Sturdy Phillies Bullpen Leads Late Playoff Surge

(originally posted 9/24/07)
"You might want to fix the floor." Phillies closer Brett Myers was not impressed with the condition of the path to the Oval Office inside the White House. Prior to Friday night's game in Washington against the Nationals, Myers, Manager Charlie Manuel, and several other Phillies players met with President Bush and toured his digs. Pitcher Cole Hamels got to see some of the "secret features" and Manuel had the opportunity to speak with one of the few individuals with a comparable level of strategic brilliance.

The much-maligned Phillies bullpen has been as riddled with cracks as the White House floor this season. A conglomeration of waiver wire pickups, AA talent, and worse, all headed by the Opening Day starter, the bullpen has combined to cost the Phillies many a win this season. Opening Day starter-turned closer Brett Myers has been erratic, including consecutive blown saves this past week. He did have reasons: the first blown save was due to bad luck, the second was due to suckage on his part. (I never said they were good reasons.) But, at this time of the season, when attrition has left the starting staff only slightly more accomplished than their bullpen counterparts, the Phillies can't afford poor performances by their relievers. At least not if they want to be involved in the postseason.

After an 8-2 road trip, the Phils' playoff hopes are still alive. In fact, I calculate that they have a 52.3% chance of qualifying for the postseason. Most of the thanks goes to Brett Myers, Tom Gordon, J.C. Romero and the rest of the bullpen. (With the exception of Antonio Alfonseca, who used his 2.4 hands to wrest defeat away from the jaws of victory on Sunday. "Twelve-Finger" needs to get himself suspended again. For the good of the team.) With scoreless inning-after scoreless-inning, the bullpen managed to overcome atrocious outings by the non-Kyle Kendrick members of the starting rotation. Myers, Gordon, and Romero each pitched in five consecutive games, all of which were Phillies' wins.

Also worthy of note is that Manager Charles Fuqua Manuel actually out-maneuvered an opposing manager for once. Earlier this season, Manuel managed to cost the Phillies a game in Washington, by failing to wait until a Nats pinch-hitter was announced, before making a corresponding pitching change. Nationals Manager Manny Acta was able to pull that pinch-hitter back, and Michael Restovich had a big hit in extra innings. In the 7th inning of Thursday's game, the Phillies trailed the Nationals 6-2, as they batted in the top of the 7th. The Phillies' first two batters reached base, and Manuel sent backup catcher Pete Laforest in as a pinch-hitter. Acta countered by switching from Luis Ayala to Arnie Munoz. Manuel pinch-hit for Laforest with Jayson Werth, leaving the Phillies with a much-improved matchup. Werth hit a three-run homer, and the Phillies were on their way to a 7-6 win. Well done, Charles Fuqua!

The Phillies enter play on Tuesday tied with San Diego for the Wild Card lead, and only two games behind the Mets in the NL East. However, with only six games remaining, and a three-game series with John Smoltz and the Atlanta Braves looming, it's not going to be easy. But with the way the offense has performed all season, and the recent emergence of the bullpen, anything is possible. The White House has about a month to get that floor fixed, before the Phillies return as World Series Champions. George W. better get cracking on that maintenance issue. Brett Myers and the Phillies are not to be trifled with.