Bunts and Balks (8/30)

Brett Myers made his second rehab start at Reading (AA) on Saturday, with mixed results. Myers allowed one run in two innings. He threw thirty pitches, only sixteen for strikes. He allowed two hits, one of which was a flukish inside-the-park-homer. (The long fly ball hit off the outfield fence, and bounded far away from outfielder DomOnic Brown.)
Myers was expected to throw fifty pitches, but rain forced the game to be suspended.
Myers is expected to pitch on consecutive days, later this week, and then be recalled to Philadelphia. (The appearances are supposed to be for Lehigh Valley (AAA), but I'm officially voting for them to take place for pitching-strapped, playoff-hungry, Reading.)
A positive for the R-Phils was that Myers' start saved them from using one of their starting pitchers, as the game was turned into a Myers + bullpen effort. A rain-wasted start by one of Reading's remaining starting pitchers would have been damaging to their playoff hopes. Reading was very lucky that Myers' unfortunate eye injury (that did NOT happen in a bar) pushed back his rehab schedule, enabling him to pitch for them on Saturday.

The Phillies announced that top prospect Kyle Drabek has been shut down for the remainder of the season. Drabek is not injured, the Phils are merely shutting him down, for precautionary reasons. It is a prudent move, considering that Drabek is coming off TJ surgery, and has pitched 158 innings.
Drabek's final stats at Reading: 8-2, 3.64 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, .298 BABIP, 7.1 K/9, 2.45 K/BB, 3.83 FIP. One notable red flag: LHB hit .322 against the 21 year-old northpaw.
It's a shame that Drabek's workload wasn't reduced earlier in the season, so that he could perform for the R-Phils during their playoff run, and their inevitable postseason games. But the Phils made the right move, in shutting Drabek down.

So, who's left in the Reading rotation? How are they going to get through a week in which they have ten games scheduled?
The current rotation seems to include Yohan Flande, Mike Stutes, Mike Cisco, Vance Worley, and Alex Concepcion (?). (Concepcion has pitched mostly as a reliever, and would be fortunate to pitch four innings. Considering that doubleheaders in AA are only seven innings long, those games would be the best fit for him, as a starter.)
Flande and Concepcion are scheduled to start Monday's doubleheader, and could both start Saturday's doubleheader, on four days rest.
Mike Cisco has been announced as Tuesday's starter, with Mike Stutes scheduled to pitch Wednesday.
Friday would be Vance Worley's fifth day.
It looks like Reading needs a plan for Thursday.

Who makes the start for Reading on Thursday?
I'd like to see a "rehab game" featuring Brett Myers, Clay Condrey, and Antonio Bastardo. That could really help the R-Phils' playoff hopes. We may see some of the aforementioned rehabbers in Reading this week, but the R-Phils need to find a starting solution for the rest of the season.
They will, likely, need to recall a pitcher from Clearwater (A), one who would be pitching with (at least) four days' rest, on Thursday.
The available candidates are: Drew Naylor, Jon Velasquez, Tyler Cloyd, and Darren Byrd.
Naylor is twenty-three, on the 40-Man Roster, and has pitched the most innings in A (151). Naylor has a K/BB of 3.06, and a FIP of 3.67. If you remove the worst of Naylor's last ten starts, he has a 3.97 ERA, in that timeframe.
Velasquez turns twenty-four in October, has a K/BB of 2.82, and a FIP of 3.83 (64.2 IP).
Velasquez has an ERA of 2.82, in the best nine, of his last ten starts.
Cloyd is twenty-two, has a K/BB of 1.76, and a FIP of 4.02 (71.2 IP).
Cloyd has an ERA of 3.27, in the best nine, of his last ten starts.
Byrd turns twenty-three in October, has a K/BB of 1.66, and a FIP of 3.85 (81 IP).
Byrd has an ERA of 2.58, in the best nine, of his last ten starts.

So, esteemed blogger, who should get the call from Clearwater?
I'd recall Naylor to make the start for Reading, on Wednesday, on six days rest.
I'd recall Velasquez to make the start for Reading, on Thursday, on five days rest.
(The R-Phils never beat the New Britain Rock Cats, so they might as well try some different starters against them, in Naylor and Velasquez.)
Mike Stutes would be pushed back to Friday, facing 1st place Connecticut, on seven days' rest.
Vance Worley, pitching on five days' rest, would split the Saturday doubleheader, with Yohan Flande.
Alex Concepcion would return to the Reading bullpen.
Mike Cisco (6.41 ERA/519 FIP in five AA starts) would return to Clearwater, after making the start for Reading on Tuesday.

Clay Condrey and Antonio Bastardo are scheduled for rehab appearances on Monday, with the GCL Phillies (Rookie). They are getting closer. With no setbacks, and two (or three) more rehab appearances (in AA/AAA?), we might see them with the parent club next week.

J.C. Romero might long toss, at some point in the near future. Starting to look like Eyre and Bastardo will be the (only) lefties in the postseason bullpen.

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA) lost to the Syracuse SkyChiefs on Sunday, 3-1. A bunch of non-prospects, playing out the string, and hoping to become Phillies (MLB) on Tuesday.
I find the SkyChiefs' logo to be aesthetically displeasing.

The Reading Phillies lost both games of a doubleheader on Sunday, 1-0 and 5-2, to the Bowie Baysox. Two very disappointing seven-inning losses for the R-Phils.
In the completion of Saturday's suspended game, Chance Chapman (3 IP, 3 H, 1 BB/4 K) and Scott Mathieson (2 IP, 4 K) shut down Bowie. But Reading was held to five singles, and the inside-the-park homer allowed by Brett Myers was the game's only run.
The R-Phils were also held to only five hits (all singles) in the second game. Two games, fourteen innings, zero extra-base hits for Reading.
Starter Vance Worley was ineffective, pitching four and two-thirds innings, and allowing four runs (four hits, five walks/four whiffs). His record dropped to 7-11, with a 5.22 ERA. Worley is now 1-5, with a 7.44 ERA, after the All-Star break. In his last ten games, Worley is 2-6, with an 8.15 ERA. Perhaps Worley needs to be shut down also, as he is nearing 150 IP, after pitching 69 in 2008.

The Clearwater Threshers (A) beat the Daytona Cubs on Sunday, 4-2. Edgar Garcia got the victory, surrendering only a single run, in six and one-third innings (four hits, one walk/four whiffs). Tyson Brummett pitched one and two-thirds scoreless innings, reducing his ERA with Clearwater to only 9.00.

Bunts and Balks (8/27)

Brett Myers was overpowering, in his two-inning rehab stint on Wednesday night. On one hand, Myers was facing AA hitters. On the other hand, Myers pitched two scoreless innings, threw seventeen of twenty-four pitches for strikes, utilized a 92 MPH fastball to whiff five (of seven) batters, and will be appearing in both the R-Phils' and P-Phils' Championship Parades.
Myers needs to pitch on consecutive days this weekend, and then he should be ready to join the P-Phils' bullpen on Tuesday, Roster Expansion Day!

GM Ruben Amaro indicated that the Phillies wouldn't be make any more acquisitions, prior to Sept. 1st. The cagey Amaro is, definitely, going to pick up a bench bat.

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA) pounded the Rochester Red Wings on Thursday, 11-2. With the game tied 2-2, heading into the eighth inning, the FeHogs exploded for a three-run eighth, and a six-run ninth. Starter Kyle Kendrick pitched seven and two-thirds innings, permitting only two runs (seven hits, zero walks/one whiff).

The Reading Phillies (AA) lost an epic game to the rival Erie Seawolves, 9-6, in thirteen innings. Four hours and twenty-nine minutes, in front of 6915 rabid fans, against the team chasing them for the final playoff spot. The R-Phils trailed 6-2, after three innings, but scored single runs in the fourth, fifth, eighth, and ninth innings. Neil Sellers had four hits, including a homer and a double. Kevin Nelson had (another!) home run, and four RBI.
Starter Mike Stutes surrendered six runs, in only five innings (seven hits, two walks/four whiffs). The R-Phils' bullpen (Alex Concepcion, Pat Overholt, Mike Zagurski, Sergio Escalona) combined for seven scoreless innings, until Escalona was touched for three runs (two earned) in his third inning of work.
The R-Phils lead Erie by a game and a half. Bowie is three games behind Reading, with a four-game series between the two scheduled this weekend. Vance Worley, Yohan Flande, Kyle Drabek, and Mike Cisco are lined up to make the starts, and Brett Myers may be available out of the bullpen.

The Clearwater Threshers (A) lost to the Brevard County Manatees on Thursday, 7-2. Those Sea Cows are too tough. Clearwater had five hits...and five errors. Starter Darren Byrd permitted five runs (four hits, six walks/two walks), in five innings. The Threshers, like the IronPigs, are pretty much playing out the string. All of our minor league focus should be on Reading right now.

Bunts and Balks (8/21)

Brett Myers' first (non-simulated) rehab appearance was a successful one, as he threw a scoreless inning for Clearwater (A). Myers allowed two singles, but struck out the side, throwing in the low 90s. Barring any unforeseen occurrences, Myers is expected to make four (or five) more minor league appearances. He should be recalled in early September, when rosters expand, and is eligible to be added to the postseason roster. His final pre-recall test should be a simulated game, against MLB stalwarts Eric Bruntlett, Matt Stairs, and Paul Bako.

Billy Wagner was placed on waivers by the Mets, and was, reportedly, claimed by the Red Sox. As a team in the same league as the Mets, the Phillies could have claimed Wagner, before the Red Sox. However, GM Ruben Amaro indicated that the Phillies "don't have $3 million to pull out of a tree." (Wagner would have cost $2.7 million in salary for the remainder of 2009, plus a $1 million buyout for 2010.) Even if the Phillies did have $3.7 million in a tree, Wagner is no less of a gamble than rehabbing sunk costs Brett Myers and J.C. Romero. Wagner will probably be back at home with the llamas, before the Phillies are done with their postseason run.

There has been talk on the internets about Jamie Moyer as an offseason trade piece. Moyer will, depending on attained incentives, make between $6.5 million and $8 million.
The Phillies would, likely, have to eat the majority of that, in order to deal Moyer, who will be 47 next season. Even at $1 million, it doesn't seem like their would be a huge market for a veteran with an ERA over 5.5. The Phillies will, probably, allow Moyer to compete for the fifth spot in the 2010 rotation, and DFA him during Spring Training. (Probably after only a couple of appearances, so that there is plenty of time for him to compete for a roster spot on another team.) Washington or Seattle might take him, for the MLB minimum.

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA) defeated the Scranton/WB Yankees on Friday night, 9-1. Kyle Kendrick pitched six innings, allowing a run, on three hits (two walks/one strikeout). Kendrick has had some good results in AAA, over the past two months. He has a 2.80 ERA, with a 1.02 WHIP. But he has only 20 strikeouts, and 12 walks, in 60 innings. He'll probably be in the parent club's bullpen in September, by virtue of his experience/spot on the 40-Man roster, but doesn't seem to fit in the team's long-term MLB plans.

The Reading Phillies (AA) fell to the New Britain Rock Cats on Friday, 6-3. Mike Cisco continued to not baffle AA hitters, falling to 0-3, with a 6.33 ERA at the level. Cisco surrendered six runs on six hits (three walks/one whiff), in five innings. Catcher Kevin Nelson, recently sent down from AAA, had his third homer, in his last five games. DomOnic Brown had a pair of hits, improving his average to .320. Quintin Berry stole two more bases, increasing his league-leading total to 47. Could he be pinch-running for the parent club in September?

The Clearwater Threshers (A) scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth, to beat the Dunedin Blue Jays, 5-4. The hero? Gus Milner, with a two-out, walkoff single. Starter Darren Byrd pitched five scoreless innings, working around four hits and three walks, and striking out five batters. Byrd bounced back nicely, from consecutive poor outings.

Bunts and Balks (8/16)

The removal of Jamie Moyer from the rotation continues to be a hot topic around the internets. The Phillies removed the worst of their starters, in the hopes that the replacement would produce better results. There are more crucial issues right now. Will Brad Lidge get his act together? Will Matt Stairs start to get hits again? What really happened to Brett Myers on Friday night?

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA) were held to only five hits, in Sunday's 3-0 loss to the Buffalo Bisons. Kyle Kendrick allowed three runs (one earned) in four innings (six hits, zero walks/one whiff). After spending the last couple of weeks buried in the parent club's bullpen, the game-rusty Kendrick was removed after throwing fifty-nine pitches. Tuffy Gosewisch had his first hit, since his promotion from AA, improving his average to .125.

The Reading Phillies (AA) won a remarkable pitcher's duel, walking off with a 1-0 win over the Binghampton Mets. Choosing to listen to the R-Phils internet broadcast, over the IronPigs internet broadcast, was the correct move today. DomOnic Brown sparked the rally in the ninth, blasting a double, and scoring the winning run on an error. Mike Stutes threw seven scoreless frames for the R-Phils, retiring thirteen consecutive Mets, and nineteen of twenty.
Stutes only surrendered two hits and one walk, while striking out nine. Sergio Escalona followed with two scoreless innings (one walk/one whiff), picked up his first win, and lowered his ERA to 1.82. Quintin Berry had two hits, and three stolen bases. Berry now has a league-leading forty-five thefts.
The R-Phils are locked in a tight battle with Erie and Bowie, for second place in the Southern Division, and a playoff berth.

The Clearwater Threshers (A) scored six runs, on eleven hits, but were outscored by the Tampa Yankees, 9-6. Matt Rizzotti was 4 for 5, with a homer, a pair of doubles, and three RBI. Rizzotti has hit .316 over his last ten games, improving his slash line to .257/.342/.468. Threshers' starter Darren Byrd survived only four and two-thirds innings, permitting four runs (eleven hits, three walks/two whiffs).

Bunts and Balks (8/5)

On Wednesday night, the Reading Phillies (AA) defeated the Trenton Thunder, 8-4. The R-Phils paid Tribute to Sliced Bread, drawing a franchise-record crowd of 9,953, as a result.
Future Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez was also present for the festivities, making his third rehab start for the parent Phillies. Martinez surrendered a solo homer to the third batter he faced, and was touched up for three runs in the sixth inning. However, the sixth inning was marred by fielding inadequacy, and Martinez was brilliant throughout the game. He threw eighty-two pitches, sixty for strikes. He struck out ten of the first seventeen batters he faced. He finished with eleven strikeouts and ZERO walks. It looks like he is ready for a spot in the parent Phillies' rotation. (Namely, Jamie Moyer's spot.)
Scott Mathieson followed with two scoreless innings, and Sergio Escalona pitched a scoreless ninth.
DomOnic Brown overshadowed Martinez, however. But not with his 2 for 4 night, which included a mammoth 426 ft. homer. After the game, Brown announced that the spelling of his first name is "Domonic", rather than "Dominic." Baseball writers everywhere are filling their memory holes with the inconvenient evidence, and a conspiracy of silence is now in progress.
Phillies' GM Ruben Amaro may have missed an opportunity to deal DomInic Brown, while receiving the trade value earned by DomOnic Brown.

The Clearwater Threshers (A) beat the Dunedin Blue Jays on Wednesday, 5-1.
Starter Darren Byrd continued to pitch well, allowing one run, in six innings (three hits, three walks/three whiffs). Byrd has a 2.84 ERA in his last ten starts (38 IP).
Phillies' reliever Chad Durbin made his first rehab appearance, throwing a scoreless inning (one hit, one walk/two strikouts). Joe Bisenius, in his second rehab appearance in A ball, also pitched a scoreless inning (one walk/one whiff).
Steve Susdorf was 0 for 3, dropping his average to a discouraging .377.

Bunts and Balks (7/30)

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA) lost in ten innings on Thursday, 5-4, to the Columbus Clippers. It must have been disconcerting to see two of Wednesday morning's FeHogs, Jason Donald and Lou Marson, in the starting lineup for the Clippers. In a sign of extreme disrespect, Marson and Donald occupied the last two spots in the Columbus batting order.
Drew Carpenter returned to the LV rotation, making his first start since July 19th. He pitched five strong innings, allowing only one run (five hits, two walks/five whiffs). He left with a 3-1 lead, but Francisco Butto, back in AAA (for a limited time only!), followed with one and two-thirds ineffective innings, before departing with LV trailing, 4-3. Jack Taschner got the loss, but should be held blameless, as he retired two of three batters. The one batter he didn't retire reached on an error, and was permitted to score by Gary Majewski.
Pedro Martinez will make a rehab start for LV on Friday night, facing former FeHog Carlos Carrasco. With the parent club playing on the West Coast, this is a good opportunity to tune in to the IronPigs' broadcast.

OF John Mayberry and RHP Steven Register were optioned to Lehigh Valley from the Phillies. Reinforcements! Mayberry should play regularly in the outfield for the IronPigs, with Register adding another arm to the faltering IronPigs bullpen.

RHP Tyson Brummett and RHP Francisco Butto were demoted from Lehigh Valley to Reading (AA). Butto spent one unsuccessful day in AAA. Brummett had been recalled for five days, in an attempt to replenish the pitching staff. Brummett had been demoted to the bullpen in AA, but was recalled to make a start in AAA. He was ineffective, and only ate four innings.

C Kevin Nelson was promoted to Lehigh Valley, from Reading. With starting catcher Lou Marson joining the Clippers, the IronPigs needed another backstop. Reading's starting catcher, Tuffy Gosewisch, is on the DL. That left Nelson, and Tim Kennelly (batting .171, in 12 games at AA) as the options. Given that Kennelly appears overmatched at AA, it was an easy decision. Paul Hoover should be expected to make the vast majority of the starts behind the plate for the IronPigs.

RHP Joe Savery was promoted to Lehigh Valley, from Reading. The IronPigs rotation has been gutted in recent weeks, but now seems to be almost replenished, with Carpenter/Brian Mazone/Gustavo Chacin/Martinez taking four, of the five, spots. Kyle Kendrick could be returning soon, but it appears the FeHogs wanted another starting option, in the interim.
Joe Savery was very impressive before the All-Star break (12-1, 3.48 ERA), but has struggled in his last five starts (27.2 IP, 41 H, 26 ER, 14 BB/19 K). He may be up in AAA just for a start, or two.

The Reading Phillies (AA) defeated the Portland Sea Dogs on Thursday, 2-0.
Vance Worley was coming off four atrocious starts in a row (18.1 IP, 38 H, 30 ER, 6 BB/12 K), but threw six scoreless innings (3 H, 2 BB/3 K), for his seventh win. Scott Mathieson (2 IP, 0 H, 1 K) and Sergio Escalona (1 IP, 2 K, 11th save) completed the shutout.

LHP Jason Mackintosh was placed on the DL, with a left elbow strain. RHP Scott Mathieson was promoted from Clearwater (A). Mathieson continues to roll through the minors. Could see him in AAA (and MLB?), before the end of Mathieson's season. He could be in the mix for the 2010 Phillies' bullpen.

The Clearwater Threshers (A) shut out the Fort Myers Miracle, 2-0. RHP Darren Byrd pitched eight scoreless innings for the win, allowing only four hits (two walks/six whiffs). Byrd has not allowed a run, in his last three starts (nineteen innings). Steve Susdorf went 1 for 3, and his batting average fell to .398.

Bunts and Balks (7/24)

According to Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer, "baseball sources" are indicating that the Blue Jays want J.A. Happ, Kyle Drabek, and Dominic Brown, in exchange for Roy Halladay.
This contradicts with the "hockey sources", who indicated that the Blue Jays wanted Claude Giroux, Mike Richards, and Marc-Andre Bourdon.
Happ is expendable, but Drabek AND Brown? That's a pretty hefty price. But the Phils would be getting a year, and a few months, of one of the best pitchers in MLB. If the Phils would control Halladay for a few seasons, giving up Drabek and Brown would be a lot easier.
Hopefully, the Jays' price will come down a bit.

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA) lost to the Gwinnett Braves on Friday, 7-5. The FeHogs fell behind 3-0, but pulled to within 3-2, before start Carlos Carrasco surrendered a three-run homer with two outs in the sixth. Carrasco probably didn't help his dwindling trade value, by allowing six runs, in six innings (four hits, four walks/five strikeouts, one home run allowed). Michael Taylor went 1 for 3, with a walk and a stolen base, in the losing effort.

The Reading Phillies (AA) crushed the Bowie Baysox, 7-1. Starter Mike Stutes had another strong performance, allowing only one run, over seven and one-third innings (six hits, two walks/eight strikeouts, one home runs allowed). In July, Stutes has a 1.80 ERA, in five starts (thirty innings). In his last ten starts, Stutes has a 2.81 ERA, in fifty-seven and two-thirds innings. (Stutes hasn't allowed more than three earned runs in any of those ten starts.) Perhaps Stutes should be as highly regarded as rotation-mates Joe Savery and Vance Worley?
Neil Sellers was a single short of a cycle, as his 3 for 5 night raised his average to .325. Kevin Mahar increased his average to .323, with a 3 for 5 effort of his own.

The Clearwater Threshers (A) shut out the Charlotte Stone Crabs, 2-0.
Darren Byrd (five innings, four hits, one walk/five whiffs), Carlos Monasterios (two innings, one hit), Scott Mathieson (one inning, one hit, one walk/three strikeouts), and Michael Schwimer (one inning, one strikeout) combined for the shutout. Steve Susdorf was 0 for 3, dropping his average to .394. Dominic Brown was 1 for 3, and his average fell to .300. Brown reached base twice, and was picked off once, and caught stealing second the other time.

Bunts and Balks (7/19)

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA) beat the Rochester Red Wings on Sunday, 3-2. Incredible game! Awesome start by Drew (a.k.a. Andrew) Carpenter: one run allowed in seven innings (three hits, two walks/eight whiffs, one solo HR). Walkoff ninth-inning double by David Newhan. Technical difficulties on the internet broadcast made hearing FeHogs reliever Stephen Register's blowing of the save impossible.
The FeHogs completed a four-game series sweep of the Red Wings, moved to the .500 mark (47-47!), and remained in a franchise-high Third Place!

The Reading Phillies (AA) FINALLY beat the New Britain Rock Cats, 9-1.
The R-Phils had lost all six of the previous encounters with the Stone Felines this season. Starter Mike Stutes pitched five and one-third innings, and permitted five hits and five walks, striking out three. Stutes' ERA was saved by reliever Alex Concepcion, who stranded the two baserunners he inherited in the sixth inning. Concepcion threw three and two-thirds innings, surrendering only a solo home run. Concepcion received his second save, despite the fact that the R-Phils won by eight runs. (However, the tying run was on deck when Concepcion entered the game, and he did finish the game. Therefore, I am going to go ahead and approve the awarding of a save here.)
The R-Phils offense was paced by Neil Sellers (4 for 4, .317 avg.), Tim Kennelly (2 for 5, HR, 3 RBI), and Jeremy Slayden (HR, 2 RBI, .369 avg.).

The Clearwater Threshers (A) shut out the Sarasota Reds, 4-0.
Darren Byrd, an 18th round draft choice in 2005, threw six scoreless innings (four hits, one walk/three whiffs) for the win. Scott Mathieson retired all three batters he faced in the ninth inning, two on strikeouts. Dominic Brown went 2 for 2, with a pair of RBI. Steve Susdorf was 0 for 4, reducing his average to a measly .396.

Despite the impending additions of Roy Halladay and Pedro Martinez to the parent club's pitching staff, the Phillies still need to be on the lookout for additionals upgrade options.
The Colorado Rockies have a northpaw in AAA, whom the Phillies should consider acquiring. He has posted a 2.30 ERA (3.36 FIP), with a 3.25 K/BB in 43 innings (7 starts). He would cost the Phillies only the major-league minimum, in additional salary costs. Ruben Amaro is, likely, already in the process of acquiring SkySox hurler Adam Eaton.