Things Don't Always Look as Bad as They Appear

In a season that has already been filled with surprising, amazing moments, the Phillies added to that exponentially-growing list on Tuesday night. Miguel Cairo got a hit! In the lineup only because starter Chase Utley is day-to-day with a foot injury, and backup Eric Bruntlett hasn't met a right-handed pitcher he can hit, Cairo came up huge. With a single in four at-bats, Cairo increased his batting average by .083, to a season-high of .083. His WPA for the game was above -.050, as he finished with an impressive -.048. The Phillies defeated the Cardinals 10-7, moving into first place in the division, but Cairo was the big story. Cairo announced after the game that he would be keeping the ball from his second inning single, which produced a WPA of .006, for his personal trophy case. The bat, however, is already on the way to Cooperstown.

Brett Myers has produced the most consistent results of the Phillies' five starters, so far this season, throwing six or seven innings, and allowing three or four runs, in each of his first five starts. But he has been anything but consistent. Overpowering one inning, horrifyingly bad the next, anything can happen when Myers is on the scene. He has also experienced some difficulties with home runs, as he has permitted more than St. Louis' entire rotation, combined.

Myers was as erratic as usual, Tuesday night in St. Louis, but the final results weren't as good as in his earlier starts. The mid-80s (MPH) fastballs he was throwing over the middle of the plate may have been the root of the problem. Myers didn't walk a batter, but allowed nine hits over five and one-third innings. He surrendered two home runs, as opposing batters continued to bash the numerator of his own personal FIP equation. Myers was fortunate to only be charged with five runs in the game, as he left with the bases loaded. It was a less than impressive outing by Myers, but it was enough to collect his second win of the season.

The Phillies bullpen combined for three and two-thirds innings, permitting only a pair of runs. But the pen wasn't overly impressive, either. Scott Eyre entered with the bases loaded in the sixth, and gave up a deep drive to center. Shane Victorino sprinted to the wall, and made an outstanding catch, which turned a three-run double into a sacrifice fly. Clay Condrey continued to survive (mostly) on the strength of a low BABIP, giving up two walks, a two-run double, and a hard-hit lineout to 3B Pedro Feliz, in his two-thirds of an inning. Brad Lidge appeared to be having more problems with his balky knee, which appeared to affect his post-delivery landings. Lidge surrendered St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols' only hit of the two-game series, a titanic 450 ft. solo homer in the ninth inning. (That home run ball will probably be seen again, from the Phils' plane on their flight to New York.) Ryan Madson was the most effective Phillies' reliever, retiring all four batters he faced, on only ten pitches.

Cardinals' starter Adam Wainwright had been extremely successful in 2009, sporting a 3-0 record, with a 3.75 FIP. There had been some issues with walks, however, as Sir Walksalot (feel free to use that, when referring to Wainwright, if you wish) had a 5.52 BB/9 this season. The Phillies only had two walks, in Wainwright's six innings, but that's because they were busy rapping nine hits. The Phils knocked Wainwright for seven runs, including home runs by Shane Victorino (4-5, .209 WPA) and Jayson Werth (.205 WPA). The Phillies knocked out fifteen hits in the game, receiving multi-hit games from Victorino, Jimmy Rollins, Pedro Feliz, and Raul Ibanez. It was a ferocious display by the Phils' offense, as Ryan Howard (two walks in five PAs) was the only starter not to record a hit. The Phillies lead the entire game, and St. Louis was fortunate to hold them to only ten runs (two bases-loaded double plays, six left-on-base).

The Phillies play the Mets Wednesday night, with Chan Ho Park facing Johan Santana. One of the decade's worst starting pitchers, against one of the decade's best. (To clarify, Park is the former, Santana the latter.) But, in one game, anything can happen. For example, Miguel Cairo could even get a hit! In the words of noted wordsmith Gary Matthews, Sr., "things don't always look as bad as they appear." (Stick to broadca...bowling, Sarge. Stick to bowling.)