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Hey, look: runs!

Hunter Pence, who underwent an MRI on his injured left shoulder yesterday, hit a two-run bomb to right-center field. Two batters later, Laynce with a Y Nix added another two-run home run. And with that, the Phillies had runs… and a lead en route to an 8-5 victory against the Diamondbacks.

The runs and Pence’s recovery from not being able to lift his left arm above his shoulder just 24 hours earlier were so surprising that CSN’s Jim Salisbury managed to liken it to a Kirk Gibson moment

Hunter Pence had a Kirk Gibson moment with Kirk Gibson in the other dugout.

Even though his shoulder felt better when he awakened Tuesday morning, Pence had the MRI anyway. It showed a bruise, but the inflammation had dissipated. Plenty of athletes have had big games after getting up off trainer’s table. (In Pence’s case, he went from the MRI tube to the spotlight.) One of the best examples is Gibson, who smacked a pinch-hit, game-winning home run on one leg (he was suffering from knee and hamstring injuries) for the Dodgers in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. Gibson, of course, is the D’backs’ manager.

 

OK, settle down, Sully. This is what happens when scriptuals spend so much time embedded with a team that they lose touch with reality. We all like Pence, but let’s pump the brakes a bit here.

Pence’s Bash Brother, Nix (we used to not get so excited around here over a couple of dingers… but how times have changed), is hitting .333 with one home run and six RBIs this year. Charlie Manuel, of course, loves that: [via Phillies.com]

"If you swing the bat like that, I like you. I'll fall in love with you quick."

 

Hey, if Nix can figure out how to field, too, then he’ll really be something to talk about. 

Vance Worley pitched well last night, giving up only one run in six innings and striking out six. But, to put his 110 pitches in perspective (or more-so to point out how insane Cliff Lee’s outing in San Fran last week was): Lee threw only 102 pitches (81 strikes) in 10 innings. And yes, we’re going to keep talking about that game.

Mike Stutes is now on the DL.

Finally, nice to see that T-Bag and Wheels (you can thank reader Jeff for that nickname) reprised their annual Nacho Libre performance.

[For those who are unawares, each year when the Phillies go to Arizona, the same two fans show up wearing some assortment of Nacho Libre masks and cheesesteak heads. And each year, T-Bag and Wheels are flummoxed.]

April, 2010:

Wheels: I never heard of Nacho Libre.  

T-Bag: It had Jack Black in it.

WheelsOh, he was in the movie about rock… and kids. Oh I don't know!  I don't go to the movies a lot.  And I haven't slept.

 

And last night:

That transcript:

T-Bag: Our Nacho Grande fans… is that what it is, Nacho Grande? What is that movie that was out a few years ago? I’m asking the wrong guy, sorry Wheels.

Wheels: I don’t know that stuff.

T-Bag: Nacho Libre, that’s what it was! I was looking at the cheesesteak and I was thinking about nacho grandes to go along with the cheesesteak. 

Wheels: Well that’s what I thought you were talking about was nachos, I didn’t know you were talking about a movie.

 

Like clockwork.