
Oh, tonight’s starter for the Dodgers is Clayton Kershaw. Tomorrow it’s Yu Darvish. Then Alex Wood. Good luck, Phils.
Of course, this means Chase Utley is back in Philly for the week. He’s hitting a cool .234/.324/.406 with eight home runs and 32 RBI as a sometimes-starter.
Surely, though, he’ll boost all those numbers this week, because he likes coming home and doing good things.
The Phillies Nation Podcast is coming today. Our guest is Graham Womack of the Sporting News and other places; he recently wrote about Utley’s hall of fame chances. Listen to that, plus more Hoskins talk, when the pod drops in a few hours.
Happy Friday, everyone. If you’re anything like us, all you’re really concerned with right now is where you’re going to be eating (and drinking) this weekend. The good news? It looks like you’ve got plenty of excellent options–from new restaurants to cool events to Ping Pong bars. Yeah, Ping Pong bars. Let’s start with that…
The post Where To Eat This Weekend: A Real Sausage Fest appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.
Bottom line – this team is finally fun to watch again and everything we have been waiting for is finally starting to happen. Too bad there’s only 15 games left, starting with the Oakland Athletics this weekend.
What to expect
Philly’s former baseball team is back in town for the first time since 2011 and the final Interleague series of the season. The A’s haven’t fared well this season but just last weekend they swept the Houston Astros in a four-game series. They rank 25th in the league in batting average but are sixth in homeruns with 210. Good news is Khris Davis who leads the team with 39 homers just flew back home on Thursday for the birth of his first child so he won’t be back until at least Saturday – perfect timing!
Alien Rhys Hoskins continues to hit bombs night after night. More importantly, especially for a team that has struggled with plate discpline in the past, Hoskins has almost as many walks (26) as he does strikeouts (27). If the Marlins’ pitchers can’t figure how to get him out after seeing him 10 times, the A’s are going to have a tough time on their hands especially with how well the rest of the lineup is producing. In the series finale against Miami, every position player had a hit by the second inning. Since the All-Star break, the Phils are hitting .269/.334/.445 with a .779 OPS.
Meanwhile, the A’s have a hot rookie of their own. Matt Olson has 14 homers and 27 RBIs since August 8, after hitting just .196 (51 at-bats) through the first three months of the season.
Probable starters
Friday, 7:05 p.m., Daniel Mengden (0-1, 7.07 ERA) vs. Mark Leiter (3-4, 4.84 ERA)
Mengden’s major league career hasn’t been nearly as cool as his handlebar mustache – seriously, Google it. He spent most of the season in Triple A after going 2-9 with a 6.50 ERA in 14 starts last season. He was called up to start the second game of last week’s double-header against the Astros, where he gave up only three runs over six innings.
After pitching pretty well all season as both a starter and in relief, Leiter has been shaky as of late. He’s given up 13 runs over 9 1/3 innings in his last two starts, which saw his ERA jump from 3.88 to 4.84. However, he seemed to regain his control in his last outing against the Nationals where he struck out eight over six innings.
Saturday, 7:05 p.m., Kendall Graveman (5-4, 4.48 ERA) vs. Ben Lively (3-6, 3.86 ERA)
Since returning from the DL on August 3, Gravemen has pitched at least five innings in all but one of his eight starts. He relies heavily on his sinker so it’ll be interesting to see how the Phils’ young hitters adjust.
Lively, aside from Nola, has been one of the few bright spots in the Phils’ rotation this season. He’s only given up more than three runs twice and has a 2.57 ERA in his last three starts.
Sunday, 1:35 p.m., Sean Manaea (10-10, 4.65 ERA) vs. Henderson Alvarez (0-0, -.– ERA)
Manaea’s first three months were pretty consistent for the second-year pitcher. He finished the first half with a 3.76 ERA and only pitched less than five innings once in 16 starts. He has since unraveled. In 11 games, Manaea has a 6.20 ERA and lasted just 3 2/3 innings in his last start against Boston, surrendering seven runs on 11 hits.
Alvarez is making his first major league appearance since May 2015 when he last pitched for the Marlins before undergoing shoulder surgery. He attempted a comeback last season with the A’s but only pitched in 11 minor league games. After his second shoulder surgery last September, Alvarez joined the Independent League this season where he had a 3.94 ERA in seven games. The Phillies picked him up and put him in Lehigh Valley where he went 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA in three games. The former All-Star hopes to get back to where he left off…more than two years ago.
